Mini-Post: Good Bye P'town

This is something that has been simmering for a long, long time!

When I was looking for a cottage here the real-estate agent showed me a loft apartment on Commercial St. 30' by 40' the main floor had a kitchen and bathroom and big open room, a ladder went up to an open bedroom. Oh and there was no parking on the street, you had to rent a parking space either from the town or a private citizen. The price? $300,000!

Provincetown is losing its nostalgic charm. Locals are fighting to save the town from a ‘Nantucket-zation.’

The unique inns that have defined P-town for decades are becoming rarer

The Boston Globe

By Sarah Rahal

September 29, 2025

On a summer afternoon, Commercial Street is humming with tourists, the briny air smelling of fresh fudge and fried clams. Drag queens in sequin dresses sashay past strollers and leashed dogs, weaving through the slow crawl of cars that yield to the crowd of pedestrians and cyclists.

For many, a trip to this destination on the tip of Cape Cod begins when they step off the ferry and check into one of the town’s boutique, owner-run inns where innkeepers greet guests by name and cook them breakfast.

[...]

That has created a slow dwindling of licensed lodging, from nearly 100 inns and hotels in 2010 to 82 this year, which has heightened a community debate over how to keep Provincetown’s character intact. Short-term rentals, including Airbnb and Vrbo, have also fallen sharply, from more than 1,200 in 2019 to 855 licensed today.

The people who run Trans Week are having a harder time finding places for lunch and the banquet. Last year they held their banquet at Montano's Restaurant, the food was good but the restaurant was in North Truro.

“You could buy assets here at a discount compared to Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket, but the real draw is the community, the camaraderie; it’s a vibe,” Rosenberg said. “You go to P-town and you can’t stop smiling because it’s so welcoming. I understand capping ownership at properties to keep things homegrown. People don’t want to lose the charm of P-town and have everything owned by a handful of entities. But it does deter investment in the community.”

What's up on the sale's block?

• Old Reliable Fish House site (227, 227R, and 229 Commercial Street), is being redeveloped to make condos.
• Tin Pan Alley restaurant at 269 Commercial Street: The current asking price is $2,975,000
• The Lobster Pot at 321 Commercial Street:  $14 million
• Lands End Marine Supply & Hardware store property at 337 Commercial Street: $12,900,000.

Old Reliable Fish House site (227, 227R, and 229 Commercial Street), is being redeveloped to make condos. The Provincetown Independent reported, 

The plan still calls for the construction of two hotels with a total of 50 rooms, 13 condominiums, two restaurants, and some retail space, spanning 227, 227R, and 229 Commercial St. Those elements are all part of the review being done by the commission, which is set to continue its hearing on Tuesday, July 16.

What people worry about: that real estate will get so costly that it will drive away the tourist and restaurants will get so expensive that only millionaires will be able to afford it.