Sunny Days in Provincetown

By Conor Berry
Published: May 11, 2004

PROVINCETOWN—The economic forecast is in: The season is looking downright rosy for Provincetown.

From the East End to the West End, there's a buzz in this bohemian town about an economic renaissance that local business owners hope will last well beyond the legalization of gay marriage on May 17.

While it is difficult to pinpoint the precise reason for an upsurge in hotel, inn and restaurant bookings, or the crowds at Provincetown restaurants this spring, many businesses are literally banking on same-sex marriage.

Glen Martin, co-owner of the Martin House in the West End, credits consumer optimism and an improving national economy, as well as gay marriage, for the local economic optimism. And, says Martin, an unabashed "liberal Democrat," the prospect of Sen. John Kerry taking the White House could be a factor, too.

But there's no question this summer is all about weddings - both for homosexual and heterosexual couples.

The Martin House has already booked a wedding party and two rehearsal dinners for the weekend following May 17, which some in town have dubbed "Gay Day."

There is also a wedding rehearsal dinner booked for May 28, followed by three wedding parties the next day. Over the same weekend last year, "we had nothing," Martin said.

Even with having to close for renovations this winter while the restaurant was hooked up to Provincetown's new sewer system, the Martin House is booked solid for weddings and parties throughout May and much of the summer.

Even non-wedding business is up.

In April, the restaurant served 953 dinners compared to 663 in April of last year, Martin said.

"I noticed that people don't feel as hopeless as they have in the past," he said. Martin thinks Americans seem to be shaking off the trauma and horror of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"People seem to have a spring in their step again."

This spring's boom should boost the Martin House, and other local businesses that suffered from last spring's soggy weather.

"We had two bad years (in a row), and this will help me catch up," Martin said.

Now, the state has shifted the burden of proof of residency to town clerks, who are expected to ask gay couples from other states whether they intend to move here. If the answer is yes, then the marriage can proceed.

"Same-sex couples are coming (to Provincetown) from all over the United States," Martin said.

At the Crown & Anchor, a Commercial Street landmark, things are looking equally bright, said general manager Rick Murray.

"Our bookings are up throughout the season," he said, including five wedding parties, the first of which takes place May 22.

From January through April, Murray said, business was up 20 percent at the Crown & Anchor, an 18-room hotel, 100-seat restaurant, bar and entertainment complex.

"We cater to pretty much anything," he said, noting that many people appear to be "waiting for what's actually going to happen that last week of May.

"The energy in town is much more positive and higher at this point than this time last year," he said.

Up Commercial Street a bit, the prognosis looks good for other lodging places.

"We're already booked up for most of July and August," said Jeffrey LaBrie, manager of the White Wind Inn, a Commercial Street guesthouse.

Although many of those bookings are from repeat customers, LaBrie said has seen a noticeable rise in phone calls in recent weeks.

At the Red Inn, a restaurant and inn in the far West End, the season is already off to a galloping start, said co-owner Rick Holland.

"The phone rings off the hook," he said. "If we could put up a large tent in our parking lot, we could have a wedding every weekend."

The inn has nine wedding reservations, half of them for same-sex couples.

"We're well ahead of the previous year," Holland said, agreeing with Martin that the mood around town seems much more positive.

"There seems to be a renewed level of confidence," Holland said. "People are booking longer stays and seem more light-hearted."

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