Cape Cod’s year-round commercial center
Hyannis is the largest of the seven villages that make up the Town of Barnstable. It’s also the commercial and transportation center of Cape Cod, earning it the unofficial title of Capital of the Cape. “Hyannis is the hub. It has the most restaurants and shops, the airport and ferries, but it also has several beaches,” says Realtor Marie Souza of Cape Cod Real Estate Services, who has decades of experience working with clients in the area. Its iconic New England resort-town aesthetic and Cape Cod’s reputation as a vacation destination notwithstanding, Hyannis is a year-round village. “Certainly tourism is important, though less so than when I was a kid. Now the whole town, but especially Hyannis, is really self-sustaining. Very few businesses close down in the winter, and you get a tax break if you’re a year-round resident,” Souza says. “People want good healthcare, good schools, things to do and good housing. We have all that.”
Beachy single-family homes and condos
Classic coastal New England architecture is common, from Saltboxes and Colonials to cedar-shingled Cape Cods. New Traditional and Contemporary condo buildings and standalone cottage-style condos are also available. Single-family home prices start close to $245,000 and quickly rise to $995,000, while condos range from $200,000 to over $750,000. Properties on the water or those set back but still with views of the ocean typically sell for more than $1 million. “It’s a very fast-paced housing market at the moment. Demand far exceeds supply, but the town is working on increasing housing units,” Souza says. Outside of hurricane season, the risk of flooding is low, despite Hyannis’s coastal location.
Shopping and dining at Cape Cod Mall, Main Street and more
Cape Cod Mall and other shopping centers, like The Landing at Hyannis and Southwind Plaza, fill the Iyannough Road corridor to the north with Target, Whole Foods, Barnes & Noble and other such retailers. Main Street has more locally owned shopping and dining. “It’s more of the charming, historic district, with mom-and-pop shops and al fresco dining, that kind of thing,” Souza says. The walkable area also hosts annual events, like the 4th of July parade, the Father’s Day Car Show, Halloween trick-or-treating and a Christmas Stroll. The Hyannis Village Green hosts outdoor concerts, like the Citizens Bank Pops by the Sea, a fundraising event for the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod. The John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum, near the bandstand, celebrates the legacy of one of Cape Cod's most famous summer residents.
Outdoor recreation at Hyannis parks and beaches
Sandy beaches line Hyannis’s southern coast. Keyes Memorial Beach, known locally as Sea Street, is known for its calm surf. Kalmus Beach, on Dunbar Point, is breezier and has bigger waves, popular with kiteboarders and windsurfers. Veterans Memorial Beach is next to its namesake park, which has picnic areas, a playground and statues honoring John F. Kennedy and military veterans. The nearby Hyannis Yacht Club hosts youth swimming and sailing programs, as well as an active adult sailing program and a highly regarded restaurant for members. The Hyannis Youth & Community Center offers indoor recreation for youngsters and adults. “Youth means anybody up to 95. It’s an amazing rec center. It has a raised walking track overlooking the basketball and volleyball court, indoor ice-skating rinks and a snack bar. It’s very well-used,” Souza says.
Barnstable Public Schools, charter and private schools nearby
Hyannis West Elementary, one of several lower elementary schools in the Barnstable Public Schools, gets a C-plus grade from Niche. Barnstable United Elementary, the district’s only upper elementary school, also gets a C-plus. Barnstable Intermediate, which serves sixth and seventh graders, earns a B-minus, while Barnstable High gets a B. School choice is available. Barnstable High offers career pathway programs allowing students to concentrate their studies in fields such as education, computer science and business, among others. Sturgis is an A-plus-rated public charter school with an International Baccalaureate program. Private options include St. John Paul II School and Trinity Christian Academy, both of which receive A-minus grades from Niche.
Commuting on and off Cape Cod
The Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority provides bus service around Barnstable County, with stops at destinations like Cape Cod Hospital, near the harbor. Ferries to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard depart from a port on the harbor just south of Cape Cod Hospital. Flights to the islands are available at Cape Cod Gateway Airport, which also connects directly to D.C., Boston and New York City. Depending on traffic, the 70-mile drive north to Boston typically takes under 2 hours. U.S. Route 6 runs the width of the Cape, heading northeast to Provincetown and west to the mainland.
