Robert Duffy’s Provincetown
Robert Duffy, international tastemaker and Marc Jacobs’s longtime business partner, has been a Provincetown habitué for over three decades. “I think of it as my soul,” he says. Here are his tips on enjoying the paradise.
Robert Duffy, international tastemaker and Marc Jacobs’s longtime business partner, has been a Provincetown habitué for over three decades. “I think of it as my soul,” he says. Now the duo has unveiled a Marc by Marc Jacobs outpost in the seaside town, packed with casual clothing and beachy accessories. “I want Provincetown to be more of a year-round community,” Duffy says. “So I’m putting my money where my mouth is.” Here are his tips on enjoying the paradise.
EAT: For lunch, I’ll hit Clem and Ursies (85 Shankpainter Rd., 508-487-2333, clemandursies.com)—try the swordfish. Front Street (230 Commercial St., 508-487-9715, frontsteetrestaurant.com) has amazing pasta and veal. And the Mews (429 Commercial St., 508-487-1500, mews.com) is as good as anywhere else in the world.
STAY: I send friends to the Red Inn (15 Commercial St., 508-487-7334, theredinn.com) or to Land’s End Inn (22 Commercial St., 508-487-0706, landsendinn.com)—both really cute. The Brass Key (67 Bradford St., 508-487-9005, brasskey.com) is also nice. There’s something about the guesthouses here; they’re all so charming.
SHOP: For clothes, go straight to Map (141 Commercial St., 508-487-4900). Owner Pauline Fisher stocks great jeans, wallets, and accessories. I have friends who live in New York but shop only at this store. For gifts, Small Pleasures (359 Commercial St., 508-487-3712) has incredible antique jewelry. I probably spend the most money there.
HANG: Everything closes at 1 a.m. If I eat dinner around 9, afterward I’ll stop and shoot pool at the Porchside Bar (9 Carver St., 508-487-0688, giffordhouse.com). You can just play and there’s nobody there to bother you. Then I’ll drop by Spiritus Pizza (190 Commercial St., 508-487-2808, spirituspizza.com) for a late slice on the way home.
DO: I’ve lived everywhere, but never seen as vibrant an art community—from Rothko to Milton Avery. My father used to take me to the Provincetown Art Association (460 Commercial St., 508-487-1750, paam.org) as a kid. Now I buy art at the Berta Walker Gallery (208 Bradford St., 508-487-6411, bertawalkergallery.com). She gets some serious things from the old masters, like Charles Hawthorne and Hans Hofmann. Also, the Julie Heller Gallery (2 Gosnold St., 508-487-2169, juliehellergallery.com) has Avery dry-point prints that make great gifts. For relaxing, nearby Longnook [in Truro] is the most beautiful beach, bar none. There’s nothing else like it. My Wheaten terrier, Hudson, and I will sit and watch the seals and whales. You can walk for miles and never see anyone else.