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A Literary Oasis In The Heart Of Nantucket Town

Photo gallery for A Literary Oasis In The Heart Of Nantucket Town

View of the book-bedecked living room from the balcony.
Dining
Dining
Interior
Living area

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional
3 bedrooms2+ bathroomsSleeps 6111.5 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Kitchen
  • Air conditioning
  • Free WiFi

Explore the area

Map
Nantucket, MA
  • Whaling Museum
    ‪1 min walk‬
  • Nantucket Ferry Terminal
    ‪5 min walk‬
  • Jetties Beach
    ‪19 min walk‬
  • Nantucket, MA (ACK-Nantucket Memorial)
    ‪7 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

Loft room

2 Single Beds

2 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 2

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 3

Toilet

Spaces

Kitchen
Dining area

About this property

A Literary Oasis In The Heart Of Nantucket Town

The Second Story Loft is a modern gem in downtown Nantucket. Located on the second floor of a completely renovated building which houses Nantucket Bookworks and ACKfresh juice bar on the first floor, the Second Story Loft features three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and has a striking Great Room with a wall of books, comfortable seating area, generous table, and gourmet kitchen perfect for entertaining.

The Second Story is a great spot from which to explore Town and the island. Cars are not necessary, as the loft is located in easy walking distance from the ferries, and shuttle buses and taxis are readily available. Ask us about corporate retreats or parties - we work with local caterers and can help plan your trip.

Wifi, Sonos sound system, custom packages, and more. We can't wait to welcome you to the Second Story Loft!

Note: there is no private parking for this unit. Nearby street parking without a time limit is located on nearby Westchester street.

Property manager

Melanie Gowen
Premier Host

Languages

English

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Free WiFi
Air conditioning

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House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
Books: Do not take books from main room, but please help yourself to any of the paperbacks on the upper level!
Noise: Please be mindful of the bookstore downstairs. Thank you!

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock
Property Registration Number C0043471970

We should mention

A car is not required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Nantucket

Located in Nantucket, this apartment is in the city centre. Nantucket Ferry Terminal and Cisco Brewers are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those looking for area attractions can visit Vestal St Observatory and Loines Observatory. Discover the area's water adventures with power boating, sailing and surfing/body boarding nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with cycling.
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Map
Nantucket, MA

What's nearby

  • Whaling Museum - 1 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Nantucket Ferry Terminal - 5 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Children's Beach - 6 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Brant Point Light - 15 min walk - 1.3 km
  • Jetties Beach - 19 min walk - 1.7 km

Getting around

  • Nantucket, MA (ACK-Nantucket Memorial) - 7 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Stubbys - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪Island Coffee Roasters - ‬3 min walk
  • ‪Juice Bar - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪Slip 14 - ‬7 min walk
  • ‪Rose & Crown - ‬2 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is A Literary Oasis In The Heart Of Nantucket Town pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at A Literary Oasis In The Heart Of Nantucket Town?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

Where is A Literary Oasis In The Heart Of Nantucket Town located?

Located in Nantucket Town, this apartment building is steps away from Quaker Meeting House, Peter Foulger Museum and Whaling Museum. White Heron Theatre and First Congregational Church are just steps away.

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 67 out of 70 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 3 out of 70 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 70 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 70 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 70 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Paula K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Library Loft

Our stay at the Library Loft was delightful. The space is sun filled and very pretty. Everything was great.
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Michael M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Walk from here

Love the location being so close to the ferry, the restaurants and shops, and the books! Fantastic space.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kate O.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely

We enjoyed our stay very much. The windows and light in the apartment were fabulous. The location was delightful — All the joys of Nantucket at our finger tips.
Stayed 8 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Trisha S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Impeccable

Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

timothy h.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place

Great central location right downtown. Beautiful accommodations, well appointed. Easy walk to all Harborside hot spots.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Ideal location!

Wonderful, eclectic apartment right in the middle of everything! Beautiful decor and comfortable beds. The only thing that was a little inconvenient was no bathroom upstairs and hard to bring suitcases up the spiral staircase. Otherwise it was great!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

stephanie w.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Girls trip

Spent a long weekend with girlfriends celebrating 40th birthdays. Place was lovely and had all accommodations needed. Location was perfect! Would definitely stay again.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Linda C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Daffodil Festival Weekend!

Beautiful apartment and a great location!
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2024

8/10 Good

Meghan S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Unique literary hideaway in awesome central location downtown

The good: This location is simply amazing and the decor and character of this literary oasis is just perfection. It’s a very unique space and fun to hang out in. Close to everything. It’s also super helpful to have a place to be able to hold your bags before and after check out. The less than good: WiFi wasn’t working and it took days to fix. The owner was responsive and they ultimately sent someone to fix it. Sonos wasn’t working either. A main stove burner wasn’t working. For the high price we paid, I expect these foundational amenities to be functioning. It was early spring, so maybe they hadn’t done a full check yet? Just a heads up that the very adorable upper loft bedroom has no doors so sound travels very easily up to that room. My daughter heard my son whispering from the kitchen;)
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Colleen B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A Novel Stay

We had the pleasure of staying at the Loft during Stroll Weekend. With impeccable attention to every detail, the space is perfectly appointed from the comfy bedrooms to the amazing, lofty library, aka, the main living space. We loved the incredible vantage point of all the action on the street. Surrounded by the best restaurants and coffee shops (Born and Bred has a mind-blowing egg sandwich, Ethos is our favorite for cocktails) -- it was just an epic spot to call our own for a few days.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Magdalena M., Maryland, United States

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Girls Trip

We had the most wonderful stay. The location was incredible. Our stay in The Loft was incredible. Can't wait to book again.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2023

8/10 Good

Caryl P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location, listing accuracy

First timer visit

Property is beautiful, clean and centrally located. Towels were folded on shelf wet from cleaning crew but we used dryer. Beach chairs would have been a great addition to the amenities given beach is a primary activity.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Melissa B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect place to stay in Nantucket Center!

This property was perfect for our family of 5 and the location was as steps to shopping and dining. Beds were comfy, apartment was clean and it all worked so well for us. There is definitely outside noise from the activity of the neighboring businesses but we loved that part of it. Highly recommend and hope to return!
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

susan h.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location

Nantucket Magic

lovely time again
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Aizar K., South Texas

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Love Nantucket!

Property was great and couldn’t be in a better location. Perfect for our family of 6. Would definitely recommend!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A literary oasis

Full of books! So fun! Wonderful location, well-furnished and comfortable.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

christian e.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

location, location, location

incredible location, beautifully decorated and very roomy. You don't have to walk far to go anywhere. Professional kitchen and great room is set up for all guests to interact and be comfortable. One of the most unique places I have ever stayed
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

marie n.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Literary Oasis

We celebrated a friend’s 40th in Nantucket and this was a wonderful place for book lovers to come and unwind. It was a short walk into town and was located above Nantucket Bookworks. We can’t wait to come back again soon!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Alexis E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

The most AMAZING place

I cannot say enough about this rental. This is my 2nd stay and will not be my last. The location is perfect, the host is phenomenal, and the actual home is cozy.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jeremy S., Atlanta, GA

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful stay!

Perfect location and very comfortable accommodations. Couldn’t have been happier with our choice of the Second Story Loft for our time in Nantucket. Would absolutely stay here again.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Mary K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

PA Guest

Lovely apartment over a lovely bookstore. Close to all the fun in town venues, easy bike ride to Jetties Beach. Would go back!
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Jen S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Book store oasis in the heart of Nantucket

The time spent here could never be long enough! In the heart of town with everything at your fingertips. Shopping, restaurants, bike rental, ice cream, bars and coffee shops shops a hop and a skip away! I need I say how fun it was to stay above a bookstore and the shelves that lines the main living space were fully stocked with every author under the sun!! If we all could live like this everyday would truly be heaven on earth. Escape here if and when you can
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Megan K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful, clean, and comfortable property in the heart of it all

We loved our stay in the Second Story Loft! We appreciated the well equipped kitchen, comfortable beds and excellent showers (with lovely soft towels). There was plenty of room for the 4 of us to spread out and relax. Easy walk to/from the ferry docks., Children’s Beach, restaurants, shops, and shuttle stops. Jetties Beach is a short bike ride away. Being in town you will hear sounds from restaurants and occasionally from municipal trucks (trash/recycling) but after so much social distancing in the past 2 years, I enjoyed hearing the conversation laughter. Highly recommend!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Doreen T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Sensational Second Story

We loved the Second Story Loft! Charming, comfortable and near everything Town- restaurants, bars and beaches. As a lifelong , avid reader, I loved looking through the amazing collection Wendy has assembled over the years. And I even found a Stephen King I missed- added to my list! We’ll be back😁
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Andrea L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family vacation

We stayed for 4 days with our two kids and our mom. This property is adorable! Updated, great location and love the book theme carried throughout. Highly recommend. Great restaurants and shops right at your door. The Juice Bar has awesome ice cream for a treat. Born and Bread is right around the corner for great breakfast options. Would absolutely book this place again!!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2022

About the host

Hosted by Melanie Gowen

Host profile image
I love beer and books and Nantucket and am so grateful to be following those passions as the owner of Nantucket Bookworks and Mitchell's Book Corner and as the co-founder of Cisco Brewers. After growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, I arrived on Nantucket in 1988 during a summer break from Smith College to work at Bartlett's Farm. I was a philosophy major in search of the good life, and found it on the island... so I kept coming back, and back, and stayed for good after meeting my husband Randy in 1992. We have two kids in the high school here and with all this action we are busy busy.

The fabulous Melanie Gowen, a realtor with years of experience in hospitality, serves as property manager for me, so she will likely be the front line helping you with your stay. No doubt I'll be breezing around though and am happy to help however I can. Cheers!

Why they chose this property

I began working at Bookworks in 1995 (same year we started the brewery) and in 1999 the then owners decided to sell. Huzzah it was my chance to realize my dream of bookstore ownership! My parents bought the real estate as an investment, and I bought the store. It was a one story building that was slowly returning to the earth, and in 2014 it was finally time to renovate. We added a second story and basement to help cover the costs of the renovation, so we can keep the bookstore at a rent it can support. We hope it will be a win/win for all.

What makes this property unique

In designing the apartment, I asked myself "What belongs in a bookstore apartment?" The answer was obvious. Books! So we have thousands. A wall of hardcovers that I hope stays, and a loft wall full of advance readers that our guests are welcome to keep. I wanted a clean yet warm aesthetic, so kilim rugs, a leather couch, and found objects accent a clean white space with dark wood floors and a gorgeous kitchen featuring brass and open wood shelving.

For anyone who knows Nantucket, you already know that the location is superb for those who want to be in the heart of the action. In my humble opinion there is simply no place more fun than Nantucket for fine dining and night life in season.

In the off season, this apartment would be the perfect place to retreat to write. Climb the spiral staircase and find a wonderful little desk (actually built by my great-grandfather in Michigan) that makes a perfect writer's garret. I suspect Emily Dickinson or Mark Twain would be right at home.

Languages:

English

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests
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