Once-hidden coastal town facing disruption as social media influencers transform local life

A battle of sorts is said by some to be brewing in Nantucket, off the coast of Massachusetts, between local residents and outside influencers.(iStock)

With no bridge to the island, visitors cannot drive or take a train.Nantucket is accessible exclusively by air and sea, requiring travelers to arrive by ferry or plane, per the Town of Nantucket.

For decades, that lack of accessibilitykept crowds in check. 

DEADLY BACTERIA FOUND IN WATERS NEAR LUXURY VACATION DESTINATION AHEAD OF SUMMER

“You either have to fly or take the ferry,” J.Q. 

“I think that’s what’s kept it exclusive for so many years,” she said.

That appears to be changing, as the island typically draws an estimated 2 million visitors annually, according to the Nantucket Current.

Recent complaints about influencers reached a fever pitch when a longtime shop owner hung a sign saying, “No Influencers.”

Store owner John Sylvia posted the sign at Four Winds Craft Guild, his Nantucket antiques and artisan shop.

MAJOR CITY LAUNCHES HARSH TOURIST CRACKDOWN AS LOCALS REVOLT OVER MASSIVE CROWDS

“I feel sometimes my store is used as someone’s background, a stage,” Sylviatold The New York Times.

Read More → Fourth of July fireworks pose hidden health risk for certain Americans, experts warn

“I don’t have this hatred toward influencers,” he clarified.“It was more of a joke.It is a problem we should look at as a society.”

Martha Stewart, pictured in Nantucket in July 2025, likes to visit the island to browse local auctions and host corporate retreats, according to reports.(Scott Eisen/ Getty Images for Nantucket Historical Association)

Sylvia’s partner, Jessica Jenkins, told the outlet she feels deluged by “people creating videos on corners of themselves sipping an iced coffee and looking over their shoulder and doing a shoe kick or whatever.”

FAMOUS BEACH NOW REQUIRES VISITORS TO RESERVE SPOTS WEEKS AHEAD AND PAY FEES

Content creators such as Paige Lorenze are defending themselves.

“If you call yourself a feminist but proudly put up a ‘No Influencers’ sign, it’s worth asking who you are attempting to delegitimize, and why,” Lorenze, who owns a boutique near Four Winds Craft Guild, commented on a now-deletedInstagram post.

Content creators such as Paige Lorenze, pictured, have defended influencers amid the discussion of tensions in Nantucket.(Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Amex x Carbone Beach)

Read More → Hi Mom text scam: How to spot fake emergency texts

“I have no issue with [John Sylvia’s] shop, and I hope people keep walking in and supporting island craftspeople,” Lorenze toldThe Cut. 

“I just think Nantucket’s story is more generous than that sign.” 

Some Nantucket shop owners feel social media influencers are giving them unwanted attention.(iStock)

In the spring, the Siasconset Civic Association, a nonprofit community advocacy organization, proposed recommendations to curb overcrowding. 

TheSconset Bluff Walkis a popular scenic footpath near yards of private cottages.Some neighbors have complained about crowds.

The Nantucket Select Board designated specific visiting hours on the footpath for July and August.

“Bluff docents” — called rangers in an earlier version of the proposal — were approved to keep an eye on activity, according to Nantucket Current. 

The Sconset Civic Association also proposed turnstiles or gates at entrances, but those weren’t approved.

Nantucket is about 30 miles from Cape Cod by ferry.(iStock)

A Reddit post about the Nantucket debate generated hundreds of comments.

“My familyhas a house there, and trust me when I say the entire island has no need for influencers or to go viral,” a Reddit user said.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

Read More → Doctors say 8 forgotten habits could help fight stress, obesity and chronic disease

The “island gets so crowded during the summer that even cottage industries have popped up to handle the crowds,” the commenter added.

A Connecticut resident who has spent summers in Sconset for 38 years also said the island feels different.

A Connecticut resident who has spent summers in Sconset for 38 years said the downtown feels more noisy and crowded than before.(iStock)

“The crowds are flashy, but they have more to spend,�

J.Q.Louise believes the tiny size of the island — it’s about 14 miles long and 3.5 miles wide — magnifies the problem.

“It kind of felt like a hidden gem, and it definitely isn’t hidden anymore,” she said.

onelink.me/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.

 

Ashley J.