Provincetown on Cape Cod is a unique mash-up of Old Yankees, Portuguese fishermen, taffy-chewing tourists, self-described and actual artists, flamboyant queens and bare-chested steroidal beefcakes. All of this happens on the great parade route of Commercial Street. Unlike new developments on the water, Provincetown turns its ass to the water, initially to put its business end harborside, now to effectively corral the daily circus that traipses its narrow backbone. Breaking many rules of current design, the street has narrow, cluttered sidewalks, one-way traffic and little on-street parking. But somehow this end-of-the-world party manages to dance its way along, sneaking peaks between the buildings to the eternal blue of liquid and air.
