For some natives, a Cape Cod summer is their worst nightmare. During the sunnier months, dealing with families of five from Toronto roaming Main Street Hyannis with melting ice cream cones and sun burnt shoulders peeking out under their “I Heart Cape Cod” tanks is difficult. And to some native’s distress,while rotaries get clogged by the minute, questions like “Where is the best chowder?” and “What’s the fastest way to the Vineyard?” are frequently asked. Tourism is a huge part of Cape Cod’s revenue, and it certainly makes for some interesting people watching, but it often begs the question; “Are these two week vacationers fully getting the Cape Cod experience?” There is so much more to our towns than t-shirt shops and public beaches.

And then once the leaves change, the tourists all cram into their station wagons and head off the Cape, leaving vacated summer homes and quieter neighborhoods. According to the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce website, in August of 2013, 6,493 people visited the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center. But in December, the number plummeted to 112. While it is certainly understandable why the cold season would scare away some visitors, this lack of attention in other months helps perpetuate the idea that Cape Cod is just a beach town, only meant for summer vacations. Winter on the Cape is an entirely new experience and it is a shame that so many tourists miss out. The barely broadcasted landscape of barren beaches is so different than the jampacked, tourist ridden beaches in the summer. The calming neutrality of winters on the Cape is a refreshing and often overlooked.

TV Shows like Dawson’s Creek and movies like Summer Catch both portray Cape Cod as a “small town” where everyone knows each other and the entire town is stuck in a summer that seems to last forever. Not only are these ideas wrong, both Creek and Catch claim to be shot on Cape Cod when both are actually filmed in North Carolina. This idealized idea of “our town” and the completely inaccurate setting leads to misjudgement and false expectations of what the Cape should be.

There is such a diverse array of people that live here and the preconceived ideas shown in certain media outlets do not always apply. Behind the summer-town veil of giggles and sunshine is the striking truth of homelessness on Cape and the struggle for some families to make ends meet. The exact homelessness population on Cape is unknown, but the NOAH Shelter in Hyannis serves about 500 people each year. There are numerous homeless shelters all over the Cape such as The Angel House, The Carriage House and The Village at Cataumet, all in Hyannis, and many more all over Cape.

You don’t have to visit these shelters to come face-to-face to the homelessness problem on Cape Cod. Barnstable High School currently has around 74 homeless students identified under the McKinney-Vento Assistance Act, a part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act which promotes educational rights and protection of the youth in difficult scenarios. Instead of representing these dedicated and brave students, the sunny media shows off sandy beaches and sunscreen.

The homelessness problem is not one’s first thought when it comes to Cape Cod. Perhaps an image of a smiling JFK, wearing a polo on a sailboat, comes to mind. And while the Kennedy legacy is a major part of Cape Cod history, the present and apparent issues need to be noted as well. The idea of only wealthy prepsters living on the Cape creates a paradox within the actuality of the population. If you were to stroll down a sidewalk in Hyannis, designated an urban center by a 2009 census, it’s doubtful you would come across the Cape Cod stereotype and would most likely be faced with reality. The socioeconomic difference on Cape is vast and it’s unfair to apply a stereotype when there is so much more underneath the surface.

Cape Cod is not just an arm-shaped peninsula with great lobster and sunsets. While it certainly does have both, there is so much more to its cultural identity. Cape Cod is filled with history that goes past seafood and is more complex than what is portrayed in the media. The homelessness issue is not something that can be zapped away with movie magic. It needs to be discussed and by portraying Cape Cod how it honestly is, is a great way to get the conversation started. It is important to recognize where we live and how lucky we are to be able to have access to an ocean; and while it may look like a perfect beach town, it isn’t. In order to stop perpetuating the stereotype of a typical Cape Codder, educate others, and even yourself on what the Cape truly has to offer, and also be sensitive to its struggles. There is a rich history in this place we call home. Broaden out of the unknown, and appreciate Cape Cod in its diverse entirety, ice cream and t-shirt shops included.