As well as a number of self-catering holiday properties, Old Town also has a large proportion of dwellings permanently occupied by local residents.

The Five Islands School, as well as the main sports and fitness centre for St Mary's, is located just by Old Town, at the settlement of Carn Gwaval.

[3] Old Town Bay (Cornish: Porth Treveglos)[1] forms a natural harbour and links the village with the open sea; there is an old quay and there continues to be a slipway in use.

The parish church of St Mary's is now in Hugh Town, also dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, though the Old Church is used for Sunday evening services (Easter-September)[8] and the cemetery belonging to the Council of the Isles of Scilly lies adjacent.

[9] Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Harold Wilson was a regular visitor to the Isles of Scilly, and often stayed at Hugh Town in a bungalow named 'Lowenva'.