Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm gonna be passing through New Hampshire to and from Maine in early June, and will be passing through the southern reaches of New Hampshire from Portland to Brattleboro VT.
On the way is Manchester, and I want to take a little side trip to check out this city a bit. Just a windshield tour and maybe some walking around downtown a bit.
So, questions about Manchester. First, those big old mills along the river. It looks like they are still there...is there maybe some sort of museum or history thing in one, like they have down in Lowell? (I am really interested in old industrial architecture).
For the city itself. I'd be interested in driving through some older neighborhoods, both old blue collar areas where he millworkers lived and the mansion row, if there is one.
I've asked this question of other towns, and will here. Are there any old ethnic neighborhoods, like a '
little Italy' or something like that (doesn't have to be Italian, just old-or new- immigrant neighborhoods.
Ive run across these in other New England towns and wonder if there is something like that in Manchester.
next...Lunch! Bascially what I am interested in is something the local folks go to, sort of a traditional place (like maybe a diner) or ethnic place that is popular. If there is some sort of local street food or local speciality I should try please recommend a good spot for that, too....
Finally...a good spot to buy postcards of Manchester! I am pretty old school and still send postcards, so would like to get some of the city.
Get a copy of the DeLorme "New Hampshire Atlas and Gazetteer". There are excellent large scale maps and much information of museum, fishing, hunting and lots of other things. There are city maps of Manchester available at the rest areas on I-93.
I suggest getting off I-293 at the Queen City Bridge and driving north on Elm Street then take the Amoskeg Bridge to the west side. Chez Vachon is a unique restaurant on Kelly Street in West Manchester. Then drive one of the streets heading south in the old Three Decker apartment houses. This is the bluest of the blue collar neighborhoods. There are city neighborhoods on the East side of the river east of Elm Street, the tree streets, that are mostly single family city houses. The Manchester/Boston airport is just south of the city as is "The Mall of New Hampshire".
Get a copy of the DeLorme "New Hampshire Atlas and Gazetteer". There are excellent large scale maps and much information of museum, fishing, hunting and lots of other things. There are city maps of Manchester available at the rest areas on I-93.
I suggest getting off I-293 at the Queen City Bridge and driving north on Elm Street then take the Amoskeg Bridge to the west side. Chez Vachon is a unique restaurant on Kelly Street in West Manchester. Then drive one of the streets heading south in the old Three Decker apartment houses. This is the bluest of the blue collar neighborhoods. There are city neighborhoods on the East side of the river east of Elm Street, the tree streets, that are mostly single family city houses. The Manchester/Boston airport is just south of the city as is "The Mall of New Hampshire".
PM me when you expect to be here.
Do you work for Delorme or something? your always pushing it? i have never seen an atlas get so much publicity as it does here.
I do not even get a commission from either DeLorme or Benchmark maps. I advise buying them because they are the best large scale (very detailed) maps available. The additional information on can also be very useful for someone unfamiliar with the area. This is a public service not a job.
Based on your recommendations we purchased a copy of the Gazetteer and found it useful getting familiar with our soon to be new home town (Sandwich, NH). Thanks for you "public service" posting.
Oh golly...looked up the Chez Vachon place on google and then via streetview. Neat! I have to check this part of town out! Big boxy frame apartments and this little place that has "Canadian Cuisine" on the sign (I think?). I guess this is French Canadian food???
Chez Vachon is very much about French Canadian food. In addition to good breakfasts it is one of the places on any politician's must do list during campaign season. The housing in the area is mostly rental and the building are referred to as "Three Deckers". This was one of the areas where second generation or later mill workers lived. It still is a working class community. Most of the houses are very well kept.
the Ritzier part of town is on the East Side of the Merrimac River and known as the "North End". This was the area where the mill managers and owners lived during the heyday of the textile industry in the area. The houses are still magnificent.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
