What town in New Hampshire most closely represents or reminds you of small town America? (Manchester: houses, buy)

[Asta]

Originally Posted by CometVoyager

For those of us who grew up in a small town during the 50’s & 60’s we can still remember that special small town atmosphere. So much American literature has been written about small town USA, like “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder, “Winesburg Ohio” by Sherwood Anderson and of course, “Bedford Falls” that was portrayed in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” A town with its own High school, local drug store, dairy, hardware store, railroad, cruising on Friday & Saturday nights and so on. A town where you would not worry about leaving your kids run around all day. Even a town that did not throw a fit if dogs were unleashed, as everyone would know the dogs on a first name basis!

Would like to hear from you about which town in New Hampshire most represents this ideal?

Has anyone mentioned Lancaster?

[CometVoyager]

Originally Posted by Asta

Has anyone mentioned Lancaster?

I once passed through Lancaster on the way up to Colebrook and then when coming back I stopped in Berlin. It does look like a nice quaint town. Would appreciate anyones feedback on Lancaster???

When I drove through the snow banks were like 6'+ and that for me was very appealing and peaceful! Looks like a great community!

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by CometVoyager

I once passed through Lancaster on the way up to Colebrook and then when coming back I stopped in Berlin. It does look like a nice quaint town. Would appreciate anyones feedback on Lancaster???

When I drove through the snow banks were like 6'+ and that for me was very appealing and peaceful! Looks like a great community!

Lancaster is the county seat of Coos County, and is probably the most economically vibrant town in the county. The population of the town is less than 4500, but it has most conveniences that you would expect for a town of that size. You have the historic neighborhoods near the main street as well as the rural houses outside of town on large lots.

[countrylv22]

THANKS FOR YOUR POST!

We used to have a regular poster "NHURNUT" that left Manchester with his

wife and children, and always said wonderful things about his new home in

LANCASTER! He used to say that it had a slower paced life compared to

Littleton LANCASTER might be a place to look at!

Take care,

Have a GREAT week everyone!

Countrylv22

Originally Posted by Plains10

Lancaster is the county seat of Coos County, and is probably the most economically vibrant town in the county. The population of the town is less than 4500, but it has most conveniences that you would expect for a town of that size. You have the historic neighborhoods near the main street as well as the rural houses outside of town on large lots.

[DareToDream]

Originally Posted by CometVoyager

I once passed through Lancaster on the way up to Colebrook and then when coming back I stopped in Berlin. It does look like a nice quaint town. Would appreciate anyones feedback on Lancaster???

When I drove through the snow banks were like 6'+ and that for me was very appealing and peaceful! Looks like a great community!

Plains and Country are correct about Lancaster, IMO. It's about 20-30 minutes from Littleton, I think - been there, but didn't time it. As Country said, nhyrnut posted quite a bit on Lancaster - if you search for his posts in the NH forum, you'll see a ton of things, but he hasn't been around lately. Anothe poster, OBNurse, was there on a scouting trip not too long ago - she posted they had eaten at Crabby Jack's (I think that was the name) and were going to scout out Littleton next, but hasn't been back since.....I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing!

[Asta]

I think Crabby Jack's is over in Gorham (just south of Berlin), about 20-25 miles east of Lancaster.

I grew up in Lancaster in the 60s and 70s. To me, Lancaster was THE Bedford Falls community everyone knows from "It's a Wonderful Life." I moved away for a while, but got homesick and decided to go back about 15 years ago. It has changed since I was a kid (or maybe I have grown up?), but it's still a charming town. A friend of mine from Australia visited me, and we walked downtown to have a cup of coffee and a piece of pie. He said he thought he had stepped into the middle of a Norman Rockwell painting. Boy, I have some really great memories and lots of stories about what it was like to be a kid, growing up in a small town, when life was a little simpler than it is now.

[CometVoyager]

Originally Posted by Asta

I think Crabby Jack's is over in Gorham (just south of Berlin), about 20-25 miles east of Lancaster.

I grew up in Lancaster in the 60s and 70s. To me, Lancaster was THE Bedford Falls community everyone knows from "It's a Wonderful Life." I moved away for a while, but got homesick and decided to go back about 15 years ago. It has changed since I was a kid (or maybe I have grown up?), but it's still a charming town. A friend of mine from Australia visited me, and we walked downtown to have a cup of coffee and a piece of pie. He said he thought he had stepped into the middle of a Norman Rockwell painting. Boy, I have some really great memories and lots of stories about what it was like to be a kid, growing up in a small town, when life was a little simpler than it is now.

Then Lancaster definitely qualifies to be top on our list of towns for The Diner! I will have to make sure that Country checks this out, as well as all other interested parties. I plan to be there the last two weeks in August is all goes well! Asta, do you think a 50s Diner would fit well in Lancaster?

[Asta]

It's been a few years since I moved away (again), but I try to stay current on local news. The Lancaster Diner was popular for many years, but burned down a few years ago, and I don't think it has been rebuilt. The Double S in town closed it's doors last year too. I heard that a new restaurant opened in the Lancaster Motel, maybe to try to re-capture some of the Double S crowd. The Double S was always busy, as I recall. I don't know if someone else bought the place and has opened another eatery where it formerly stood. I know that not long ago a new restaurant opened on Portland Street, and I think it has a more upscale menu. There is a McDonald's, Taco Bell, Dunkin Donuts, and maybe more since I moved away. There is also a Chinese restaurant down at the end of Bridge Street. I think you should go to Lancaster and just drive around and see if you think there is a niche. A 50s diner would probably appeal to people who were in their teenage years during the 1950s. Have you also considered a 70s-themed diner?

[DareToDream]

Hey Comet - A couple of questions - when you say a "50's diner" what are you envisioning? It may have different meanings to different people, depending on where they grew up.....For example - a diner from the 50's where I grew up, had those little things on the table where you could flip through, put a dime or a quarter or whatever in, select music and play it from the table....and it also had a big ole jukebox that you could go up to and select songs from it directly - you never knew when "your" song(s) would come up, which was half the fun Other areas may not have had that.

Anyway, the Littleton Diner does quite well up here, or at least it seems to, and one of the things we frequently here people comment on are the "murals" - there are paintings (done by a local artist) of the town and surrounding views on the walls - something to think about for Lancaster.

You could also do your own little "marketing survey" of Lancaster - go to the town and talk to the people about whether or not they'd like to see a diner and what they would like in it - tell them your ideas and see what they say - I'd be willing to bet you'd get a lot of feedback and it would be honest, not just someone saying, "Yeah! That would be great!" and then they'd never go there I think when CaptJob visited the area, he mentioned hangin' out at the barbershop to get a "true feel" - do that in Lancaster and see what happens!

[newhampshiregirl]

I admit I haven't read all the posts in this thread, just happened to notice the references to Lancaster most recently.

I grew up in Lancaster (left for college 32 years ago then settled just south of "the notch", but still go back frequently to visit the 'rents).

I couldn't stand Lancaster when I was growing up...there was a sense of isolation being north of the notches. No malls, no culture, not easy to get from here to there, so to speak.

As I've aged - and as "civilization" has moved north! - Lancaster is much more appealing to me and I wish I still lived there and had raised my kids there. It IS very Norman Rockwellish.

One of the things I like best about Lancaster is that it is a very pedestrian community. Everyone walks everywhere and the sidewalks and streets are designed well to accommodate that.

As for your hope for The Diner...well, I've worked for folks who tried to break into the restaurant business repeatedly here in NH. It's really tough and the failure rate of restaurants is huge (can't remember the statistics though).

I think one of the most important things people must realize before they move to a town like Lancaster is that folks don't make boatloads of money doing whatever they're doing. Post 9/11 a lot of city folks escaped to Lancaster. From what my parents told me, they didn't last long. They often had unrealistic expectations for their earning potential AND for social opportunities. The reality is that town's like Lancaster are simpler. People don't get dressed to the nines to go to a party. People's houses aren't filled to the brim with fancy schmancy furniture. Etc.