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I know this might sound stupid, but where is Downtown Portsmouth? From my experience downtown areas are centered around an intersection, or in really small towns they are located on just one block. I'm not talking about big cities where they can be in square miles! I've been trying to find the center of downtown Portsmouth so that I can plan our trip accordingly, but I have found "downtown" to be from one side of the town to the other? I'm just wondering if there is an intersection in the center that I can use as a starting point?
Portsmouth, like many of the towns along the coast, is a very old town. The streets were not designed by some engineer so there is no central point to start. Try starting your visit by traveling Islington Street. It covers most of the older part of the city and is a good place to start. Portsmouth isn't really that large but it is spread out some with new construction along the various highways that enter the city.
Follow Rt 1 until the old bridge to Maine. Park and walk around downtown Portsmouth. As he said this is a very old seaport and the street layour is somewhat arbitrary. BTW - Portsmouth is a very interesting small city.
Market Square is the downtown heart of the city. A good place to start any exploration is the Breaking New Grounds coffee shop opposite the church. That or Friendly Toast further down Congress St for a rib-sticking breakfast.
Market Square is the downtown heart of the city. A good place to start any exploration is the Breaking New Grounds coffee shop opposite the church. That or Friendly Toast further down Congress St for a rib-sticking breakfast.
Islington St. is probably the best place to start. The town is full of one way streets and they surround the 'downtown'. I haven't been there in a while, but if Newberry's is still open, that is the downtown area.
However, with this economy, the store is probably gone.
View of Market Square from Daniel Street in Portsmouth. I took this picture last year when they were renovating the church, as you can see by the green safety netting.
View of Market Square from Daniel Street in Portsmouth. I took this picture last year when they were renovating the church, as you can see by the green safety netting.
Church is done now, and looks fantastic against a crisp Autumn sky.
If all you plan to do is a drive by you will be cheating yourself out of experiencing what Portsmouth is. It needs to be walked to really feel the heartbeat of a vivarant city steeped so deeply in history and friendly glances of others passer-bys.
Walk the length of the waterfront, have a beer or a coffee on a cafe deck.
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What is downtown portsmouth is a better question.
