All my trips up New Hampshire seem to just cross over the biggest city of the state when riding the highway. There never quite was a reason to explore the Queen City until this weekend when I participated in the Citizens Shamrock Half Marathon. Below are some highlights from the race:
It was the first half marathon I ran in over a year, when I finished around 10:30 AM it was ample time for me to go out and explore and luckily I could still walk on my legs 😂
Below is me with the winning pose in front of traffic signal box decorated like a postcard from Manchester:
As I explore around there are three public parks with outstanding monuments
Veterans Memorial Park:
Victory Park:
Bronstein Park: statue below honors veterans of the Spanish American War, the Boxer Rebellion and the Phillipine-American War
Also notable buildings like city hall in the Gothic Revival style:
Post industrial towns are rich with ghost signs and Manchester is no exception. On the side of this building below you find Moore’s Paints Cobban Wallpapers:
Another sighting although faded was for Uneeda Biscuits. Apparently in their heydey they marketed heavily on the side of buildings since there wasn’t such a thing as social media and this way the way to be seen.
On the more whimsical, while wandering the alleys be sure not to miss what’s aptly named Cat Alley blazoned with colorful cat themed graffiti in its bricked walls:
After running 13.1 miles, I am definitely really hungry. Decide to hit up Red Arrow Diner. An impressive array of names from politicians to celebrities have frequented the spot. Behind the seats they even pin plaques of the famous names that have been there before. Maybe someday they will decide to put in my name there too 😉
I ordered their famous hashbrown specials which is hash browns with grilled onions and veggies topped with melted cheese. yum!!
Because I needed a dessert after this last meal, a bakery with a hipster sounding name would definitely entice me, I had to check it out.
I ordered the orange marmalade muffin and I knew it was going to be good:
I then decide to venture into the residential parts of Manchester because thanks to this Top 10 Cool Things List I was made aware that there existed a home designed by architecture great Frank Lloyd Wright. My little sister is an architecture geek and I just wanted to brag to her that I got to see this 😜
Apparently the nearby Currier Museum gives tours inside the residence. Its on hold now due to covid but after seeing pictures online it looks really cool. Little did I know that there was another home on the same street also using his designs known as the Kalil House. As of 2019 the museum owns it too and you could visit both houses as part of the tour 😲
Speaking of interesting architecture, along the way I stumbled across this building which used to be the Ash Street School built in 1874, now its the offices of digital marketing firm Silver Tech Inc.
From there I make my way towards the Merrimack River. Yes Manchester is one of the cities that owes much of its success in the 19th century from the industry harnessing the power of the river. A prominent site is the Amoskeag Falls where the river drops 50 ft. This made movement up the river via boat near impossible. Samuel Blodget was a merchant and inventor who had a vision to create a great industrial center similar to that of Manchester in England, which was the world’s first industrialized city. He started the movement to build canals in 1798, it took a decade to complete. The Blodget Canal served to carry boats and barges past the Amoskeag falls through a series of locks and it opened up trade along from Lowell, MA, to Concord, NH.
There is a nifty museum nearby to learn all the stuff and entrance fee is $8. It is housed in what used to be Mill №3 of the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company, a prominent textile manufacturer from the era.
Below are a couple exhibits:
Most of the remaining mill buildings have been redeveloped into condos and offices. Pictured below you see Stark Mills, Mill №1 Lofts and the Waumbec mill. This area truly began to attract high tech businesses by the lure of cheaper rents, better commutes, more space and lower taxes.
I leave the best for last since how could I not explore a new microbrewery while being here? Behold the Stark Brewing Company inside what was the Stark Mills dating to 1861. I had me the John Stark Porter: An English ale with coffee and chocolate tones
As if I didn’t see enough abandoned buildings already. On the way back come across this facility which used to be C.A. Hoitt Furniture one of the oldest furniture stores in New England. It has been serving customers since 1880 when they used to arrive via horse and buggies.
