CLOSE-UP ON Manchester, N.H.
Like many manufacturing cities, Manchester suffered a reversal of fortune when the textile industry that fueled its economy collapsed in the 1930s. Along the Merrimack River, mills that once churned out a half-million yards of cloth each week fell into disrepair. But Manchester, the largest city in New Hampshire, has reinvented itself. In brick factory buildings that once housed thousands of spindles and looms, new tenants have arrived: high-tech companies, start-ups, restaurants, arts groups, small museums, even a science center. The city, just an hour from Boston, also has vibrant sports, cultural, and dining scenes. And it has retained its ethnic diversity, a reflection of the days when immigrants from around the world flocked here to work in its mills. Skillfully combining old and new, Manchester has preserved the best of its past while blossoming into a thoroughly modern city.
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Even if museums usually aren't your style, there are several quirky ones in Manchester worth visiting. America's Credit Union Museum (418-420 Notre Dame Ave., 603-629-1553, acumuseum.org) tells the story of how New Hampshire mill workers formed the nation's first credit union in 1908, and the Scouting Museum and Library (40 Bodwell Road, 603-669-8919, scoutingmuseum.org) has an extensive display of Boy Scout, Cub Scout, and Explorer Scout memorabilia, including medallions, flags, uniforms, stamps, pins, and badges, as well as a library of more than 3,000 books and periodicals. To learn about the city's thriving French-Canadian community, visit the Franco-American Centre (52 Concord St., 603-669-4045, francoamericancentrenh.com), a nonprofit cultural organization. The Millyard Museum (200 Bedford St., 603-622-7531, manchesterhistoric.org) chronicles Manchester's changing populations, from Native Americans to mill workers to 21st-century entrepreneurs. For a more traditional museum experience, the Currier Museum of Art (201 Myrtle Way, 603-669-6144, currier.org) boasts an internationally renowned collection of American and European paintings, furniture, silver, photography, and sculpture (although the museum is currently closed during an expansion). The Currier also operates Frank Lloyd Wright's Zimmerman House, the only Wright-designed home in New England that is open to the public (by guided tour only). At Amoskeag Fishways Learning and Visitors Center (Amoskeag Dam, 6 Fletcher St., 603-626-3474, amoskeagfishways.org), visitors can watch migrating shad, herring, and sea lamprey through underwater viewing windows. And across the river on Manchester's West Side, drive by Sainte Marie Church (133 Wayne St., 603-622-4615, stemarieparish.org), a handsome cathedral in the city's French-Canadian neighborhood.Fuel
Burgers, club sandwiches, baked ham dinners, peanut butter pancakes, and triple-layer cakes are just a few of the menu items at the Red Arrow (61 Lowell St., 603-626-1118, redarrowdiner.com, $4.50-$10), a 24-hour diner that opened in 1922. Italian, Spanish, French, and Portuguese dishes are the specialties at A Taste of Europe (827 Elm St., 603-296-0292, atasteofeuropenh.com, $10-$23), a small, upscale restaurant. Classic Italian, including a Caesar salad prepared tableside, is the focus at Piccola Italia 815 Elm St., 603-606-5100, piccolaitalianh.com, $14-$33). At white-tablecloth Richard's Bistro (36 Lowell St., 603-644-1180, richardsbistro .com, $22-$38), one of the city's fanciest eateries, you can treat yourself to orange-glazed duck and peppercorn-coriander broiled rib eye. Hip Cotton (75 Arms St., 603-622-5488, cottonfood.com, $13-$30), located in Manchester's historic mill yard district, serves "eclectic American comfort food," like almond-crusted turkey schnitzel. For a cheap lunch, Jerome's Delicatessen (393 Bridge St., 603-623-5388, www.jeromesdeli.com, $2-$6) has salads, sandwiches, and prepared foods; for a cheap breakfast, cute little Chiggy's Place (372 Kelley St., 603-627-5755, $2-$6) makes good crepes and Belgian waffles. Whatever else your appetite, Manchester can probably sate it, from soul food (fried chicken, collard greens, sweet potato pie) at Premier Palette (946 Elm St., 603-622-8494, eatwithyourpal.com, $8-$16) to Hungarian (goulash, schnitzel, stuffed cabbage) at Lala's (836 Elm St., 603-647-7100, $4-$16) to French-Canadian fare (oven-baked omelets, baked apple pancakes) at Chez Vachon (136 Kelley St., 603-625-9660, $2-$7.60).Rest
Manchester has no shortage of chain hotels and motels, including a Hilton Garden Inn (101 S. Commercial St., 603-669-2222, hiltongardeninn .com, $139-$189), a Hampton Inn & Suites (8 Hawthorne Drive, 603-623-2040, manchesterbedfordsuites.hamptoninn.com, $119-$159), a Holiday Inn Express (1298 S. Porter St., 603-669-6800, hiexpress.com/esmanchester, $139-$309), and a Comfort Inn (298 Queen City Ave., 603-668-2600, $119-$169). For less generic lodging, there's the Highlander (2 Highlander Way, 603-625-6426, highlanderinn.com, $119-$159), which has an in-house restaurant called Basil's, 65 guest rooms in its main facility, and 22 more in Coldwell House, a former B&B where the rooms are decorated country-style. More intimate lodging can be found at the Ash Street Inn (118 Ash St., 603-668-9908, ashstreetinn.com, $139-$189), a classy, five-bedroom boutique bed-and-breakfast in a meticulously restored 1885 Victorian home.Party
There's lively nightlife at the Black Brimmer (1087 Elm St., 603-669-5523, blackbrimmer.com), a bar and grill with live music most Tuesday through Saturday nights, as well as dancing and karaoke "in the heart of fabulous Manchvegas"; the Wild Rover Pub & Restaurant (21 Kosciuszko St., 603-669-7722, wildroverpub.com), which has Irish sing-alongs on Wednesday and Thursday nights, and the Shaskeen (909 Elm St., 603-625-0246, theshaskeen.com), an Irish pub with entertainment seven days a week. For a more sedate evening out, consider a concert by the New Hampshire Philharmonic (83 Hanover St., 603-647-6476, nhphilharmonic.org), the oldest orchestra in the state. Or check out the event schedules at the Majestic Theatre (281 Cartier St., 603-669-7469, majestictheatre.net) and Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., 603-668-5588, palacetheatre.org), which host theatrical and musical performances of all kinds.Spend
Looking for unique artworks to spruce up your house? Visit the Manchester Artists Association Art Gallery (1528 Elm St., 603-785-6437, manchester-artists.org), which has juried exhibits featuring work from local artists; East Colony Fine Art (55 S. Commercial St., 603-621-7400, eastcolony.com), with a 2,400-square-foot gallery showcasing the works of artists from New England and beyond; or KlawGlass (406 Kelley St., 603-647-5529, klawglass.com), where you can design and buy beautiful decorative stained glass. Oenophiles will enjoy D'Vine Wine and Gift Boutique (1480 Elm St., 603-623-0900, dvinewineshop.com) and Unwined (865 Second St., 603-625-9463, unwined.net), a wine bar and restaurant with more than 200 types of wines. Fran Cook & Co. (889 Elm St., 603-641-2135, francook.com) sells custom jewelry and handcrafted glass and pottery. New England Sampler (42 Hanover St., 603-626-4477, thenewenglandsampler.com) stocks New England-made products, specialty foods, and wine. Unique home and garden accessories, including candles, furniture, and light fixtures, can be found at With Heart and Hand (823 Elm St., 603-625-8100, withheartandhand.com). Not only chocolate, but also fudge, candies, gourmet nuts, and popcorn are sold at Van Otis Chocolates (341 Elm St., 603-627-1611, vanotis.com). And, of course, there's the Mall of New Hampshire (1500 S. Willow St., 603-669-0433), home to 125 stores and a 550-seat food court.Play
For ball-crazy kids, there are sports galore in Manchester. Home to the Manchester Monarchs, an American Hockey League team (603-626-7825, monarchshockey.com),
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