Manchester Infill & Small Developments

In this week's "Looking Back" column in the Union Leader, Aurore Eaton, executive director of the Manchester Historic Association, explains the history of the layout and design of Manchester. Here are some highlights:

Image_0.jpg






It would be great if those ponds still existed, especially the one in Veterans Park, and could be used for skating in the winter and maybe with a fountain in the summer. I'm assuming the brooks have just been buried, so I wounder what it would take to recreate a small pond there.

The column also explains that prior to the development of the city, the town center of Derryfield (as Manchester was originally known) was along Mammoth Road between the Merrimack River and Massabesic Lake. While most of the city was laid out on a grid, a few existing roads remain, most notably Old Falls Road (part of which I believe is now called Massabesic Street) from Derryfield center and the Amoskeag Falls. It now ends in the Hollow, and gives that neighborhood its quirky layout.

Wicked!

I can picture it now, "hey kid, go plan us a city for 100,000 people." Um, OK, just let me finish my laundry and chores first.

The root of similarity between Lowell and Manchester (evident more to outsiders than people intimately familiar with either place, I am sure) is now obvious. I saw an interesting show on public tv once very similar to the story posted above.
 
Wicked!

I can picture it now, "hey kid, go plan us a city for 100,000 people." Um, OK, just let me finish my laundry and chores first.

The root of similarity between Lowell and Manchester (evident more to outsiders than people intimately familiar with either place, I am sure) is now obvious. I saw an interesting show on public tv once very similar to the story posted above.

Manchester and Lowell definitely have similar roots--I believe the same investors were involved, and Manchester is based on a Lowell plan, as opposed to a Waltham plan, given its size and scale. Unlike Lowell, though, the development of Manchester was entirely controlled by a single entity. While much of the Millyard--including probably its more defining parts of the smaller, continuous curving buildings and canals--were demolished and many of its older buildings have been replaced over the years, it is that architecturally cohesiveness that makes it unique. On the eve of the Millyard demolition, the NY Times architecture critic, Ada Louise Huxtable, called Manchester and the Amoskeag Millyard the most cohesive and uniform urban space in America. It's a shame that so much of it was lost, but much still remains. And the right stewardship and urban planning--as well as flexible design guidelines--could make that uniqueness even more of a selling point for the city.
 
Burlington's very successful Church Street aside, I'm not sure of the wisdom of pedestrian-only streets. Burlington's works for several reasons, in part because that city's grid is even more uniform than Manchester's so moving traffic one block over is no big issue, it has a large car-less student population, and it has successfully integrated a shopping mall and major retailers (along with smaller, local ones) into several blocks of a downtown street. In most other cases, though, I think pedestrian-only streets tend not to work. And Exchange Street in Portland is a great example of a "complete street"--a street that accommodates auto traffic, but which gives just as much priority (and maybe more) to pedestrians.

Still, the idea being proposed by Mayor Gatsas of closing the block of Hanover Street between Chestnut and Elm on Friday evenings during the summer sounds like a worthwhile experiment. Given that Hanover Street is a major road into downtown, I think it would be difficult to close it during the day, but also given that most of its shops are geared toward the daytime use and that it probably has more restaurants than shops, closing the street to traffic and opening it to diners, pedestrians and theatre-goers on Friday evenings sounds like a good idea. It reminds me of the jazz and blues festival that went on for a weekend and packed that block with people during the Baines era.

For anyone unfamiliar with the area, this block of Hanover Street is probably the most attractive block downtown. The street is much narrower and more intimate than Elm, and it ends at Elm, beautifully framing the spire of City Hall.

No cars allowed?

Speaking of downtown doings, we’ve received a copy of a letter presented by the mayor to the Board of Alderman last week asking it to explore the idea of closing Hanover Street to vehicular traffic on Friday evenings during the summer months.

The goal, according to the letter from Mayor Ted Gatsas, would be to “generate increased downtown foot traffic on weekends” and allow for “special entertainment and expanded dining options” downtown. Gatsas notes that he was approached by some downtown businesses about the idea. It is lined mostly by four-story buildings, including the ornate former Opera House (the theatre itself burned down in the 1980s but the block was restored), and it's home to the Palace Theatre. Just to the west (between Chestnut and Pine) are a few more restaurants (including one very high end one) and part of NHIA's campus, and as Hanover reaches Elm it is capped by the Citizens Bank tower, Manchester's first "skyscraper", and a handsome newer contemporary block.

We wouldn’t quite pencil in a walking date on Hanover Street quite yet. The letter only asks to “explore the feasibility of a pilot program” — talk about a lot of what-ifs!

The idea would still need to pass through a committee and get approval from the Board of Aldermen. Still, the idea of spending some summer nights in downtown does sound like fun. We look forward to seeing where this idea goes.
 
My personal opinion is that pedestrian only streets are great—and Church Street is a great example of this great idea. However, you are correct in stating some reluctance to embrace the idea wholeheartedly without first taking into consideration the supporting factors that need to be in place, or be put in place, prior to or concurrent with such a place working well.

Wharf Street in Portland is another great example. That street is at the heart of the City’s night life, and gets packed with people on most nights (like a sardine can, literally elbow to elbow on many evenings). Exchange Street was tried as a pedestrian only street, but that idea flopped. I don’t know why some places make it and others don’t, but you are probably onto something with the variables you listed above.

A key component is the number of residents in the area. A city is nothing if not its people, and if most people arrive via car, what appeal does a ped only street have? Then again, if most people live in the units above Hanover street, what appeal does an auto corridor have?

This street looks like the sort of place people come to visit, not somewhere people aspire to merely travel through, so maybe ped only can work here. However, cars are occasionally an unobtrusive addition to otherwise narrow ped friendly streets, and can even serve as a buffer between sidewalk life and the traffic (via parallel parking). One option, as the article and you note, is to close it at certain times of day (whether day or evening). Church Street and Wharf Street are both closed days only, and are open early mornings and late evenings (for deliveries and, in Portland’s case, puke cleanup). Installing all cobble stones might be one way to keep this open to traffic while also deterring that traffic by causing an artificial speed limit by virtue of the fact that no one speeds along cobble stones. In that case, remember the women in high heels cannot walk across the cobbles, so installation of some flat “bridges” at key crossing areas is key. I know that sounds funny, but just like ladies’ night the key is to attract women because where they go the gentleman are sure to be as well. The same is not always true the other way around. This is just an anecdotal observation from much time spent in the Old Port (and overhearing conversations in Providence by the riverwalk, as well, where cobblestones stretch underneath a bridge walkway).
 
Although a great idea, I see two problems, well not problems, but, things I would rather see happen that may be better.

#1 Close Hanover 24/7
#2 Rather than closing a single street to create foot traffic, I think upgrading more of the downtown streets to be more like like Hanover would be much more effective, but this obviously has the much higher price tag
#3 Bring more unique businesses, and venues to down town, which again, would in my opinion, be a better option and should be addressed first. This has a lesser price tag than upgrading the streets, but still costs more than closing a street to cars. (the conversion of the old bank drive through to an ampitheatre is a good concept I like a lot)
#4 expand the down town area and spruce up and upgrade the streets like most of down town has down, further into the city center, not only along main roads, but side roads too

But obviously closing the street one night is better than nothing and I think is a simple, great idea. Many people go to Hanover Street for dining, shopping, and the Palace Theatre. Having the area be more popular will only help the surrounding area. But again, many great proposals are presented in the city, but very few actually happen. I know the economy is not the best, but there are many things that can happen in a bad economy.

And the new Down Town Market Basket is basically complete (not open yet) but looks fairly nice. The electrical and telephone wires along southern end of Elm still are awful, but the new fences, facade, and trees (once the trees grow in this coming summer) will be a HUGE improvement to the area. Hopefully the Market will bring traffic to the area and help many fo the local business owners and building owners.
 
My personal opinion is that pedestrian only streets are great—and Church Street is a great example of this great idea. However, you are correct in stating some reluctance to embrace the idea wholeheartedly without first taking into consideration the supporting factors that need to be in place, or be put in place, prior to or concurrent with such a place working well.

Wharf Street in Portland is another great example. That street is at the heart of the City’s night life, and gets packed with people on most nights (like a sardine can, literally elbow to elbow on many evenings). Exchange Street was tried as a pedestrian only street, but that idea flopped. I don’t know why some places make it and others don’t, but you are probably onto something with the variables you listed above.

A key component is the number of residents in the area. A city is nothing if not its people, and if most people arrive via car, what appeal does a ped only street have? Then again, if most people live in the units above Hanover street, what appeal does an auto corridor have?

This street looks like the sort of place people come to visit, not somewhere people aspire to merely travel through, so maybe ped only can work here. However, cars are occasionally an unobtrusive addition to otherwise narrow ped friendly streets, and can even serve as a buffer between sidewalk life and the traffic (via parallel parking). One option, as the article and you note, is to close it at certain times of day (whether day or evening). Church Street and Wharf Street are both closed days only, and are open early mornings and late evenings (for deliveries and, in Portland’s case, puke cleanup). Installing all cobble stones might be one way to keep this open to traffic while also deterring that traffic by causing an artificial speed limit by virtue of the fact that no one speeds along cobble stones. In that case, remember the women in high heels cannot walk across the cobbles, so installation of some flat “bridges” at key crossing areas is key. I know that sounds funny, but just like ladies’ night the key is to attract women because where they go the gentleman are sure to be as well. The same is not always true the other way around. This is just an anecdotal observation from much time spent in the Old Port (and overhearing conversations in Providence by the riverwalk, as well, where cobblestones stretch underneath a bridge walkway).

I think Church Street works incredibly well and there are other examples, but it seems like there are just as many--maybe more--examples that fail. Wharf Street in Portland and the much smaller Commercial Alley in Portsmouth are really different animals than Church Street, or Exchange or Hanover for that matter, I think. They're essentially pedestrian-only alleys, which I think tend to work very well, and are on a much smaller scale than Church Street (which I think works in part because it essentially an open-air mall, right down to the piped-in music) or the much less successful Downtown Crossing in Boston.

I know at least some of the buildings, including the Opera House, have apartments above, so there are definitely residents along Hanover Street, and I think you're right that it's really more of a place that people visit rather than pass through, at least at night. But much more so than Exchange or Church, it is also a major road into downtown from the east, though I'm sure traffic could be diverted if it was ever closed down more permanently.

For the time being, I think trying it on Friday nights during the summer (and I'd be up for all day during the weekend as well) is a good idea. I can see bards and restaurants setting up tables over the entire sidewalks with the street open, maybe with buskers or performers in the middle. I also love the idea of changing the paving--either to cobblestone or even just brick or something with a pattern that would at least psychologically signal people to slow down.

Although a great idea, I see two problems, well not problems, but, things I would rather see happen that may be better.

#1 Close Hanover 24/7
#2 Rather than closing a single street to create foot traffic, I think upgrading more of the downtown streets to be more like like Hanover would be much more effective, but this obviously has the much higher price tag
#3 Bring more unique businesses, and venues to down town, which again, would in my opinion, be a better option and should be addressed first. This has a lesser price tag than upgrading the streets, but still costs more than closing a street to cars. (the conversion of the old bank drive through to an ampitheatre is a good concept I like a lot)
#4 expand the down town area and spruce up and upgrade the streets like most of down town has down, further into the city center, not only along main roads, but side roads too

But obviously closing the street one night is better than nothing and I think is a simple, great idea. Many people go to Hanover Street for dining, shopping, and the Palace Theatre. Having the area be more popular will only help the surrounding area. But again, many great proposals are presented in the city, but very few actually happen. I know the economy is not the best, but there are many things that can happen in a bad economy.

And the new Down Town Market Basket is basically complete (not open yet) but looks fairly nice. The electrical and telephone wires along southern end of Elm still are awful, but the new fences, facade, and trees (once the trees grow in this coming summer) will be a HUGE improvement to the area. Hopefully the Market will bring traffic to the area and help many fo the local business owners and building owners.

I actually think closing it down for one evening a week during the summer is a smart move. Hanover is a beautiful street with some nice restaurants and decent bars, but I think closing it 24/7 would make it feel underwhelming. It doesn't have enough going on yet to support that. Doing it only one night a week (at least to start) makes it sort of an event, especially if the city, Intown Manchester or some other group can get performers or something like that to fill the space of the street. If it proves successful, it will make the block increasingly attractive as a place for bars, restaurants and even shops, and that could lead to making it more feasible to close it 24/7, or at least all weekend.

I think the same could be said of the other ideas. I agree with all of them, but I think focusing on making an already attractive area even more of a destination might be a good way of creating a stronger nucleus for downtown, which can then spill over onto other side streets. Trying to upgrade and make all the streets happening right away could lead to the area feeling underwhelming without a strong center. I think it's kind of the strategy of revitalizing the whole city (which has stalled since the Baines ere) on a smaller scale: start with the downtown, then help it radiate out from there; start from Hanover Street and help it spread throughout downtown.

The idea of closing the Citizens Bank drive-through and sprucing up Manchester Street is really interesting. I think you could even make an argument that the drive-through could be reconfigured some and maintained during the day if the bank doesn't want to give it up entirely, but closed off at night and open as an ampitheatre or outdoor bar or something.

As far as expanding the downtown and sprucing up more streets outside the central downtown goes, this is actually something the city is working on. I think I read that the budget this year includes money for fixing up sidewalks and beautifying streets--especially Elm--north of Bridge and south of Granite. I know a few years ago, the definition of downtown was expanded beyond those borders to include the "North of Bridge" and Gaslight District/Downtown South areas. That increased the area subject to the downtown business tax, which funds infrastructure, beautification and promotional programs for the area, so I imagine those areas will see some physical benefits soon.
 
I hear what you mean by if too much is addressed at once then it may get lost and focusing on area may be stronger. But Manchester still boasts a trashy appeal to many unfamiliar with it, and to change this, the rest of the city (the trashy parts) must undergo at least minor updates from time to time. And much of the city is in much need of updating.

South end of Elm (North end is actually not half bad) and the Gaslight district are two prominent spots that are vacant, trashy, not nice looking.

And once you quickly leave the "downtown" area and head East into the city, even on main roads, not only are the roads not as nice, but they are often run down, no trees at all, many telephone wires, sidewalks sometimes disappear or are falling apart. So not only can these areas benefit from being updated and beautified, but simply better upkeep would keep the area looking nicer.

One example would be along Valley, but hopefully once the new Police Station is done, the area will be more attractive. All that work went into Gill Stadium, which is awesome, but it is quickly lost with the run down parking lot along it and then Valley St is a bit trashy still.

And I think the Elliot began work on the next building at Rivers Edge. I was driving by on the highway and though I saw some foundation, but I may be mistaken. Can't wait till that is done so they can then move onto the park and the much needed river walk upgrades there. By by drug dealers and homeless people under the bridge.
 
Some news in the Union Leader about the city-run Manchester Development Corporation (MDC) boosting awareness of itself:

Manchester Development Corp. steps into limelight


Staff reports

MANCHESTER — Looking to increase its visibility, the Manchester Development Corporation has created a video, held a well-attended annual meeting and instituted an award for its development partners. The development corporation has provided financing or assistance for a number of projects, including redevelopment of the Chase Block, Dunlap Building, and Mc-Quades building. It has also had a hand in the Verizon Wireless Arena and Manchester Place apartment building.

“What MDC does is make projects that just need a little more help a reality,” said Manchester developer Dick Anagnost, who used MDC financing to help rehabilitate the Chase Block. The Elm Street building is the home of Margaritas restaurant.

The development corporation’s balance sheet includes about $1.5 million in outstanding loans and $2 million on hand to finance development projects, according to the city Economic Development Office, which staffs the private, nonprofit organization.

The funds came from the sale of Manchester Airpark property.

Recently, the MDC created the Partners in Progress Award. The first recipient, named this year, is Paul Smith, owner of Benefit Strategies.

Ten years ago, he used a $450,000 MDC loan to help rehabilitate the Dunlap Building and move his Bedford company there. Two years ago, he expanded by building a four-story addition adjacent to the downtown location.

MDC provided a $500,000 loan to assist in the expansion.

Another recent project was a $500,000 development loan to Germania Front LLC. The company used the financing to assist in the construction and renovation of the hotel at the Amoskeag Circle, where the Falls Center and LaQuinta Inn and Suites recently opened.

The MDC held its annual meeting last week at the Public Service of New Hampshire. Jim Brett, the president and chief executive of the New England Council, addressed the meeting.

“The MDC is a valuable economic development tool for the city, and we encourage individuals or companies looking to invest in development projects in Manchester to contact our office,” said Jay Minkarah, director of the Manchester Economic Development Office. For more information, visit yourmanchesternh.com/mdc.
 
I hear what you mean by if too much is addressed at once then it may get lost and focusing on area may be stronger. But Manchester still boasts a trashy appeal to many unfamiliar with it, and to change this, the rest of the city (the trashy parts) must undergo at least minor updates from time to time. And much of the city is in much need of updating.

South end of Elm (North end is actually not half bad) and the Gaslight district are two prominent spots that are vacant, trashy, not nice looking.

And once you quickly leave the "downtown" area and head East into the city, even on main roads, not only are the roads not as nice, but they are often run down, no trees at all, many telephone wires, sidewalks sometimes disappear or are falling apart. So not only can these areas benefit from being updated and beautified, but simply better upkeep would keep the area looking nicer.

One example would be along Valley, but hopefully once the new Police Station is done, the area will be more attractive. All that work went into Gill Stadium, which is awesome, but it is quickly lost with the run down parking lot along it and then Valley St is a bit trashy still.

And I think the Elliot began work on the next building at Rivers Edge. I was driving by on the highway and though I saw some foundation, but I may be mistaken. Can't wait till that is done so they can then move onto the park and the much needed river walk upgrades there. By by drug dealers and homeless people under the bridge.

Google has new satellite views for Manchester, but only for the closest zoom levels. It's the kind they've had in Boston and other cities for awhile--where you can see the south-facing fronts of buildings--almost 3D. Anyway, on the closest zoom, I think I see the foundation work you're talking about. Is this area what you were referring to?

If that is a new building going up, I'm really glad to see that it's right up to the sidewalk along Hancock St. On a side note, I just noticed an oddity--there's a Hancock St right by Rivers Edge, and a West Hancock on the West Side. I've never heard of a bridge ever being there, but I wonder if there used to be one before Queen City Ave was built (in the 1930s, I believe). I hope Gas Street is connected between Elm and Queen City Ave by Rivers Edge, so that buses can connect between Rivers Edge and downtown with a weird spur.

I also really hope that the land across from that street and Rivers Edge on the corner of Queen City Ave is developed into an urban-scale, hopefully mixed-use building with ground-floor retail along Queen City Ave and Gas St (assuming that's what it's called down here, too) rather than a parking lot or Dunkin Donuts drive-thru or something. With the big parking garages right there, there's really no need for parking directly on the site. And with the new Elliot, the private redevelopment that's already happened nearby, and a mixed-used project there, I think this area could really start turning into a young, urban neighborhood close to downtown.
 
Yeah, that's the foundation. I love exploring the world with the new close up Google satellite.

That vacant land across from Elliot at Rivers Edge is where they had the talk about the drive-thru dunkin.

Yes, at least as of the initial plan, they plan to connect gas street to the new Elliot development.

And that bus lot, there was an ongoing plan to relocate the buses and have that be another phase of River's Edge development. Which I think is good.

You can also clearly see the upgraded street along the new Market. It looks nice and once those trees grow in it will be much better than what they had prior.
 
I saw a real estate ad in the Hippo today for 54-94 Old Granite Street, which includes about half the block between Franklin and Granite Streets, and a prominent spot at the most important gateway to downtown.

Right now, the buildings are used for storage and are generally unsightly, or maybe better just disappear as you wait to get onto Elm Street from Granite. But they were originally handsome, mixed-use buildings along one of the major roads to Elm Street (the other being Traction Street, which was demolished to make way for the Center of NH and realigned/widened Granite St in the 1980s) from the old Union Station.

And they're among the most visible buildings in the Gaslight District, which the city has long planned and hoped would take off. With the recent addition of some new restaurants, artist studios and a total restoration of one of the buildings along Elm Street in the district, it seems like it might finally take off.

arena_district_old_granite.jpg

Rendering of what city planners hope these buildings will eventually look like.

If the state ever gets its act together and commits to the commuter rail that almost everyone in the state wants, then Old Granite Street could turn into a major pedestrian route between the station and the Verizon Wireless Arena. At the very least, it could turn into a quainter entertainment and shopping counterpart to Elm Street--sort of a second version of Hanover Street. I still think the spot next door now occupied by the new Market Basket should have been developed more densely, and that could help spur growth along Old Granite, but it's still got a good spot right between the arena and ballpark.

arena_district_gaslight_perspective.jpg

Rendering of pedestrians walking between the train station and arena along Old Granite Street, with good landscaping buffering the quainter old street from new highway-like replacement.

I hope a good developer realizes the opportunity to do something interesting here.
 
Last edited:
Manchester really does have some unique character-based areas. The challenge is how to built upon these strengths and ensure a more cohesive urban area begins to built. This seems like it can begin to allow some urban synergy to take place, and be a catalyst for greater regional prosperity. I've said this before, but I think a form based approach for Manchester would be a great starting point. The city surely has no shortage of growth, it just needs to be channeled more efficiently. There are huge economic development benefits to a form based approach. I wonder if this has ever been considered by the City? If you ever want to organize an effort, I'd be glad to speak on the matter to the council or planning commission or city attorney--free or charge.
 
Manchester really does have some unique character-based areas. The challenge is how to built upon these strengths and ensure a more cohesive urban area begins to built. This seems like it can begin to allow some urban synergy to take place, and be a catalyst for greater regional prosperity. I've said this before, but I think a form based approach for Manchester would be a great starting point. The city surely has no shortage of growth, it just needs to be channeled more efficiently. There are huge economic development benefits to a form based approach. I wonder if this has ever been considered by the City? If you ever want to organize an effort, I'd be glad to speak on the matter to the council or planning commission or city attorney--free or charge.

A form-based approach would be huge for Manchester, I think, as would some regional cooperation with surrounding towns to avoid some of the negative competition (race to the bottom) that currently exists. But I think a form-based approach is probably the most important thing, at the very least for the city center.

I really hope the regional form-based cooperation that was mentioned awhile back on here from the Bedford planning board will lead to something, but there's no reason why Manchester can't step out and do this on its own, too. The Arena District overlay area already has something of a form-based code, so it's not something foreign to the city; it just needs to be expanded.

I wish I was more involved on the ground in Manchester, and I definitely try to organize something for you to speak on it. Maybe I'll pass it along to one of the aldermen I've spoken with or some other people, if you don't mind.

In a similar vein, Intown Manchester is having its annual luncheon next month and the topic is Pursuing Prosperity - Smart Growth in Manchester. The speaker is William Fulton--does anyone know anything about him beyond what's on the Wikipedia page? It sounds interesting, and if it's really tailored to Manchester, I'd probably be up for taking the day off from work and shelling out the $40 (to a good organization, anyway) to hear it.

On a completely unrelated note, the MTA has unveiled a new website, which is a big improvement over the old one, and more prominently displays the free Green DASH service. I'd like to see individual maps for each route with more detail than the system map, and a Google transit trip planning feature, which I was told they are working on with SNHPC. Of course, what I'd really love is to see them realign some of the routes, and increase frequency, at least along some routes during peak hours. But since the city and state don't seem able (or willing in the case of the latter) to increase funding for public transit right now, at least the MTA is increasing its outreach and marketing. Along with a form-based code, I'd also love to see a fee-in-lieu-of-taxes in exchange for waiving parking minimums--or even a dedicated downtown real estate/business tax if necessary--to support public transit, like is done in Portland.
 
Interesting design guidelines. However, a form based code approach would take these a step further in specificity, and take an integrated approach to building to building and building to street interactions, as well as become mandatory. Unless I've misread the document (admittedly skimmed it only, being easily distracted by the interesting visuals) these are more suggestions than a specific blueprint. The word "should" was used often (which is common in design guidelines) indicating this is what the city wants, but a waiver is possible if you can make a case for it). A good start, for sure, and I think the vision could easily be adapted into a form based code applied in a different approach (i.e., keep the substance in, change the application of it).

That's a really great talk that's coming up in Manchester. There are so many economic development benefits of form based coding that it is silly NOT to pursue one in my opinion. Now, that doesn't mean everywhere has to adopt the smart code right off the shelf, but that general approach to zoning is far superior to what we have--and the best part is it can be and should be community defined to make sure it matches local circumstances.

There is a similar talk coming up in Maine, put on by the Maine Real Estate Development Association (MEREDA) entitled "New Urbanism: Creative Models for Innovation and Economic Growth" at which I'll be speaking shortly.

More info http://www.mereda.org/eventdetail.php?ID=320

and then there is another coming up called 'growing by street car' which will look at the Providence model - http://www.mereda.org/eventdetail.php?ID=338
 
And southern end of Elm across from the Market is growing already. A few new businesses are in.

And on a sad note, I have noticed A LOT of businesses and especially restaurants disappearing, but luckily new ones are taking their spots. But I don't think it is a good sign when many businesses can not stay in business.
 
Has Manchester St recently been updated with new street lights and sidewalks?
 

Back
Top