Where did Portsmouth go?
This will undoubtedly be the first of many future posts that address the issue of quality of life in Portsmouth. A city that will always be near and dear to my heart, my hometown. I am a native as they say which I find such an odd term to have to use considering that no one ever really did before lets say the early 90's. Of course I could get all nostalgic and long for the past but am thankful for the great memories I have. I guess that the most unsettling aspects of growth in Little River City that stand out are the inflated prices of everything from housing to parking to having too many bars with too many drunk idiots and rude transplanted residents with endless disposible income. In the process of all this expansion the city professes to be a great supporter of the arts but meanwhile no one is willing to back it up with anything solid. If your art has been displayed in Boston or NYC or your band has a label deal or a release great but if you are an independent operator good luck getting anyone to hang your work or book your band. Its all about business these days...that's where the big bucks are and that's what the city is after. Where's the balance?
posted by dangergirlnh at 10:22 PM
8 Comments:
Welcome to the world of blogging.
One thing on the art side of things...a bartender at Crescent City Bistro had his work displayed at the Stock Pot after he graduated from UNH.
thank you!
I know that the Stockpot has displayed artists' works for years. They were one of the first businesses in town to even do that. Plus the fact that its a pretty cool place to begin with.
Once all the new construction projects are completed we're not even going to reconize Portsmouth anymore. I can still just barely remember the Chinese laundry (yes, for real) that was located where the Worth Building is now. I also remember when that was a big construction site.
And yes, sis, welcoe to the world of blogging!
I can understand feeling sentimental, but you have to remember: The only thing worse for a town than economic development is no economic development. Ask the dying towns in the midwest, or the struggling industrial manufacturing towns of the Northeast. The opposite of growth is stagnation.
While it's sad to see the Portsmouth you grew up with disappear, feel lucky you live in a growing area. Everytime another condo goes up in downtown, that's more people with more disposable income to spend downtown, and that benefits us all.
At least the growth looks pretty good. I give the Historic Commission and architects a lot of credit for building places that fit in better than the blocks that went up in the 60s and 70s.
Yes..point taken. With the advent of Urban Renewal in the 70s Portsmouth was fortunate to have residents who cared to be a part of the improvement process and make investments in the rebuilding of our downtown area. Without the Historic Commission we may well have been subject to building that would not have fit in with the existing architecture for sure. I remember before the big mall and strip mall boom a downtown with crumbling vacant space and not much opportunity for business. But I would hope that the line has been drawn at Starbucks and the Gap nonetheless as far as corporate retail contributions go. As per todays Portsmouth Herald now the issue is that the new buildings seem to be creating havoc for existing owners and residents that will be soon staring at brickwalls with no sunlight due to the new improvements . Not to mention the possible effect on their property values and general health. Its always something. The majority of the families that I grew up with had to leave the city due to rising taxes and prohibitive residential real estate prices. I often used to wonder why no one would bother to come to Portsmouth but travel on to Portland and points north, thinking about what a special place it was we lived in. Guess the secret is out now.
Aw, now why'd you have to pull poor Starbuck's into this? Where do you draw that "corporate retail" line? At BNG's 3 stores, Jay McSharry's burgeoning culinary empire, the BagelWorks franchise with its very slick corporate signage or how about our very own Belle Peppers entrepeneur opening his 5th location? I know -- they've become corporate retail bastards but their our bastards darn it! :)
Anyway, I understand the nostalgia. I have it too for my hometown. But not the hostility and bemoaning -- what I perceive (not speaking strictly of you dangergirlnh, but "around town") as this complaint of "Oh look what we're coming to! It's getting so bad." It's nothing new: That corporate behemonth Woolworth's used to be in almost every downtown around here. And take a look at those old photos -- look at how big the buildings used to be along Congress street! What's happening now is not some new sinister corporate gentrification. It's cyclical... downtown died off, the big buildings came down, now they're going back up.
I think Portsmouth has a terrific balance. But I realize it's all about your perspective. I grew up on Cape Cod so Portsmouth seems like they are doing it just about right. (So yes I'm one of these transplanted residents although my disposable income is not endless).
Also re: art. It seems like the Press Room doesn't look for pedigrees when considering what to put on its walls. Nor Cafe Killim. Also, you could talk your way into Breaking New Grounds as well. If you joined the NHAA, there would be a place for your work in the Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery. Just some suggestions.
I'm proud of our local successful business people..its the big guns that have made it difficult for the smaller ones to even be able to afford to pay the outrageous rents in town. Yes all this $ is good for the economy. On another note re:art..isn't it interesting though that other retailers have offered up their walls for art when there are umpteen galleries in town...and didn't Caffe Kilim almost have to move too!!?
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