Manchester is in New Hampshire, USA. The state's largest city has enjoyed a renaissance over the past several years. Once home to the largest textiles facility in the world, the area has a vibrant and largely service-oriented economy. It is home to several educational institutions, including Southern New Hampshire University and St. Anselm College. In 2020, it was home to 116,000 people.
Understand
Climate
Get in
By plane
- Manchester - Boston Regional Airport (IATA: MHT), Brown Av (Route 101 exit 2), 42.9278°, -71.4373°, +1 603 624-6556. A convenient way to get to the city and much of southern New Hampshire. Sometimes used as a low-cost, low hassle alternative to Logan International Airport in Boston. Airlines serving Manchester include American, Delta, Southwest, and United. Southwest is the primary passenger air carrier for the airport, and now accounts for more than half of the airport's annual passenger traffic. There are non-stop flights to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport from the following cities (some cities may be seasonal or only offer service certain days of the week): Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New Orleans New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Tampa, and Washington. Delta has been increasing service to MHT including larger aircraft on the MHT-ATL route.Travelers at the airport will find it a convenient and easy to navigate facility. There are two security checkpoints, one on the second level in the center of the terminal, and one on the west end's ground floor, to the "right" of the airline ticket counters. Use the ground floor checkpoint if the center terminal one is busy; they both go to the same place, and the walk between the two is short.
Smokers will find -- to their joy -- that there are two smoking rooms in the airport, one on the ground floor by the main baggage claim area, and one behind the security checkpoint. However, the future status of these rooms is uncertain, and they may soon be supplanted. One can smoke outdoors with no trouble.You can take the number 3 MTA bus from the airport to the city Monday through Friday. The buses run between 5:25 - 9:25AM and between 1:25PM and 7:25PM.
By bus
Greyhound has services from Montréal and many cities in Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, and Boston. Additionally, Concord Trailways runs buses from Boston. All buses call at Manchester Transportation Center 📍, located on 119 Canal St close to downtown.
By car
The city can be reached on Interstate 93, and Route 3. To reach downtown from Boston, take I-93 to its junction with I-293, then take I-293 until you reach Exit 5 (Granite Street).
Get around
Renting a car, which may be done at the airport, and walking are the easiest ways to get around Manchester. Bus service and taxis are also available, although bus service is relatively limited and taxis can be expensive. Renting a car, or knowing a local who has one, will make your life considerably easier.
On foot: Downtown (Elm St.) has become more walkable as of late, much of the sites are within walking distance.
See
- Currier Museum of Art, 201 Myrtle Way, 42.997778°, -71.455833°, +1 603-669-6144. Museum hours Su M W F 11AM-5PM, Th 11AM-8PM, Sa 10AM-5PM. Zimmerman House hours: tours M Th F at 2PM; Sa at 11:30AM, 1PM and 2:30PM; Su at 1PM and 2:30PM. Collection includes works by Picasso, Monet, and O'Keefe. Features European and American paintings, decorative arts, photographs, sculpture, and performances. The museum owns Frank Lloyd Wright's Zimmerman House, the only Wright-designed house in New England open to the public. Free admission Sa 10AM-1PM. Closed Tuesdays and major holidays. 2017-06-30
- Amoskeag Fishways Learning and Visitors Center, 6 Fletcher St, 43.003698°, -71.471832°, +1 603-622-3474. Year round. M-Sa 9AM-5PM; also open Sundays in May and June. Interactive exhibit hall that allows visitors to explore the Merrimack River. View live turtles, frogs and salmon, play a salmon migration game, generate electricity. During May and June, view migrating shad, herring and sea lamprey through underwater viewing windows looking into a 54-step fish ladder. 2017-06-30
- Manchester Historical Society Millyard Museum, Mill No 3, Commercial St, 42.989170°, -71.468075°, +1 603-622-7531. W-Sa 10AM-4PM. Exhibits on the history of the city, including early colonial settlement, the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company (at its peak was the largest textile producer in the world), and present-day immigration to the city. 2017-06-30
Do
- Derryfield Golf Course, 625 Mammoth Rd, +1 603-669-0235. Public municipal course. 18 holes. $35 green fee; $26 for cart.
- Livingston Park, Hooksett Road. Running track, ballfields, walking, playground.
- McIntyre Ski Area (Mac), 50 Chalet Ct (I-93N, Exit 8 Bridge Street; right on Mammoth Road, left on Kennard, left on Chalet Court), 43.0062°, -71.4409°, +1 603-622-6159. Check online for current hours. 180-ft vertical drop. Known for great lesson programs & open from Christmas vacation to mid-March. Tubing $19, Lift ticket $34 2015-03-23
Sports
Manchester is home to a handful of minor-league sports teams, all of which enjoy considerable support from local fans. The most popular is the Eastern League's New Hampshire Fisher Cats (AA baseball affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays). Additionally, the New Hampshire Phantoms, a soccer team in the USL's Premier Development League (the fourth level in the American league pyramid), play in town.
The Fisher Cats' season runs from spring to summer. The team has captured two Eastern League championships (in their inaugural season of 2004 and also in 2011).
Buy
As with the rest of New Hampshire, there is no sales tax.
South Manchester is home to many large chains and the Mall of New Hampshire. The area is collectively referred to as South Willow Street after the name of the main road. Downtown (on and near Elm Street) offers many smaller shops.
- Neonbomb Anime, Games, & Comics, 260 Mammoth Rd (Second Floor, above Heng Won Chinese Restaurant), 42.9817698°, -71.4327788°, +1 603-505-8098, info@neonbomb.com. Tu-Su noon-8PM. Manchester's oldest comics, anime, and gaming store (Originally NeoTokyo). A great place to play games casually or in tournaments in a laid-back atmosphere. Runs a lot of different events for fun and charity. 2017-03-11
- Double Midnight Comics and Collectibles, 245 Maple St (across from Gill Stadium), 42.981773°, -71.451918°, +1 603-669-XMEN. M 9AM-5PM, Tu Th-Sa 11AM-7PM, W 11AM-8PM, Su noon-6PM. Comics and gaming. Owned and operated by Brett Parker and brothers Chris and Scott Proulx, the store opened its doors in July 2002 in an effort to provide a fun and exciting place to shop and game. Feel free to stop in and pick up game in the arena or just chat comics.
Eat
For a city of its size, Manchester has surprisingly good restaurants, including some devoted to cuisines one would have trouble finding in larger cities. State law prohibits smoking in restaurants and bars.
- Cotton, 75 Arms St, 42.993284°, -71.467464°, +1 603-622-5488. A restaurant set in the historic Millyard District. 2017-06-30
- Cafe Momo, 1065 Hanover St, +1 603-623-3733. This small (30 seat) eatery serves excellent Nepalese food, which has elements of Indian and Chinese cuisine. The restaurant has a variety of vegetarian options and offers plenty of spicy -- very spicy -- entrees. The fiery gundruk soup is a must for lovers of spicy food, although be warned: it will clear your sinuses something fierce. A small parking lot, but other parking nearby is easily available.
- The Puritan Restaurant, 245 Hooksett Rd, 43.010508°, -71.454038°, +1 603-669-6980. Quality Service since 1917. A very popular destination for locals serving American and Greek food. You may even see Adam Sandler there. 2017-06-30
- The Red Arrow Diner, 61 Lowell St, +1 603-626-1118. Very fun diner, open 24 hours since 1922. Voted one of the top ten diners in the country by USA Today. Very good pancakes.
- Lala's Hungarian Pastry & Restaurant, 836 Elm St, 42.989974°, -71.463323°, +1 603-647-7100. Hungarian and Austrian pastries, breakfast and lunch. 2017-06-30
- Piccolo Italia Ristorante, 827 Elm St, 42.989922°, -71.462783°, +1 603-606-5100. Voted Manchester's No. 1 Italian restaurant -- and with good reason. Reservations are strongly suggested. Terrific pasta and veal. 2017-06-30
- Fratello's Ristorante Italiano, 155 Dow St, +1 603-624-2022. Excellent! Prime rib recommended.
- Intervale Country Club, 1491 Front St, +1 603-626-7344. Open to the public.
- The Yard Restaurant, 199 Mammoth Rd, 42.935405°, -71.413477°, +1 603-623-3545. Great for Sunday brunch. 2017-06-30
- Cactus Jack's Great West Grill, 782 So. Willow St, 42.96452°, -71.44504°, +1 603-627-8600. 2016-11-07
- Shogun Japanese Steak House, 545 Daniel Webster Highway North, +1 603-669-8122. M-Th 11AM-10PM, F Sa 11AM-11PM, Su noon-9PM.
- Longhorn Steakhouse, 1580 S Willow St, +1 603-647-4901. 11AM-10PM. Great barbeque joint, one of the many in the Longhorn chain. 2015-03-23
- Bob Nadeau's House of Subs (Nadeau's Subs), 776 Mast Road (4 other locations), +1 603-623-9315. Nadeau's is a local chain, sporting four locations in Manchester and one in Exeter. Won the Best Sub Shop of 2013 in Hippo Magazine.
- Alleycat Pizzeria, 486 Chestnut St, +1 603-669-4533. New York-style thin crust pizza, subs, calzones. 2020-06-15
- Airport Diner, 2280 Brown Ave (93/101, Exit 2 Brown Ave - follow Brown Ave south, will be on left attached to Holiday Inn), +1 603-623-5040. 5AM to midnight. 1950s-style diner close to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, attached to south end of the Holiday Inn Manchester Airport. Sister of Common Man Restaurant chain.
- Stark Brewing Company, 500 Commercial St, +1 603-625-4444. 11AM-7PM, depending on season. Classic pub in one of Manchester's old mill buildings. Frequent live music (check online). Function room & brewery tours also available. 2022-10-18
Drink
Manchester has a vibrant nightlife scene, particularly along Elm Street downtown and surrounding streets. Note that "last call" in Manchester comes early by American standards: about 12:45AM, with bars in the city closing around 1AM
- Billy's Sports Bar, 34 Tarrytown Rd, 42.981716°, -71.434577°, +1 603-622-3644. Billy's has an extensive menu, is inexpensive, and is an excellent place for out-of-state visitors to watch football games. Although the bar is a Patriots bar, fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and other out-of-market teams will find fellow partisans there on Sundays, usually in the smaller "back" room. The "back" room will usually have sound and one of the main high-definition televisions turned to the Steelers game when the Steelers are playing, due to a large group of Steelers fans who gather there weekly. 2017-06-30
- Strange Brew Tavern, 88 Market St, 42.990683°, -71.465209°, +1 603-666-4292. More than 65 beers on tap. Live music every night of the week. Good, cheap food. Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, place is very crowded. 2017-06-30
- JD's Tavern, 700 Elm St (At the Radisson Hotel), +1 603-625-1000. 2017-06-30
Sleep
Hotels
Most travelers will find themselves staying in two-diamond or three-diamond (AAA) properties, with rates generally in the $75 to $150 per night range. Some properties may be slightly cheaper, although one tends to get what one pays for. The majority of Manchester's hotel stock is in the two- to three-diamond range, although business travelers with expense accounts should consider the Bedford Village Inn, an excellent inn in suburban Bedford, N.H.
Travelers with business downtown might consider the Hilton Garden Inn, immediately adjacent to the city's baseball stadium (rooms overlook the park, and home runs occasionally bounce off the hotel), or the Radisson Hotel Manchester, a popular place to hold conferences and meetings. (The Radisson is co-located with the Center of New Hampshire convention center. )
Budget
Mid range
- Best Western Executive Court Inn and Conference Center, 13500 S Willow St, 42.937844°, -71.414470°, +1 603-627-2525.
- Courtyard Manchester Airport, 700 Huse Rd, +1 603-641-4900.
- Fairfield Inn Manchester Airport, 860 Porter St, +1 603-625-2020.
- Holiday Inn Manchester Airport, 2280 Brown Ave, 42.945673°, -71.453447°, +1 603-641-6466. Offers a complimentary 24-hour airport shuttle service, fitness center, indoor heated oool, and an affordable park & stay package. Weekly specials and packages are posted on the hotel website. 2017-06-30
- Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, 1298 South Porter St, 42.959097°, -71.433124°, +1 603-669-6800. 2017-06-30
- SpringHill Suites Manchester Airport, 975 North Perimeter Rd, +1 603-668-9400.
- TownePlace Suites Manchester Airport, 686 Huse Rd, +1 603-641-2288.
- Quality Inn Manchester Airport, 55 John E Devine Dr, 42.959051°, -71.438197°, +1 603-668-6110. 2017-06-30
Splurge
Bed and Breakfast
Stay safe
Compared to American cities of its size, Manchester has an extremely low crime rate. Violent crime and property crime is rare, and even at night, visitors should feel safe in pretty much every area of the city.
Although crime in the city is very rare, one should not take leave of one's common sense either. The downtown area is largely safe at all hours, although there are areas of the center city and the West Side where traveling alone, on foot, at night might be inadvisable. Female visitors should take all customary precautions.
Manchester Police Department's main police station is at 405 Valley Street, +1 603-668-8711
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Go next
Particularly in early fall, a trip to the White Mountains for foliage viewing is rewarding. Boston, Vermont and the Southern Maine Coast are only a short distance away,
A trip down State Route 101 heading west will bring you to many of the type of small towns that New Hampshire and New England are famous for, including Amherst, Milford, Wilton, and Peterborough. Past Wilton, the road becomes more windy and scenic, but is still a major east-west thoroughfare. The route ends in Keene about an hour away.