Master Plan Kickoff Creates Portsmouth Nostalgia

This past Wednesday (yesterday) the people of Portsmouth got together at 3S ArtSpace for the Portsmouth Master Plan Kick-off Meeting. The goal of this meeting was for Portsmouth residents to meet the consultants of this project and to offer their input towards the design and Portsmouth’s overall future. What the Master Plan is, is a document used to guide land use and development in the city. The Master Plan was adopted back in 2005 (read it here), and under state law, it is required that the Planning Board periodically amend and update the plan to keep guiding the city’s development. It’s been a decade since this happened, so we wanted to take a step back and look at what has happened since the Master Plan was last amended:

The Memorial Bridge

It is one of Portsmouth’s most famous landmarks, and went through some major changes over the decade. The work began in 2011 when the bridge was closed due to safety problems, which was a sad day for many. However, in August of 2013 this great bridge was reopened to the public and has been standing strong ever since; minus that whole tanker colliding with it in the Spring of 2014 (click here to read more about that)…other than that, it is a spectacle for all to see!

(The Memorial Bridge connects Portsmouth, NH to Kittery, ME (photo credit: Green Alliance))

New England is “Title Town”

So it’s not specific to Portsmouth, who cares? Let’s look at all the success New England has had in the sporting world since 2005; we’ve won championships in all four major sports, totalling six trophies over ten years and making it one of the most dominant sports runs ever. And with seasons starting (Pedroia for AL MVP) and playoff campaigns beginning (#BeatTheCavs) the New England title run is far from over. So yeah, it’s a good time to be a sports fan in New England.

(The Greatest Of All Time, Tom Brady, helped bring New England it’s latest championship (photo credit: AZ Central))

Music in Prescott

With artists like Ani DiFranco, Ingrid Michaelson and Justin Townes Earl, having performed at the park it’s safe to say the music life in Prescott has begun to boom. Where else can you relax in the cool summer afternoons with a blanket, your family and good tunes? Answer; Prescott Park.

(Hundreds flock to the park to hear great music every summer (photo credit: MyHandyManNH))

Wicked Weather

The Mother’s Day flood of 2006, the Ice Storm of 2008, and even the Never-Ending Winter of 2015…we’ve seen it all, and that’s all that needs to be said about that.

(The record snowfall of 2015 had everyone asking Mother Nature to stop with the snow (photo credit: CBSNews))

Portsmouth Little League

Yes New England is title town, but who could ever forget the run Portsmouth made in the 2006 Little League World Series? With Portsmouth baseball legends like Billy Hartman and Jordan Bean leading the way, we watched our beloved Portsmouth ball players pitch, run, and swing their hearts out until the semi-final round, capping one of the best sports moments in Portsmouth’s history!

(The Portsmouth Little League team is celebrated in Market Square (photo credit: NH Magazine))

Culinary Explosion

Although it’s been getting press recently (we even wrote about it a few weeks back here) the culinary scene in Portsmouth has been consistently improving for years. It’s getting hot in the kitchen, and showing no signs of cooling down.

(Moxy has become one of Portsmouth’s hottest eateries (photo credit:Moxy Restaurant))

It’s been a good decade, and we can’t wait to see what comes in the next decade for the city of Portsmouth and all whole call it home!