Tom Holbrook grew up in Maine and likes the countryside more than big cities. But as the owner of a bookstore, he’s culturally attuned, and he wants to raise his daughter in a place with plenty to offer. For him, Portsmouth, a small coastal city of 21,000 and his home for 15 years, is near perfect.
“Portsmouth punches way above its weight level in terms of arts and culture,” said Holbrook, 46, a cofounder of RiverRun Bookstore on Fleet Street and the father of 7-year-old Flannery.
Besides such institutions as the fully restored Music Hall and the Strawbery Banke Museum, Portsmouth has amenities that include a well-maintained public pool and a state-of-the-art library with 3-D printers for patrons’ use. “We’re incredibly lucky we’ve got what we have,” Holbrook said.
Advertisement
He does, however, wish the city wasn’t becoming so costly for the younger creative types who have made it thrive. His wife, Stephanie Hausman, a public defender, lived in the city when she attended the University of New Hampshire in Durham. “No students can do that anymore,” he said.
As an active member of the community, he welcomes newcomers.
“I just hope the people who want to come here want to participate and support the local businesses that make the place unique,” he said.
BY THE NUMBERS
13
The number of Africans whose buried remains were discovered during infrastructure work downtown in 2003. The African Burying Ground, a cemetery for this port city in the 18th century, had been paved over and forgotten by many. The site, now home to a $1.2 million memorial park, could contain the remains of as many as 200 Africans, state officials said.
60,000
The estimated number of visitors the 3S Artspace is expected to see each year. The multipurpose complex has a performance space, an art gallery, and a restaurant. The nonprofit opened in 2015 and has already hosted well-known performers, including Sonic Youth ’s Thurston Moore.
Advertisement
58 feet
The height of the Double Geronimo extreme body slide at Water Country. In Dr. Von Dark’s Tunnel of Terror, you can watch your own horror mirrored in your friend’s face as you sit in a twin tube and take a 40-foot plunge in the dark. Spoiler alert: There’s a tornado funnel in there, too.
PRO & CONS
Pro
Culture and history
For a modest-sized community, Portsmouth boasts a wide variety of attractions. The decommissioned submarine USS Albacore, now a museum, is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Music Hall, built in 1878, was saved from demolition in 1987. The US Senate designated it an “American Treasure” in 2003.
Con
Development tensions
In this historic city (incorporated in 1653), development projects often meet with opposition from preservation-minded residents. Some have launched court challenges against a project that would include a hotel, condos, and a 40,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market — though the Historic District Commission has already approved the plan.
James Sullivan can be reached at jamesgsullivan@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @sullivanjames.