I drove past the old HoJo's on Route 4 in Concord last week and it's just a empty lot now. Three years ago that place was packed every Sunday morning after church, best eggs benedict I ever had. The waitress, Carol, knew my coffee order before I sat down, black with two sugars, no questions asked. Last month they shut down without warning, some big developer bought the land for another storage unit place. What diners have you guys seen disappear around here that you miss the most?
I was grabbing coffee at Mame's Diner in Concord last Saturday and this old-timer told me the new place on Main Street uses frozen hash browns and charges $14 for eggs, while his spot with the potholes has fresh-cut potatoes for $8, and now I'm wondering if we all just judge a diner by its sign instead of its skillet, so who's your secret gem around here that nobody talks about?
He showed me the tape mark on my own handle in 5 seconds and I haven't had a kickback since, has anyone else had a random stranger save them time on a job site?
I work at a gas station off Route 4 in Epsom and every week someone new rolls in with a 100 pound tank that doesn't fit our coupler. They drive an hour from some town like Nottingham or Northwood thinking any place fills them. I've got a neighbor who bought a house in Pittsfield last winter and he showed up with a tank that had a different valve type from 2012. We had to send him to a farm supply place in Chichester and he was pretty mad about the extra drive. My dad ran a fuel business for 20 years so I grew up hearing about this stuff. The tanks look the same but the connectors changed around 2015 so check the date stamp before you buy one used or from a yard sale. Has anyone else dealt with a tank that just won't hook up at the pump?
Bought a 6-month supply of that enzymatic stuff from the hardware store in Concord that claimed to break down solids and keep my system healthy. After a year of using it (and losing 180 bucks), my plumber said it's basically snake oil and the bacteria already in the tank do the same job for free. Anyone else get suckered into buying one of these magic potions for their house?
I was looking up data on NH city crime rates last night for a friend moving here, and Manchester actually has lower violent crime per capita than Portsmouth. Found it on the NH State Police uniform crime report for 2023. Portsmouth had 15 violent crimes per 10,000 people and Manchester had 11. So I stopped buying into the hype about Manchester being some kind of war zone. Am I reading those numbers wrong or does anyone else see this pattern?
Bought a cheap electric snowblower from Lowe's last January and it shredded its auger belt on the third use. Meanwhile my buddy's gas model from a local Ace Hardware in Manchester chugged through 3 feet of wet snow no problem. Anyone else find that spending more upfront on winter gear actually pays off around here?
I've lived in Manchester for 12 years and always thought all-season tires were good enough... until I slid through an intersection on ice near the Mall of New Hampshire last January. My neighbor finally convinced me to try a set of Blizzaks on my old Honda Civic before that big storm in February. The difference was honestly shocking... I stopped in half the distance on packed snow compared to before. I timed my commute on Route 101 during a snow squall and it only took 45 minutes instead of the usual 90. Anyone else have a similar experience switching over after years of doubt?
For like 5 winters I stacked my wood right up against the back siding. Figured it was handy for grabbing logs quick. Then last spring I noticed water damage and a few carpenter ants hanging around. A buddy from Meredith told me I need at least a 6 inch gap between the wood and the house. Now I keep it on pallets, about a foot away, and covered only the top row. No bugs, no rot, and the wood actually dries better. Anyone else learn this the hard way?
We drove up from Nashua to do the Artist's Bluff loop, something I've done half a dozen times before. But the main parking lot was full and the overflow lot signs were completely buried in snow. Ended up circling Route 3 for 45 minutes before a guy at the gas station told me where the roadside pull-off is. Has anyone else had trouble finding trail access in winter up there?