Submitted by FNESSE-1 t3_zvmcrq in ManchesterNH
Hello,
I recently moved to Manchester from Colorado Springs, and am living as a single 25 year old on Hanover. Is the area I’m in really a cause for concern? I’ve been reading a lot on Reddit and the internet in general, and thought I’d ask with a little more specificity near and around Hanover St. IDK, I’m feeling kind of discourage from all the things I’ve read online.
Thank you!
Depends where on Hanover. The stretch from Elm to Chestnut is very nice and tree lined. The area around Bronstein Park and Bagel Cafe is run down but not dangerous. Once you get past the Hanover/Belmont St intersection it gets nice again. Colorado Springs has worse crime than Manchester on average so as long as you have city smarts you'll be fine. Lock your car doors, don't leave any bags or valuables visible in your car (including loose change), etc.
The r/newhampshire subreddit and online forums project a comically negative image of Manchester. It's laughable to see people comparing it to South Chicago whenever we have a murder. Most people who criticize the city don't even live here or visit very often. It would be naive to say this city doesn't have its issues (mostly related to drugs and the opioid crisis), but there is no better judge of safety than your own experience and we all come from different walks of life and have different expectations. By NH standards Manchester is terrible. I don't blame some people for thinking this way as many locals I've met here haven't even left New England (a testament to our high quality of life and opportunities). Please take the time to explore and enjoy our fair city. We are rich in history and things to do, plus the location in New England can't be beat for recreation.
Thank you!
Further up the hill on Hanover has some really lovely neighborhoods too.
I have lived in Manchester a long time. In many parts of the city and I love Hanover st. I have family living off of Hanover and friends who live on the street as well. There is no concern that comes up when I think of the neighborhood. I hope you feel welcome here and that you are adjusting from Colorado Springs living. Let me know if I can help you navigate your journey. BBB
Thank you!
If your cross street is Maple it’s definitely a little bit of a seedy area but nothing to be too concerned about. You’re right down the street from Bagel Cafe and Restoration Cafe, both great breakfast spots. Pizza by Rocco up the street has the best pizza in the city. You’re also walkable to Elm where there are various bars, cafes, and restaurants. Walking home at night from Elm I would keep your guard up and if you’re really worried you can just hop in a quick uber. There is some beautiful nature in and around the city and an hour north puts you in the Lakes Region and another 15-30 minutes in the heart of the White Mountains. 45 Minutes east is the Atlantic Ocean. If you’re not into outdoor activities there’s plenty of other things to do in Manchester, and Boston is less than an hour away if you’re looking for a bigger city experience. I was hesitant to move to Manchester in my mid 20s as well but I’ve been here over a year now and I really think it is a great place to live.
I’ve been here for two years, it’s really not that terrible. Elm st and surrounding areas have a lot of homeless population but they don’t really bother you. Make sure you always lock your car and your apartment doors.
Thank you, I just wonder when people say “I’ve lived here” if that means they’ve lived in these areas everyone seems to warn you about.
Whats the cross st for Hanover? Makes a difference…
Maple
Yeah, a pretty meh neighborhood. This isn’t a dangerous area but its not the best. You’ll be fine
Thank you, moving to a new area seems to always be a stressful event and you and others help ease some tension/stress
Take a walk around the neighborhood and take it all in. Best bet is to walk straight to Elm st and check out all the shops/bars/restaurants
That’s not one of the best neighborhoods. That doesn’t mean you have to move though. Take the time to explore Manch a bit more and figure out where you might like to live in the city. At the top of this sub, there’s a stickied post about Manchester. There are some maps in there which show better/worse neighborhoods.
edit: oddly, I see that post stickied when I’m on the sub from my phone, but not when I’m on the sub from my iPad. Don’t know what’s up there.
That’s actually so interesting! My fiancée also moved here from the Springs. Honestly, i wouldn’t stress. We keep to ourselves and no one bothers us. People in general here are pretty nice :) and there’s definitely stuff to do around elm st
If you like sports check out some of the adult leagues.
Like any urban area, it runs hot and cold. I, 23F moved here with my bf, 24M over the summer. The main issue is the places the Homeless hangout. Outside of that, its a pretty safe city. My biggest complaint is that I have found it gard to meet other post grad 20 somethings in the area. You really have to push yourself and branch out to meet people in the area
Lived her for over 20+ years. It's just like any other city, only with a much much bigger drug problem.
The only real issues with Manchester are the stabbings or shootings around the clubs off of Depot St but those almost always only involve people that were at the club/bar that had some altercation. Usually two drunk guys fighting over the same girl or something lame like that which escalates to one of them shooting or stabbing the other outside the club.
The homeless generally leave you alone unless they're druggies that are all drugged up and looking for quick cash to support their fix. At night you might have a knife pulled on you if you're walking through a park alone. Just stay out of parks during off hours and avoid long walks alone down the trail systems that go beneath the bridges or by the river. Aside from that it's typical city shit. Occasional car break ins, people egging cars...etc. You'll be fine as long as you treat Manchester just like any other city with problems.
When I was in high school, Hanover Street was fine. Not sure about nowadays, I'm a few towns away
I’m sure CO Springs has more crime. But if you lived in the suburbs, you were probably insulated from most of that.
Hanover st is a little rough, yeah. Just googling "Hanover st manchester nh" gives a lot of articles about robberies
Lol imagine moving from Colorado Springs to Manchester
Military made me, lol. Plus NH has a lot to offer certain type of people I feel like
We basically did the same by choice. Career move and back on our home coast.
kathryn13 t1_j1puvuv wrote
Manchester is what you make it. There are a lot of amazing things available to do right here in the city. You can choose to partake in those things...or not.
It also, like most cities in America right now, has a larger than usual group of folks experiencing addiction and mental health issues which has caused an increase in problems surrounding those populations like homelessness and drug related crimes like theft. Depending on where you are on Hanover, you may be at an increase at being around those drug related crimes. Lock your car doors and bike up.
Some folks in Manchester choose to focus on the negative issues and lament for better days when there weren't panhandlers on street corners. Others choose to roll up their sleeves and work to solve some of the issues and/or increase the qol in the city.
Welcome to the Queen city. I hope you don't hide in your apartment because of what the internet tells you. I hope you join some groups, maybe go tubing at McIntyre, and partake in all the positive Manchester does offer.