Editor’s Picks

Bespoke Bikes

Photo by Anthony Shea

New Hampshire is home to miles of great mountain biking trails and parks (see our recent story on lift-service mountain biking at nhmagazine.com for more), and that means there are plenty of Granite Staters who enjoy hurtling down hills on knobby wheels. If you count yourself among the truly passionate, you might want to get in touch with Kristofer Henry. Henry is the founder and owner of 44 Bikes in Lyndeboro, where he turns a lifelong love of the sport into custom-built bikes. While the process might not be for everyone — it’s not something that’s finished overnight — for those looking for their own unique ride, this might be the perfect fit.

Super Salem

What used to be the Rockingham Park horse racing track is currently transforming into a 3.8-million-square-foot, mixed-use super regional destination, thanks to Tuscan Brands. Tuscan Village in Salem is a 170-acre property complete with a grocery store, luxury apartments, bars, fitness facility, live entertainment, brewery, beer garden, restaurants, retailers, and a variety of local and national brands with more joining the megacenter by the end of the construction process in 2022. The overall goal? For it to be a place for you to be able to “Live. Stay. Work. Play.”

Living Gifts

Alison Murphy and Alyssa McClary opened their dream shop Penumbra in the shell of the famous old French’s Toy Store on the corner of Warren and State streets in Concord in March 2020, and were open a whole week before COVID-19 locked down the whole Live Free or Die state. The concept of a gift shop featuring mostly small succulents and philodendrons in interesting pots was daring to begin with, but it was also pretty timely. “Our aesthetic is ‘plants we can’t kill,’ because neither of us has background in plants, but we love them,” their website says. And the opportunity to offer something living (and hardy) as a gift during our “plague year” became popular, giving the owners a chance to keep the doors open via pickup and delivery. As the world opens up, the shop has expanded to offer a variety of similarly spot-on gifts, all stylish and resilient.

Community Wellness

The Moon River Wellness Center did not duck when the coronavirus struck New Hampshire. In fact, it was really a call to action. The center had just opened in the heart of Pelham to serve as a true “center” for the community and continues an evangelical outreach to the surrounding communities promoting yoga, massage and other alternative paths to wellness. Created by a local family with deep roots in town, the Moon River mission extends to providing assistance to area nonprofits via their “Yoga on the Green” program where class fees are donated to assist the arts and to feed local families.

Place to Recharge

People have been going to Wolfeboro to get away from the pressures of life since before the founding of our country, eventually earning the lakeside community the motto of “Oldest Summer Resort in America.” But what if you already want to live on the lake and still want to get away from it all? Ohm Lifestyle Center in Wolfeboro has a few ideas for you, ranging from the sweet heat of an infrared sauna to the infinite drift of a float tank built for two. Ohm just completed extensive upgrade on their already-top-of-the-line facilities, and they offer all the conventional spa and styling amenities, just paired up with state-of-the-art features like their hyperbaric oxygen chamber.

Garden Gem

Frizzhome Gardens in Bedford feels like a find even though it’s not exactly far off the beaten path — it’s just a couple of miles from busy Route 3 — but when you arrive after driving through a quiet residential area, it looks like you might be pulling into someone’s driveway. This unassuming family-owned and -operated center is packed with plants, most of which are grown onsite and are very affordable. A tour around the open-air stands and many greenhouses reveals a huge variety of plants from the expected to the surprising. Walk through the main building to the tropical greenhouse to explore a world that feels very far from New Hampshire. This lush space is teeming with succulents, cacti, birds of paradise, plumeria (also known as lei flowers), cycads, canna lilies and more beautiful and unusual (at least for New England) species. If you’re looking for something new and different — and the advice for how to care for your latest garden addition — this is the place.

Quilter’s Heaven

Angels Sewing and Quilting opened in Salem in the thick of the pandemic, supplying the growing demand for useful and creative outlets for all those all those hunkering down at home. Created by Carol Lawrence of Red Arrow Diner fame, Angels is similarly dense with product, fun promotions (like “Sew Fun Sundays”) and knowledgeable, earnest staff. Lawrence says the Red Arrows are all doing just fine, thanks. She just wanted to try something new, and she’s gone in 100% on this new shop, reflecting her own love of the art of stitchery. The shop offers free lessons with every sewing machine sold and they carry the best — Baby Lock, Brother, Janome — and they think they are the only Juki brand distributor in the state. Along with classes in a variety of sewing skills, Lawrence does a Facebook Live presentation every Friday at 9. “I’m in heaven,” she says, “living the dream.”

Readers’ Poll Winners

Antique or Vintage Shop

Junction 71
Amherst
junction71.wixsite.com/mysite

Automotive Group

Grappone Automotive Group
Bow
grappone.com

Barbershop

Lucky’s Barbershop
Concord and Portsmouth
luckysbarbershop.biz

Bicycle Shop

S&W Sports
Concord
swsports.net

Bicycle Shop Multilocation Local Goodale’s Bike Shop
Hooksett, Nashua and Concord
goodalesbikeshop.com

Comic Book Store

Jetpack Comics & Games
Rochester
jetpackcomics.com

Fitness Instructor

Meagan Sbat, Get Fit NH
Concord
getfitnh.com

Florist

Cobblestone Design Company
Concord
cobblestoneflorist.com

Garden Center

Wentworth Greenhouses & Garden Center
Rollinsford
wentworthgreenhouses.com

Hair Salon

Hair Daze Salon and Spa
Dover
hdaze.com

Home Décor Shop

Junction 71
Amherst
junction71.wixsite.com/mysite

Independent Bookstore

Gibson’s Bookstore
Concord
gibsonsbookstore.com

Independently Owned Fitness Center

Get Fit NH
Concord
getfitnh.com

Indoor Cycling

CycleFierce
Portsmouth
cyclefierce.com

Jeweler

Bellman’s
Manchester
bellmans.com

Kid’s Clothing Shop

Puddlejumpers Children’s Shop
Exeter
puddlejumpersnh.com

Local Jeweler With Store

Bellman’s
Manchester
bellmans.com

Men’s Clothing Shop

George’s Apparel
Manchester
georgesapparel.com

Pet Boarding

K9 Kaos
Dover
k9kaos.com

Pet Groomer

Mac & Cooper’s Pet Supply Outlet
Portsmouth
macandcoppers.com

Pet Supplies Store

Mac & Cooper’s Pet Supply Outlet
Portsmouth
macandcoppers.com

Pet Training

No Monkey Business Dog Training
Concord
nomonkeybusinessdogtraining.com

Secondhand Clothing Shop

M&C Clothing and Goods
Amherst
m-c-clothing-and-goods.myshopify.com

Ski Shop

Piche’s Ski & Sport Shop
Gilford and Belmont
piches.com

Toy Store

Willikers! Books & Toys
Portsmouth
g-willikers-books-toys.myshopify.com

Women’s Clothing Shop

Gondwana & Divine Clothing Co.
Concord
gondwanaclothing.com

Yoga Studio

Sol Power Yoga
Bedford
solpoweryoga.com