What you loved in 2016

Here are the most read stories on our website from 2016

As 2016 draws to a close and we look forward to what 2017 will bring, we decided to sift through our online stats to see what our readers were clicking on this year. Here are the top 10 stories of 2016:

1. 2016’s Best New Restaurants
   You were hungry for Food Editor Susan Laughlin to share the scoop on new restaurants opening across the state.

2. Secret Swimming Spots
   When July and August hit, then it’s time to take a refreshing dip in a state park lake or the ocean. Due to the popularity of this article, our “secret” spots may not be so hidden any more.

3. A Visit to Star Island
   Many of you reached out to share your beloved memories and stories from this island in the Isles of Shoals. The island may be small, but it houses a 100-plus-year-old grand hotel and some truly great people who help keep it running.

4. Al Fresco Dining
   The votes are in, and our readers love to eat outside when warm late spring and summer weather hits. Whether it’s eating a lobster roll on the water in Portsmouth or enjoying a burger on the big lake, al fresco dining is where it’s at.

5. Speakeasy Bars
   Shhh. Don’t tell anyone where you’re headed, but it’s time to duck into a dark corner and enjoy the taste of bootlegging and Prohibition days at one of NH’s most popular speakeasies.

6. Pam Smart: Innocent or Guilty?
   We must have struck a nerve with this feature, because countless readers took the time to write in (and e-mail) as well as leave comments on the feature by award-winning reporter Nancy West. While some of you were very angry with us for putting a convicted criminal on the cover, others appreciated a well-written story from a different perspective.

7. Best of NH results
   It’s no big surprise that, after more than 10,000 people vote in our annual Best of NH poll, they want to come back and check out who was given top nods for burger, seafood, martini, weatherman, hair salon and more.

8. 2016 Top Doctors
   Each April, we reveal the results of our annual Top Doctors poll, in which we ask doctors to recommend their fellow physicians. So when you’re looking for a new primary care doctor or obstetrician, make sure you check out our list.

9. Guide to Beer
   We’re pretty happy to see that our readers love beer as much as we do. This year, readers tapped into our October issue to learn more about craft beer and small-town breweries on the roads less traveled in the state. We introduced readers to Nye Hill Farm, Belgian Mare Brewery, Ashuelot Brewing Company, Lone Wolf Brewing Company and many more.

10. The Soul (and Future) of the North Country
    From great dining and a popular brewery to an outdoor sports enthusiast’s heaven, the northern part of the state, especially Littleton, offers a little something for everyone. Check out what’s happening north of the notch.

Wondering what's in store for 2017?

Our January issue is now on newsstands (and online) and features John Harrigan, king of NH’s North Country, as well as homeless teens in Manchester and a guide to winter sports.

You can also look forward to February’s Pet Guide and the best pizza in NH, featured in our March issue. As for the rest of 2017, we’ll have stories on medical marijuana, the best places to go camping, hosting an outdoor garden party, food trucks, a guide to NH’s state fairs and much more.

Feel free to chime in

This top 10 list above is determined by what you clicked on at www.nhmagazine.com from January 1 through the end of December — we can sometimes tell what's popular (or not) by old fashioned reader response (letters and phone calls), but we'd love to hear about what you found most interesting this year. Feel free to leave your favorites in the comments below.