Portsmouth Trip Overview
Overview:
Come and join us as we discover the character and uniqueness of each of the neighborhoods by bicycle. On this tour, your expert guide will share with you the transformation of each ethnic neighborhood of Portsmouth, from the revitalization of the former Italian North End “Little Italy” to the Strawbery Banke’s “Puddle Dock” neighborhood, to the new cheeky West End’s “Brooklyn” or former Frank Jones Brewery neighborhood to the Creek Neighborhood or “Christian Shore”. You’ll discover the real Portsmouth; a unique, eclectic, vibrant, magnetic, working-class city that you will want to visit again. We promise.
Highlights of the Hidden Neighborhoods of Portsmouth City View Bike Tour:
-Former North End / Italian “Little Italy”
-The Hill
-South End and Prescott Park
-Strawbery Banke
-Wentworth Coolidge Mansion
-Frank Jones Brewery – West End
-Creek Neighborhood – Christian Shore
What to Expect:
-Easy
-1.5+ hours
-6-7 miles
Additional Info
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Starts: Portsmouth, United States
Trip Category: Walking & Biking Tours >> Bike & Mountain Bike Tours
Explore Portsmouth Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States
Overview:
Come and join us as we discover the character and uniqueness of each of the neighborhoods by bicycle. On this tour, your expert guide will share with you the transformation of each ethnic neighborhood of Portsmouth, from the revitalization of the former Italian North End “Little Italy” to the Strawbery Banke’s “Puddle Dock” neighborhood, to the new cheeky West End’s “Brooklyn” or former Frank Jones Brewery neighborhood to the Creek Neighborhood or “Christian Shore”. You’ll discover the real Portsmouth; a unique, eclectic, vibrant, magnetic, working-class city that you will want to visit again. We promise.
Highlights of the Hidden Neighborhoods of Portsmouth City View Bike Tour:
-Former North End / Italian “Little Italy”
-The Hill
-South End and Prescott Park
-Strawbery Banke
-Wentworth Coolidge Mansion
-Frank Jones Brewery – West End
-Creek Neighborhood – Christian Shore
What to Expect:
-Easy
-1.5+ hours
-6-7 miles
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Portsmouth, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Highlights of the Hidden Neighborhoods of Portsmouth City View Bike Tour:
Former North End / Italian “Little Italy”
The Hill
South End and Prescott Park
Strawbery Banke
Wentworth Coolidge Mansion
Frank Jones Brewery – West End
Creek Neighborhood – Christian Shore
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Prescott Park, 105 Marcy St next to Portsmouth Harbor, Portsmouth, NH 03801-4616
Prescott Park is a ten-plus acre waterfront park in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States. The land was purchased in the 1930s by two sisters, Josie and Sarah Prescott. The sisters, public school teachers, had used an inheritance to systematically purchase and clear properties along the Piscataqua River.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Strawbery Banke Museum, 14 Hancock St, Portsmouth, NH 03801-4669
Strawbery Banke Museum began as a “save our history” effort by the citizens of Portsmouth. In the late 1950s, Puddle Dock, an area of dilapidated homes near the Piscataqua River was targeted for urban renewal. All the “substandard” homes in Puddle Dock — some of which dated back to the 1600s — were to torn down and replaced with modern buildings. That was until city librarian Dorothy Vaughn addressed the Portsmouth Rotary Club one day in 1957.
That day Vaughn “laid it on the line” for the Rotary Club, telling them that every time one of the old houses was torn or an antique piece of Portsmouth furniture shipped out of town, the city was losing its past. The Rotary Club was galvanized into action, and while Puddle Dock did undergo urban renewal, much of it has been saved as a historic museum.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Portsmouth, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
The Frank Jones Brewery was one of the largest producers of ale in the United States of America. In 1896, Jones’ Portsmouth brewery produced about 250,000 barrels a year. In 1889, Jones put his company’s stock on the market in London. The new company was incorporated on May 17, 1889. In 1950, the Frank Jones Brewery closed after 90 years. Portsmouth has come a long way since its industrial days, transforming from a working-class town to a tourist destination. The past two decades have provided a classic example of gentrification. The downtown is more polished — but less personal. All of this has had the effect of pushing locals and their identity further out of the downtown. At the end of last year, the website Thrillist dubbed Portsmouth’s West End the “Brooklyn of New Hampshire,” lending an outside voice to a theory locals have held for years.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Portsmouth, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
The Creek (pronounced “Crick”) was about 90% Irish Catholic and
there are still many Creek natives who live in the neighborhood. The North End and Christian Shore surrounding the North Mill Pond, are
linked to the downtown by Maplewood Avenue. While
the southern portion has been intruded by urban renewal,
containing several major historic urban archaeological sites,
the rest is a 2-story residential area below the Route 1 ByPass which includes the oldest house in New Hampshire and
a cluster of Federal and Victorian buildings similar to the
South End. Added to the District in 2010, the West End is
a 19th-century Frank Jones Brewery and Button Factory which also encompasses the Islington Street neighborhood and includes various residential and commercial architectural styles.
Duration: 10 minutes
