From the Editor
Soul Searching
I was talking to a friend recently about the fate of Portsmouth’s scrap metal pile. You know, that mountain of twisted steel just upriver from the salt piles at the Port of New Hampshire. We were having a beer on the deck of Harpoon Willy’s, staring out across the sunlit water to the scrap pile. The Pease Development Authority decided in May not to renew Grimmel Industries’ lease to continue its scrap operation at the port, meaning that landmark heap of rusted metal will soon disappear from the waterfront. This was probably a good decision. Dust and pollutants from the scrap pile have been contaminating the Piscataqua River and the surrounding area. Plus, to most eyes, the pile is not pretty, and its removal will create opportunities for new maritime uses at the port. But I can’t help feeling let down. We need at least a few reminders in this town that Portsmouth was for centuries — and to some degree still is — a gritty industrial town with a working port, a naval shipyard, a commercial fishing pier and a host of old, re-purposed mill buildings crafted in red brick. Portsmouth is now much more than an industrial town. Among other things, it’s the cultural hub of New Hampshire, a celebrated destination for fine dining, a renowned tourist getaway and a growing bastion of affluence. The city’s thriving evolution is giving rise to luxury condo complexes, hotels, countless retail shops and restaurants. The rapid development in Portsmouth is the subject of daily discussions around town and on social media. The development, while positive from an economic standpoint and reflective of Portsmouth’s sparkling reputation, has brought a torrent of concerns, from parking and traffic problems to noise complaints to the rising cost of living and a general sense of gentrification. Some even wonder
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if Portsmouth is losing its very soul, its creative spirit crushed under so much brick and concrete. But Portsmouth’s spirit is stronger than that. Its soul is manifest all around us, in myriad events and happenings, people and places, businesses and organizations, many of which are chronicled in the pages of this magazine. The city’s creative spirit is evident in long-standing traditions like the Portsmouth Halloween Parade, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. And in newer traditions like the Let’s B Reel cult film series at the Seacoast Repertory Theatre. Its spirit is showcased at nascent organizations like 3S Artspace and the Portsmouth Museum of Art, which will supplement core cultural institutions like The Music Hall, Strawbery Banke Museum and the Prescott Park Arts Festival. It can be seen in the eyes of artists and entrepreneurs, farmers and restaurateurs, fishermen and mariners, baristas and bartenders. It’s embedded in the stone and soil and salt of this small city, even as the landscape changes. Change is good, after all, as long as it’s properly guided. So, back to that conversation with my friend. The scrap metal pile will be gone by year’s end, and I find that a little bit sad. But I’m encouraged thinking of all the smart, creative, caring, wild, wonderful people of Portsmouth, and of the inspiring art and businesses and atmosphere they create. They are the guardians of the Seacoast’s soul, and they can’t be discarded like a pile of rusty metal. We’ve tried to capture the enduring spirit of the Seacoast in this magazine — or at least a healthy sampling of it — and we hope you will enjoy the stories and images we’ve shared. So let’s drink to Portsmouth’s mad old soul; it’s our soul, too.
Matt Kanner Editor