Northwest Nashua Nashua, NH

Nashua was founded in 1853, having grown from a fur-trading station created in 1655 at the confluence of the Merrimack and Nashua rivers. Amherst Street was still a country road until the late 1960s. Rapid change began in the early 1970s as the now ubiquitous shopping plazas all along the road began transforming the area into a major commerce center.

Founded in 1965 the New England Aeronautical Institute, primarily focused on pilot training, became Daniel Webster College in 1978 and has broadened its academic focus. Nashua Community College, established in 1970, is a frequent venue for special events in the area, including the 3rd Annual Women's Leadership Summit in 2014 and the 5th Annual Yoga for Peace conference in 2012. NCC hosts lecture series that bring art and cultural enrichment to the surrounding community.

Housed in a restored farmhouse originally built in 1741, the Country Tavern provides comfort food in an even more comfortable setting. Carnivorous diners salivate over the bacon and beef combination in the All American burger, while their vegetarian companions are amply satisfied with the black bean veggie burger. Country Tavern has 14 beers on tap, with a focus on local craft brewers. Digest your meal upstairs in the loft while reclining on comfy leather chairs and sofa. The loft area can also be reserved for private events. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the Country Tavern hosts live acoustic music.

As with most business establishments in northwest Nashua, Cucina Toscana sits unobtrusively in a strip mall, traditionally an unpropitious setting for fine dining. Be prepared for a delightful surprise, and Italian cuisine so authentic, it'll have you shouting "bravissimo." The menu includes everything you'd expect, such as fettuccine Alfredo and veal cacciatore, but for some exciting theatrics with your meal, try the tableside Caesar salad prepared right before your eyes.

Another hidden gem, Cedars Cafe serves excellent Middle Eastern fare at reasonable prices, all from an unassuming location within the Somerset Plaza Shopping center. The loyal customer base values the exceptionally friendly and helpful staff, as well as the exceptionally tasty falafel and hummus wrap.

If you enjoy bowling, and you hail from another part of the country, you may be a little perplexed when you walk into Leda Lanes, Nashua's home of candlepin bowling, a variant seen almost exclusively in New England and Canada. The smaller balls and thinner pins may initially confuse the uninitiated, but the basic objective of knocking down as many of the latter as possible by rolling the former item into them remains the same. If this change to your favorite game is too radical a departure from the familiar, you can always opt for billiards instead. Four pool tables are available, and the balls are the same size they are on every other pool table in the country. If you get hungry or thirsty, Leda Lanes has a full bar with beer, wine and liquor and serves standard bar food, such as fries, chicken and pizza.

Most people get around northwest Nashua by car. Walking and cycling for transportation present serious challenges. Roads do not include bike lanes. New Hampshire Route 101, the major east–west highway in the southern portion of New Hampshire, extends from Keene to Hampton Beach. Amherst Street is the section of Route 101 within northwest Nashua. The Nashua Transit System operates seven bus routes throughout the city. The 2, 2a and pink bus line serve this area, all with stops along Amherst Street. The 9 bus line has some stops a little south of Amherst Street, near Daniel Webster College, but most of the rest of northwest Nashua is not served by public transit.

Hailing a cab is not usually an option, but Nashua Taxi Dispatch Service Inc. or U Trans Taxi, each serve the entire city of Nashua. As of early 2015, Uber is not available in Nashua. Some area businesses take advantage of Nashua Airport at Boire Field, which offers on-demand air charter and provides facilities for pilot training but does not have any commercial airliner service. Over 80 percent of the aircraft based here are single-engine planes.

While other sections of Nashua have well-development recreational parks, such as the sprawling Mine Falls Park in the center of the city, and numerous small parks in the east, northwest Nashua has only one large area of green space, the Northwest Conservation Land, also known as the Northwest Sanctuary. While it lacks athletic fields and similar facilities, it offers 430 verdant acres for nature lovers to enjoy. A diverse array of plants and animals make their homes in the protected ecosystems of the sanctuary.

Different rules and permitted activities apply in different sections of the sanctuary, but visitors enjoy boating, hunting, hiking, fishing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, horseback riding, cycling and, of course, nature watching. Dogs are permitted on designated trails but must be leashed. Camping, fires and motorized vehicles are not permitted. Maintaining the serene natural balance within the wildlife populations is the highest priority of this site’s management. As such, no big annual events take place here, but the sanctuary and its visitors have their own quiet celebration of the beauty and magic of nature every day.

The cost of living in Nashua sits about 17 percent higher than the national average. This is about 18 percent lower than in nearby Boston. A one-bedroom residence in northwest Nashua costs $1,003 on average. Bus fare to downtown Nashua from the northwest is $1.25, or $40 for a monthly pass. Gas costs about 10 percent more than the national average. A pint of imported or microbrewed beer typically costs about $5 or $6.

The vast majority of businesses in northwest Nashua are located along Amherst Street, the major commercial corridor in the area. Large chain stores predominate. Greystone Plaza on the western end of the area houses Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores and Marshalls. A little further east, Somerset Plaza has a Dressbarn and a Payless ShoeSource. No high-end outlets can be found in the area, but medium-end shopping opportunities abound.

The more hot sauce you eat, the more beer you want to go with it. Get them both at the Beer Store, Nashua’s favorite source for craft and imported beer. In addition to the hot sauce, this retailer sells pickles, dog treats, T-shirts, bottle openers, glassware, jerky and chocolate, but beer remains its bread and butter. (It does not sell bread or butter.) Every Thursday evening, The Beer Store hosts special beer tastings, offering samples of different varieties produced by a single brand, with discounts on the featured brand if you like what you tasted. You can buy beer by the bottle, mix-a-six, a case or even a keg, if you’re really thirsty or if you overdid it on the hot sauce.

Perhaps drinking all that beer has inspired you, as it has so many before. Maybe you’d like to try your hand at brewing your own. Get all the supplies you need for this ambitious endeavor at Jasper’s Homebrew & Winemaking. You can buy homebrew kits for dozens of different styles of beer, including pilsners, stouts, porters, IPAs and many other hoppy concoctions. Jasper’s carries both equipment, such as thermometers and brew kettles, and all the ingredients you’ll need, such as malt, yeast and hops.

Even if you haven’t had much beer, you might want to buy an iguana. Alternately, some other reptile, a bird, a fish or even a dog or cat might make for the perfect companion, and all are available at Family Pet & Aquarium. Even if you’ve already found your special furry or scaly friend, this family-owned business has all the supplies you need, from lizard leashes to fish food to that special new squeaky toy for Fido or scratchy box for Fluffy.

There are no farmers markets in northwest Nashua, but just keep heading east on Amherst street until you get to downtown Nashua and take it all the way to the bridge every Sunday from June through October for the Nashua Farmers Market. Market Basket, a local grocery chain with locations throughout New England, has two different locations along Amherst Street.