In New Hampshire, Manchester works to remake its reputation
Lang is part of a growing movement of city leaders,
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In recent years,
Manchester-Boston Regional Airport
last year
recently ranked Manchester as the
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But it is unclear how long it might take to wash away decades of bad feelings about Manchester.
The battle over the city's reputation was highlighted in New Hampshire's recent gubernatorial race
when former mayor of Manchester Joyce Craig, a Democrat, ran against now-Governor Kelly Ayotte, a Republican. Ayotte and
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'Manchester took it on the chin in the election cycle,' said Scott Spradling, a longtime political reporter for WMUR who now runs a PR consulting business. He said Ayotte's attacks were not
a fair depiction of the city where he works and has lived.
'The challenges that we face are not unique to a city of this size,' he said, voicing a common refrain among the city's cheerleaders.
On a recent afternoon, even in the dead of winter, the major business district on Elm Street was lively – a significant change from just a few decades ago when locals said many storefronts on the street were boarded up. Families ambled around with kids in tow, people squeezed in a workout at a local gym, and workers clutched plastic bags of takeout gyros, Thai, and Halal food as they headed back to their jobs after a lunch break.
Manchester, NH. 01/09/25 - At Dishon Bakery, owner Evan Lang (cq) pops loaves of bread into the oven. Manchester leaders hope to improve the reputation of their city with a rebranding effort. (Lane Turner/Globe Staff) Reporter: (Amanda Gokee) Topic: (xxnhmanchester)
Lane Turner/Globe Staff
Manchester, NH. 01/09/25 - The colorful paint of Margaritas Mexican Restaurant brightens Elm Street. Manchester leaders hope to improve the reputation of their city with a rebranding effort. (Lane Turner/Globe Staff) Reporter: (Amanda Gokee) Topic: (xxnhmanchester)
Lane Turner/Globe Staff
There were still some signs of hardship. A group of weather-worn men huddled
near a shopping cart piled with possessions. The homeless rate in Manchester was three times higher than in other parts of New Hampshire, a
With $1.5 million in federal COVID relief funds, city officials renewed marketing efforts that had been dormant since the mid-2000s. In 2023, they launched a survey to see what people's perceptions of Manchester were, and discovered those within the community held the worst views of the city.
'Dangerous,' 'unsafe," 'run-down,' and 'outdated' were among top responses from community members describing Manchester in the
survey. Asked how others from the region would describe the city, crime and bad news topped the list, followed by the large unhoused population.
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A homeless person in Veteran's Memorial Park on April 22, 2023, in Manchester, N.H. Andrew Burke-Stevenson for The Boston Globe
Andrew Burke-Stevenson/Andrew Burke-Stevenson for The Boston Globe
'One of the things we struggled with was our civic pride, despite
The city is also using its marketing budget on branding efforts such as developing a
The stereotype they're working to undo has been around for a long time. In the late 18th and 19th centuries, New Hampshire was mostly farm and forest. Emily C. Walton, a sociology professor at Dartmouth College, said
there has long been a stigma against cities among residents of more-rural areas, who associate them with vices and crime.
Manchester, NH. 01/09/25 - Long buildings stretch out on Commercial Street. Manchester leaders hope to improve the reputation of their city with a rebranding effort. (Lane Turner/Globe Staff) Reporter: (Amanda Gokee) Topic: (xxnhmanchester)
Lane Turner/Globe Staff
Manchester, NH. 01/09/25 - Traffic flows on I-293 past the Merrimack River and the Manchester skyline. Manchester leaders hope to improve the reputation of their city with a rebranding effort. (Lane Turner/Globe Staff) Reporter: (Amanda Gokee) Topic: (xxnhmanchester)
Lane Turner/Globe Staff
Manchester was also a manufacturing city that attracted immigrants like the Irish and French Canadians, whose accents and religions were different from other residents. The tensions were so severe that a violent mob of American-born citizens
'It's a huge culture clash,' said Mark Hayward, a Manchester resident and former longtime Union Leader reporter. 'The rest of the state is white and old and rich,' he said, while Manchester is diverse, young, energetic, and home to
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Anna Brown, a resident, remembers derogatory nicknames for Manchester from her childhood. Growing up in the neighboring town of Londonderry, 'We absolutely called it 'Manchvegas' all the time,' she said. Londonderry is significantly whiter, with a median income almost twice that of Manchester.
Now, Brown finds herself coming to the city's defense. 'There's this, like, hostility toward Manchester that I really feel is unwarranted.'
Local leaders are concerned that a negative perception could deter visitors, new residents, or investors.
Residents and officials say the focus on the city's shortcomings
ignores the city's progress.
'By every objective measure
Manchester, NH. 01/09/25 - Sandwich Boards line Elm Street. Manchester leaders hope to improve the reputation of their city with a rebranding effort. (Lane Turner/Globe Staff) Reporter: (Amanda Gokee) Topic: (xxnhmanchester)
Lane Turner/Globe Staff
Manchester, NH. 01/09/25 - City Hall. Manchester leaders hope to improve the reputation of their city with a rebranding effort. (Lane Turner/Globe Staff) Reporter: (Amanda Gokee) Topic: (xxnhmanchester)
Lane Turner/Globe Staff
During the year he has been in office, Ruais said, he focused on the big issues: homelessness, addiction, mental health, the cleanliness of the downtown.
He believes there's evidence the city is turning things around: he noted that 707 housing units are under active construction, there has been a
housing through a city effort called the Engagement Center.
But the city's negative image persists, according to Spradling,
the business consultant.
'You still hear some of that stereotypical kind of attack on the city: Don't go downtown. It's super dangerous. There's too many homeless… It's a violent city,' he said. 'Honestly, I don't think it's fair.'
Looking back, Ayotte insists her campaign messaging was in-bounds, focused on her opponent's record, rather than the city of Manchester itself.
'Manchester is obviously, as our largest city, such an important city. I believe in Manchester. I have a lot of pride,' she said. 'I was pretty clear about that on the campaign trail, but the things we discussed were really about the failure of leadership of my opponent on those issues in the city, and that was, I think, a fair discussion.'
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For Lang, opening his bakery downtown was ultimately the right move. He said he already has a loyal customer base of people who enjoy his gluten-free treats. And he said the
negative chatter
has
done little to tarnish his perception of Manchester, a city he believes is only getting better.
'We absolutely love it here,' he said. 'I think we got here at the right time.'
The Merrimack River flows through Manchester, N.H.
Lane Turner/Globe Staff
Amanda Gokee can be reached at
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