Nashua

With an estimated 2005 population of almost 88,000, Nashua, the “Gate City,” is New Hampshire’s second largest city.  Like Manchester to the north, Nashua first rose to prominence in the days of the Industrial Revolution, with the establishment of the Nashua Manufacturing Company. And like Manchester, the city endured a number of years of decline when the cotton mills moved south.

Nashua rebounded when Sanders Associates, a defense contractor now a part of BAE Systems, moved its operations to the city in 1952, taking up a vacant mill building and restoring economic vitality to the area. Since that time, fueled in large part by the burgeoning high-tech industry, Nashua’s population has almost doubled since 1960. Growth has also been spurred by the area’s proximity to Massachusetts and a much lower tax burden than that of the Bay State.

A vibrant city, Nashua offers an excellent quality of life, so much so that it is the only city to be named “Best Place To Live In America” by Money Magazine twice. The school system boasts 12 elementary, 3 middle, and 2 high school, plus an alternative small learning community for middle school children of promise.  A wide range of cultural and recreational opportunities, superb healthcare facilities, and easy access to Boston and the NH Seacoast and White Mountains areas combine to make Nashua a most desirable location.

Of particular interest in the city is a vital downtown that is home to numerous specialty shops and several outstanding restaurants. And at the south end of the city, along the Daniel Webster Highway, is one of the largest retail areas in New Hampshire, where shoppers can find the Pheasant Lane Mall and most of the nation’s most well known stores.

Nashua is also especially attractive because of its extensive park system, including Greeley Park in the city’s north end. The bandstand in the center of the park is a favorite gathering place for concerts in the summer months.  The city also boasts historic Holman Stadium, the home of a minor league baseball team, The Nashua Pride,

Sources:

www.gonashua.com

www.nashuachamber.com/relocation/town_nashua.htm

www.nashuahistoricalsociety.org

www.answers.com/topic/sanders-associates

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashua,_New_Hampshire