Concord Travel Guide
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New Hampshire's capital is a compact city of 36,000, anchored by the gold dome of the State House. A few blocks' radius from the dome is a wide range of architectural styles -- from commercial brick architecture with elaborate cornices to grand Richardsonian state office buildings to buildings that draw heavily on classical tradition. This is another northern New England state capital where everything is on a small scale, and small-town friendliness is the rule. Think Montpelier -- minus the Birkenstocks. Here, your favorite state rep probably drives an SUV, not a Volvo.
Unfortunately, however, the city has turned its back on the Merrimack River, which flows through the valley and once served as its lifeblood. Downtown is blocked off from the riverside by I-93, parking lots, and commercial plazas. Adventurers must strike north or south to access its shores. One good spot for a riverside stroll is the 17-acre preserve and conservation center that's also headquarters of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (tel. 603/224-9945). The grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk at 54 Portsmouth St. in East Concord, just across the river.
