Laconia only nets $57k from Bike Week??

sa meredith · 08-07-2011, 11:41 AM

AW
While I agree with much of your post, and can appreciate the history in the Weirs, I don't see how much of it should be "preserved". That area seems like such prime retail, revenue generating, space...a complete tear down, and do over is just so very long over due.
Any old school, honky tonk, charm has long since run it's course.
A mondern day, luxury hotel/casino would fit in so well right there. It would bring in year round dollars, and become the premier boating destination all summer.
Of course, this is just one idea, and more fantasy than anything else. For now, however, that area is just wasted space. Old, sad, sometimes pathetic...what a nice sight to greet new visitors...a burned out building.

robmac · 08-07-2011, 12:06 PM

I agree with AW,why does someone who doesn't live here care?? Having been going to the lake for over 30 years could the weirs use some updating sure but at whose expense. With our current economic condition I simply applaud our local businesses for being able to survive during these very trying times. I for one always try and spend here which is by choice but it also helps preserve the long history and businesses we have grown to love and enjoy. JMHO Rob

Argie's Wife · 08-07-2011, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sa meredith

AW
While I agree with much of your post, and can appreciate the history in the Weirs, I don't see how much of it should be "preserved". That area seems like such prime retail, revenue generating, space...a complete tear down, and do over is just so very long over due.
Any old school, honky tonk, charm has long since run it's course.
A mondern day, luxury hotel/casino would fit in so well right there. It would bring in year round dollars, and become the premier boating destination all summer.
Of course, this is just one idea, and more fantasy than anything else. For now, however, that area is just wasted space. Old, sad, sometimes pathetic...what a nice sight to greet new visitors...a burned out building.

I once thought that a major rebuild/rezone would be a good thing for Weirs Beach but then I saw an area where that happened and it made me think twice.

Have you ever spent any time in Virginia Beach, VA? Whether you were there as a tourist or were stationed there in the Navy, you'll know that there's lots of little shops, bars, honky-tonk type places, etc. The Weirs has always reminded me a bit of VA Beach, although on a much smaller scale.

I travel to VA Beach about once a year for work purposes (no joke - nice, huh?) Anyhow, the area has recently been re-zoned and many of the old businesses have closed or moved. The area looks horribly commercial - more like Miami Beach - and not in a good way. It's tacky, plastic, tourist-trap-like, and just.... ug! Much of the color of the area is gone - it's just not the same now that there's chain restaurants and chain stores everywhere.

Maybe it's just my love for history, the Lakes Region, or whatever, but I'd hate to see some of the old buildings lost to a project like what I've seen in VA Beach. I'd wager that there could be grant money to restore some of them, perhaps make the area a little more family-friendly with better businesses and restaurants, and maybe freshen up the arcades/boardwalk area. There's certainly a lot of possibilities - I'd prefer to see it more like Kennebunkport than like Miami Beach... keep it local, unique, historical, clean, and preserved.

I don't have all the answers for what needs to happen with Weirs Beach - but I do know what I don't want to see happen with that area. I cringe to think what would happen if we let the chain stores and restaurants come into that area....

fatlazyless · 08-07-2011, 03:50 PM

About one half mile up the shoreline road from the Mount Washington dock down at the Weirs on Scenic Drive, there's a great big waterfront residential condo construction project that got started about last January at www.meredithbaynh.com. Drove by last week, and the earth moving construction is still underway with no above ground building in sight that I could see. Anyone know, WHAT'S THE LATEST with that sales/condo/waterfront build project high up the hill on Scenic Drive? Like, when do the buildings start getting built?

Just looking through the website for www.meredithbaynh.com which is located in Laconia and close to the Kellerhause www.kellerhaus.com/ store, which is a fantastic WEIRS BEACH ice cream and gift store, above Weirs Beach, there is no mention what-so-ever about Weirs Beach or Laconia? No mention what-so-ever about the City of Laconia or the Weirs Beach area which is where it is located. So what's the message there with Meredith Bay NH?

In a former life of say 20 to 50 years ago, the Meredith Bay NH location was the Brickyard Mountain Resort, which had its own rope tow, if I recall correct.
..............

The little shopping area that is home to the permanently closed U.S. Post Office - Weirs Beach NH 03246 used to have a better mix of retail stores up till about ten years ago, when the large Tanger Mall down at Exit 20 opened up.

Every time I stop in at the Handy Landing for a terrific cup of steamy hot coffee, I always keep a lookout for Lloyd Bridges aka Mike Nelson, the Sea Hunt- scuba guy from tv!

Weirs Beach is the greatest!

(Picture here the late, great Lloyd Bridges coming out the wood screen door onto the little front porch down at Handy Landing! Must be time to go diving!)

TiltonBB · 08-07-2011, 04:16 PM

Bike Week is slowly dying. It is nowhere the event it was 20 years ago and the crowds get smaller every year. There are many reasons, not the least of which is the overwhelming police presense that creates an intimidation factor many are not willing to deal with.

The Weirs Beach area could use a facelift and some new businesses. Those new businesses would need to be less dependent on the lake and weather and more like a resort style destination. It would need 4 season appeal to make it worth the substantial investment required. Anyone contemplating this would have to buy some real estate that generates a substiantial anount of CASH each year and that might be impossible.

This is a busy area from June until September but when the tourists and vacationers go home there is little left to support a year round business.

Not many businesses could survive long if they had to carry the entire year with 90 days of profitable income.

fatlazyless · 08-07-2011, 04:25 PM

Some people here obviously do not agree with me on this, but the www.wowtrail.org has built up a lot of local support in Laconia from businesses and residents, and the WOW Trail would most likley be going right through the center of the Weirs. It could be going though the burnt out location of the Wide Open Saloon....that might happen....and it could become a bicycle go-to, nine mile waterfront venue, open from snow-out, say late March, to snow-in, say early December, or about eight months/year as a bicycle tourist attraction for the Weirs. All the WOW Trail needs to do is to eliminate the yucky 48" high, chain link fence requirement that would be blocking the waterfront view of many homeowners.

Irish mist · 08-07-2011, 05:20 PM

The Weirs Beach post office is open, and has never been closed. Less gives out this false infomation over & over again for what reason I do not know. I'm sorry that vistors to the Wini Forum have to be subjected to this constant nonsense, but it is what it is.

fatlazyless · 08-07-2011, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irish mist

The Weirs Beach post office is open, and has never been closed. Less gives out this false infomation over & over again for what reason I do not know. I'm sorry that vistors to the Wini Forum have to be subjected to this constant nonsense, but it is what it is.

Are we talking about the same post office, the one located right at the disfunction junction, and close to the Winni Playhouse? Last time I was there, maybe last March, it had a closed sign on it, and I thought it was permanently closed up. Maybe I'm incorrect on this but it definitely was closed up with the door being locked and a sign that said closed. I stopped to buy some postage stamps and the door was locked up, and the sign said closed! Maybe it was hijacked to a reverse universe by aliens from outer space or some understandable reason like that.....beep....beep!
....................

http://www.thenhva.org/docs/area-map.pdf

It looks like quite a bit of property in the heart of Weirs Beach on and above Lakeside Ave belongs to the NH Veterans Assoc and is somehow related to the Civil War between the states from 1861-1865, or something? Further investigation by someone with a brain is needed here! I've lost my brain, I've lost my brain......where did it go?

www.thenhva.org/ and then click on the NHVA green historic sign for a brief history.

Irish mist · 08-07-2011, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

Are we talking about the same post office, the one located right at the disfunction junction, and close to the Winni Playhouse? Last time I was there, maybe last March, it had a closed sign on it, and I thought it was permanently closed up. Maybe I'm incorrect on this but it definitely was closed up with the door being locked and a sign that said closed.
....................

http://www.thenhva.org/docs/area-map.pdf

It looks like quite a bit of property in the heart of Weirs Beach on and above Lakeside Ave belongs to the NH Veterans Assoc and is somehow related to the Civil War between the states from 1861-1865, or something?

Lol, come on Less don't play all innocent. The Weirs Beach post office is open year round. It has summer hours & reduced winter hours. I've corrected you on this several times over the last several years, but you insist that they are closed down. This would comes as news to all the folks who have P.O boxes there.

fatlazyless · 08-07-2011, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irish mist

Lol, come on Less don't play all innocent. The Weirs Beach post office is open year round. It has summer hours & reduced winter hours. I've corrected you on this several times over the last several years, but you insist that they are closed down. This would comes as news to all the folks who have P.O boxes there.

So why was it closed then....maybe the clerk was over at the Dunkin Donuts or watching a play rehearsal at Winni Playhouse or something.....why don't I just officially apologize to the Weirs Beach Post Office and suggest that everyone go there to make their postage stamp purchases. Go to Weirs Beach for all your postage stamps.....you will love it there!

I stand corrected....thankyou very much....and I will make a mental note of it.

Why don't we take a look-see at all the property that is owned by the NH Veterans Association and how that would effect any new commercial development such as a talked about gambling casino. Probably a very very long shot, but just maybe the NH Veterans could qualify as a tax exempt organization and open up a very nice casino with a Civil War between the states, 1861-1865, gambling casino theme. You know, line up three pictures of Stonewall Jackson and you win big at the slots!

Talk about good paying casino jobs that come with veteran's preference! Now, we are talking here!

www.thenhva.org/ and click onto the historic green sign for a brief history description.

08-07-2011, 11:41 AM	#1
sa meredith Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 986 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 32 Thanked 352 Times in 137 Posts	Weirs AW While I agree with much of your post, and can appreciate the history in the Weirs, I don't see how much of it should be "preserved". That area seems like such prime retail, revenue generating, space...a complete tear down, and do over is just so very long over due. Any old school, honky tonk, charm has long since run it's course. A mondern day, luxury hotel/casino would fit in so well right there. It would bring in year round dollars, and become the premier boating destination all summer. Of course, this is just one idea, and more fantasy than anything else. For now, however, that area is just wasted space. Old, sad, sometimes pathetic...what a nice sight to greet new visitors...a burned out building.

08-07-2011, 03:50 PM	#4
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,759 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 300 Thanked 1,013 Times in 738 Posts	About one half mile up the shoreline road from the Mount Washington dock down at the Weirs on Scenic Drive, there's a great big waterfront residential condo construction project that got started about last January at www.meredithbaynh.com. Drove by last week, and the earth moving construction is still underway with no above ground building in sight that I could see. Anyone know, WHAT'S THE LATEST with that sales/condo/waterfront build project high up the hill on Scenic Drive? Like, when do the buildings start getting built? Just looking through the website for www.meredithbaynh.com which is located in Laconia and close to the Kellerhause www.kellerhaus.com/ store, which is a fantastic WEIRS BEACH ice cream and gift store, above Weirs Beach, there is no mention what-so-ever about Weirs Beach or Laconia? No mention what-so-ever about the City of Laconia or the Weirs Beach area which is where it is located. So what's the message there with Meredith Bay NH? In a former life of say 20 to 50 years ago, the Meredith Bay NH location was the Brickyard Mountain Resort, which had its own rope tow, if I recall correct. .............. The little shopping area that is home to the permanently closed U.S. Post Office - Weirs Beach NH 03246 used to have a better mix of retail stores up till about ten years ago, when the large Tanger Mall down at Exit 20 opened up. Every time I stop in at the Handy Landing for a terrific cup of steamy hot coffee, I always keep a lookout for Lloyd Bridges aka Mike Nelson, the Sea Hunt- scuba guy from tv! Weirs Beach is the greatest! (Picture here the late, great Lloyd Bridges coming out the wood screen door onto the little front porch down at Handy Landing! Must be time to go diving!) __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake! Last edited by fatlazyless; 08-07-2011 at 04:35 PM.

08-07-2011, 04:16 PM	#5
TiltonBB Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Gilford, NH and Florida Posts: 3,009 Thanks: 699 Thanked 2,203 Times in 937 Posts	Probably won't happen Bike Week is slowly dying. It is nowhere the event it was 20 years ago and the crowds get smaller every year. There are many reasons, not the least of which is the overwhelming police presense that creates an intimidation factor many are not willing to deal with. The Weirs Beach area could use a facelift and some new businesses. Those new businesses would need to be less dependent on the lake and weather and more like a resort style destination. It would need 4 season appeal to make it worth the substantial investment required. Anyone contemplating this would have to buy some real estate that generates a substiantial anount of CASH each year and that might be impossible. This is a busy area from June until September but when the tourists and vacationers go home there is little left to support a year round business. Not many businesses could survive long if they had to carry the entire year with 90 days of profitable income.

08-07-2011, 04:25 PM	#6
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,759 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 300 Thanked 1,013 Times in 738 Posts	Some people here obviously do not agree with me on this, but the www.wowtrail.org has built up a lot of local support in Laconia from businesses and residents, and the WOW Trail would most likley be going right through the center of the Weirs. It could be going though the burnt out location of the Wide Open Saloon....that might happen....and it could become a bicycle go-to, nine mile waterfront venue, open from snow-out, say late March, to snow-in, say early December, or about eight months/year as a bicycle tourist attraction for the Weirs. All the WOW Trail needs to do is to eliminate the yucky 48" high, chain link fence requirement that would be blocking the waterfront view of many homeowners. __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake! Last edited by fatlazyless; 08-08-2011 at 05:47 AM.

08-07-2011, 12:06 PM	#2
robmac Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Nashua,Meredith Posts: 951 Thanks: 213 Thanked 106 Times in 81 Posts	I agree with AW,why does someone who doesn't live here care?? Having been going to the lake for over 30 years could the weirs use some updating sure but at whose expense. With our current economic condition I simply applaud our local businesses for being able to survive during these very trying times. I for one always try and spend here which is by choice but it also helps preserve the long history and businesses we have grown to love and enjoy. JMHO Rob

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Argie's Wife For This Useful Post:
Jonas Pilot (08-07-2011), Skip (08-07-2011)

08-07-2011, 05:20 PM	#7
Irish mist Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 684 Thanks: 128 Thanked 85 Times in 49 Posts	The Weirs Beach post office is open, and has never been closed. Less gives out this false infomation over & over again for what reason I do not know. I'm sorry that vistors to the Wini Forum have to be subjected to this constant nonsense, but it is what it is.