What are/aren't we short of in the Lakes Region area?

jellybean · 11-19-2007, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AltonGuy

A friend and I were thinking of business opportunities around the Alton area. Although the area could perhaps do with a few new "small town" businesses one in particular we came up with was a Pet Store? Figured there were only a few in the surrounding area so it may generate interest? Perhaps you folks could lend some input?

This has been a really interesting thread. My votes for Alton are:

A DRY CLEANER! (with same-day service, preferably)
A really good lunch/dinner/deli place which serves fresh food and sandwiches and not fried food, salads which contain real lettuce/veggies, and also has a coffeeshop/bakery component.
Yes, a little movie theater would be nice
Yes, a farm stand would also be nice. The little one by McD's is pretty good, but a lot of that isn't local produce and I'm not sure any is organic.
A veterinarian who works with both large and small animals (oh wait ... too specific?)

I'm honestly not sure if a pet store would make it - our family has a lot of pets, and we get the food/supplies we need at Aubuchon, Hannaford, and/or Clark's Grain. There is a new pet store down Rte 28 in Chichester, as well. There are a couple of great dog groomers around town, and there isn't much extra that we buy for our pets other than the basics.

dpg · 11-20-2007, 12:45 PM

The only problem with a theatre is you'd always be praying for rain if you owned it. Who's gonna go away for a week in July and go to the theatre on a hot sunny day? Not too likely.

How bout a good Auto detail shop like around Laconia? Is there many around?

gtxrider · 11-20-2007, 01:49 PM

what we need is faster boats, younger women, more whiskey!

(slight change of words from a Tom T. Hall song.

Really what is need is slow down the development. I understand the people how live around the lake need stores and services but do we need to cut trees down to build huge homes? How many of those BIG houses have people living in them year round? Cut down trees rain water rushes down the hills carrying mud and what ever else in on the ground right in the lake.

WeirsBeachBoater · 11-20-2007, 02:03 PM

How bout a good Auto detail shop like around Laconia? Is there many around?[/QUOTE]

There was quite a few, and there are still many. But few good ones. I used to own and run one in Massachusetts. The only issue I found here in the lakes region is that every shop is cutting each others throat, working for no money. It wasn't worth getting into it. There are two I suggest in the area, One is behind Fitzgerald Motorsports on Union Ave. The other is at the Amalfi Building behind LR Volkswagen in Gilford. They seem to be the most professional. I don't want some young punk with a buffer on my vehicles.

murph · 11-29-2007, 11:10 PM

would like to see the Common Man group add a sports pub to the Meredith area. Watching the games on the small TVs is in need of a upgrade

winniplayhouse · 11-21-2007, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpg

The only problem with a theatre is you'd always be praying for rain if you owned it. Who's gonna go away for a week in July and go to the theatre on a hot sunny day? Not too likely.

We actually find that while rain does affect attendence at children's shows during the day (when we used to run them) rain, or lackthereof, really has no affect on attendence of evening performances. Mostly, people want to see a play or they don't and book well enough in advance that they come rain or shine!!

jkjoshuatree · 11-21-2007, 10:53 AM

My wife and I have talked about opening a yoga studio in the somewhere around the lake but haven't done any real research on it yet.

Do you think it would work? And more importantly, would it work year-round?

We're very active people and have noticed the extreme lack of a good gym in the area. We've been to the one in Laconia (forget the name) and it's okay as far as a gym is concerned, but it doesn't offer the range of classes (yoga, pilates, spin) that we're used to. They also don't allow anyone under the age of 16 and both of our daughters (12 and 14) love going to the gym with us.

Even when we stay at Church Landing (when there's too many of us for all of us to stay at our place on Bear Island) their gym is almost a joke.

So what do the people of the Forum think?

I'm surprised that there are 2 health food stores in Meredith and that they both stay open. But if they do a decent business, then maybe a yoga/pilates studio would work.

Let me know what you think.

Jk

callmeD · 11-23-2007, 10:03 AM

JK -

I would love to see you open a yoga studio!

I am a massage therapist and will be starting a second practice in Alton soon (my primary location is MA, but I have a home on the lake, also), renting space from a local business. Working in Alton will be slow to start, but I am hopeful that my practice will build and I can spend more time in NH.

My ideal scenerio would be to find space in an alternative healing center offering services such as yoga, acupuncture, nutrition, pilates, etc.

This area is so conducive to healing with the beautiful scenery - an ideal location IMO!

mets3007 · 11-23-2007, 12:11 PM

The prices are high at the Weirs but, we will still go no matter what. The boardwalk is old though and can use a modification to make it look newer like a paint job and maybe just modernize the boat area which looks like it was not updated in 15 yrs.

idigtractors · 11-23-2007, 05:49 PM

Make everything (fun things to do and small Mom & Pop type of shops) like in the late 50's early 60's when there were a ton of things for both adults and kids to do that was simple and not all high tech and artificial exercise. Everyone (adults & kids) are spoiled and need entertaining all the time now instead of finding simple and entertaining things to do on their own. It is getting to be that everything has to be planned for all.

ACutAbove · 11-23-2007, 06:13 PM

THere is a Yoga place in meredith. It is in the bike shop near the new traffic circle. Check it out and see if they are doing okay and make a decision from there. I have not been in there so other than seeing the sign out front I know nothing about it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkjoshuatree

My wife and I have talked about opening a yoga studio in the somewhere around the lake but haven't done any real research on it yet.

Do you think it would work? And more importantly, would it work year-round?

We're very active people and have noticed the extreme lack of a good gym in the area. We've been to the one in Laconia (forget the name) and it's okay as far as a gym is concerned, but it doesn't offer the range of classes (yoga, pilates, spin) that we're used to. They also don't allow anyone under the age of 16 and both of our daughters (12 and 14) love going to the gym with us.

Even when we stay at Church Landing (when there's too many of us for all of us to stay at our place on Bear Island) their gym is almost a joke.

So what do the people of the Forum think?

I'm surprised that there are 2 health food stores in Meredith and that they both stay open. But if they do a decent business, then maybe a yoga/pilates studio would work.

Let me know what you think.

Jk

11-20-2007, 01:49 PM	#3
gtxrider Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Piscataway, NJ Posts: 1,030 Thanks: 2 Thanked 46 Times in 24 Posts	what we need! what we need is faster boats, younger women, more whiskey! (slight change of words from a Tom T. Hall song. Really what is need is slow down the development. I understand the people how live around the lake need stores and services but do we need to cut trees down to build huge homes? How many of those BIG houses have people living in them year round? Cut down trees rain water rushes down the hills carrying mud and what ever else in on the ground right in the lake.

11-29-2007, 11:10 PM	#5
murph Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Westford/Meredith Posts: 66 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	sports bar would like to see the Common Man group add a sports pub to the Meredith area. Watching the games on the small TVs is in need of a upgrade

11-21-2007, 10:53 AM	#7
jkjoshuatree Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bear Island Posts: 642 Thanks: 349 Thanked 145 Times in 77 Posts	Your Thoughts On A Yoga Studio?? My wife and I have talked about opening a yoga studio in the somewhere around the lake but haven't done any real research on it yet. Do you think it would work? And more importantly, would it work year-round? We're very active people and have noticed the extreme lack of a good gym in the area. We've been to the one in Laconia (forget the name) and it's okay as far as a gym is concerned, but it doesn't offer the range of classes (yoga, pilates, spin) that we're used to. They also don't allow anyone under the age of 16 and both of our daughters (12 and 14) love going to the gym with us. Even when we stay at Church Landing (when there's too many of us for all of us to stay at our place on Bear Island) their gym is almost a joke. So what do the people of the Forum think? I'm surprised that there are 2 health food stores in Meredith and that they both stay open. But if they do a decent business, then maybe a yoga/pilates studio would work. Let me know what you think. Jk __________________ Dream out loud.

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11-20-2007, 12:45 PM	#2
dpg Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 2,624 Thanks: 157 Thanked 236 Times in 173 Posts	The only problem with a theatre is you'd always be praying for rain if you owned it. Who's gonna go away for a week in July and go to the theatre on a hot sunny day? Not too likely. How bout a good Auto detail shop like around Laconia? Is there many around?

11-20-2007, 02:03 PM	#4
WeirsBeachBoater Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 709 Blog Entries: 9 Thanks: 39 Thanked 148 Times in 65 Posts	How bout a good Auto detail shop like around Laconia? Is there many around?[/QUOTE] There was quite a few, and there are still many. But few good ones. I used to own and run one in Massachusetts. The only issue I found here in the lakes region is that every shop is cutting each others throat, working for no money. It wasn't worth getting into it. There are two I suggest in the area, One is behind Fitzgerald Motorsports on Union Ave. The other is at the Amalfi Building behind LR Volkswagen in Gilford. They seem to be the most professional. I don't want some young punk with a buffer on my vehicles.

11-23-2007, 10:03 AM	#8
callmeD Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Saugus, MA and Gilford, NH Posts: 68 Thanks: 8 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	JK - I would love to see you open a yoga studio! I am a massage therapist and will be starting a second practice in Alton soon (my primary location is MA, but I have a home on the lake, also), renting space from a local business. Working in Alton will be slow to start, but I am hopeful that my practice will build and I can spend more time in NH. My ideal scenerio would be to find space in an alternative healing center offering services such as yoga, acupuncture, nutrition, pilates, etc. This area is so conducive to healing with the beautiful scenery - an ideal location IMO!

11-23-2007, 12:11 PM	#9
mets3007 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 170 Thanks: 3 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	The prices are high at the Weirs but, we will still go no matter what. The boardwalk is old though and can use a modification to make it look newer like a paint job and maybe just modernize the boat area which looks like it was not updated in 15 yrs.

11-23-2007, 05:49 PM	#10
idigtractors Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 248 Thanks: 6 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Make everything (fun things to do and small Mom & Pop type of shops) like in the late 50's early 60's when there were a ton of things for both adults and kids to do that was simple and not all high tech and artificial exercise. Everyone (adults & kids) are spoiled and need entertaining all the time now instead of finding simple and entertaining things to do on their own. It is getting to be that everything has to be planned for all.