Restaurant Week Portsmouth & the Seacoast

One of our favorite Seacoast events is the Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce's Restaurant Week! It's a sure sign that spring has arrived in New Hampshire and is a great reason to try out someplace new!

If you are new to the area, a visitor or a local you are sure to see some amazing menu items and take advantage of the pre fixe pricing ($16.95 for lunch and $2295 for dinner.)

The 2015 Spring event lasts from this Thursday April 9th to  Saturday April 18th.

If you are from out of town, this is a great way to see what the Seacoast has to offer!

We are certainly looking forward to a few extra nights out on the town!

Call Great Island Realty today if you want to coincide a property tour while making your dinner reservations! 603.433.3350

Follow Great Island Realty on Facebook and Twitter for up to date details and pictures of where your favorite real estate agents are dining! #RWPortsmouthNH #GIRoutandabout

For more details please visit: 

http://www.portsmouthchamber.org/restaurantweek.cfm

Curb Appeal Inspiration & Execution

How often have you driven by a home before asking your real estate agent to see the home? How many times have you changed your mind based on just what you can see from the outside?

Although the outside temperatures do not indicate it, spring is here and so is the spring real estate market!

This weekend starting at 10am Saturday & Sunday the 28th/29th, the 21st Annual Seacoast Home & Garden show is taking place in Durham, NH at the Whittemore Center Arena at UNH. 

With a low cost ticket of only $8 per adult and over 200 vendors this event full of activities, seminars, services & products should have plenty of inspiration for anyone selling their home. It will also allow the non-DIY'er to find someone else to execute!

A 2013 survey from the National Association of Realtors® showed that 71% of homebuyers place curb appeal on their list of important factors.

Your real estate agent can also provide great feedback, advice, and help you analyze which improvements get the most return value.  With their sound advice you can make sure your home is one that buyers want to see more of! 

Next week on the Great Island Realty blog: Spring Cleaning & Staging: Now is the time!

For more information on the Seacoast Home& Garden Show, please click here.

Portsmouth is a pretty darned romantic place. From the beautiful lamppost-lined streets to the stately North Church, just a stroll through downtown screams romance. That got us thinking about the best restaurants in Portsmouth to go for a date night. There are so many, but we chose our top ten below!

1. Mombo - Located in historic Strawbery Banke adjacent to Prescott Park, this warm, inviting space has exposed wood beams and water views. The cuisine is New American with an international twist, and it's delicious!
2. Demeter's Steakhouse - A contemporary American steakhouse located in Route 1, Demeter's has an excellent wine selection, incredible steak and seafood and live music.
3. The Library Restaurant - Located in Portsmouth's mainstay, the Rockingham House, the rich wood and historic book selection feels so warm and comfortable! Traditional New England fare is served by some of the friendliest servers and bartenders in town!
4. Rudi's Market Square - We love the flagship restaurant, but when Rudi's expanded into the Market Square space (the spaces are connected by a function room) we REALLY fell in love! Stunning exposed brick, incredible cuisine and an wonderful wine list create a perfect combination here.
5. Ristorante Massimo - Two levels of brick, wood tones and leather seating are home to world-class Italian cuisine in possibly the coziest restaurant in Portsmouth!
6. The Black Trumpet - A gorgeous spot in the alley on Ceres Street, this waterfront dining is incredible! We love the bar space upstairs for a cocktail and small and medium dishes to share.
7. The Wellington Room - This charming space has incredible views of the Piscataqua from a second floor Bow Street location. The food is out-of-this-world and we love the valet parking option across the street!
8. Cava - Specializing in small plates, Cava is a destination spot with an open kitchen, delicious tapas and a wine list that makes our mouth water just thinking about.
9. Brazo - This eclectic Spanish restaurant has bold colors, funky latin music, creative cocktails and delicious Spanish cuisine. It's the perfect blend of fun and romance.
10. Cafe Mediterraneo - One of our all-time favorite restaurants in Portsmouth. Delicious Italian cuisine in an authentic atmosphere. You MUST get the lobster ravioli!

Mangia!

We all know that the Seacoast region of New Hampshire is a wonderful destination in the warmer months. With our beaches, parks, outdoor concerts and plays, waterfront dining and other fun activities, who could argue with that! But don't rule out the Seacoast in the winter. You may have to bundle up a little more, but there are so many fun things to do around Portsmouth, Dover and the Greater Seacoast in the winter months.

Ice Skating at the Puddle Dock Rink

Strawbery Banke in the historic South End of Portsmouth has a beautiful, brand new ice skating rink and people are flocking from all over the region to take in the atmosphere. Skating day or night is fun in this picturesque environment adjacent to Prescott Park. Grab a cup of hot chocolate at a coffee shop downtown, lace up your skates and enjoy!

Indoor Public Skate in Dover or Exeter

If indoor skating is more your speed, many of the local rinks have public skating hours almost every day. The Rinks at Exeter and Dover Ice Arena are two popular area rinks that offer this service. They also offer skating lessons and hockey league play.

Snowshoeing and Sledding at Wagon Hill Farm in Durham, NH

If you've driven along Route 4 in Durham anytime that there's snow on the ground, you've likely seen sleds and saucers flying down the large hill, perfect for sledding! It's an institution in our area. Many people have slopes in their yards or a favorite sledding spot on the Seacoast, but Wagon Hill Farm is the unofficial mecca on the Seacoast!

These are just a few of the local winter activities that are popular in the Seacoast. The wonderful thing about New Hampshire (and New England, for that matter) is it's drivability. In just a few hours you can be downhill skiing on Gunstock or Canon Mountains, taking all those holiday gift cards on a shopping trip to picturesque North Conway or going on a sleigh ride at Charmingfare Farm in Candia. We are lucky to live in such an incredible, versatile state that is fun year-round!

After a few months of renovation The Rusty Hammer in Portsmouth NH is cranking again! After officially opening in mid September, "The Hammer" has been up and running for over a month. Of course, we have to go visit our neighbor across the street!

We were so excited to see the new look. The downstairs portion of the restaurant has been compacted into a smaller space and updated with a cool bar and open feel. The second floor at The Rusty Hammer, which was previously used as a function room, has been converted into a second dining room with its own bar. It is warm, cozy and beautiful!

The food is exactly as you remember it! There are so many restaurants in Portsmouth, but this is an institution. When news hit that the restaurant was being sold and changes were being made, lovers of The Rusty Hammer made their opinions known about menu changes and Ryan and Crystal Cronin responded perfectly. Much of the staff returned, including kitchen and waitstaff and the menu is just right. A condensed version of Rusty Hammer favorites and some new additions. It is delicious!

Give The Rusy Hammer in Portsmouth NH a try and stop by across the street to say hello!