Manchester is the largest city in the state of New Hampshire and also happens to be the largest city in northern New England. If your travels to the area take you north of Boston, this city will likely be the hub of many of your activities, and Manchester boasts a very lively urban scene. Despite this, it has been consistently voted as one of the most relaxing and pleasant places to live in the entire United States. Most residents of the area agree that Manchester comprises some of the best aspects of city living along with the inherent laid-back attitude of a smaller town.

There are many things to see and do in Manchester for the visitor. Chief among them is a trip to the historic Palace Theater – it’s one of the oldest in the country and is worth a visit for the architecture alone, and if you can get in to see a live performance, all the better. In addition to the theater there is the Currier Museum of Art and the New Hampshire Institute of Art so that you can indulge your inner critic. The Franco-American Center commemorates the close relationship that northern New England has with its Francophone past, and The Manchester Historic Association Millyard Museum speaks to the industrial heritage of the area. If you’d like to dig a little deeper into the local history, check out the Valley Cemetery, which has been the resting place of some of Manchester’s best and brightest since the 19th century.

If you want to catch a sports game, check out the Verizon Wireless Arena, as well as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Coliseum. There is almost always an amateur sports event happening at one of these venues, and admission is always cheap. In fact, that’s one of the best parts about Manchester as a whole – the city has very low taxes, which means that enjoying what Manchester has to offer comes at a much lower premium as compared to other, more expensive New England cities.

In short, while many people use Manchester as a hub to get to other areas, any time spent exploring this charming metropolis in the north of New England is time well spent.