Busy Bear Corner in Alton Bay Gone?
 

I saw a for lease sign in the window, are they out of business?


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The person who was leasing it said that since the end of the summer season, she wasn't making money and said she would close until January when ice fishing may have given an increase in business. Within the last month, I saw her cleaning out the store and filing the dumpster to over-flowing. Next I heard she was done, and the store is available for leasing.

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What a shame.

To me, it's just a bad location. No parking to speak of and it's not very updated in there either. Just a old building.The town should buy that property and make that 90 degree corner a lot easier to see and pass thru. People were very nice there but that store really never did very much business.

First of all, the town buying the building would do nothing but cost the town between $400k-500k, with zero benefit. That lot includes not only the store but also the property including the building with Mahoney Plumbing. It is assessed at $445,600. That generates around $6,500 in taxes. It would do nothing to change the corner, because the road is not town property, it is State owned Route 11.
It is a historic building to Alton, having been built in the early 1850's,having seen many changes over the years. There was a laundromat in it, there was an ice cream parlor in it, a bakery., etc. .
Is it old? Yes. What makes the business in that locating is not the lot, but the people who ran it. The Mitchells had it for 10 years, the McMahons, about the same.
I would rather go to Busy Corner than to a 7-11or some cookie cutter store. It just needs the right people to run it. Keep the locals happy along with the year round weekenders, and they will succeed.
Oh, and I dare say there is more parking at Busy Corner than at the Village Store. Just my humble opinion, yours may vary. ;)

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However I dare say the Village store does 5 times the business, Why? gas pumps and parking. You can easily park 9 cars at the village store plus 4 at the gas pumps and 2-3 more on the road side of the gas pumps. I have delivered to both stores for MANY YEARS, and there is no discussion about who is busier. That 90 corner has always been a pain and tearing down the building would help immensely. Have the State kick in some money. they waste enough of it everywhere else.

Just heard today that the store will be opening up as the Alton Bay Corner Store. The new owner is originally from the local area, not sure if it is Alton, and is movjng back to NH from the Carolinas.
Looking forward to hearing more and seeing the store back open.

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A wish
 

Great to hear someone is going to give it another go. It's a very convenient store for those of us on the Bay. But it is also a part of the history of the Bay. I remember it as a country store kind of place when I was a boy. Though I missed a lot of the different renditions over the years, I'm back home now and would really like to see this bit of quaintness survive. My parents, me, my kids, and now their kids have had the Busy Corner as a constant.

I've always thought that if someone could come in there and create a store similar to Calef's Country Store in Barrington, it would appeal to locals as well as being a destination stop around the lake. The Bay could use some of that productive/successful quaintness we use to have. In some little way, compete with the Wolfeboro and Meredith strips.

But, whatever format the new folks take, I wish them well. It would be a shame to loose more of our historic buildings. IMHO

Store with basics
 

I hope the new people stock more of the basics. Our neighbors come up on the weekends and stopped in last summer to pick up bread and milk on a Thursday afternoon. They had neither!

I do like the idea of a general store type of place. The Duffeks did a great job with the place several iterations ago. Even a place with some prepared foods like Butternuts in Wolfeboro would be handy. They have fresh soup and salads each day and terrific breads. Not having to run to Wolfeboro would be handy.

Weird they would not have those on hand as I believe both are guaranteed. Meaning, if they go out of date while at the store, the milk and or bread company takes them back and gives a credit. That is how it is in the beer business.

What?
 

Beer goes out of date? How can that ever happen?

Not in our house!

Certainly not in NH where the milk delivery wagons visit the convenience stores once a week but the beer truck is on a daily schedule.

This just move it from the little ma and pa store or Shaws to Market Basket right before the out of code date and it sells out next day.

When I drove by at 1pm on Wednesday, all the Busy Bear remnants were still there and there was a large, "For Lease" sign in the window.

Although the Alton database is not updated, I was told the property has been sold. The new owner, Alton Bay Corner Store, has returned down to No. Carolina to pack up and move back up to NH. Looking forward to the new owner getting moved into NH and then getting the store open.

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I drove by on Tuesday, 18-APR-17. The "For Lease" sign in the window has been removed, but all the other signs still say, "Busy Bear" or something similar. There was no evidence of activity. The Belknap Registry of Deeds shows that New State Realty Management bought the property in 2015. I can find nothing where "New State" sold the property.

I believe they just arrived back in NH this past week from NC.

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Are these the people who owned the little white diner pretty much in the same parking lot? One of the owners back then told me they were selling and moving to the Carolina's.

Olde Bay Diner. Previous owners are in FL now. They are good friends with one of my friends.

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The chalkboard in front of the door now reads "Opening Soon".

Such A TERRIBLE Idea
 

I remember when that corner was Busy Corner and McGrath's was where the wooded lot is now. Alton Bay has had a lot of changes in the last dozen years or so. So little of what made it wonderful is gone - McGrath's, the roller rink in the Pavilion, the previous mini-golf and the store that was in the barn across from Busy Corner.

That corner is NOT terrible. If you are coming from Dockside and you are turning, you have the right of way. It is a piece of cake to turn there. The parking is just fine.

Tearing down the building would just make the bay utterly unappealing and totally unattractive. Shame on you for even suggesting it.

Sounds like someone is trying to live in the past.

I agree it was. I remember skating there many times. IMO the Big Ugly building on the corner is a eye sore. I just don't know why so many old people on here want to get into a pissing match about things. Telling me " I should be ashamed ". Absolutely foolish thing to say. If you do not like my Opinion, so be it. That's what makes AMERICAN GREAT. Freedom of speech.

Lmao ! Why start now !

Save Busy Corners
 

The is one of the buildings that make up Alton's history. Why do the younger generation want to tear everything down that isn't up to the present architecture.:(

Younger generation is not the issue. As a mentor of mine often reminded me, "No matter what they are talking about, they're talking about money".

If a business could make the site viable, including restoration and upkeep, they would. Clearly this is a tough one at this site with this building as several have tried and failed.

Don't misunderstand. I've love to see the building remain and restored. But unless/until someone comes along with the $$'s and motivation to do so, complaining about it not happening won't do much.

Any update on the store going into that corner?


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I stopped in on Monday, 22-MAY-17. At the time, the proprietor stated that the store would open on Wednesday the 24th (yesterday) as the Alton Bay Corner Store.

I saw a Coca Cola delivery truck making a delivery yesterday afternoon.

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Woo hoo. Busy Corner opened today. Still stocking. Work in progress. Coolers looked fairly well stocked.

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I only just saw this comment. I sorry, but Busy Corner torn down just to make the intersection more convenient? Are you kidding? Alton is already a pale version of its wonderful kitschy self with the loss of the Pavilion and the great old mini golf. The inside of Busy Corner is fantastic. Why does everything have to be new and modern and gleaming and shiny? What is wrong with tradition and fun and history? Enough!


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agree, however a vacant building is no attraction either.

Is the apartment upstairs occupied ?

And I have absolutely no problem with that. Since when is change absolutely necessary?


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It's not that change is necessary; it is in fact inevitable.

Keep up or get out of the way.

Wow. How kind you are. Get this. Irwin Marine told me it was rented and being renovated so, guess what, the building stay. I win. I hope we NEVER meet.


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The "apartment for rent" sign is no longer being displayed,

If you think you can actually "win," that is your delusion.

Whether or not we ever meet is of no significance.

The issue is that life is change.

Always was, always will be.

Things evolve.

You can deny it, and try to fight it, but in the end change always wins.

:) Without a proper marketing campaign will this store make it, What worked in the past. :)

Was it the boots and shoes ....... or the rubbers.

For the record .... not the same person as topwater just happen to have a very similar username.

https://i.imgur.com/3BIaj7i.jpg

Just to set the record straight.......Emerson's store is NOT the same as the busy corner store. Emersons was to the right of the busy corner store and was later called McGrath's before it burnt down. If photopost were up and running I would share older photos of both. Note that the Alton Bay Inn (now J P CHINA) (which is on the busy corner) is further up the hill.

Thank you ..... I miss the photopost section I figure if anyone would know the history of this area it would be you.

McGrath's Store
 

Now the site of Gillan Marine
https://www.winnipesaukee.com/photop...thsgeneral.jpg


I found these old photos in other threads. Here's an old pic of the Busy Corner Store


https://www.winnipesaukee.com/photop...8_17_53_PM.JPG

Pic#1 is how I remember The Busy Corner Store, mcdude.