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.
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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.
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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. ;) Sent from my GT-P5210 using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app |
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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. Sent from my GT-P5210 using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app |
A wish
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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. |
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What?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The chalkboard in front of the door now reads "Opening Soon".
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Such A TERRIBLE Idea
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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. |
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Save Busy Corners
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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.
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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! Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app |
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Is the apartment upstairs occupied ?
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And I have absolutely no problem with that. Since when is change absolutely necessary? Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app |
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Keep up or get out of the way. |
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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.
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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 |
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