HGTV - Hometown Takeover Submission: Berlin, NH
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2020
- It wasn’t the calendar worthy, majestic grandeur of the White Mountains, nor the craggy, timeworn, granite valleys, nor the splendor of lush foliage that brought our forebears to this isolated, handsome land. No! Abundant forests, powerful rivers, teeming wildlife, natural resources did.
One mill, the somewhat benign, patriarchal Brown Company grew to be the world’s largest & most innovative. The blessing of work drew a mosaic of hungry immigrants, who settled, adapted and adopted the American Dream. Once named Berlin Falls for its impressive, roaring waterfalls, Berlin developed into an industrious city, in the process, a civilizing influence.
Though cradled in Nature’s finest, Berlin was a gray city. Paper mills are aggressive polluters & Brown Co. was big. Chlorine, super dioxide, precipitates & many other effluents were health hazards. The smell of rotten eggs, evident 25 miles out. The noble Androscoggin River, that saw an Indian river trade of arrowhead jasper from the city’s eponymous mountain became a chemical & organic waste sewer. A 6-12 inch layer of brown & white foam floating on it’s dark surface, unfit for human or animal.
The unwanted effect was also psychological. Our sense of dignity, of self worth impacted, Our city was the butt of jokes spoken by outsiders. Regarded as backwater relatives, often deprived our fair share of attention by State Government.
We persisted, thrived. Berlin was “Hockey Town USA.” Block parties, concerts, juried art festivals, flea markets, celebrations & events defined us. Friday night, we ritually dressed up to go shopping downtown, an excuse for good friends, good conversation. Pride, love and duty-Norman Rockwell stuff. We were a tight community.
The slide began in the 60s. Urban Renewal, a well-intentioned mistake subtracted numerous buildings and businesses from the Downtown, reducing our Critical Mass as barely anything replaced these. The coming of age of shopping malls, later Walmart devoured our Main Street.
After many attempts to retain our major, if not only employer(earlier, Converse had moved overseas), the Brown Company doors were closed, the smokestack fell like a tall tree. Globalization, inability or failure to modernize, and/or other factors had killed the only horse.
Businesses closed, buildings emptied, homes were lost, workers left, role models left & the kids with promise left. Housing prices plummeted, attracting a hapless element, uncommitted to the neighborhood, or City-more takers than givers, a difficult but honest appraisal. Then the incredible occurred. Three arsonists burned down huge sections of the Downtown. A rubbleless war site, Downtown.
Beaten, but not down. A great many of us have faith in Berlin, in ourselves. We are regrouping. Certainly, the restoration of the Ski Jump, the superb river walkway, the hydroponic plants project, all are inspirational. To add, the Downtown may be blighted & pose serious questions, as concerns revitalization. But they can & will be resolved, the issue is time. We can’t wait. The opportunity is, somewhat, at our doorstep. Consider this.
We after all, have been gifted.
The White Mountains, Mt, Washington(the East’s highest), Tuckerman’s Ravine, the Appalachian Trail are renown for hiking, mountain biking, ice & mountain climbing, skiing, as well as providing scenic, breathtaking views. The Androscoggin River, one of the finest fishing rivers, presents excellent canoeing & rafting. Coos County is THE place to ATV or snowmobile. Boating & watersports on our unspoiled lakes, the wildlife, moose, eagles, bears, ospreys, the scenic wonder that NH is, absolute tell stunning fall foliage. All of these are thriving around us.
The exponential growth of ATVing, and snowmobiling is beyond a spark. It is the key to a new economic engine & the rebirth of Berlin. The air & the river now clean, returned to its natural state. We are the city to outfit and entertain the recreational tourists. Doing so, will lead to more restaurants, nightclubs, museums, theaters, plays, concerts. Good for tourism, good for the citizens. We have a tract of land, the Tondreau Peninsula, in the Downtown that should be our Central Park. Landscaped judiciously, the Presidential Range could be the backdrop. A half-shell stage built would bring an incomparable outside venue for quality concerts & other performances. Expansive enough to hold large events of most any type, a 300+ parking lot at one end, already existing & easily connected to Main Street. So many possibilities now that were pollution free.
In returning Berlin to a better place than it’s ever been, the gray stain that has stained our psyche will eventually disappear, replaced by hope, by confidence, by security, by the realization that we are home.
Join us. We have donuts and coffee. -Richard Poulin - Фільми й анімація
It’s really good to see people actually trying to do things to improve Berlin, Thank you!
Thanks for your efforts Dominique, great job!
Thank you!!!!
I was born in Berlin , and my family move to Canada in 1970. I have so many lovely memories of when we lived there. And I go back up there at least 1 a years. I fell so sad to see all what this beautiful town had once to offer. There are so many to see over there and people really need you to come and give them a HAND. Please hgtv come and help this lovely community.
Thanks Dominique....hope we win!!!
I am from New Jersey and have visited New Hampshire a few times. The last time I stayed, I stayed at an Airbnb in Berlin (by the Public Works garage/building). I stayed because it was a lot cheaper than places in North Conway, but close enough to Mt. Washington and every other place I wanted to go to.
As an outsider, I will say that the downtown area really needs an uplift. There's so much potential, but my question is this. If all of the empty stores were filled, would anybody go to them?
If I were to open something, it would be a retro arcade/bar/pizza place. There's plenty to do all day long, but where do people go at night? There also wasn't too many choices as far as food, especially breakfast.
Berlin is beautiful. There's a lot of old town charm, beautiful scenery, its close to Mt. Washington and tons of outdoor activities to do.
For almost 50 years I have had family from Berlin and this would be amazing for the community!!!
Lived in Berlin for a year, but native to the state. It was definitely a strange year in my life, but the city and its people were so integral in my life. I love Berlin, and it hurts my heart to watch the city struggle. Great job, and I hope HGTV notices your video!
This city stuck out to me on one of my Wikipedia binges because of the reported stat that 65 percent of the population speaks French. Can't say the same about similar sized cities in Louisiana, like Jennings.
Nice footage!
My grandmother’s family moved to Berlin after leaving Quebec. It would be awesome to highlight the Franco American culture in one of the French-est towns in the U.S.
Nicely done Dominique :)
Thank you for this. I'll be moving to Berlin in a month or so. I have a better understanding of the area
Why
@@rockettcustoms6266 I hate people and I work from home so this seemed to be the best solution.
Great work Dominique! You do some amazing stuff and i hope you know some people like myself think the world of it! Your talent is pretty special
Thank you so much!
Great job Dominique! ♥️
good stuff Dom! hope HGTV will see this
Yay Michael thank you !!!
I have a house in Butte, Montana which fell upon hard times after the copper mines closed. Now, it's riding a boom after a younger generation moved in and started reinvesting. You can do the same.
PLEASE PLEASE CHOOSE US!
What a beautiful little town. It certainly needs some help. I hope HGTV picks you.
Not really, its pretty ghetto.
It's soooo gorgeous there! I've been looking at states back east that are affordable and forested, with four seasons, and this was actually a place I was looking at. So much potential here. Hoping to see it in person soon. I hope you guys are able to get it going again.
Hey girl, I live in southern NH and I came across your video looking into Berlin because I'm heavily considering moving there and opening a business. I would love to talk to you more about Berlin life and ask a few questions!
what type of business? Also have you ever been up here? I just always find it interesting as to why or what would someone want to lol
Why would you move that dump? And opening any kind of business there would be a big mistake, you would be closed up in a year or less.
You’re getting us going! 🔥
Do not tell HGTV how much you need them but what featuring Berlin, NH would do for HGTV. Berlin has to sell itself as a destination location so investors will see that they can make a decent return on their money. That old motel should not cost very much to refurbish and become a place for outdoors tourists could stay. The idea is to Yuppify Berlin because the Yuppies have the money! Look at Littleton for an example.
FWIW - Berlin smells one he'll of a lot better since the sulfate paper process in closed down. Drive through Rumford, Maine for a contrast.
This was for a competition a year ago.
I once lived in Berlin and it needs help
I'm actually planning on moving to Berlin soon :)
Welcome!
Why
I have been looking into the history of Berlin and really wanting to take a trip there. Your video has really given me an Insight into how it might currently feel walking around it.
It’s truly beautiful! Just needs some TLC for sure!
Nice work
Has a lot of potential
Best place to live in NH if you love the outdoors. I'll never move! And I've been to every state in the USA except Hawaii.
I just moved into Berlin NH about 10 months ago from Boston Massachusetts. Beautiful area and lots to do if your an outdoor enthusiast. I have so much fun exploring the area but definitely needs a makeover on the structures out here. Nice place for ghost hunters definitely has a crazy past history with Native Americans and lots of hidden gems.. if your looking for a down to earth environment to eat and has great food Fagins Pub is a must. Great place to meet new people. Chicken Alfredo and broccoli is so good here and the only place to get fried pickles
Their Alfredo is a MUST HAVE! It’s my favorite from there!
I live in campton N.H but I Property in Berlin New Hampshire. One day I am going to live up there
How about turning Brown School into a community center? Great location near Heritage Park, right across from the river and plenty of room...
I've been looking at Berlin (and other places in Coos County) for 3-4 months now as a place to relocate from Tennessee.
I'm not sure what there is to offer there for a 32 year old single guy but I'm not worried about it too much.
If you like the outdoors, very minimal cooperate businesses, and quiet.. this is the place! Lol!
Not much!
@@rockettcustoms6266 I've since spent some time there & found that out.
I am currently looks at a home to purchase in Berlin,NH. Is it a quiet town? Is it a place to easily find a job if i move out there? I have so many questions but these few are at the top. Is it a firearms friendly town? I am a person of color, will i be welcomed there or looked down upon?
Honestly, you will get a wider response if you ask these questions in the Whats Going On Berlin/Gorham NH group on facebook. I have too much to say answering each individual questions
But I will say yes for sure on the firearms
No not firearms friendly
@@dominiqueboule I lived there u just came through .no not firearms friendly nosy neighborhood
No, there are NO jobs there.
You should resubmit this! I think the show is still on....
I’ve thought about it multiple times!
I am originally from Southern NH and have lived on the West Coast for 27 years. This place has intrigued me for a long time. Once this pandemic is over I may sell my house and move there and open a business downtown. Maybe a wing spot or pizza and arcade. Seriously contemplating this. Nice video! You guys should win! Were rooting for you.
Not much to do but a very beautiful area. There are some people problems but the rest are very kind! And I hope we do too! So far they’ve ignored the whole ordeal it seems because they were supposed to announce the winner in March but because of corona I think they kinda.. put it on an unannounced hold
Also thank you!!!
Yeah I'm sure that's what it is. Everything has slowed down because of this covid crap.
It just sucks because not only me but 3000 cities worked hard on their videos just to have them ghost the idea they hyped
@@dominiqueboule Hopefully theyll bring it back. Maybe there is a way to contact them to find out.
Berlin needs more business
Why, so they can close in 6 months?
I see you have a mountain near town yes
Ski hill? Mountain bike downhill races? From Canada's north. Would love to move here and invest in fun stuff too do. Pipeline welder/mechanic. Owners of two bars one hotel. I have to visit.
Is there still a boxing club there?
No there isn’t ):
Yes there’s 2 prominent mountains in town but the whole city is surrounded by them. It’s located in a valley
No jobs! Mostly apartment no real businesses
Everywhere is hiring right now. There’s more jobs than there ever has been in years.
It's a dump.......Move
Sorry you feel that way
Agreed, Berlin sucks. If you are going to be in the coos county go north and not down south in the dump that is berlin.
It's nothing but a huge ghetto. If you live there, the best thing you can do to improve your life is to move somewhere else!
U must be a Franco American as majority of Berlin people are French or French Canadian origin
I am indeed French but I myself am not from Berlin. Moved up here in my adulthood!
@@dominiqueboule u mean French American? Can you speak French ?
Whoa! That is not music. Cheer up!
Haha what
@@dominiqueboule You have a good attitude, a good outlook, and you took action with this video. You strike me as a visionary who could inspire a re-birth of Berlin. All the best to you, and to Berlin. Good luck.
I grew up in Berlin. Glad I left 25 years ago. Berlin is DEAD and is never coming back. People that live there have always had this fantasy that it will one day magically come back from the dead. Never going to happen. What a big ghetto it's become. I hate going there to visit my mom. it's really depressing!
I can think of MUCH better places in NH, Coos county to be exact that are better than Berlin. Berlin is a pretty bad city.
Did you entirely miss the point of this video?
@@dominiqueboule No, I didn't. Berlin used to be pretty great then it got pretty bad. At this point Berlin is a lost cause.
So you ARE missing the point. The point of THIS video is showing that it was great but isn’t now so we need help. So... what’s your point of commenting if it’s not in support of making this place back where it should be in the tiny state of NH? Either support our small state or don’t comment. We are in this together whether people agree or not. Give light; not negativity.. I’m not even from Berlin...
@@dominiqueboule I am just saying no amount of help can fix Berlin, Berlin is pretty much screwed.
@@dominiqueboule no one did but I are attempting to mislead people I guess but some of us have lived there n know the truth.no jobs,mainly apartment s,not gun friendly n people are nosy there