As we enter the warmth of summer in the Monadnock region, our interests turn to plans for fun activities with family and friends. Many also come to visit our region for a chance to relax and enjoy relief from the heat of urban areas and a welcome change of pace.

In contrast to some of the other rural areas of our state, our region is distinguished by a wide assortment of cultural attractions, and residents and visitors alike find there is always much of interest to explore. Although this is true throughout the year, summer is a particularly active time for art tours, music festivals, theater presentations and gallery exhibitions.

In the marketing of local real estate, this creates a most attractive advantage. The appeal of making a home in a country village, with low tax and crime rates, clean air and water and easy access to a wonderful four-season natural environment has drawn families to the Granite State for generations. But upon their arrival, they also quickly seek out opportunities to enjoy the life and culture of the region.

In the cluster of communities surrounding Grand Monadnock, the search is richly rewarded. Creative efforts abound in our midst, whether displayed in Children and the Arts Day, the Art Tour, a concert by the Apple Hill Chamber Players or Monadnock Music, or a vintage film at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre.

Perhaps you’ll find it in a night out at the Peterborough Players, or in a special screening at The Park Theatre in Jaffrey or a new release at the Peterborough Community Theatre. Or you can attend a presentation of an author’s new original work at the Toadstool or be edified and challenged by speakers at the Amos Fortune Forum or Monadnock Summer Lyceum. Special events are also sure to please, such as those planned throughout the summer and entire year for Jaffrey’s 250th anniversary celebration, including Wednesday Summer Concert series and a spectacular fireworks display.

Local culinary arts also have much to offer, whether it be for a family celebration at the Waterhouse Restaurant, a romantic dinner at Dublin’s Del Rossi’s Trattoria, a happy gathering by the pond at Emma’s 321 Pub in Rindge, a meal with live music at Harlow’s or dinner followed by a movie at Coopershill Public House in Peterborough. We are blessed with a wide variety of dining options and family friendly restaurants, and many would never want to miss a summer season without a visit to Jaffrey’s Kimball Farms or Bennington’s Alberto’s for “the best food by a dam site.”

The annual pilgrimage to Peterborough of noted artists, writers, composers, screenwriters, visual artists, musicians and stars of stage and screen which culminates with Medal Day at MacDowell Colony has marked our longstanding reputation as a region which particularly values and supports the arts.

Recent efforts to create and sustain “living” vibrant town centers in rural communities are also visibly bearing fruit. Notably, take an early evening walk around Peterborough’s village center during any summer First Friday, where shops remain open later and outdoor dining abounds. The experience reveals the potential for local towns to enjoy greater cultural enjoyment, without sacrificing the cherished privacy and rural character which binds our communities together in this “quiet corner” of the state.

A noted modern philosopher once observed “We are all greater artists than we perceive." In welcoming and supporting the artists who grace our communities, we honor the best in our potential, express our hope for humanity and ennoble our lives together. Communities are forged through the productive labor and creative vision of the people who live and work in them, and through the care we provide to our families and to one another. Often only revealed by an unspoken commitment, this powerful force is present in our daily work and unites us all as artists in our endeavors.

So, in this special region with its enviable quality of life, it is little wonder that many creative souls have chosen to make their home here and that others are drawn to join them. We are fortunate indeed with the people who have settled here over many generations, and with the kind of people they attract to live nearby. 

As we say at our office, they may come for the low taxes or clean water and air. They may come for the crystal-clear lakes, snow-capped mountains or wide-open land. They may even come for greater personal freedom and a safe environment for their families. But they will stay because of the people who choose to live here!

Andy Peterson is a CCIM Broker Associate at Four Seasons Sotheby's International Realty in Peterborough.