New Castle Neighborhood Guide for Families

New Castle, settled in 1623, is the smallest and easternmost town in New Hampshire. It’s also the only one located entirely on islands! Situated at the mouth of the Piscataqua River, New Castle covers approximately 500 acres. Today New Castle has a residential population of a slightly over 1,000.

Why Moms Love New Castle

Moms love New Castle for its intimate and idyllic setting. It’s quiet yet it’s minutes (a short walk or jog, a car ride, or bike ride!) to downtown Portsmouth and all that it has to offer. Low taxes, beautiful views and gorgeous homes make this town a really desirable place to live. 

Photos clockwise from top left: Flying a Kite in the Common by Eva Marino, Wentworth Marina by Taylor Robinson, For McClary views from New Castle by Chris Eisold, New Castle Common views by Katherine Birch

Playgrounds, Parks & Attractions

Though New Castle is small, it represents strongly in this category! New Castle is home to Fort Constitution and Fort Stark, favorites for explorers and tiny adventurers. Both rich in history, the colonists original initially erected forts at these sites to protect the harbor. These two sites played important roles in every one of our country’s major wars, from the Revolutionary War to WWII!

The Great Island Common is perhaps the greatest attraction for families on this tiny but mighty island. This 31-acre recreation area of seaside green space and beach boasts incredible views, picnic facilities and a great playground. Quiet surf and bathroom facilities make it friendly for the under 5 crowd. Expect lots of family-friendly hubbub here every day in the summer!

The Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse is located in New Castle. An active U.S. Coast Guard Station, the lighthouse is open for visitors on Sunday afternoons from Memorial Day weekend to Columbus Day weekend. 

New Castle also has the historic and beautiful Wentworth by the Sea hotel. Now owned by Marriott, this luxury hotel hosted the signers of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, thus ending the Russo-Japanese War in 1905. His diplomacy during this matter earned President Theodore Roosevelt the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906.   

Childcare & Schools

There are several local preschools and childcare options in nearby Portsmouth, Rye and Eliot, ME. New Castle is part of SAU 50 and there is preschool (ages 3-5) offered at Rye Elementary School for residents of Greenland, Rye, Newington and New Castle. 

New Castle has its own elementary school, Maude H. Trefethen School for grades K-6. A small school of only 50 students, its state test scores are excellent in both reading and mathematics. 

For middle school, students in New Castle attend either Rye Junior High or Portsmouth Middle School and head onto Portsmouth High School for grades 9-12. Ranked 12th in the state, Portsmouth High School receives a score of 85.32/100 by 2019’s US News’ yearly best schools list. 

Shops & Restaurants

While New Castle is quite small, there are some businesses you just can’t miss!

Henry’s Market is a must for breakfast, lunch, or a coffee. 
The Green Bean at the Wentworth Marina is perfect for a casual lunch on the docks. 

At the Wentworth Hotel:

• Latitudes Sky Bar is a must for dining and cocktails on the waterfront.
• SALT Kitchen & Bar is upscale and fabulous for a special night out.

The Portsmouth Yacht Club is a great place to get to know people. For members, there are weekly dinners and other fun social events. 

Activities

New Castle is an ideal spot for people curious about our nation’s history. Walk through historic forts, tour a gorgeous lighthouse, swim at the beach, and enjoy the incredible views. 

In addition to all of the amazing outdoor spaces open to the public, New Castle’s Public Library offers twice-a-week story time for children (Thursdays 9:30am, Saturdays 10am) and many other resources.

New Castle is an incredible place to live. It’s beautiful and history — the very best of all New England has to offer. 

As a top Realtor for Berkshire Hathaway Verani  Realty, Beth Parolisi has a vibrant real estate career marked by her strong analytical, communication and negotiating skills-essentially, everything that is needed to deliver extraordinary results in the real estate market.

Having started as a real estate appraiser in 1985 and gone into the sales end of the business in 2007, Beth sees market trends coming, unfolding and going. She’s walked, appraised and sold through many market cycles-which has given her a unique ability to develop accurate insights and forecasts about the performance of real estate in multiple fronts and contexts.

More than a market expert, Beth provides a first class service to her clients as a top Luxury Collection Specialist in the Seacoast. When it comes to real estate, solutions and sales are the name of the game, and Beth masters it by bringing consistent value to her clients, who recognize her dedication and performance.

Beth represents an abundance of properties in all of the communities along the New Hampshire & Maine Seacoast. Her peers respect her and come to her for insights and advice, and Beth is known to blend her methodical and outcome-driven positioning with an always friendly touch. A twenty-five year resident of Rye, Beth and her husband Ed love the many benefits of living on the beautiful New Hampshire Coast.

Beth is always available for “all things” real estate. Just a call, text or email away, ready to help in any way whether it be answering a simple question or guiding you or a loved one through the process!