Abbey Hoffman, 33, spends most of her days ­— and nights — at Thwaites Market in Methuen. She had grown up in the building, but moved out as an adult. About 10 years after her parents resettled in New Hampshire, she came back with her husband and baby and moved into the home upstairs.

She’s general manager of the market, a family-owned business for nearly 100 years. (Thwaites was her great-great grandmother’s last name.) Generations of Methuen residents have made the store a regular stop for its famous homemade English pork pies.

“Half our customers will start with the same story : ‘My grandmother, or my mother, used to bring me here, and now I’m bringing my kids,’ ’’ Hoffman said. “It’s nice to hear.’’

Though Methuen has grown commercially in recent decades, with chain stores and restaurants attracted to its prime location at the convergence of several highways, the city still has a close-knit network of small businesses, from the Mann Orchards Farmstand & Bakery to Borrelli’s Italian Deli. When the staff at Thwaites did a favor for Borrelli’s, the deli sent a thank-you in the form of a 12-foot submarine sandwich.

Even though the community is great ­— giant sub and all — it’s still nice to get out of town every once in awhile. “My personal thing is, my husband and I like to travel, pick up and go,’’ Hoffman said. “The fact that you can take a half-hour ride into Boston, or an hour-and-a-half [trip] up north in the mountains, is great. You can find a highway anywhere.’’

James Sullivan can be reached at jamesgsullivan@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @sullivanjames.