A few questions to start narrowing my search.

[Clyde]

Hi guys. I just signed the first thousand pledge and since that seems like a much easier goal to reach I want to start planning. I figure I'll throw a list up of what important features I'm looking for and see what suggestions you have. I've listed them from somewhat more important to somewhat less important, and with some rambling that could possibly be considered introductory.

• Good bike access. I'm 35 and never owned a car. Yes I know it gets cold, my records for cold riding are; 20" snow in a day from that brief blizzard from about 5 years ago, with 2 to 4 foot drifts. I only had to go about 2 to 3 miles but it took awhile. A seperate day where it was -26 F (-70 wind chill), and I rode 18 miles to work and 18 miles back. A lot of people missed work that day as their cars refused to go.

• A place with tolerance for weirdos. I have tattoos on my hands and face and it can make it very hard to find a job. I live in Madison, WI right now which has got to be the most liberal place in the midwest. I dislike the taxes, and the socialism, but more people are willing to give me a chance here. Those who do typically find one of their best if not the best workers.

• Within 40 miles of where some protests will happen, 20 would be much nicer.

• A non-smoking liberty lover who would find money for gas more valueable than the disadvantages of driving around some fat tattooed guy to far away protests

• A decent Hardcore scene, or easy transportation (Bus, or Train) to Boston, or New York. If you are not familiar with it... Hardcore is a music that rose out of Punk Rock.

• 3 MB or greater internet connection

• A good roleplaying game store. Yes I play D+D, anyone need a mage?

• A good job market. All play and no work would make Clyde a vagrant.

• A police force that perhaps has already learned that NH residents have the right to open carry.

• Low crime.

• At least 50k population, 400k is probrably more comfortable.

• An EL Pollo Loco would be nice.

Sorry about the spacing, the line breaks are very large for some reason. The other option was to have the bullets all pushed together which seemed to greatly diminish readability.

[Kat Kanning]

It sounds like you might like Portsmouth, though you're SOL on el pollo loco.  No mondo burrito places in NH, as far as I know.

[cathleeninnh]

Welcome, Clyde! And I think Kat is right, Portsmouth might be best for you.

Cathleen

[KBCraig]

• At least 50k population, 400k is probrably more comfortable.

[

Welcome, Clyde!

You're out of luck for population, since Manchester is the largest city at 100,000. Heck, 400k is almost a third of the entire state!

But, everything in the southeast amounts to "metro Boston", so you're not going to be lonely.

Kevin

[Clyde]

Hi guys. Thanks for the quick replies. I'll start looking into Portsmouth. If I remember correctly thats the place where Verizon does fiber to the home.

I imagine bikes aren't allowed on 95, but are they allowed on the 1? That seems to go right into Boston also.

[BaRbArIaN]

Yeah Portsmouth and the surrounding area is good.   UNH is nearby, lots of unorthodox individuals.  I like it.  20 minutes north or so are cheaper places to live in Dover, Somersworth, Rochester areas.   Game shops in Portsmouth, Somersworth and Dover as far as I know.    I play one game called Battletech a lot in Somersworth when I can.   Give it a visit at first, check out the culture in Portsmouth and the malls are as good a place as any in Newington next door to see a cross section too.

[Kat Kanning]

No bikes on 95, but I think 1 is small enough...it's quite a torturous route to get to Boston by it...lots of stoplights and stuff, but it's pretty, and interesting with all the old houses and stuff though.  There's bus/train between Portsmouth and Boston, too.

http://www.portsmouthnh.com/visitors/transportation.html

[Lloyd Danforth]

There is also a bus system that connects Portsmouth with some of the towns above it like Dover, Somersworth and Rochester.

Where's Mincin?

[Clyde]

Barbarian: UNH looks interesting, they seem to have the most liberal transfer policy I've ever seen a school have. That could be useful... thanks.  Also I've played some Battletech, I may even still have a few painted clan mechs.

Kat: Thanks...I checked out the train. It's a bit pricey for the distance I think, but I may be misreading their chart, they use abbreviations for places with no keys so as an outsider I may have guessed wrong. Greyhound appears to be much cheaper and fairly quick as the trip time is around an hour. So I may look into a folding bike, I'm not to sure about whether I'd want to try to depend on Boston's public transportation.

Lloyd: Do you mean like a local bus system, as opposed to like Greyhound or some other type of charter buses?

[Fluff and Stuff]

I'm not to sure about whether I'd want to try to depend on Boston's public transportation.

You might have to.  Cars are very expensive to use in Boston.

[Kat Kanning]

I thought the train system in Boston worked pretty well.

[Fluff and Stuff]

I thought the train system in Boston worked pretty well.

If you go to the website, you can type where you are and where you want to be and it gives you all of the details.  Very cool.

[Lloyd Danforth]

Yes.
http://www.coastbus.org/

Also, I've always had good luck in Boston on the T.

[Kat Kanning]

The Green Tortise is fun, but not practical 

http://www.greentortoise.com/northeast.loop.html

[Fluff and Stuff]

The Green Tortise is fun, but not practical?

http://www.greentortoise.com/northeast.loop.html

wow!  They have a bunch of cool trips.