Question for those around Nashua

[Kat Kanning]

Hey guys, I had this question thrown to me, and wondered if anyone had comments on it:

Hey, I need an analysis of all NH towns within
a 1 hour drive of Boston.  Any ideas?  I want
the "personality" profile, the downtown atmosphere,
the stuff like that.  Not just SAT scores (although
that might be good). 

I have a window of opportunity to escape MA and
move to NH.  But, it needs to be quite pleasing
to my lovely bride to get her out of MA.

[GT]

Tidbits on Londonderry,

Population approx 26,000
Government. Town Council/Town meeting
Schools: 1 Kindergarten, 3 Elementary, 1 Middle, 1 Highschool
Convieneint to Rt 93 Exit 4

Not much of a "downtown" Rt 102 is the comercial district with a Staples, Homedepot, K-Mart grocery stores etc. Very few restraunts in town. The town is considered a "bedroom" community. Most residents commute to other towns for employement. We have several apple orchards and a lot of what the town calls "open space". Open Space is the towns way of limiting population. The town has been buying the developement rights to large properties to eliminate future housing/population. Household income is said to be around 70-80,000. The median house price was last reported at 325,000 if I remember correctly.

The Schools are considered "good" by the public system. One may question the rating from the libertarian viewpoint. The town does have a website at www.londonderry.org

[nooneimportant]

Meh, get as far away as possible. I can't stand Nashua. I'm heading to, you guessed it, KEENE!

Keen on Keene,
JP

[Russell Kanning]

The guy wants to be close to Boston....so beautiful Keene is not a possibility.

[AlanM]

The towns near to the Rte. 95 Corridor are about an hour from Boston. Prices are high in this area. Congestion is increasing. Of these towns/cities, Portsmouth is quaint, with lots of restaurants. It is also becoming a hot bed of high tech activity. Hampton Falls is nice. Sends students to Winnacunnet High School in Hampton. Again, pricey.
I live in Exeter. Taxes are high, as are housing costs. The school system, which used to be good, is deteriorating. (Too much money spent. Very little thought given.) There is a Montessori School in Exeter.
Just some info.

[nooneimportant]

The guy wants to be close to Boston....so beautiful Keene is not a possibility.

True, true. Pelham is nice though. As is Hudson. I don't alot about these places, but I can probably find out some stuff about them for you.

JP

[Kat Kanning]

Some more info about what they're looking for.  Any ideas?

My wife wants to live in an upperscale town, like
MA towns of Wellesley, Wayland, Sudbury, and she
even likes Southboro.  It should have a "cute"
downtown area, or at least be respectable, no
junkyards nearby, no industrial mega areas, no
mega-malls.  She would like an fairly upper crust
town with good schools.  Basically, she wants a town
she can be proud of to show her family and friends.

I want the opposite, low taxes, ultimate freedom,
privacy, lots of land (dozens of acres), really want a
place where people will leave me alone, but still want
the kids to have friends nearby.

Like new construction, like quiet dead roads.

Would be willing to explore building a factory
home on a good piece of land.  We can probably afford
$550 on a traditional home.

Access to 93 would be good, but I really wouldn't
mind being 1:15 from Boston either.

[AlanM]

Hampton Falls would fit the description. Easy access to Rt, 95.