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Coming in for a quick tour of NH. Need suggestions.

Started by BarryD, February 12, 2007, 11:32 AM NHFT

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BarryD

Hello everyone,

I haven't been on here for quite a long time, but I have been keeping up and reading the forums as much as possible. My family and I are getting very close to being able to finally make the NH leap. But here's the background that I need advice on:

Next weekend, we are flying up for an extremely quick tour of the areas we have considered to be the most conducive to our needs/criteria <prays for clear weather>. We will literally be up there for about 48 hours so we have to use every minute of light available to see what we can see. After much consideration, we will be focusing on Concord, Merrimack, Derry and those cities' surrounding towns (Bow, Henniker, Milford, Hollis etc.) Of course Manchester and Nashua are there but we would prefer not to live in a big city. We don't have jobs yet, but my wife might find employment in Billerica, MA. 

What we would prefer in a town:
~ less than 50k
~ semi-rural, but close enough to a bigger city that has the Targets, shopping, what-not
~ very active, social community (town halls, festivals etc)
~ great schools (those might be everywhere in NH, don't know)
~ little to no "sprawl". We are not interested in living a land of strip malls and clear-cut, zero lot-line developments. Shopping and commuting to that for work is one thing, but turning out of my driveway and running into the newest Amscot is another.

Our questions:
~ Do the towns and surrounding areas listed above match any of our preferences?
~ Is living in one of those towns and commuting to Billerica the action of a sane person?
~ Are there any towns not listed above that we should drive by and see while we're there that might fit our preferences?
~ Are there any things we need to consider but have not?
~ Any specific areas to avoid?

Thanks for any help you all can provide. We can't wait to get up there to look around and determine where would be the best place to put down roots. I will also be posting this on the FSP site to maximize my audience, so you might see it there as well.

THANKS!!

Barry 

cathleeninnh

Commuting is certainly an option. We moved from Manchester to Derry to shorten the commute to MA, but it is only 20 or so minutes closer than Manchester. I think Concord is too far to commute to MA. Don't forget Salem, Hudson, Windham. I can't tell you much about schools.

Cathleen

Quantrill

Quote~ little to no "sprawl". We are not interested in living a land of strip malls and clear-cut, zero lot-line developments.
Yeah.  Where are these places at?  I need to avoid them also...

jaqeboy

Quote from: BarryD on February 12, 2007, 11:32 AM NHFT
...we will be focusing on Concord, Merrimack, Derry and those cities' surrounding towns (Bow, Henniker, Milford, Hollis etc.) ...Manchester and Nashua...

What we would prefer in a town:
~ less than 50k
~ semi-rural, but close enough to a bigger city that has the Targets, shopping, what-not
~ very active, social community (town halls, festivals etc)
~ great schools (those might be everywhere in NH, don't know)
~ little to no "sprawl".

Our questions:
~ Do the towns and surrounding areas listed above match any of our preferences?
~ Is living in one of those towns and commuting to Billerica the action of a sane person?
~ Are there any towns not listed above that we should drive by and see while we're there that might fit our preferences?
~ Are there any things we need to consider but have not?
~ Any specific areas to avoid?

Barry 

I can give you a blitz tour of Nashua, Hollis, Milford areas, since I know them well.
Milford probably fits your description best: http://milfordnh.info/ - it's the kind of town where you can feel safe letting the kids walk down to the oval (you'd call it a square, but it used to be an oval, hence it's name - now it's triangular, but still called "the oval") hang out in the park there or stop in the stores where people will know their names... You could commute to Billerica, but you gotta be a real road warrior to keep that up. Milford population ~ 15,000.

Best thing to do, not considering re-settling the kids, is start in Nashua - you can get an apartment or condo there that's a stone's throw from the Mass border and close to the highway. The commute to Billerica is a breeze from there. Then you can look around from there to where you really want to live for the longer term. Nashua population ~85,000.

Not sure you know this about Billerica - when I first saw the road signs, I thought it should be pronounced to rhyme with America! The locals pronounce it Bi'rica.

Let me know if I can assist with a guided tour of my turf.

aries

Your preferences seem mutually exclusive - close to a city but no sprawl

Luckily, I think you'll be able to find that somewhere in NH :) Good luck

Dreepa

Quote from: aries on February 13, 2007, 01:21 PM NHFT
Your preferences seem mutually exclusive - close to a city but no sprawl

No way... this is NH.. I am close to a city and I live 'in the country'.

FTL_Ian

Quote from: aries on February 13, 2007, 01:21 PM NHFT
Your preferences seem mutually exclusive - close to a city but no sprawl

Luckily, I think you'll be able to find that somewhere in NH :) Good luck

Keene.  Virtually everything is here, but it's still small.

Rosie the Riveter

Quote from: BarryD on February 12, 2007, 11:32 AM NHFT
we will be focusing on Concord, Merrimack, Derry and those cities' surrounding towns (Bow, Henniker, Milford, Hollis etc.) Of course Manchester and Nashua are there but we would prefer not to live in a big city.

~ great schools (those might be everywhere in NH, don't know)


In these towns for "good" government schools --from test scores and reputation -- Bow is the best, then Hollis, then Derry, then Milford and Merrimack and tied with Concord at the end.  I don't know about Henniker. Nashua schools are "better" than Manchester. If you are interested you can find the most recent NH State Assesment scores here http://reporting.measuredprogress.org/NECAPpublicNH/

If you have students that are "Gifted and Talented" please call the school district before moving to find out about each school districts programs as they as so different district by district.




aries

Quote from: Dreepa on February 13, 2007, 01:33 PM NHFT
Quote from: aries on February 13, 2007, 01:21 PM NHFT
Your preferences seem mutually exclusive - close to a city but no sprawl

No way... this is NH.. I am close to a city and I live 'in the country'.

Like I said - they SEEM mutually exclusive, but this is NH. It's different here.

Russell Kanning

Quote from: FTL_Ian on February 13, 2007, 02:05 PM NHFT
Quote from: aries on February 13, 2007, 01:21 PM NHFT
Your preferences seem mutually exclusive - close to a city but no sprawl

Keene.  Virtually everything is here, but it's still small.
well .... I wouldn't commute to blrka from here. :)

ny2nh

My business is in Derry - and I am always perplexed as to why anyone would want to move there....other than Pinkerton Academy. The taxes are high and I can't see how they will ever find a way to reign them in. The only non-grocery store is Walmart - and even neighboring Londonderry only has Home Goods & TJ Maxx.....so you end up having to drive to Manchester or Salem to shop anyways. IMO Salem is just too "close" to Massachusetts for my liking!

I would agree that maybe Nashua would be a place to start.....or even Manchester. While Manchester is "large city" - if you're not living in the center city it can be much "smaller" than expected.

Rosie the Riveter

Quote from: ny2nh on February 14, 2007, 07:05 AM NHFT
My business is in Derry - and I am always perplexed as to why anyone would want to move there....other than Pinkerton Academy. The taxes are high and I can't see how they will ever find a way to reign them in. The only non-grocery store is Walmart - and even neighboring Londonderry only has Home Goods & TJ Maxx.....so you end up having to drive to Manchester or Salem to shop anyways. IMO Salem is just too "close" to Massachusetts for my liking!

I would agree that maybe Nashua would be a place to start.....or even Manchester. While Manchester is "large city" - if you're not living in the center city it can be much "smaller" than expected.

I love Manchester, but they are looking for good schools -- Manchester has some decent elementary schools but the jr highs are severly lacking and the high schools are huge. If I were moving to a town or city for the schools I would pick Bow, Bedford, Amherst, Hollis, or another smallish affluent town as it seems that the smaller affuent towns do a better job with schools.


Dreepa

Quote from: Rosie the Riveter on February 14, 2007, 07:17 AM NHFT
Bow, Bedford, Amherst, Hollis, or another smallish affluent town as it seems that the smaller affuent towns do a better job with schools.


Bow to Billerica commute would suck.

Rosie the Riveter

You may also find looking at the property tax rates helpful. They vary as much as the schools.  If I were moving I would buy a modest home in a low rate town. A high rate does not equal good schools.

http://www.nh.gov/revenue/municipalities/ms-new.htm




Russell Kanning

Quote from: Rosie the Riveter on February 14, 2007, 07:17 AM NHFTIf I were moving to a town or city for the schools I would pick Bow, Bedford, Amherst, Hollis, or another smallish affluent town as it seems that the smaller affuent towns do a better job with schools.
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