Relocating to New England from MO..help finding small town appeal (Boston: fit in, real estate)

[midwestener]

My wife and 3 kids have decided to look into relocating to New England area..from the Midwest - St. Louis MO area.

We have both always loved the idea of living in New England..however, we are early into our research.

We want the more small town feel.but still have good schools for our kids. I am a corporate controller (accountant) and hopefully would be able to find a job.

Many of our searches has lead us to Burlington VT. We love the idea of the lake, the mountains..small town feel. I have seen some negative posts about the lack of Sun or harsh Winters..bad economy, etc.

Anyone can enlighten us...should we consider CT or NH, NY, or MA? more so, and if so..what small towns would work?

Thanks

[CaseyB]

Originally Posted by midwestener

My wife and 3 kids have decided to look into relocating to New England area..from the Midwest - St. Louis MO area.

We have both always loved the idea of living in New England..however, we are early into our research.

We want the more small town feel.but still have good schools for our kids. I am a corporate controller (accountant) and hopefully would be able to find a job.

Many of our searches has lead us to Burlington VT. We love the idea of the lake, the mountains..small town feel. I have seen some negative posts about the lack of Sun or harsh Winters..bad economy, etc.

Anyone can enlighten us...should we consider CT or NH, NY, or MA? more so, and if so..what small towns would work?

Thanks

Have you looked at southern New Hampshire at all? There are several smaller towns that have that "New England feel". Many people commute into Boston or northern Mass. from there. Lots of opportunities for family activities and you wouldn't be far from the ocean.

[smarty]

I find VT to be very different when compare to other parts of New England. It is one of the GREENEST state. We talk about the 3 Rs. They actually DO it!

[Noodle]

That's funny. I'm looking to leave the Northeast, and you are wanting to move here. Actually, the Ozark area. My cousin moved to Marshfield and loves it. Says "come on down". Anyway, I know you have cold weather in St. Louis, but if you move to Vermont ( Burlington), be prepared for sustained cold weather and a late coming spring. Heating costs are higher in the NE and unless you are within the reach of Natural Gas, most of the heating is done with no. 2 oil, which is over 2 bucks a gallon now. However, Burlington is a very nice city.
I don't recommend Massachusetts for anyone unless they absolutely love socialism. Nuff said.
You won't have any problem finding work in or near any city in the northeast.

[CityGirl52]

Happy New Year Midwestener! I just needed to add my two cents on this one! I think you need to know about this before you start searching in the Vermont area. BUT to each his own, you're the one that has to make this huge decision in the end. I first wanted you to hear about this just the same, it's important for you to get a balanced objective opinion on this debate and to hear this one out before you make this decision....

My cousin and her family moved down to the Seacoast of NH from Vermont about 3 years ago and it's just like they died and went to heaven! They're now living near us in southern New Hampshire and are as happy as can be, it's the best move that they ever made. They're thrilled and so aren't there kids with this decision. The winters they said are pretty tough in Vermont compared to here on the seacoast, there's much more for the kids to do here. It's like they have the best of both worlds living here, the mountains are only an hour or two away; the ocean is literally steps away and the City for cultural events and attractions are either in downtown Boston, then there's Manchester for the Verizon Wireless Center, not to mention the city of Portsmouth, it's also quite appealing as far as having quaint shops, wonderful restaurants and a lot going on. Yes, we get pretty cold, snowy or cloudy dreary winters but usually 9 times out of 10, we don't get as much snow as them. For instance, this season hasn't been bad at all. In fact the snow we got this past week all melted away. It was like a dusting again. That's all we're getting lately, it was like this last year too if I remember right. We got may be 2 snowstorms if that last year. I don't know what it is, but it's FINE with me, people say it's global warming? If that's what it is, then that's okay, because the milder the winters, the better we are up here! You say you're an Accountant? You'll be needed down in Boston big time as well as right here on the Seacoast if you didn't want the hour drive on I-95 or the train ride down to Boston right from here.

I know of four towns that you'd absolutely love to live in right on the seacoast of NH. One of them is Hampton Falls, then there's Newfields, NH and the other one that we love is Greenland, NH. and then Exeter, NH also has a charming town appeal to it. It's very old fashioned with a gazebo in the center of town and gorgeous old fashioned connected shops to browse through, as well as the beautiful grounds of the Exeter Phillips Academy, which is right within walking distance from the town of Exeter. You can check all these towns out online to see what I mean. One of my brother in laws is from Newfields; which isn't too far from Exeter at all. It's actually the next town from it, in fact, when you cut through Swazey Park in Exeter, you'll be taking the scenic route to get there, it's lovely. We really love that town and when you see it, you'll know what I mean. It's pretty quaint and definitely has a New England type appeal to it. I know you and your family will enjoy seeing the older colonial type homes all in through here on that scenic drive, it's quite nice. Check the real estate listings to see what I mean about it as well. You would be minutes from 101 which would get you right to I-95, in a matter of minutes. Or you could drive right to Exeter, NH not too far from the center of town to the train station where the "Downeaster" would take you right in to North Station. It's only an hour commute if that. You'd be SO much better off in the long run living through here. The schools are all very good, we never here of any complaints, most of the kids seem to be all doing very well from what we can tell. There's a lot for your kids to do as far as sports & recreation on the seacoast too. So think about checking out the seacoast of NH for that small town appeal. I know you'd really enjoy living here a lot.

[adlrwill]

We just moved to Westborough, MA from Memphis, TN. We lived inTN for 5 yrs, but decided to move back to the New England area because of our children and the better schools in the New England area. We previously lived in Manchester, NH and in Rutland, VT, the latter is not far from Burlington, VT. We use to visit Burlington often. Burlington is very nice, beautiful but it is a bit pricey. It is colder there than Massachusetts, they get more snow and it is a college town. As long as you are o.k. with that, I would recommend it. Manchester, NH is also very nice. We lived there almost 8 yrs ago. Back then it had city living conveniences, but country feel. I do hear it has changed a lot, grown and the cost of housing has sky-rocketted, but that is just what I hear. We love Westborough,MA. It is known for the wonderful school system and it is a pretty, little town. Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed. GOOD LUCK!!!!!

[beckyanne]

My cousins live in Hamilton and Topsfield MA, which are both beautiful towns. From what I understand they have great schools, and they are commuting distance from Boston. They are on the North Shore, so the ocean is right there. Housing costs are a little high, which is what is holding me back from moving there myself after graduation, but given the choice I would move there in a heartbeat.

I currently live in Keene, NH, which is also a great place. It has a very New England feel, especially in the fall with the changing leaves, apple orchards, and annual Pumpkin Festival.

[daak15]

Connecticut has fantastic schools. I have lived in both CT and MA. Actually right now we are relocating back up to MA for my husband's job. MA and CT are very similar. However, in some places in CT, its more affordable.

In Litchfield County (borders NY) in CT, there are great schools, and you have Candlewood Lake which is great for boating and kayaking. The mountains are incredible and there are small villages that have little shops, antique stores, restaurants, movie theaters, etc.

In the Hartford area (city), there are many great towns as well. Glastonbury, Farmington are just a few. But amazing schools!

Hope this helps!

[moxiegirl714]

HiI live North of Keene,NH. How can I help answer some of your questions

[VlyRoadKid]

Originally Posted by Noodle

....
I don't recommend Massachusetts for anyone unless they absolutely love socialism. Nuff said.
You won't have any problem finding work in or near any city in the northeast.

I was going to tell the poster that, if they came to certain parts of Mass., with extremely Conservative viewpoints, they might be put off. But SOCIALISM? That's such a laugh! Just because someone is Liberal does NOT make them Socialist...necessarily, contrary to the current campaign rhetoric!

If you are open-minded, the towns in Western MA are very nice, some quaint and others bustling. I prefer the Northampton/Amherst area, mostly because of the diversity and culture, not to mention the spectacular scenery. See my post on another thread about someone looking at Salem, MA, who wants a good "walking town".

However, there are LOTS of very pretty, towns in the area, without the traffic and crowds you often get in the 5-college area (above).

Try some of the "Hill-towns" (in the Berkshires), such as Conway (incredibly quaint!), Williamsburg or Leyden. If you're thinking about VT, stick to Southern VT, since most Northern Vermonters won't warm up to you as you're probably used to in the South. My husband grew up in Central Ohio and still can't get used to the typical "Yankee" reserve in making friends. The further north you go, the more pronouned it is.

I lived in Central VT for awhile and try as I might, only made ONE friend (from Iowa!). The winters are tough, but as someone wrote, Burlington is very nice, and more diverse, like W. Mass. Some other nice towns in VT are Brattleboro, Townsend, Newfane, all near the Mass. border), Ludlow, Chester, Middlebury (another college town).

If you come here with an open mind & patience for making friends, you'll probably love it. As I said, you'll fit in much faster in Western Mass., than in Central or even the North or South coastal areas. Good luck!