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You may want to consider Exeter as well. It's a nice small town which is only 10 minutes to the beaches at Hampton and 15 minutes to Portsmouth. It also has great schools. I have lived here for 15 years and have raised 5 daughters here and it is convenient to Boston, Portsmouth and also to I-95 and 101. You could find something very nice for the price range you are looking in. Exeter has a small town feel and also Phillips Exeter Academy, a private school that is in the center of town. I actually discovered Exeter 15 years ago when I was commuting from Kennebunk, Maine down to Boston and was looking to get a bit closer to work. Been he ever since.
Exeter is a great option. Thank you for mentioning it. Would you recommend the public schools in Exeter... is it pretty much impossible to get accepted to Phillips Exeter if you are from the town of Exeter???
Exeter is a great option. Thank you for mentioning it. Would you recommend the public schools in Exeter... is it pretty much impossible to get accepted to Phillips Exeter if you are from the town of Exeter???
It's not impossible to get accepted and you get a townie discount (and you can not board)
RYE! Besides the great beaches, proximity to Portsmouth, Rye taxes are $10.48 per $1000 max 2010.
North Hampton $14.98. Someone mentioned Exeter we pay $24.61....
If I lived in Rye instead of Exeter I would pay roughly what equates to $600 a month less or about $7200 per year (based on assessed value equality) just because of the tax rate difference... or I could afford roughly $120k more house based on todays mortgage market. Significant difference.
Have you considered Greenland ($14.06)?
As far as PEA (9-12) - Exeter children have to gain entrance based on merit like everyone else. However, I have been told that PEA employees after 2 years of service can send their children there with automatic acceptance (I do not work there so I cannot verify if this is accurate).
Other private schools in the area -
Berwick Academy in South Berwick, Maine k-12.
Dover has: Portsmouth Christian Academy, St. Thomas Aquinas High School & St. Mary Academy.
Hampton, Sacred Heart
Portsmouth, Saint Patrick School
Exeter public schools have ranked very high on the national boards in the past (Middle was top 5th in the country...not sure where it stands today). Exeter is also a beautiful town with many options for your price range. It has it's own hospital as well as a multitude of dr's offices, small town shops, and great places to walk. It does come at a higher tax price for all of these amenities though. Phillips Academy is great but there is a waiting list for their preschool (info came from a resident in Exeter with 3 & 4 year olds). There is a great charter school in the area as well (also has a waiting list but is now opening kindergarten spots). I have multiple friends who's children attend Sacred Heart. Some loved it, some switched to public in Hampton. Hampton also has a good school district, great playgrounds, great shops and groceries. I've lived in the area for 11 years after moving here from Newburyport (too pricey for us) and the area has many amenities for everyone. Good luck!
Hey. Don't hav any info to offer but thought maybe u could share your thoughts on Bedford. Why do u want to leave. We are entertaining a mov to NH from NY and considering Bedford. We hav 3 kids 9 and under. We love the beach too! Is Bedford an active community for kids? And what do most parents do for the summer? Help
Hi. Don't gt me wrong Bedford has a lot to offer. It is one of the more affluent towns in So. NH, has great schools, close proximity to Manchester (only an hour from Boston), a lot of young families, etc. Both my husband and I grew up in the immediate suburbs of Boston... we had walkable "downtowns" with unique restaurants, shops, community events. Bedford is really lacking in this department! But I have to say the town is developing a site for a "common" to host town events. We really like Portsmouth... the towns around Portsmouth don't have town centers, but at least Portsmouth is a short drive away. We are torn, we have met so many nice families here in Bedford and we are sending our daughter (3.5) to a wonderful preschool here... but we are looking for a different lifestyle.
In the summer people definitely drive to the beach (only 45min/1hr away). There is also a Bedford town pool which is great.
My kids are a little younger than yours (3.5 and 1.5) so I don't know much about summer camps, etc.
Hope this helps you! Overall, I guess I would say it all depends what you are looking for...
Thanks for the info. Can I pick your brain a little more... And not to sound rude but how old are you? I'm afraid if we move there I will be old mom at 41 years with a three year old! I came from NYC and was a young mom there. From the city we moved to Long Island. We live in nice town now have small property and front yard with sidewalks. Probably much like where u lived in MA. I love to drink a glass of wine on my porch and chat with neighbors n friends walking or driving by. I am afraid of Bedford and living in the woods. I hate the woods! My kids have tons of friends outside their door here. And picking and dropping off kids is so quick n easy and we all live so close. How are the people there? It sounds like I am looking for the same things as u.... Not sure Bedford would be a good fit for me. Also there doesn't seem to be many upscale towns w great schools. We can afford to do private but I'm not that kind of person. I was lookin at Execter bc I thought close to beach n manchester but came to conclusion it was outdated n didn't see any good home listings PLUS my grandmother told me never live near river. Frekin rivers are always flooding. I could be totally wrong. I thought windham might be a good town too but realized it was too far from manchester. If I'm gonna drag my family to NH I want my husband to hav under 30 min commute. We are struggling and don't know if we would fit in there!
I was lookin at Execter bc I thought close to beach n manchester but came to conclusion it was outdated n didn't see any good home listings PLUS my grandmother told me never live near river. Frekin rivers are always flooding.
Just wondering what, in your opinion, makes Exeter "outdated"? As far as the Exeter River and flooding, the vast majority of houses in Exeter are not impacted by the water level of the river.
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