Towns in NH (Manchester, Nashua, Concord: crime rate, schools, colleges)

[sevdie]

From what I am reading, I see that most of New Hampshire is rural...are there places in NH that are not as rural and more suburban or small town style than rural? In particular I am asking about:

Nashua
Portsmouth
Dover
Hanover
Concord

Any info would be appreciated. Thanks

[Mark S.]

Nashua, Manchester, and Concord are NH's biggest cities.

Lots of people live in places like Nashua, Pelham, etc., and commute to work in Massachusetts, especially Boston.

Keep in mind, too, that NH is so small that you're never really too far from anywhere else until you get way up in the White Mountains and North Woods country.

[sevdie]

Thanks. I hear Manchester has a higher crime rate than the rest f the cities, so I will stay away from there. Nashua and Dover seem to interest me though from what I am reading.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by sevdie

Thanks. I hear Manchester has a higher crime rate than the rest f the cities, so I will stay away from there.

I've heard the same thing.

I have family in Exeter, and they love it. It's not too far from Portsmouth and is within driving distance of Boston.

I also have family in Pelham who commute into Massachusetts regularly. They do complain about the long commute though.

[sevdie]

I've heard some good things about Portsmouth, so I will check that out too. Thanks.

[jipsee]

My two cents:
The Portsmouth/Dover area is great, near the seacoast and plenty to do, cool restaurants, nightlife, etc. UNH is in Durham, very close to this area. The Peterborough area is nice too...more rural but with a more progressive feel. I've heard that Jaffrey is very nice, though small. Crime in the southern NH towns seems to be on the increase, with more and more drug/gang-related violence, sadly. I would agree that Manchester fares the worst in this category.
If you like college towns, Hanover is appealing. Plymouth is nice too, but more isolated - very appealing to outdoorsy types. The Concord area is also quite nice, and the surrounding towns like New London, Canterbury, Goffstown et al are very nice places to live...with a rural type feel but close to Concord for convenience.
What else are you looking for?

[sevdie]

Hi Jipsee,

I just copied and pasted my original post from another thread. any details you can give me about any of these towns would be appreciated:

I am a Native New Yorker who currently lives in the midwest and would like to relocate to New England. My husband and I have no children and are very much into fine arts. We are looking for a quiet place in the suburbs (not rural) far away from but still within driving distance from the cities. We want to live some place SAFE and small, near the beach (preferably the ocean) with lots of snow and mild summers. We want to own our own performing arts center someday in a nearby city from where we would be living and would love to be able to commute to that city where residents would support the arts.
We are an interracial couple moving to NE from the midwest where it can sometimes be very bigoted. Are there any towns in NH with the qualities I listed above and where racism is not such a big problem? Please let me know. Any info at all would be greatly appreciated.

[dwell]

I would not say that one has to stay away from Manchester. I’ve lived in DT Manchester for about three years and it’s a great town, which turned from a dump/ghost town after 5PM, from the mid-nineties to a great city today, and is improving and getting better. 90% of the Millyard have been revitalized, the downtown is booming, events are happening almost every day... Of course the crime rate is higher; population of Manchester is the highest in the state.

[joyfulwolf]

Hi Sevdie...
Sounds like you would like the NH coastal area, or maybe you could also consider Maine's southwest coast, from NH to Portland. Actually, it sounds like Portland ME area may be your best bet as far as the fine arts go. It is a really nice city, very artsy, with several art schools and other colleges. As for the racial issue...it shouldn't be a problem in those areas, at least less so than where you are, or many other places I have known. Having once been half of a bi-racial couple myself, I can understand the concern. New England has it' s share of "rednecks" - but over-all the attitude is pretty much "live and let live"

joyfulwolf

[FranklinPierce]

Sevdie, have you looked at the Keene and Peterborough area at all? These areas are historic for their contributions to the arts and music. These are beautiful areas that you must spend some time to get a good feel for. You also have to consider the arts influence from VT, especially from Brattleboro right over the CT river. The entire southwest corner of NH is mostly rural; however, the Keene, Peterborough, Rindge, and Jaffrey areas are somewhat larger. Start you research with Keene and then Peterborough. These will yield the most promising results and help to decide whether this is an area you'd like to consider. Good luck in your search!