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Do towns like Bedford and Merrimack have neighborhoods where you could walk with the dogs and kids? Some of the posts made it sound like you cannot even see your neighbor's house (which I guess could be ok ). If planning a visit to the area in the dead of winter, any suggestions on things to see and do?
Towns like Merrimack and Bedford DO have neighborhoods where you can walk the dogs and kids can ride their bikes. You might pay a bit more for a house in a neighborhood, but IMO, it's worth it for quality of life and then again for resale down the road. In some of those neighborhoods, you won't be able to see your neighbor's house, due to 1-acre minimum zoning in many areas. Remember, in many neighborhoods, you'll have private well water and septic system, and those need a minimum of 75 feet distance.
There are also many areas of winding country roads where I would caution adults not to walk (certainly no sidewalks or bicycle lane, soft shoulders, etc.
A mid-winter visit requires plenty of advance planning, especially if kids are coming along (if they are, how old are they?) If there is snow, you might go skating, skiing (downhill or x-country) or perhaps a sleigh ride with hot cocoa. If you're not the out -doorsy type, there are various museums (science, art, kids, etc), classic-video game arcades, malls, historical areas. Seaports like Portsmouth and Newburyport (MA) are beautiful year round, have great shopping and lots of restaurants. I'm sure others will be along with more suggestions
KPC - if you look at the satellite view of Merrimack on mapquest or google maps, you can zoom in and get a sense of how close together the houses are. Compare with the satellite view of where you live now. You might be able to look at street views too (just like driving down the road).
I always put the town name in a google images search too, to see if there's any photos of it. It's hard to scope out a town from so far away, but those things will help give you an idea about the area.
I think it might be a lot busier and have more of a Mass. influence in that area then, say, around Concord. I haven't actually seen Merrimack, but I once drove Rt. 101 (west of there) at rush hour and it was like a parking lot. I think everyone goes that way to avoid going through Nashua.
The only issue I've noticed with the schools after moving into NH from MA. is my son has much less homework. (Not that he's complaining ) We've been pro-active on this and keep him occupied with on-line courses from Johns-Hopkins CTY program. Your boys will need a referral from their teacher for the program but its really helping.
If you really want to keep those boys busy get them involved with scouting.
With three young boys, the schools are going to be very important. In this area, check Amherst, Bedford, and Hollis as the schools are well regarded. I have had two daughters go through the Amherst schools and gone on to college and one still at the high school...
As for neighborhoods, there are some. We were able to find more in Amherst than in Hollis. We are in a neighborhood near a golf course where all the houses have 1/2 to 2/3 acre and the common land makes up the 2 acre/house minimum for the street. I can see plenty of neighbor houses. The cul de sac is nice as well...
Greetings to one and all! I too, am a native NY'er along with my wife...and we've visited NH twice--once in September during our anniversary, and during the long weekend break of this past Thanksgiving. We'll be coming back again in early April of 2012. To say we're in love with New Hampshire would be an understatement!! We've done quite a bit of research apart from our visits and can't seem to find anything that would indicate 'red flag...' Currently, my wife is taking courses in medical billing/coding and should be finished in March. I drive transit buses in Ithaca, but am looking to do something entirely different...or, if I absolutely must drive for a living, I no longer wish to drive LIVE cargo...lol...I aim to find out soon what it'll take to get my driver's license changed from NY status to NH status.
We may have grown up here and established ourselves here...but it's BEEN at a point for many years now where we feel we're just spinning our wheels....and we're starting to feel the slip backwards. Some could argue the grass isn't always greener on the other side, but currently; the wife and I would beg to disagree...if the grass ain't greener, we'll find ways to make it greener...'cuz to try and do it here in NY is a losing proposition!! We've visited/been through quite a bit of NH's lower half...including (but not limited to) Salem, Nashua, Manchester, Concord, Exeter, Plaistow, Derry, Londonderry, Merrimack, Portsmouth, and of course, the entire coastal drive along Route 1!! Talk about gorgeous beaches!! Since my wife and I spent a lot of our growing up on Long Island, we felt an IMMEDIATE draw to that!
We're not too stressed about property taxes as we no longer wish to be home owners...(we feel it's an over-rated experience), and as we learned from some long-time residents (native and otherwise), renting seems to be the way to go. Our biggest concern (if anything) is finding gainful employment in what we do respectively, and we are making inroads to that end even as you all read this...
...freedom is where you find it...and NH has clearly shown us a side to living that NY NEVER could! We're hoping to make our transition complete by July (August, the latest) of '12. The best of luck to anyone who wishes/intends to do the same, 'cause OUR feeling is, it's DEFINITELY going to be worth it!!!
NH is great and I feel you will love it. Sure its more rural and property tax will run a bit higher depending on the town your in, but you will save on income and sales taxes.
Here in Bow i have a 2100 sq foot house on 3.5 acres in a neighborhood, and my taxes are 7700 a year. not cheap. But the town has a great school system and I am 10 minutes from the biggest city in the state as well as 10 minutes from the capital city. as close as i am to these things i still have privacy (town has a 2 acre minimum building lot) and a neighborhood setting. (Y shaped neighborhood)
My last house was in goffstown on a quarter acre near the village, great walkable neighborhood, not so much privacy.
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). If planning a visit to the area in the dead of winter, any suggestions on things to see and do?
) We've been pro-active on this and keep him occupied with on-line courses from Johns-Hopkins CTY program. Your boys will need a referral from their teacher for the program but its really helping. 
New to site, and feeling KPCupstate's pain...lol
