Commute from Hollis to Salem (Manchester, Nashua: 2013, for rent, homes) - City-Data Forum

sraikh · 02-12-2012, 09:37 AM

So we are going to be moving in April.
Spouse signed the offer letter. He would be working in Salem.

Its tough finding a school district that has good schools across all 3 levels, elem, middle and high.

I have narrowed it down to Windham, Hollis, Derry, and as a last resort Bedford. The last one I think would be too far especially in the winter.

I really liked the feel of Hollis. Would it a horrible commute for my spouse? TIA

BF66389 · 02-12-2012, 02:03 PM

I'd say 30-40 minutes. You'll need to cross the river but with the new crossing at exit 13 (off route 3) the traffic across the downtown bridge has dropped a bit. The other nice thing is that it's not a crappy drive.

Obviously Windham/Derry are closer. Bedford would add 15-20 minutes (or more). I really like Hollis. Discovered miles of hiking trails in the woods (town owned) this weekend.

Valerie C · 02-12-2012, 07:07 PM

Congratulations on the job offer. That's the first step, now checked off. Luckily, Salem is pretty easily accessible from all of the towns that you mentioned, with Hollis (as you may already know) being the furthest. It wouldn't be 'horrible' (IMO) but it might become tedious, depending on the time, getting caught behind school buses, especially along Broad Street through Hollis & Nashua... Bedford actually wouldn't be bad to Salem, depending on which side. Obviously if you're on the Amherst (west) side, the multiple traffic lights along Route 101 am/pm will be time consuming. Same deal if you're coming along Rte 101A from Hollis or (as mentioned) Amherst/west side of Bedford.

My husband commutes travels Rte 93 daily, down to Woburn, and he reports that since the construction of the onramp at Exit 3 (Windham) there is seldom a backup of any kind on the NH side of the border. This had previously been a problem area, because oncoming traffic didn't have time to reach highway speed for the merge. Since the new onramp, no backups in that area. The issue coming along 111 east, toward Salem will be solar glare, which you'll have to a lesser extent on 93 south (depending on timing & time of year).

While learning the basics (elementary schools) are important, to many it's more important that middle & high school be up to par with a variety of AP offerings, as well as extracurricular (band, sports, etc). Perhaps because we as parents can make up for some of the slack in the elementary grades, not so much as they move through the middle & high school levels.

Is the 'Bedford as last resort' more a reflection of the schools or the commute?

Quote:

Originally Posted by sraikh

So we are going to be moving in April.
Spouse signed the offer letter. He would be working in Salem.

Its tough finding a school district that has good schools across all 3 levels, elem, middle and high.

I have narrowed it down to Windham, Hollis, Derry, and as a last resort Bedford. The last one I think would be too far especially in the winter.

I really liked the feel of Hollis. Would it a horrible commute for my spouse? TIA

BF66389 · 02-12-2012, 08:28 PM

Val- that "broad street" backup is pretty exaggerated...just an FYI. I kept hearing how bad it "could be"...but have never really experienced more than a two minute delay or so.

That said- the northeast area of Hollis makes for GREAT accessibility- since you can get to Exit 6 or Exit 7 area very easily.

GregW · 02-13-2012, 05:07 AM

I would prefer to commute from the East side of the Merrimac. I suggest looking at Londonderry, Derry/East Derry, Hampstead or Salem. Practically anywhere east if the river would reduce the travel time to less than 30 min. AFIK all these towns have good school systems.

Valerie C · 02-13-2012, 06:54 AM

Just wanted to add that if you're considering Derry mainly because of Pinkerton Academy (the private academy that serves Derry HS students) there are also a few other southern NH towns you may want to consider. I don't know if you already have a HS student, but Hampstead and Chester presently tuition their HS population to Pinkerton, and beginning in 2013, Auburn (presently tuitioned to Manchester) will be as well. These 3 towns are significantly less dense than Derry, but easily accessible grocery, shopping, etc. with good proximity to Manchester, Londonderry, etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BF66389

Val- that "broad street" backup is pretty exaggerated...just an FYI. I kept hearing how bad it "could be"...but have never really experienced more than a two minute delay or so.

That said- the northeast area of Hollis makes for GREAT accessibility- since you can get to Exit 6 or Exit 7 area very easily.

Admittedly, I'm not in the Broad Street area in the morning (I'm on the other side of the river) but work with people who do, and they complain about it every so often. The Rte 111 bridge IS better than it was, but still backs up in the afternoon (I do experience that on a semi-regular basis). I agree that Exit 6 or 7 is easy to get to from that side of Hollis, but still no 'easy' way to get to Salem, and even on a clear day, no issues on well-maintained state routes 111/28, etc, it's going to be 35-45 minutes, IMO. It would NOT be a 'horrible' commute, as the OP asked, but just not as convenient as towns on the east side of the Merrimack. Certainly easier than driving to destinations in Massachusetts! On the other hand, I can get from Bedford (Rte 293) to Exit 1 in Salem in 30 minutes, sometimes less.

waterboy7375 · 02-13-2012, 07:51 AM

Hollis is a beautiful town . In my opinion , one of the nicest towns in southern nh. The ride is no big deal. Im in south Amherst right on the hollis line and go out 111 to 93 quite ofton. Not that bad of a ride.

Valerie C · 02-13-2012, 08:29 AM

Yes, Hollis IS beautiful, and (along with Amherst, Bedford, Windham) is a top-tier, somewhat exclusive town. Great schools, beautiful homes & neighborhoods, quality of life A+. I simply said it was more inconvenient, possibly tedious (being behind the same bus making the same stop daily, but not that bad, not horrible. Anyway, the op hasn't yet shared budget for a home, and whether they are going to buy or rent awhile to get a feel for the area. This could also make a difference in where they settle as well. I still find Derry the odd-town of the towns that they are considering, but they have their reasons...

Quote:

Originally Posted by waterboy7375

Hollis is a beautiful town . In my opinion , one of the nicest towns in southern nh. The ride is no big deal. Im in south Amherst right on the hollis line and go out 111 to 93 quite ofton. Not that bad of a ride.

sraikh · 02-13-2012, 08:38 AM

Thanks for the replies. My oldest will start high school next year. 2013. We will be renting and hoping to buy within the next year. Hopefully summer of 2013.

Our budget would be around $2000 per month for rental. Of course if it was cheaper, we would save that much faster and have a larger down payment for the house.
ValC, I am going to send you a detailed reply.

Ps: As a last resort for Bedford, I meant that because distance wise it seemed the furthest.