Interesting Union Leader article (Manchester, Nashua: condo, crime, affordable houses)

[Valerie C]

I picked up the Union Leader this afternoon, front page article caught my eye. Seems that our recent discussion on the changes in New Hampshire are a reflection on the general feeling in the state. Here's the first couple paragraphs:

Nearly nine of 10 readers who participated in an online survey believe that southern New Hampshire is becoming more like Massachusetts -- and most are not happy about it.

Eighty-four percent of the nearly 900 people who took part in the informal UnionLeader.com survey are concerned that the "traditional culture" of New Hampshire is changing as people move here from other states -- including 63 percent who are "very" concerned. Only 10 percent were "not very concerned," while six percent were "not concerned at all.

Click here for the entire story-->

http://www.unionleader.com/article.a...e-e43665728cf3

[TexasRR]

I am concerned, and I am not even there yet. I am moving to New Hampshire to integrate with THAT way of life, and rid myself of the rat race, and many other things I just cannot tolerate where I live now. I suggest those that love New Hampshire, and the New England way of life stand up and do something about what is happening, before it is too late.

[frozintime]

This is a tough one....having moved here about 1 1/2 years ago from Omaha, NE has been the best thing we(wife and I) have done done. This is a great state in many respects. We came here mostly because my wife and I fit here in so many ways.....not to mention the no state income taxes.

Politically and socially it becomes very dangerous to brand a certain type of person or group of people regardless of who or what they believe or where they are from....even if they are from Massachusettes(which I cant stand either...the state, not the people although some drive like ****)....but it doesnt mean all the people leaving Massachusettes are doing so because they love Massachusettes so much. They aren't on missions to convert people here are they? They just love taxes after all!

The problem today is fear....people believe, say and do things they normally wouldnt because of it. The cure....dont be scared and go talk to someone. Ideas...share an idea. Talk to the people that just moved here from Massachusettes and let em know why its so great here. I dont think this "poll" is very representative, but somewhat skewed towards a negative stereo-type.....of course you may have it out for ex-cornhuskers too. Then it will be the Mainers....then you oughta get the drift.

Fear of what they are gonna do and not what they have done sounds all too familiar.

[paradiddle]

Originally Posted by Valerie C

I picked up the Union Leader this afternoon, front page article caught my eye. Seems that our recent discussion on the changes in New Hampshire are a reflection on the general feeling in the state. Here's the first couple paragraphs:

Nearly nine of 10 readers who participated in an online survey believe that southern New Hampshire is becoming more like Massachusetts -- and most are not happy about it.

Eighty-four percent of the nearly 900 people who took part in the informal UnionLeader.com survey are concerned that the "traditional culture" of New Hampshire is changing as people move here from other states -- including 63 percent who are "very" concerned. Only 10 percent were "not very concerned," while six percent were "not concerned at all.

Click here for the entire story-->

http://www.unionleader.com/article.a...e-e43665728cf3

Hey Valerie, I find it interesting too. You can't stop progress/change whatever one would call it. I guess. I heard the same thing when I moved to Barrington, NH from Woburn, Mass in 1990. People come to NH because they want change. They also bring some change with them. What can you do? They could move to Maine or Peoples Republic of VT. but NH must fit the newcomers better.

There is a big difference between living in south (Pelham/Salem/Nashua) , mid (Manchester - Concord), Seacoast (Portsmouth), North Country (Littleton)
and west (Keene).

It will all change as long as populations increase, legal immigration continues etc. If a place is desirable then people will move there. If older NH people don't like it, I think Montana has a lot of room. I don't even think they have 950K people? (Moving to Montana soon, going to be a dental floss tycoon...
F.Zappa)

We moved to Fla for ONE reason - weather. Florida can be tough but the weather is great. I was swimming today, rode my bicycle with shorts, went to the beach. I don't get sick every winter like I did up North. I have no excuses to get into shape as the weather always cooperates.

But good jobs are hard to find, people are very transient, hard to meet people who are here 50% of the year and/or move away. Some retire to Fla. and go "halfback" to Tenn, or NC. The Fla. locals or fulltimers hate the newcomers & snowbirds. The nature of the beast, Fla = good weather. people move to Fla. NH = more elbow room, more affordable houses, jobs etc. people move to NH.

NH weather is a little harsher than even 50 miles south in woburn,ma. Even in Manchester, spring comes later, fall earlier, winter longer and colder. If your moving up from MD or Va. your in for a weather shock. It's tougher.
Mass. people may adjust easier.

[vter]

Vermont used to be very much like New Hampshire....until about the 60s when folks from other states started moving in. The culture of our state has definately changed, though there are still pockets of the old Vermont around (thank goodness!).
Sound like the same is happening in NH, just a few decades later. Of course it doesnt help that SoNH is so close to the greater Boston area.
Interesting article Valerie....thanks for sharing!

[nicolem]

The problem is that many people are moving here not because they like it or want to preserve the way of life, but because in most cases they can get a cheaper house. Even though home prices in NH are out of control-they can sell their Mass home for more money and thus buy a bigger more showy home here. Then they move here and want everything like home. I think that is awful.

I moved here from NJ in 1999. I want NH to stay the way it WAS when I moved here. While I miss many things about NJ and still feel somewhat out of place and definetly miss my home, I have never once wanted, asked or demaned that anything be changed. I have too much respect for the state of New Hampshire and it's people for that. I think it is disgusting that anyone would.

I personally saw my home in NJ ruined by New Yorkers-among others-who moved to central and southern NJ for only cheaper housing. They destroyed the way of life in NJ. NJ was a wonderful place to live in-much like NH. I grew up by the ocean, farms etc. Once the New Yorkers came in with a more "liberal" mentality things went down hill. Politics, corruption,much more entitlements, etc. Then after that illegal aliens followed. This is something that I am fearfrul for NH. People can say what they want, that I am crazy or whatever but the same things I saw start this mess in NJ are happening in NH as well.


I know not everyone from Mass, NY, NJ or anywhere else that move here want to change it. That is great that there are people who come here because they generally love NH. Unfortunately there are many who are the opposite. They come here for any reason EXCEPT the live free or die attitude of NH and want to make this more like their prior home.

[DareToDream]

We met a group of new people these past couple of weekends. At some point, early in our conversations, we usually say "We're flatlanders, but please don't hold that against us...we love the way things are here" (accompanied by a big smile) <g>.....One person said something that sort of ties in to this thread - "There's a big difference between people who move into the area just to move here and those who move here to LIVE here."

When you think about it, it makes sense....I think that's why we have not experienced any of the "reserve" or whatever that people frequently ask about - we moved here, not just to move (and try to change things), we moved here to LIVE (and immerse for lack of a better term, ourselves in our new way of life)...and I guess we pretty much project that to those we meet.

Anyway, the statement about "moving" vs "living" really struck a chord with me and made a whole lotta sense..........

[GregW]

We moved to New Hampshire because I had taken a job on Boston and was working in Lawrence. We could not afford a house in Mass (I was not about to live in a city – I had moved from NYC) so we heard of our condo development found the perfect place and have stayed there ever since.

As far as any poll sponsored or done by the Union Leader( aka Onion Eater) take the conclusions with a large grain of salt. The UL is the old line Republican reactionary ‘state” paper that is rapidly becoming disconnected from the people of New Hampshire. We are no longer entirely populated with people that are willing to concede all political power to the bankers, realtors and industrialists that have dominated NH politics. More of us are working to get the state government of follow its own Constitution to, among other things, actually provide an education for all the children regardless of how wealthy the town.

We are still a conservative population but we are no longer a reactionary population looking for the good old days that never were

[flu189]

I lived in Windham from '76 to '83 and back then the threat to the culture of NH was always being debated. Three weeks ago I had to go down to Devens Mass and for old times sake went to check out Windham and the place is barely recognizable from the early 80s. Every decade folks swear that they will put the brakes on development to maintain the aesthetic of their community. It never happens.

[deportallofthem]

The cities of Manchester and Portsmouth have changed greatly over the past twenty years. Manchester has experienced a rise in crime and gangs. I think we're seeing less families.
Portsmouth used to be a hard working conservative city full of people who worked in the port/shipyard. It is transforming into a little white collar place where people from Boston are moving to and thinking that they can plague the small city with big city ideas. The positive change in Portsmouth is that there is a lot of development and redevelopment/ the economy is growing.