Where to live and commute to Keene? (Peterborough: to rent, houses)

[Eroseum]

Hello,

I've been offered a position at Keene State and must relocate from the seacoast. I have never explored the area before and therefore need help deciding on where to live. Little bit about me, married with a small child so great schools and safety is a priority. I don't mind a little bit of a commute (30 mins is fine) and would take the commute over living in a remote area. I would like to be somewhat close to a larger city, again maybe 30 mins or so. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

[GregW]

Why would you want to commute at all? Keen has some very attractive areas within the developed part of the city. Besides the surrounding town are really tiny and probably underfund their schools because of their low property tax base. I suggest a couple of exploratory trips looking for houses to rent until you know where you want to live.

Congratulations on getting a job at Keene State.

[sgthoskins]

Originally Posted by GregW

Why would you want to commute at all? Keen has some very attractive areas within the developed part of the city. Besides the surrounding town are really tiny and probably underfund their schools because of their low property tax base. I suggest a couple of exploratory trips looking for houses to rent until you know where you want to live.

Congratulations on getting a job at Keene State.

+1

Keene is the largest town within 30 mins of itself.

[davidnh]

I agree,If you do not like smaller towns,You should be able to find seomthing nice right in Keene,its nice little city

[GotBackHome]

sgt hoskins is right: anywhere within 1/2 hour and you'd probably be going in to Keene for your shopping and any entertainment anyway. it classes as a small city (at least by NH standards) and there's nothing bigger in this area. Brattleboro, VT isn't far at all if you feel like crossing the border for variety, and Peterborough is probably within 1/2 hour or so - but it's smaller than Keene.

[Monader]

Originally Posted by Eroseum

I don't mind a little bit of a commute (30 mins is fine)...

A thirty-minute commute would just about cover all of Cheshire County.

Rents in Keene are high, simply because landlords will charge just as much as college students' parents are willing to pay so that their darlings can live off-campus. If you are looking to purchase a home, property taxes are something one must take into consideration. At the same time, if you have to commute between where you are living and where you work, you will also need to make that commute for grocery shopping, etc., with the concomitant expense of fuel, vehicle maintenance, and so on. And commuting during and after some of the winter storms we experience can be treacherous, indeed.

It's pretty much a coin-toss - the convenience of living within a short distance of shopping, entertainment, and other services that you may need to avail yourselves of (such as a nearby hospital and clinic) vs. the livability of the smaller communities.

The smaller communities generally have schools that cover grades one through six. After that, regional schools are the norm. Keene has several elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. But since the public education system in this country regularly graduates people that are functionally illiterate, the school system anywhere in the country is pretty much a crap-shoot. You pays your money and you takes your chances.

All-in-all, Keene is not a bad town to live in. The operative word in that statement being town. Even though Keene is counted as a city, it's really not more than an overgrown town.

One thing that I would consider a plus is the fact that the town is an intersection of all of the main transportation routes in Southwestern NH. You can get just about anywhere from here fairly easily.