Manchester, NH- info please

[nhyrnut]

NO the schools in manchester suck. The city itself is going to heck in a hand basket. the crime rate through the roof city wide we have had over 9 shootings throughout the city not just in certain areas. this just in the last 2 months. property taxes are exstremely high. like over 4000 dollars a year for most of us. Alot of the massachusetts liberals are moving up here to get away from the crime and just bring it with them. the southern part of the state is gone to demacrate tax and spend tax and spend but let the criminals walk. Our govenor even just past a Bill that says if you defend yourself on your own property even from a criminal the criminal walks YOU GO TO JAIL AVOID NH AT ALL COST GOV LYNCH AND HIS LIBERAL CRONNIES JUST WANT TO TAX US TO DEATH AND SET THE CRIMINALS FREE UNLESS THE HURT A COP. Don't get me wrong OFFICER Briggs was a awsome cop and person but why does he get the justice and all the crooks go free if you defend yourself from a car jacking robbery or even an assault GOV LYNCH makes sure the criminal goes free and you go to jail. again AVOID NH AT ALL COST

[OCCASparky]

Originally Posted by NYSinger

Is it really that bad?? Thinking about moving there!

NYSinger

From what I understand it's a lot of the Worchester/Lowell/other MASS exodus up there bringing their problems with them. The previous poster was right--the surrounding towns are very nice and still reasonably priced.

[oddball]

Manchester still has a much lower crime rate than most cities it's size - but crime has been rising. Manchester went through a similar phase in the early 1990s and came out of it stronger than ever - and today boasts a ton more in terms of entertainment and infrastructure than it did in the early 1990s. Back then the crime was generally relegated to a four square block radius affectingly called "the zoo". Right now the city is grappling within a similar problem. The current crime, while not grouped to a four block radius, are driven primarily by some bad apples that travel 35 minutes north from Massachusetts. Most of the issues are still clumped around "down town" and generally only late evenings in fact. The city is NOT sitting still - and they've closed nightclubs, are working with state and federal housing to get grants for tenants of apartment buildings so that they can become owners, etc as part of their on-going effort to remedy the situation. They fixed a similar crime problem in the early 90s and are actively working to fix the current issues.

Manchester is only 45 - 55 minutes from Boston or the NH Seacoast. Also - the overall property tax burden is much less than almost any of the surrounding towns and you get more city services.

There are a number of private schools available and a thriving home school community if that's a concern.

There is a minor league baseball team, minor league hockey team, and arena football team.

There are a number of decent city parks - including one large one (Livingston Park) that has a gorgeous pool (actually 2 pools). Plus there are lots of cultural events (like the St Patrick's Day parade, and GLENDI) and a ton of concerts at the 10,000 (to 11,000 depending on configuration) seat arena.

If yard size is an issue - most of the city lots are .3 of an acre and lower so be forewarned there. The North end has lots of "grand" homes (Victorian and other older styles). while there is a thriving community of 10-121 year old colonials with tons of kids and young families near the airport.

Oh - and the airport is tremendous - very easy to get in and out of and a great alternative to Logan Airport in Boston.

I lived in Manchester from 1994 - 2004 and only left because we wanted a bigger yard and a location that was closer to my job in Massachusetts and we now live in Derry. And noone paid me to say these things and I'm not a local politician!!

--------------------------------------

If this helped out then feel free to rate my reputation accordingly!

[takboof]

I just have to say. I lived in Londonderry and commuted to downtown Manchester for five years...the East side of the river. I loved New Hampshire. So much so, that we are returning this weekend to look for a house.

Comparitively speaking...New York State is WAY worse.

As for schools, New Hampshire has some of the best public schooling in the country. I believe the Nashua district has been #1 for many years.

As for Manchester...It is a nice city, but as with any city, you will want to be careful of the less desirable areas.

As an earlier poster mentioned, you might just want to live outside of the city. The properties offer more space. The taxes...well if you are from NY, don't worry, the taxes aren't as bad...believe me!

Oh, I also wanted to mention that my daily commute was 22 minutes door to door from Londonderry. I was about three miles from exit 4 on the 93, and I went right down town to where the Mill buildings are. I worked for St. Mary's Bank at the time.

HTH!

Takboof

[mlynnsoucy]

Hi everyone,
I'm new to this forum but certainly not new to NH. I'm 24 years old and have lived in Manchester, NH all my life. Being as young as I am, school in Manchester is still fresh in my memory, so here's my 2 sense. Manchester, NH can be as good or bad for your kids as you want it to be. In Manchester you can go into any store, in any area and hear a 5 year old swearing at his mother. Most (not all) parents in Manchester do not control their children, and let me tell you from experience, there is a lot of peer pressure here. As long as you can control your kids, and you pay attention to who they hang around with, they might be ok.

If your kids are young, I suggest trying to get into an area near Bodwell Rd or Cohas Ave (that's where I lived most of my life) There's an elementary school on Mammoth Rd (Green Acres) that I consider to be the best in the city. In the 5th grade I was learning high school material, and the teachers are wonderful. There's a middle school on the property also, but it wasn't built when I was at that age, so I can't comment. As for the high schools : I think they all stink! I went to Memorial, which is considered the best, but there were still stabbings and beatings happening right in front of me at least once a week. I ended up dropping out and paying for night classes at the tech school to get my diploma, because a lot of the teachers were dumb as doorknobs. Whatever you do, keep your kids away from Southside Jr High!!!!!!!!

The area I mentioned is very suburban, most houses have at least an acre lot, and there are actually 3 for sale on Cohas Ave right now. I personally know everyone on the street and I can honestly say there are no bad apples! The SW part of Bodwell Rd has a lot of brand new homes, and a very upscale developement was just built.

I couldn't have asked for a better neighborhood to grow up in. I learned street smarts by watching kids at school, but I was never intersted in any of it. The stuff you see on tv did not happen in the area I grew up in.

As for myself, I don't have kids yet. When the time comes though, if I can't afford property in my old neighborhood, I plan to move as far north as I can to raise my kids. I just can't subject my children to the crap that happens in Manchester.

And in response to the posts about the shooting of Officer Briggs: If you review the story again you'll realize that it did not start in downtown Manchester. The the suspect had fired shots just a few days before in the area near Dartmouth Hitchcock. I actuall looked at townhouses on that street earlier this month and can tell you there is nothing "inner city" about that neighborhood! So, no matter where you live in Manchester, you will be subjected to crime. You just have to do your best to keep your children away from it.

[havecatz]

My father is in the VA in Manchester NH. I live in Arlington, right outside of Boston and always thought most places in NH are quaint and sweet. Well..not Manchester, very big industrial unnattractive city!

[nhyrnut]

Originally Posted by havecatz

My father is in the VA in Manchester NH. I live in Arlington, right outside of Boston and always thought most places in NH are quaint and sweet. Well..not Manchester, very big industrial unnattractive city!

Um you live in mass and call manchester an armpit. LOL Mass can't even maintain their roads. The feds say your bridges are falling apart, and if you drive by them or under them you can see they REALLY are. 1 we are not very big only about 100,000 ppl, 2 all the mills you saw are not industrial. They are all renovated and used by IBM and the likes. You want an unatractive city look at Worcester Mass. Or Summerville Mass. this list can go on and on. You obviously didn't look around the city much. Unlike all the cities I mentioned , where I did get to look around.

[2under6]

NH has some of the lowest crime rates and was ranked the #1 best place to live due to a range of metrics. Don't let one event that (rightfully) got a lot of media attention make you think it's a scary place to live. I've lived in Manhattan (upper West side) and the South end of Boston, Windham NH and now Goffstown NH. They are all great places to live. They offer different benefits and trade-offs, but NH is a nice place to raise a family. The Manchester area (including some of the towns named in this string) has come a long way over the past few years, offering culture and fun for all ages with the Verizon center, Fisher Cats baseball and Monarch's hockey, museums and more. It's within 90 minutes of skiing, a beautiful Lakes Region, beaches and downtown Boston (okay, if it's not rush hour). I happen to like Goffstown for its sidewalks and downtown area. Some of the towns in southern NH don't really have a "downtown" but they are all close to convenient shopping even if they don't have a quaint little village. Good luck!

[bobbutts]

The negative comments are likely from those who never have left New Hampshire. As the largest city here Manchester also has NH's most crimes. Compared to other US cities of similar size it's very safe.

[CrazyDave]

Yeah there is crime in Manchester, and dirt and litter and prostitution and rape and drug dealing and public drunkeness and ,molestation and all that stuff
There is also goodness and charity and organization and vision and hope and people who will help you out of a snow bank should your car become wedged in one,
In other words you won't find anything here good or bad that you will not find anywhere else, and it is proportional to a city it's size. Our crime rate is not through the roof, there are more shootings in some cities Manchester's size in a day then there are here in a year. For every piece of scum that would drag and old woman by a car ( that was Manchester/Hooksett btw ) there are 20 that would have stopped or risked their lives trying if they were in the right place to do so.
Do Manchester's schools suck, of course they do, but then all public schools have gone down the drain, blame that on the PC crowd.
Finally Manchester like any place else is only as good as the people who lives and will live here, so instead of worrying about what Manchester will do for you( generally speaking here not pointing to any individual) worry more about what you will bring to the table.
Will you pick up your trash, will you help through whatever means opene to you to better the city, give to those in genuine need, report crime,volunteer in a community service?
In other words will you give back or just **** and moan how bad things are?