Moving to NH....? (Barrington, Nottingham, Lyme: schools, college, campground)

[buck naked]

"Next, what is the general attitude of people when told you are from California?"


we are very forgiving and understanding.....LOL

[twinmum]

Originally Posted by buck naked

"Next, what is the general attitude of people when told you are from California?"


we are very forgiving and understanding.....LOL

Hilarious! and hopefully true....
The reason why i asked was because in Seattle - we had to run (not walk) to the nearest DMV to get new plates and i.d.'s so we didn't get ran out of town and I was even born there!

[skytrekker]

Originally Posted by twinmum

I have to chime in as we are So. Cal residents considering a RELO to the North East….
We have lived in So Cal for 6 years, originally from the San Francisco bay area…. Have lived in Santa Cruz, Seattle, Portland Oregon and Colorado…loved all the places….. but this time I am terrified (but still excited) about the potential move to the east.

We are getting ready in a couple weeks to ditch the kids and go spend some quick days scouting locations. If my husband takes the job we will be fortunate enough to choose wherever we want to live (as long as we can afford it) provided it is in the New England area (as he will be working from home first and then opening an office). SO, that being said – where do we start? I am leaning towards someplace in NH. Do people commute from smaller towns to places like Boston or do people more so live where they work?

My biggest concern is good schools for my kids – for CA schools we can look up the test scores to get an idea of how they rate – is there any such thing for NH? However, I would rather not live in some snobby town just to have the best school. Next, what is the general attitude of people when told you are from California?

Lastly, forgive my ignorance (I have never been to New England – ever!) what is the weather REALLY like? How humid does it get in the summer and how crazy are the bugs?

Any insight/advice would be helpful! thanks

On New England's weather twinmum

Weather here varies as it does in California. South coastal New England (Connecticut, Rhode Island, and south eastern Mass. have the mildest climates here. For example we have no snow on the ground here in northeastern Connecticut- but Burlington Vermont has nearly 2 feet on the ground- Concord New Hampshire has had a near record this year for snowfall, as Portland Maine- but here we have had around 35" which is slightly below average- and about half that 35" fell before Christmas.

Are summers humid here? Well southern New England again will see more heat and humid conditions then northern New England- and yes, it can become quite humid and sultry here from Mid June to late August.

Yes you will sweat at times- and central air in southern New England will be needed. Good thing is these hot and sweaty conditions will last 3-5 days before relief comes from the north and west (Canada) and sometimes a back door cool front from the Atlantic and gulf of Maine.

With spring a week away- weather here this week mostly in the 45-50 range, with still chill in the night (25-35)

We have four distinct seasons here- northern New England will have the most vigorous winter. But even southern New England will have periods of cold in the winter that may be biting to west coasters.

Mid to late Spring is very Pleasant here- as well as late summer to late autumn.

[Valerie C]

Coast to coast relocation--how exciting! However, the lifestyle here in NH is quite different from what you may be accustomed to in SoCal...

You are more than likely used to living in a subdivision, maybe with a community center, theme pool, etc. That type of neighborhood is few and far between in this area--you can find them but as I said they are the exception rather than the rule.

I've heard the lifestyle here referred to as "quaint", but several regulars on this NH board have lived previously in California, and can better make the comparison you might be looking for.

Skytrekker covered alot of the weather issues. The jet stream is very active in this area, and to say the weather changes quite often is probably somewhat of an understatement. Central AC is seldom necessary in New Hampshire, but we do tend to have some 3-5 day heat waves of 90+ temps and high humidity, then thunderstorms to wash it all away. We have 4 very distinct seasons, the longest one is winter (November through March) although we won't completely leaf out up here in NH until mid-May.

You will generally find the best schools in the towns that have the highest tax rates. If you do a search on schools, you'll find the same 5 or 6 districts mentioned time and time again... Those would be Hanover, Londonderry, Bedford, Hollis, Souhegan, Oyster River & Exeter. There are other very good schools, but those get the most mention.

Can't think of anything else to mention except to enjoy your visit to the area. We are heading into a beautiful time of year, in a couple of weeks the forsythia will be blooming hopefully some of the foot+ of snow in my yard will be gone by then!

Originally Posted by twinmum

I am terrified (but still excited) about the potential move to the east. <snip> where do we start? I am leaning towards someplace in NH. Do people commute from smaller towns to places like Boston or do people more so live where they work? <snip>
I would rather not live in some snobby town just to have the best school. Next, what is the general attitude of people when told you are from California?

Lastly, forgive my ignorance (I have never been to New England – ever!) what is the weather REALLY like? How humid does it get in the summer and how crazy are the bugs?

Any insight/advice would be helpful! thanks

[twinmum]

Thank you for the informative weather update! I am excited to hear that we will be heading back at a perfect time of year albeit not a fair time to judge whether or not we can hack it there we are west coast babies.... i spent the first year in colorado living in long underwear and two pairs of socks...but i adjusted

I still have to know - what about the bugs? I have been told that the bugs are wicked back there - is that true and if so how do you enjoy the outdoors without getting eaten alive?

[skytrekker]

Originally Posted by twinmum

Thank you for the informative weather update! I am excited to hear that we will be heading back at a perfect time of year albeit not a fair time to judge whether or not we can hack it there we are west coast babies.... i spent the first year in colorado living in long underwear and two pairs of socks...but i adjusted

I still have to know - what about the bugs? I have been told that the bugs are wicked back there - is that true and if so how do you enjoy the outdoors without getting eaten alive?

Bugs can be a minor problem here- black flies in northern New England can be a real nuisance in the Spring. Mosquitoes as well in the summer, which can be made worse by rainy weather. Also because of climate change, and milder weather now in the winter, increasing tropical borne diseases from mosquitoes. Also be warned of Lyme disease- a problem throughout the northeast. Do not let children or pets into grassy or wooded areas, check for ticks on a regular basis.

Another problem, believe it or not is increasingly virulent poison ivy. Robust growth everywhere in southern New England, and very potent. It thrives on higher atmospheric levels of C02 compared to other plants. Beware!

Weather is indeed changeable here. Where winter is the dominant season in northern New England. in southern New England it is not. Southern New England's dominant season is the period from Mid August- early December- a period of warm to cool conditions, transitioning less hot summer weather into early mild autumn conditions then in mid to late Autumn balmy Indian summer weather and then early winter. A period of temperate sublime weather. Its the best time of the year here in Connecticut.

Winter in southern, and southern coastal New England is shorter and considerably milder then northern New England, from Mid December to Mid March on average. We tend to have more rain and less snow then the north. However climate change has made the winters milder everywhere in the 6 state region then in the past.

Springs here can be highly changeable and capricious. Alternating from raw cold to chilly days with clouds and rain- to warm and sunny. Also coastal locations with an on shore breeze with be cooler then hot inland locations in the summer.

[twinmum]

very informative. thank you! I can't wait to visit.

[veghead13]

It might be a little late, but I love Barrington, NH. I grew up in Rollinsford/Somersworth and work in Dover. I do love NH an awful lot. And don't worry about not getting to the beach enough in CA, there are some nice beaches here and only 30-50 minutes away (depending on which beach you go to). I prefer Rye Beach, Hampton is a little too "happening" for me, and I am only 25. And York Beach is great for families like yours. Barrington has a few hiking spots that I go to, and there are many within an hours drive. Barrington is rather affordable right now, and Dover is more city-life than Barrington, although, not even close to a city like Boston or LA. Dover schools seem alright, Barrington would go to Dover. There are private schools as well, but I'm a public gal.
Shopping- there is a mall in Newington, a 10 minute drive from Barrington/Dover, and bigger and better malls in Salem, NH, and obviuosly in Boston. Again, not more than an hour and 1/2.

Good luck and hopefully...WELCOME TO NH.

[fishnfool]

I have been told that the bugs are wicked back there

Well you're already getting the lingo down so as long as you don't say "hella" or "pop" you should fit in okay. I love the looks I get when I ask for a pop.

I live on the NH coast and didn't find bugs bad at all, or at least no wose than the midwest. I never saw a black fly last year. I do run into a LOT of bugs when I fish in the marshes but that's my own doing. If you're not in a marsh at dusk or sunrise you shouldn't have a problem. Greenheads are bad in places where they don't have traps for them, but again, if you're idea of fun is not standing ankle deep in the middle of a saltmarsh at dusk you won't run into them.

And going with the poison Ivy, I'm an environmental scientist who spends most of my time on brownfields, waste sites, fields, woods etc. It is there but NOWHERE near what I had to deal with in the midwest. I used to have some field sites where 90% of the groundcover was poison ivy for acres. I see it here but it's not bad at all.

Ticks on the other hand are a different story. I think I found close to 30 on me one day (only one attached). Thankfully they were all dog ticks. I got 17 once just walking 10 feet through a shrubby area. Those are all in places you would assume to find them though and most people would never attempt to walk though. I never got one when I wasn't at work and I spend every waking moment outdoors.

[Suzet2262]

Originally Posted by fishnfool

Well you're already getting the lingo down so as long as you don't say "hella" or "pop" you should fit in okay. I love the looks I get when I ask for a pop.

I live on the NH coast and didn't find bugs bad at all, or at least no wose than the midwest. I never saw a black fly last year. I do run into a LOT of bugs when I fish in the marshes but that's my own doing. If you're not in a marsh at dusk or sunrise you shouldn't have a problem. Greenheads are bad in places where they don't have traps for them, but again, if you're idea of fun is not standing ankle deep in the middle of a saltmarsh at dusk you won't run into them.

And going with the poison Ivy, I'm an environmental scientist who spends most of my time on brownfields, waste sites, fields, woods etc. It is there but NOWHERE near what I had to deal with in the midwest. I used to have some field sites where 90% of the groundcover was poison ivy for acres. I see it here but it's not bad at all.

Ticks on the other hand are a different story. I think I found close to 30 on me one day (only one attached). Thankfully they were all dog ticks. I got 17 once just walking 10 feet through a shrubby area. Those are all in places you would assume to find them though and most people would never attempt to walk though. I never got one when I wasn't at work and I spend every waking moment outdoors.

Omg, I have the willies just reading that Those things scare the heck out of me. We never get ticks here were I live. One good thing about living in So Cali....