Exeter Fantastic ;-) (Stratham, Kingston, Epping: sales, crime, school district)

[TCSCT]

MY FAMILY AND I ARE PLANNING A MOVE TO NH. MY HUBBY WILL BE WORKING IN EXETER. WE HAVE 1 YOUNG CHILD AND NEED A TOWN WITH A GOOD SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT IS OUR MAIN CONCERN. I HAVE DONE RESEACH AND HAVE FOUND THAT THE SAU16 SCHOOL DISTRICT IN EXETER IS ONE OF THE BEST. BESIDES OYSTER RIVER, BUT DONT WANT TO LIVE IN COLLEGE TOWNS. I HAVE ALSO LOOKED INTO THE SANBORNE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN KINGSTON NH. THAT IS OKAY, NOT AS GOOD AS EXETER BUT CHEAPER TO LIVE AND LESS STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOLS. SO IF OUR DAUGHTER GOES TO SCHOOL IN EXETER WE CAN CHOOSE BETWEEN THE TOWNS OF KENSINGTON, STRATHAM, NEWFIELDS, EXETER, E.KINGSTON AND BRENTWOOD. WE LIKE A SMALL TOWN, BACK LOT WITH LAND AND WOODS. NOT MANY PEOPLE IN TOWN. BUT GOOD ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN. I LIVE IN CT IN A TOWN OF 13,000.00 PEOPLE NICE TOWN BUT CLOSE TO LARGE CITY WITH CRIMINALS. I ALSO LIKE KINGSTON AND NORTHWOOD NH. BUT NO SO SHURE ABOUT THE SCHOOLS IN KINGSTON. I KNOW NORTHWOOD HAS A GOOD SCHOOL SYSTEM BUT A LITTLE FAR FROM EXETER. WE WERE ALSO THINKING OF MOVING TO NEARBY MAINE, ELIOT OR BERWICK, GOOD SCHOOLS, CHEAPER TAXES. BUT I DO LIKE THE AREA OF EXETER. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR ME??? I ALSO HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT LIVING CLOSE TO SEABROOK WHERE THE POWER PLANT IS, ANY NEWS ABOUT THAT???

[Annabelle]

Originally Posted by TCSCT

SO IF OUR DAUGHTER GOES TO SCHOOL IN EXETER WE CAN CHOOSE BETWEEN THE TOWNS OF KENSINGTON, STRATHAM, NEWFIELDS, EXETER, E.KINGSTON AND BRENTWOOD. WE LIKE A SMALL TOWN, BACK LOT WITH LAND AND WOODS. NOT MANY PEOPLE IN TOWN. BUT GOOD ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN. WE WERE ALSO THINKING OF MOVING TO NEARBY MAINE, ELIOT OR BERWICK, GOOD SCHOOLS, CHEAPER TAXES. I ALSO HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT LIVING CLOSE TO SEABROOK WHERE THE POWER PLANT IS, ANY NEWS ABOUT THAT???

Just a reminder that within SAU16, the elementary school students attend school in the town in which they live. Middle school students attend the Co-op in Stratham and then high school at Exeter High. One thing to consider since you want to live in an area with land and woods if you choose a location at the far ends of Kensington or E. Kingston or Brentwood, that the bus ride to Stratham can be quite long from those areas.

Only property taxes are cheaper in Maine than in NH. They will tax you to death in other areas. I've lived in both states and prefer NH.

Seabrook Power plant? I rarely think about it.
Good luck in your search.

[GregW]

Check the thread about Peterboro. That small city has a similiar ambiance but being less directly connected to the rest of the world may have lower priced housing.

[TCSCT]

Thanks for your input, i was also looking at the town of northwood, they have good schools, housing seems to be cheaper up there. Does anyone know about northwood.???

[Valerie C]

TCSCT, good for you for doing your research BEFORE moving your family to New Hampshire! So many people don't... Seabrook has become sort of a non-issue for many residents in the area. Living near a nuclear plant is something that people have become used to. There was so much opposition to the plant when it was under construction back in the 70's, protests, etc. Seeing the emergency sirens is still sort of creepy when you think "what if" but it's been running since the early 90's, and so far, so good (never mind those pesky 6-legged starfish or those greenish-glowing flounder that we catch) Of course our electricity is no bargain - certainly not what NH had been promised.

[TCSCT]

I feel like ever since my husband told me we are moving to nh alls i have been doing is research. I was worried about the power plant, but of course my husband just says we have them in ct also. Ya, but we dont live to close to any!!! I dont like the town of seabrook anyways, not too many good reviews on the internet. I have narrowed my search down to only a few towns according to the school districts and how far does my husband want to drive from exeter every day. For me its not an issue ill be working out of my home. The towns that i have choosen are exeter nice town good schools and all of the towns that are included in the sau16 district. I also like kingston, seems like a nice town, but schools dont look as good?? And i do like northwood. Now alls we have to do is come up again and drive around choose our town. I cant wait nh looks soo great.

[Valerie C]

Well TCSCT, you sound sort of like me when my DH told me that we had to make a choice: stay in New England and be out of a job, or accept a transfer to the St. Louis Missouri area. We chose to take the transfer and consider it a life experience, which it sure was-and we are BACK where we belong

I have to say that you're right on the money. Kingston is a nice town, but the schools have some issues. I know more than 1 family who has moved from Kingston and Newton also, because of the schools....

Northwood is nice, but not the most convenient to get to Exeter on a daily basis. The HS kids are tuitioned to Coe Brown Academy (similar to Derry and Hampstead HS students being tuitioned to Pinkerton Academy) Nice to be in a private academy without paying tuition (of course your taxes pay for it, but you got to pay taxes anywhere you go...)

Enjoy your research--I wish that I had a resource like this when we moved--we found a rental that would allow the dogs, and lived there for 6 months while I scoped out the area. Seems to be one of those wifely duties...

[TCSCT]

Yes, i think we may rent for a while too, with dogs!! Then i can scope out the area. We are taking a trip up on labor day weekend. Thats when im going to do my looking. Try to find a rent for something. Thanks for you help.

[UCONN]

We love it here. It's easy to get involved in the community and we are a short drive to Portsmouth on backroads.

[Rexicana]

I don't think you would have a problem as a CPA in Keene and as for your husband, it depends on what kind of programming. There are a few colleges there and some companies that need some level of programming. I bet there are some small tech companies there too, but I don't know of any off hand. If he is used to doing research or project management/programming then it may not be the *best* area. I keep seeing little companies around the Monadnock Region (my husband is a programmer so I keep tabs on closer jobs), so I wouldn't be surprised to find some in Keene . . .just not a lot.