Worst places in N.H. (Manchester, Nashua: relocate, budget, vacation)

[jaecamp]

I also lived in Derry, Manchester, Salem etc for many years and those areas are NOT as bad as the posts that I am reading here would make them seem! Derry has a great school in Pinkerton Academy that as much as I (like most high school students!) hated to go I have to admit (although grudgingly) that they did give me a great education. So yes Derry is great if you have children, and the crime in places like Manchester is only significant if you are comparing it to someplace like Derry, Londonderry, Chester etc., but is nothing compared to just about any other city you can think of! I've moved out of the area now, but I would still live there if I could afford a decent place and that would most likely be right in Manchester or Nashua.

[HaverhillBound]

Originally Posted by jaecamp

I also lived in Derry, Manchester, Salem etc for many years and those areas are NOT as bad as the posts that I am reading here would make them seem! Derry has a great school in Pinkerton Academy that as much as I (like most high school students!) hated to go I have to admit (although grudgingly) that they did give me a great education. So yes Derry is great if you have children, and the crime in places like Manchester is only significant if you are comparing it to someplace like Derry, Londonderry, Chester etc., but is nothing compared to just about any other city you can think of! I've moved out of the area now, but I would still live there if I could afford a decent place and that would most likely be right in Manchester or Nashua.

From your perspective that may be correct, but police records, and crime statistics disagree with you.

[chrisvivieros]

I have to agree! No neighbors is the keep up here. We love living in Littleton in the middle of acreage and seeing no one. It is SO peaceful. No stress or road rage up here. Lovin' it.

[oddball]

What crime statistics are you refrring to? Which town? What year?

Thanks

[HaverhillBound]

Originally Posted by oddball

What crime statistics are you refrring to? Which town? What year?

Thanks

Urban as opposed to rural.

[granitrock]

So N.H. isn't that bad our crime rate is still low.

[OCCASparky]

Maybe I'm getting spoiled. I live near Hampton and even with their "high" crime rate it's still MUCH lower than what I had to deal with in CA.

[mal7014]

I think New Hampshire is a wonderful state to raise a family. But you do need to choose a good town. Many factors lead to a "bad" town. High taxes (without great schools and services) and high crime are just a couple. The only place I can't recommend is Manchester (and even that has it's good areas). Personally, I wouldn't want to live in Manchester, Derry, Salem or Nashua.

[MsJL]

Originally Posted by jaecamp

I also lived in Derry, Manchester, Salem etc for many years and those areas are NOT as bad as the posts that I am reading here would make them seem! Derry has a great school in Pinkerton Academy that as much as I (like most high school students!) hated to go I have to admit (although grudgingly) that they did give me a great education. So yes Derry is great if you have children, and the crime in places like Manchester is only significant if you are comparing it to someplace like Derry, Londonderry, Chester etc., but is nothing compared to just about any other city you can think of! I've moved out of the area now, but I would still live there if I could afford a decent place and that would most likely be right in Manchester or Nashua.

That's one of the problems, finding affordable housing - which, even if you do, is hard to manage anyway because of utility costs and taxes.

I don't know your age, but I don't get the impression that you've actually raised children in the areas you referred to (forgive me if I misread you there.) I raised both of my children - from ages 5 and 7, to 16 and 18 - in Derry and Manchester, and it was not a good experience. Not just the crime, but everything from the quality of life to the medical care was far enough below ideal to make it a rather distressing existence there.

But that's just my experience. I'm sure yours would be valid for many people, as well. And NH, away from the cities, is really a lovely state to look at - it does have its good qualities.

[IveBeenEverywhereMan]

I'm not from MA, but I've lived in the UK, France, Canada, California, Alabama and a few years in MA. Glad to see some Massachusans migrating. Comeon, you guys, how many of you work in MA and live in NH? I don't see anyone having less kids. So how can you complain about the population. People just love to reproduce. They think they deserve to multiply like rabbits.

When I moved here 10 years ago, you guys didn't even sell tortillas! It was sad. How much kraft cheese and wonderbread can a body stand? How many dirt bikes can you crash and burn? How many ducks can you shoot and eat? Okay, you can mow your lawn endlessly in your hummer of lawn mower.

A little culture is creeping in as well, but nobody's gonna acuse us of being the Vanguard. I'm feeling good! Hah Hah Bush is on the run! You go, New Hampshire. Get used to it, You Stand-Stillers. Nothing stands still. If it tries to stand still, it can't because it's moving backward.

It's simple physics.