Concord - tell me about it! (Manchester, Merrimack: fit in, section 8, apartments)

[dwiggin3]

I just applied for a job in Concord. It's a REAL long-shot but I figure I've got to at least look. I've done a bit of research about NH, VT ect. but would love to hear from those of you in and around Concord. I'd be coming from N. VA - the DC area which already has a high COL but I'm in a rent-controlled apartment, so I'm not sure things would be any cheaper on the housing end. I'm single w/no kids so it's just me - though I might like to get a dog.

1. What are Concord and the surrounding area like? My understanding is that it's fairly urban (for NH standards) but has a tremendous amount of charm, old buildings, history ect. I know that there are websites out for rating towns/cities - do any of you have some particularly informative ones you care to share? I’m looking for things such as median income, housing profiles, population, weather, culture ect.


2. What is the apartment rental market like? Do most units come with some/all/no utilities paid for? Assuming no utilities are paid, can anyone comment on heating costs for roughly 700sq. feet? What about water, sewer, trash/snow removal, cooking gas ect? (Specifically snow removal, I don't have 4WD). I'd prefer to stay away from your traditional multi-unit, cardboard cutout or high-rise rentals but am uncertain what the rental market is like in the area (in DC, they're all multi-unit's with paper-thin walls, no character ect). I'd prefer not to live far from work (I use to do the 120 mile round trip commute and can't do it anymore. For now, I live 13 miles from work and it takes me 30 min. with all the traffic) but again, a 30min drive on the interstate is an entirely different beast than 30 min on surface roads with traffic lights.

3. Cost of living - aside from rent and the associated heat/electrical/phone expenses, are things such as groceries, gas, insurance (car/rental) higher than say, the DC metro area? Suggestions on places to look at this info? I currently earn in the upper 30’s now (which is terrible for my location and my education) and the job is paying slightly more than I currently make.

4. Weather. I know its cold/snowy in the winter and I assume that the spring is fairly muddy. Summers are warm but not hot, low humidity, open-window sleeping weather (no need for AC right? do people in NH even have AC?) and the fall to die for ...anything else I should be aware of?

5. Culture/Outdoors. What is in the Concord area for entertainment/activities? I not into movies, plays, opera or the other stuff you tend to find in urban areas. I like country fairs, small shops, historical buildings, farms ect. I figure as long as I'm within a 30 min. drive of the grocery store and either a Walmart or Target, I'm fine.

6. Pictures. Do any of you have pictures of Concord and the surrounding? I’d love to see them. Feel free to post them here or on the NH photo link.

7. Other. Anything else I ought to know about?

[nicolem]

Originally Posted by dwiggin3

I just applied for a job in Concord. It's a REAL long-shot but I figure I've got to at least look. I've done a bit of research about NH, VT ect. but would love to hear from those of you in and around Concord. I'd be coming from N. VA - the DC area which already has a high COL but I'm in a rent-controlled apartment, so I'm not sure things would be any cheaper on the housing end. I'm single w/no kids so it's just me - though I might like to get a dog.

1. What are Concord and the surrounding area like? My understanding is that it's fairly urban (for NH standards) but has a tremendous amount of charm, old buildings, history ect. I know that there are websites out for rating towns/cities - do any of you have some particularly informative ones you care to share? I’m looking for things such as median income, housing profiles, population, weather, culture ect.


2. What is the apartment rental market like? Do most units come with some/all/no utilities paid for? Assuming no utilities are paid, can anyone comment on heating costs for roughly 700sq. feet? What about water, sewer, trash/snow removal, cooking gas ect? (Specifically snow removal, I don't have 4WD). I'd prefer to stay away from your traditional multi-unit, cardboard cutout or high-rise rentals but am uncertain what the rental market is like in the area (in DC, they're all multi-unit's with paper-thin walls, no character ect). I'd prefer not to live far from work (I use to do the 120 mile round trip commute and can't do it anymore. For now, I live 13 miles from work and it takes me 30 min. with all the traffic) but again, a 30min drive on the interstate is an entirely different beast than 30 min on surface roads with traffic lights.

3. Cost of living - aside from rent and the associated heat/electrical/phone expenses, are things such as groceries, gas, insurance (car/rental) higher than say, the DC metro area? Suggestions on places to look at this info? I currently earn in the upper 30’s now (which is terrible for my location and my education) and the job is paying slightly more than I currently make.

4. Weather. I know its cold/snowy in the winter and I assume that the spring is fairly muddy. Summers are warm but not hot, low humidity, open-window sleeping weather (no need for AC right? do people in NH even have AC?) and the fall to die for ...anything else I should be aware of?

5. Culture/Outdoors. What is in the Concord area for entertainment/activities? I not into movies, plays, opera or the other stuff you tend to find in urban areas. I like country fairs, small shops, historical buildings, farms ect. I figure as long as I'm within a 30 min. drive of the grocery store and either a Walmart or Target, I'm fine.

6. Pictures. Do any of you have pictures of Concord and the surrounding? I’d love to see them. Feel free to post them here or on the NH photo link.

7. Other. Anything else I ought to know about?

The apartment market in Concord is not too great. A lot of the decent apartments have been "converted" into condos. I would avoid any apartment on Loudon Road as there are a lot of section 8 apartments. Most apartments do remove snow but the parking lots are usually a mess for the first couple of days after the storm. The apartment that I used to live in we paid electric but I know someone who still lives there and now they pay water/sewer.

Please be careful about living in one of those old victorian homes-especially on Fisherville/North Main street-this is where a majority of the city's registered sex offenders live. You can look it up yourself and see.

You can drive to the Hopkinton State Fair- about a 15 minute ride-it is held on Labor Day weekend. Concord does have a nice downtown. Concord has both a Target and Walmart among other stores. Concord is growing-both homes and retail. If you are into politics-we are the home of the first in the nation primary and a lot of politicians have offices downtown.

Concord is great-location wise. Hop on the highway and you can get to the mountans, seacoast, lakes etc. It is driving distance to attractions in Maine, Mass and Vt if that is your thing. Two NASCAR races a year are held in nearby Loudon.

Regarding your comment about humidity-yes it does get very humid here. We ran our air most nights when we lived in our apt in Concord. It really can get hot and humid here.

If you are of the extreme liberal pursuasion than you should love Concord and fit in nicely-that is why we moved out.

Good luck with the job,

Nicole

[nicolem]

Also-you mentioned getting a dog. It is hard to find apartments that allow pets. The apartment that we lived in allowed only cats-which we had. I am unaware of apartments in Concord that allow dogs. When we moved in it was very hard to find apartments allowing animals-not sure if that has changed or not.

[buck naked]

I lived in Concord for 4 years. It has the most incredible crazy weather. The storms just seem to be centered around the city. I'm not sure if it's the proximity to the Merrimack River or why.


It's a very nice town with all the amenities.

"I not into movies, plays, opera or the other stuff you tend to find in urban areas. I like country fairs, small shops, historical buildings, farms ect. I figure as long as I'm within a 30 min. drive of the grocery store and either a Walmart or Target, I'm fine."

you may want to check out the areas surrounding Concord instead of living right in town.

I managed to get an apartment up on the heights that included heat and hot water. I believe there were section 8 residents as well, but I never had a problem. Prior to that, I had a tiny apt. with 3 rooms and electric heat. My heating bill was higher than my rent. Electric heat is not the way to go in NH.

[unknown stuntman]

In short, very good location, and probably the boringest state capital outside Pierre, South Dakota. I don't like Concord at all beyond the easy access to the mts and lakes region. Real eyesores abound too as there is a plethora of those ugly Budwesier Nascar jackets every where you walk. But if a suburban, family style locale fits your boat, then it might be a good fit.

[bryfry]

I like Concord. I've had nothing but good experiences while visiting there. Great shopping along main st, managable traffic, pleasant locals, and access to mountains, skiing, etc. A bit of a liberal buzz around town, no doubt because of the Capital, but I can overlook that as long as I have a good time. I wouldn't live there, but I wouldn't be against working there or shopping there regularly.

[dwiggin3]

Originally Posted by unknown stuntman

In short, very good location, and probably the boringest state capital outside Pierre, South Dakota. I don't like Concord at all beyond the easy access to the mts and lakes region. Real eyesores abound too as there is a plethora of those ugly Budwesier Nascar jackets every where you walk. But if a suburban, family style locale fits your boat, then it might be a good fit.

Uh, no, I don't like hte suburban life. I suppose I was under the impression that Concord was a nice, small town and not overly commercialized and developed. I currently live in the 'burbs and hate it....looking for a slower pace and more of a small-town/village feeling. Any suggestions on the surrounding areas?

[unknown stuntman]

Originally Posted by dwiggin3

Uh, no, I don't like hte suburban life. I suppose I was under the impression that Concord was a nice, small town and not overly commercialized and developed. I currently live in the 'burbs and hate it....looking for a slower pace and more of a small-town/village feeling. Any suggestions on the surrounding areas?

Perhaps Allenstown, Pembroke, Chichester or Epsom. All have a real small-town feel and would hardly be classified as the burbs and certainly not in the context of northern VA , Silver Spring and Columbia MD, and the rest of that nightmare cookie-sutter, strip mall, congested hell-hole that surrounds DC. I feel your pain when I resided in Columbia and had to commute to various spots in metro DC & Baltimore- lived it- and barely, barely survived it. Concord itself is a far better pace of life and quality of life with proximity to alot of NH's magnificent beauty and I wouldn't turn it down if it got you out of the DC area. But just by NH standards I think you can do alot better than Concord while still living in the vicinity. Main Street has some charm, but other than that, life seems to revolve around Rt 9 and the typical world of malls and chains. And while it is a small city I understand, it is still a desolute city after dark.

[buck naked]

"I was under the impression that Concord was a nice, small town"


Concord is a nice small CITY.

[dwiggin3]

Originally Posted by buck naked

"I was under the impression that Concord was a nice, small town"


Concord is a nice small CITY.

okay..any thoughts on Manchester - seems like it just gets bigger.

I suppose I wouldn't mind living in a "city" if it were a small city and full of historic places. I just hate the feel of the suburbs and I think my perception of "City" is skewed since I live in the DC area and well, DC is really a different kind of city.

I'll check some of those smaller towns..but am uncertain what I'll find in the way of rentals...what I found of the web tended to be really run-down, old (and I don't mean charming old) scary places or your typical large apt. complexes that like cookie-cutouts.

Thoughts on living in Manchester?