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Old 05-04-2015, 02:21 AM
 
78 posts, read 92,271 times
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My family and I are considering moving to the Concord area, and would appreciate some feedback to our questions.

We are moving from a large metro area (suburb-exurb). We picked the Concord area because we wanted to live in a small city/town with some urban amenities and also in a state with relatively low tax and regulatory burden. We are also looking for an area with the usual qualities a lot of other families seek such as low crime rates, high level of education, good quality schools, and a strong sense of community

So, here are some practical questions, in no particular order. I appreciate any relevant reply:

1. What are the most affluent areas of Concord with such qualities (safety/education/schools/community)? How do Hopkinton and Bow stack up? Are there similar areas within the city limits of Concord itself?

2. Which area is the most walkable yet also family-oriented?

3. Which area has the most stereotypical New England village-like setting/vibe?

4. Is most shopping done at the Steeplegate Mall?

5. How do the state prison/halfway house and the power station affect the quality of life in Concord/Hopkinton/Bow (crime, pollution, etc.)?

6. Why is the per capita number of sexual offenders in Concord so high? Is it because of the prison or the halfway house?

7. The crime rate in general seems to be moderately below the national average and rates of murder, robbery, assault, burglary, and auto theft are low (about half the national average). The theft rate seems slightly higher than the national average, but shockingly rape rate is *twice* the national average? Why is this?

8. Is Lyme disease very prevalent in the area? How do most people deal with this, especially as it relates to children and pets? Do they spray their yards/acreages?

9. Why does City Data list such high average costs of living for the area?

10. Are some of the towns on the NH-MA border more afflicted with urban problems? Are there "spillovers" from these areas to the areas around Concord?

11. What kind of outdoor activities are available within Concord and within, say, 1 hour radius of the city?

12. Are people still gentlemanly and lady-like in the area? Do drivers stop for pedestrians who cross roads?

13. What kind of reliable high speed internet/FiOS is available in the area?

14. What kind of amenities/activities are there for small children and teenagers?

15. What is the cost/quality of childcare like in the area?

16. What kind of churches do people attend and is there high degree of religious participation?

17. Do people have block parties and talk on porches with neighbors?

That's all I can think of right now, but I am sure I'll have more. In the mean time, my thanks ahead to those of you who answer!
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Old 05-04-2015, 06:41 AM
 
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Concord is the state capital.
Concord Hospital is one of the better ones in the state.

Since Concord is the capital there is the "old" section with older homes. Many of the can be very nice.
Some are not.
Then there are homes further out that are more modern with larger yards.
Concord does have neighborhoods. Some real nice, some average.

Your best bet is to drive around and look.

Since New Hampshire relies on property tax for most expenditures, check each town for the actual property of each specific home. Property tax rate is meaningless.

Your best bet is to rent the first year and look around. And hire a good home inspector when purchasing a home. Some perfectly constructed homes available. Some have basement leak issues, and ice dam issues on roof in winter.
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Old 05-04-2015, 10:19 AM
 
1,135 posts, read 2,484,169 times
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Ill take a stab at this, ( I live in Bow and work in Concord)

Quote:
Originally Posted by MaggieGreene View Post
My family and I are considering moving to the Concord area, and would appreciate some feedback to our questions.

We are moving from a large metro area (suburb-exurb). We picked the Concord area because we wanted to live in a small city/town with some urban amenities and also in a state with relatively low tax and regulatory burden. We are also looking for an area with the usual qualities a lot of other families seek such as low crime rates, high level of education, good quality schools, and a strong sense of community

So, here are some practical questions, in no particular order. I appreciate any relevant reply:

1. What are the most affluent areas of Concord with such qualities (safety/education/schools/community)? How do Hopkinton and Bow stack up? Are there similar areas within the city limits of Concord itself?

I would say all three towns are affluent, safe and have good schools. concord having a denser concentration of people/center of city. I would not choose to live on the heights or penacook area if i was choosing concord. the south end, west side of the city are nice.

2. Which area is the most walkable yet also family-oriented? Concord is by far the most walkable, hopkinton has a nice little village Bow is the least walk able. All are family oriented.

3. Which area has the most stereotypical New England village-like setting/vibe?

I would say all three are stereotypical New England, I think Hopkinton is the most charming with its village tho.

4. Is most shopping done at the Steeplegate Mall? That place is still in business? Most of our shopping is done in either the Heights (area east of the river in concord) or down in manchester. The steeplegate mall is an option but the mall isnt exactly thriving. If your looking to spend a day shopping for clothes, its worth driving to the outlets in tilton or merrimack.

5. How do the state prison/halfway house and the power station affect the quality of life in Concord/Hopkinton/Bow (crime, pollution, etc.)? I cant speak for The prison, but the power plant in Bow has nearly no affect on the quality of life in Bow. It once was a great source or tax income, but now its being devalued so the town is trying to attract business other ways. Most of the pollution from the plant leaves town going east.

6. Why is the per capita number of sexual offenders in Concord so high? Is it because of the prison or the halfway house? My guess is a large amount of homeless people may also attribute to this.

7. The crime rate in general seems to be moderately below the national average and rates of murder, robbery, assault, burglary, and auto theft are low (about half the national average). The theft rate seems slightly higher than the national average, but shockingly rape rate is *twice* the national average? Why is this?

8. Is Lyme disease very prevalent in the area? How do most people deal with this, especially as it relates to children and pets? Do they spray their yards/acreages? I guess its just as common as it is elsewhere in the north east. We use frontline on the dog and use bug spray when going into the woods. I also treat the yard for for pests, some people get chickens and let them roam the yard to eat the ticks as well.

9. Why does City Data list such high average costs of living for the area? PROPERTY TAXES and HEAT!

10. Are some of the towns on the NH-MA border more afflicted with urban problems? Are there "spillovers" from these areas to the areas around Concord? Maybe parts of Manchester? but i don't believe they affect any of the towns you listed.

11. What kind of outdoor activities are available within Concord and within, say, 1 hour radius of the city? What are you looking for? within an hour your options are pretty much unlimited. Lakes, ocean, mountain, etc.

12. Are people still gentlemanly and lady-like in the area? Do drivers stop for pedestrians who cross roads?

Yes, in my opinion people are too polite, they do not follow the rules of the road because they are overly courteous. someone will slam on their brakes and cause a line of cars behind of them to slam on their brakes to let someone turn in front of them.

13. What kind of reliable high speed internet/FiOS is available in the area? we have comcast cable internet. not sure of the speeds. cellphone reception can be an issue depending on where you live.

14. What kind of amenities/activities are there for small children and teenagers? sorry don't have children

15. What is the cost/quality of childcare like in the area? don't have children.

16. What kind of churches do people attend and is there high degree of religious participation?

17. Do people have block parties and talk on porches with neighbors? My neighborhood has a yearly christmas get-together. but that's about it. most of the houses in bow are very secluded so its hard to really get to know your neighbors (but that's why I like it)

That's all I can think of right now, but I am sure I'll have more. In the mean time, my thanks ahead to those of you who answer!
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Old 05-04-2015, 10:10 PM
 
78 posts, read 92,271 times
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Thank you so much for the replies, especially to "chris410" for the very detailed response.

Where is the village center for Hopkinton located?

Are there any area I should look at for both residential purposes and activities while I visit (with an eye toward relocation)?

Why are there many homeless people in Concord? Shouldn't they move somewhere warm?

Your last response about the "seclusion" is a bit alarming. I am looking for a friendly, community-oriented place where kids in the same neighborhood play together, the adults chat on the porches, etc. Hmmm.
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Old 05-05-2015, 06:05 AM
 
1,135 posts, read 2,484,169 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MaggieGreene View Post
Thank you so much for the replies, especially to "chris410" for the very detailed response.

Where is the village center for Hopkinton located?

Are there any area I should look at for both residential purposes and activities while I visit (with an eye toward relocation)?

Why are there many homeless people in Concord? Shouldn't they move somewhere warm?

Your last response about the "seclusion" is a bit alarming. I am looking for a friendly, community-oriented place where kids in the same neighborhood play together, the adults chat on the porches, etc. Hmmm.
The village in Hopkinton called contoocook, its small but quaint, more than Bow has, a few places to eat and a covered bridge.

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.2222...Og!2e0!6m1!1e1

homeless people in concord? you got me. i would be hitching a bus south to a state with more "handouts" personally. but I guess homeless people are not necessarily the smartest people.

The seclusion is the best part about New Hampshire. No nosy neighbors, no HOA's, freedom to reasonably do what you want. Most towns in NH ARE family/community oriented, people just do not live on top of each other. I think you can find what you are looking for, you just may have to look a little harder. Maybe westside of concord (west of I93) or south part of the city (west of I93 and north of I89)
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Old 05-05-2015, 06:08 AM
 
Location: North of Boston
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MaggieGreene View Post

...where kids in the same neighborhood play together, the adults chat on the porches, etc.

For the most part, that is not central and northern New Hampshire.
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Old 05-05-2015, 01:27 PM
 
4,059 posts, read 5,594,288 times
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I'd disagree somewhat - I find Concord to be a small city where one of the appeals is that kids do play together, albeit more or less within the neighborhood. But adults randomly chatting on porches, sure, that's not common.

As for the OP's questions:
1. I think the river is a notable difference, and while I'd have to look up the history I think it's a main reason Hopkinton has a distinct center that built up around the covered bridge, and Bow just sort of sprawls - not unpleasantly, so perhaps "diffuse" is a better word. Politically I'd also say Hopkinton leans center-left and Bow leans center-right, though that's not universal. One could argue Concord's east side (not the heights definitely, but the Mountain/Shaker/Hoit road triange) is a bit like Bow. But it doesn't really sound like what the OP wants other than being a bit more upscale.

2. Depends on what you mean by "walkable" - I doubt any of these will measure up to what you have in mind coming from an exurb despite a plethora of places to walk. There are lots of places where schooling is walkable, but access to work and services will tend to be more scattered just due to the lower density/population. Center of Hopkinton maybe, but more likely Concord's south side or the north side around White's Park would be the areas where you can at least walk or easily bike for most things.
4. No, as Chris noted Steeplegate is not doing well b/c it doesn't draw more commerce. Downtown Concord is pretty healthy, and Fort Eddy is probably the main competitor to the mall itself.
5. I don't perceive any. Maybe don't live right next door, but I have friends who live half a mile from the prison who have never brought it up. On the list of concerns in the area these have never been on my list.
6. Are you comparing within NH or across states? If across states remember that the counts don't compare well because of varying state laws, and IIRC NH has some fairly broad statutes one could be convicted under. But I wouldn't be scared of raising kids there - the likelihood of something happening doesn't strike me as being different there.
7. Again I think what you're seeing is a legal difference and not a behavioral difference. NH doesn't have a definition for "rape" per se but instead bundles a whole range of illegal contact under "aggravated felonious sexual assault" (and a non-aggravated version. Other states often separate "rape" from other illegal sexual contact. http://doj.nh.gov/criminal/victim-as...t-protocol.pdf

9. Heat is a major factor, as is the fact the main state tax is bundled into rent or mortgage. But Concord does see some spillover into property values from its proximity to Boston. There's not as much commuting to 128 and beyond as say, Salem, but there's some Boston money (not to mention the stereotypical "old" money) floating around that keeps prices above what local employment by itself might support.
14. Lots of parks, lots of other kids/families to play with, Audobon, Planetarium, sports leagues, sledding, hiking, lakes/rivers/coast, etc. Broad range of summer camps, both day camps through the Y and many overnight camps around NH/ME.
16. There's a range of churches, but while I haven't surveyed recently I think most of what you'll see is within the Christian/Catholic/Judaic range. Pretty broad range of Christian faiths from the conservative to the liberal.
17. I don't see a lot of 'block parties' but I see a lot of multi-family gatherings nonetheless.
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Old 05-05-2015, 08:28 PM
 
78 posts, read 92,271 times
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bler144,

Man thanks for the reply. Aside from the downtown area, are there areas I should see in Concord and its surroundings that will give a good flavor of life there?

Also, what's going on in the downtown area? Some sort of a pedestrian mall project?
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Old 05-06-2015, 07:45 AM
 
1,135 posts, read 2,484,169 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MaggieGreene View Post
bler144,

Man thanks for the reply. Aside from the downtown area, are there areas I should see in Concord and its surroundings that will give a good flavor of life there?

Also, what's going on in the downtown area? Some sort of a pedestrian mall project?
Concord Main Street Project

waste of money if you ask me, but what do I know?
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Old 05-06-2015, 12:43 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chris410 View Post
Concord Main Street Project

waste of money if you ask me, but what do I know?
Interesting. I hadn't actually followed that plan.

Hard to say if it's a waste of money - back in the day the equivalent project was likely Eagle Square. While I wasn't a fan at the time and think it took a while to really find it's niche, I do think in the long run E.S. did help anchor the downtown against peripheral developments like Steeplegate.

So while I agree the project doesn't seem to offer much immediately (I mean, main street Concord is pretty dang walkable already), who knows, maybe the real value is long term. Occasionally planners do really know what they're doing
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