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I've got a job offer there and the combination of the pay and no state tax, means id have more extra money than if I were to live in aplace like Portland, Maine. For me, an extra 100-200 a month makes a monumental difference in quality of life. It also seems that the location has a better overall job market than Portland. Another huge thing for me is the proximity to places like Providence, Boston, Connecticut and mass in general.
The problem for me is Manchester is getting bashed hard. I appreciate country but I'm mainly a city person, I need the stimulation and I always go out and find fun places to enjoy life in my spare time. I know Portland is more peaceful and cute, but thats not in my top 5 for priorities, I'm not 65+ here. I'm in my 30s with a lifestyle that puts me more in common with a 30 year old than a 50 year old. I understand concerns of crime but I'm someone who walks around Boston all night and has lived in ghettos in Orlando Florida. In fact I lived in Florida for over five years without issue. It seems what many call crime here, I call the city.
My biggest concern is I do like a somewhat active city and a descent singles scene. The way people act online makes it seem like the downtown is dead and the nightlife is on par with a small mill town of locals, similar to the 15,000 population town I live in now, maybe even worse. I visited there Monday and Tuesday and admit I didn't see too much activity, the parking downtown seemed limited too. This combined with some things people have said online makes it seem like the city is pretty much dead despite 400,000 people being in the area, and that the singles scene is non-existant. If there's a bunch of crime and rude people too than I probably wouldn't like it. I love it's proximity and it seems like I can have a bunch of extra money living here when I do the math -- but it sounds like id be spending it all to drive to Boston or Portland if I lived there, that it's not even worth hanging out there outside of work.
Seriously, for the $100 bucks a month, at your age, I would go to Portland. Not even close.
That's a big part of what I'm not getting. I'm not understanding why Portland is so superior for someone my age. It's singles scene and nightlife is rather limited to a few bars, there's not much variety. The old ports is over run by mostly teenagers on the weekends. I'm not saying it's bad I mean the atmosphere is very cool especially in the summer, but it's rather limited. Also Portland is very far removed from the rest of the new England cities, tucked way up north.
So I'm not getting why it is so superior to Manchester for someone my age exactly. Manchester is only an hour north of Boston and seems more like a actual city than Portland. I'm trying to figure this out and I'm having a difficult time. Opinions seem strongly in favor of Portland but many of them are from people who spent all their life in Manchester and moved near Portland. My situation would be the opposite.Other than that it seems like many of those who rave on Portland go visit up there every summer for a few days to get free from the rat race, so it's got the Cinderella thing going. I just want to make an educated decision. I love portland and i get the appeal but Im trying to understand why people say things like "at your age Portland, no contest". On paper it just doesn't make much sense to me but I'm trying to understand.
If you are a "city person", then the crime of Manchester will not bother you. I'm not a city person, but I work with lots of singles in their 20s and 30s in Manchester and they seem to stay busy with the nightlife in the Elm St area and other places.
If someone is not a city person, then they are more likely to bash Manchester as it contains a lot of the bad things of Mass and other places "from away", although to a lesser degree. Heroin, panhandling, homelessness, etc. Honestly, if I didn't work there I perhaps visit once every 3 months or so.
Compared to the rest of New Hampshire, Manchester is a dangerous city. Compared to Boston, it's a tiny safe town
Depending on your field, I'd agree that Manchester will have a much better job market than Portland/Maine.
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Originally Posted by steveusaf
If you are a "city person", then the crime of Manchester will not bother you. I'm not a city person, but I work with lots of singles in their 20s and 30s in Manchester and they seem to stay busy with the nightlife in the Elm St area and other places.
If someone is not a city person, then they are more likely to bash Manchester as it contains a lot of the bad things of Mass and other places "from away", although to a lesser degree. Heroin, panhandling, homelessness, etc. Honestly, if I didn't work there I perhaps visit once every 3 months or so.
Exactly -- everything, including perception of crime, is relative.
Manchester is a "city", but has a limited singles scene and nightlife. While there's places to go after work, a summer Friday or Saturday night in Manchvegas doesn't hold a candle to Boston or Providence.
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Portland is very far removed from the rest of the new England cities, tucked way up north.
Good point -- living in Manchester at least makes partying on the weekend in in Boston a viable option.
If you are a "city person", then the crime of Manchester will not bother you. I'm not a city person, but I work with lots of singles in their 20s and 30s in Manchester and they seem to stay busy with the nightlife in the Elm St area and other places.
If someone is not a city person, then they are more likely to bash Manchester as it contains a lot of the bad things of Mass and other places "from away", although to a lesser degree. Heroin, panhandling, homelessness, etc. Honestly, if I didn't work there I perhaps visit once every 3 months or so.
Huh.
Yeah see I look at it a little different because I'm looking at it as I get to be by the city and have all the things a city has to offer, but still get to have my country a short drive away whenever I need some tranquillity. That said, I wasn't exactly feeling stressed in Manchester. My concern is more that the place is too dead and inferior compared to Portland, not that it's too city.
There's nothing bad about Manchester IMO. Yes it has a sketchy part, most cities do. The downtown area has a great vibe and restaurant scene. I love how the city looks from I-293 with all of the restored old mill buildings. It has character!
people on here love to bash Manchester because they are mostly Native NH country folk and have never left the great state of NH to really know what a bad city is like. Additionally the NH news has nothing better to report then the crime that happens in the states largest city.
Manchester is a fine place, has plenty of nightlife for a city its size and has relatively low crime for a city of its size. Compared to cities like Worcester, Springfield, Hartford & Lawrence Manchester is a utopia.
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Compared to the rest of New Hampshire, Manchester is a dangerous city. Compared to Boston, it's a tiny safe town
