Help me compare Sutton/New London to Sunapee/Newbury? (Bradford: rentals, house)

[GotBackHome]

Would like to be within 15 minutes of most stuff if possible

That can make it tricky. Can you deal with 30 min? Remember, down here we have "superslab" highway everywhere, if it takes more than 20-30 min to get somewhere, it's too far away to bother with. Just about any regular item can be found within 15 min. Up there... well the roads just don't do that.

There are only 2 'superslab' highways, and many of the roads are winding and technically around 45mph. And since most towns tend to be bedrooms towns of larger places, groceries and drug stores (and restaurants) may be more of 1/2 hour away. But that is the norm if you want a small town feel.

[notdancingqueen]

I can deal with it if I have to but so far we've found towns that seem to have the basics right there...plus, I'll be in Boston once a week for work so I can stop in Concord when I need major supplies and big stores, and my husband will be working in Lebanon so he can hit the stores in W. Lebanon and the large co-op there easily.

Thanks!

[GotBackHome]

cool, then you're golden!

[notdancingqueen]

wannacome home, where in MD are you? And what NH town are you from?

It sucks to be somewhere and want to be somewhere else - sorry to hear that!

[dzmjp]

Originally Posted by notdancingqueen

It sucks to be somewhere and want to be somewhere else - sorry to hear that!

Cheers to that! I know that I"m bringing up an old thread here, but where did you end up deciding? I'm looking at the same area to move this coming summer. Do you like where you are? Have you learned anything new about that area you didn't know before?

You can DM me if you prefer.

[notdancingqueen]

Originally Posted by dzmjp

Cheers to that! I know that I"m bringing up an old thread here, but where did you end up deciding? I'm looking at the same area to move this coming summer. Do you like where you are? Have you learned anything new about that area you didn't know before?

You can DM me if you prefer.

Sorry, been MIA a lot lately and didn't see this until now. We ended up in Wilmot Flat (or, as I call it, the "might-as-well-be New London or N. Sutton part of Wilmot") We do like it a lot so far (though I am hesitant to gush, given the well-known experiences of others who have moved here and wound up hating the snow...although I don't think that will be us I don't like to eat crow either )

I like that we are close enough to groceries, gas, shops, restaurants, etc. but not so close that we feel crowded or that the beauty of the area is eclipsed by commercialism. Being 30 minutes from major shopping areas doesn't bother me at all. We were in Concord yesterday at the movies and LL Bean...driving home my 9 year old said (looking at all the big-box stores and neon signs visible from 93) "It looks like New Jersey around here"

New things I didn't know before...

I was surprised at how quickly we acclimated to the lack of crowds and traffic. I was in DC on business 2 weeks ago and when I saw the line of cars clogging up 395 downtown I literally stopped in my tracks (I was walking) and stared!

Someday I would like to have a "view" even if it means being farther away from things. For now, though, choosing something closer to a "main street town" and amenities was the right choice for us.

People are nowhere near as stand-offish and closed to newcomers as I was led to expect.

There is a pretty strong feeling of community here that I love. I didn't expect that in an area that seems rather spread out -- but that may be an issue of relativity as compared to where I came from.

If you are buying a house, get plowing estimates if your driveway is long or steep!! Our realtor was on top of that (it never would have occurred to us) and one place we were looking at had a plow bill the last 2 years of $5,000.

Septic and leech fields aren't as scary as I thought. Though I wish I could banish the rotten egg smell that sometimes comes from the taps. Still working on that!

It is more humid here than I expected, given how far inland we are.

In short, we're happy campers so far! Good luck to you!

- Jackie

[dzmjp]

Originally Posted by notdancingqueen

Sorry, been MIA a lot lately and didn't see this until now. We ended up in Wilmot Flat (or, as I call it, the "might-as-well-be New London or N. Sutton part of Wilmot") We do like it a lot so far (though I am hesitant to gush, given the well-known experiences of others who have moved here and wound up hating the snow...although I don't think that will be us I don't like to eat crow either )

I like that we are close enough to groceries, gas, shops, restaurants, etc. but not so close that we feel crowded or that the beauty of the area is eclipsed by commercialism. Being 30 minutes from major shopping areas doesn't bother me at all. We were in Concord yesterday at the movies and LL Bean...driving home my 9 year old said (looking at all the big-box stores and neon signs visible from 93) "It looks like New Jersey around here"

New things I didn't know before...

I was surprised at how quickly we acclimated to the lack of crowds and traffic. I was in DC on business 2 weeks ago and when I saw the line of cars clogging up 395 downtown I literally stopped in my tracks (I was walking) and stared!

Someday I would like to have a "view" even if it means being farther away from things. For now, though, choosing something closer to a "main street town" and amenities was the right choice for us.

People are nowhere near as stand-offish and closed to newcomers as I was led to expect.

There is a pretty strong feeling of community here that I love. I didn't expect that in an area that seems rather spread out -- but that may be an issue of relativity as compared to where I came from.

If you are buying a house, get plowing estimates if your driveway is long or steep!! Our realtor was on top of that (it never would have occurred to us) and one place we were looking at had a plow bill the last 2 years of $5,000.

Septic and leech fields aren't as scary as I thought. Though I wish I could banish the rotten egg smell that sometimes comes from the taps. Still working on that!

It is more humid here than I expected, given how far inland we are.

In short, we're happy campers so far! Good luck to you!

- Jackie

Jackie, Thank you so much for your response. While we were in the area, we did not get a change to check out Wilmot Flat's area. It was on the list, but we ran a little short in time.

On question - is it kid friendly? Our daughter will be 3 and a newborn in our arms when we move... how close are you to schools and doctors? ** It is part of the Kearsarge School District right? **

We are looking to move from WA state.... could you DM me your realtor's name if you were happy with their service? Any connections we have would help us emmensly!

Thank you again for your detailed response, that is very kind and thoughtful..another reason why I can't wait for the move!

[notdancingqueen]

Originally Posted by dzmjp

Jackie, Thank you so much for your response. While we were in the area, we did not get a change to check out Wilmot Flat's area. It was on the list, but we ran a little short in time.

On question - is it kid friendly? Our daughter will be 3 and a newborn in our arms when we move... how close are you to schools and doctors? ** It is part of the Kearsarge School District right? **

We are looking to move from WA state.... could you DM me your realtor's name if you were happy with their service? Any connections we have would help us emmensly!

Thank you again for your detailed response, that is very kind and thoughtful..another reason why I can't wait for the move!

My 4 year old is at preschool at the Colby Sawyer campus - 6-7 minutes away. My 9 year old is at NLES, 6-7 minutes away. The dentist, orthodontist, oral surgeon, and GP are all 7-10 minutes away in New London. Haven't looked for a GYN and eye doctor yet -- have to do that!

VERY kid friendly -- my girls have both made friends quickly and had play dates, sleepovers, birthday party invites, etc.

Will DM you my realtor's info - she is FABULOUS.

Good luck and am happy to answer Qs as best I can for you if you have more!

- Jackie

[dzmjp]

Thank you again Jackie! I'll keep you posted!

[CometVoyager]

Originally Posted by notdancingqueen

Well - we did it! DH took advantage of an opportunity in Lebanon so we are moving to NH soon. When I am not feeling sick to my stomach, I'm excited about it. :-) We've been up a few times (him twice, me and the kids - 4 and 8.5 yo - once) to look around and get a feel for towns we might want to live in. For a variety of reasons we want to be between Lebanon and Concord (absolute max is 40 minutes from Lebanon). We're drawn to New London, Sutton/N. Sutton, parts of Wilmot...and are also wondering about Sunapee and Newbury. Can anyone help me compare them? Or suggest other towns that are similar?

What I like about NL/Sutton is that they had (to me) a neighborhood/community feel -- I liked the main street town/village green, that there are a few restaurants/shops and that some/many of the homes are in neighborhoods/developments as opposed to just being scattered along a mountain.

We looked at Grantham, too, but we didn't feel as drawn to that town because it felt like the opposite of what I liked about NL/Sutton. Eastman felt too much like what it is - an unnecessarily expensive, planned community with lots of rules (ex: the relo person driving DH around was horrified when DH asked about ski boats on the lake -- "Oh my GOD, no! That would disturb the peace!")

What about access to farmers markets, CSAs, coop food stores (loved the one in Lebanon near Jesse's!), child care, etc.? I understand both Sunapee and Kearsarge schools are quite good.

Also keep in mind that we are coming from a major east coast metro area...so our definition of crowds, traffic, noise, etc. are likely pretty different from yours. Meaning, I don't want to bring the city with me *at all* but neither do I want to be 30 minutes off an interstate, then a 6 mile private dirt road to get to my 50- acre property that is 5 miles from the nearest neighbor.

Thanks so much - Jackie

Jackie! Congratulations!

I personally like New London, as it has a very polished yet country IVY League feel about it, probably because of Colby Sawyer College which is right on the main street. However, a good home is not cheap in New London, but then I think property values will always hold well there. I just looked at a home near the country club and it was going for about 450K with only 1.5 acres and 2000square feet.

But IMHO, New London has such charm and class more so than Henniker right down the road. The only negative about New London are the Mass. transplants, as many Mass. retirees who are used to government doing everything from turning on their coffee pots to wiping their you know what, go there to retire. There is a retirement community on and near the lake and that is the reason for the Hospital Expansion as well as why there is a major grocery chain in town.

Anyway, good luck and I am certain you will love New London! Just stay clear of those Taxechuses People!