COL, rents, and salaries in NH

[bizcuit]

If you like artist communities, you might check out Peterborough. I doubt there is much public transportation there though, so I don't really know what to say about that.

I think there is no more of problem of bears here than there is in New Jersey! Actually, it might be worse in NJ, as densely populated as the state is, bears have lost their habitat and are common to see in suburbs there (my father lives in N. NJ).

[citychik]

Originally Posted by bigbear99

The last recorded fatality in NH from bears is from 1784.

Whew, good. I wondered why I have never heard anything about bear problems in NH.

Originally Posted by bigbear99

Arts? Turns out there's a serious number of artists in the Monadnocks. The fall art tour last fall included about 60 artists of all kinds, from metal sculpture to mixed media. Most of these (maybe all?) are full-time artists.

How do they support themselves, I wonder. Solely through their art? That would be impressive anywhere. Unless someone bought a house ages ago at a great price or inherited it. I am a frustrated artist who missed so many opportunities to develop my skills because I had to worry more about holding onto my apartment.

Originally Posted by bigbear99

Snowmobiling? Recognize that there are two cultures for outdoor sports, motorized (power boating, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, ATVs and so on) and non-motorized (canoeing, kayaking, hiking, snowshoeing, nordic skiing etc.) and the groups have little overlap. You are right, many folks here do neither, but as many begin outdoor activities once they see the opportunities and the beautiful environment. There's conservation land everywhere, so the ease of a nice stroll in the forest is hard to pass up. The white mountains are a gem. Easy to get to, nice to drive through, and many places for interesting short, easy walks.

I once drove with someone in a rented car through the White Mountains in a snowstorm. It was the early '80s, and I'm not sure where we were exactly, but that was a heck of an experience that I will never forget!

Originally Posted by cowbell76

Note that the SE part of NH is the most expensive part of the state... really an extension of the Boston metro area.

Is that reflected in higher salaries there?

Originally Posted by cowbell76

OP, I think we get what you're after now, and I have to say that if you are moving somewhere in order to get back on your feet, so to speak, New England is probably not the best option. Even Northern New England is much more expensive than most people think. When you look at COL estimators, you see that really the only thing significantly less expensive here than in very expensive areas is the housing (though ours is still above the national average and there are some areas with quite expensive housing.) Pretty much everything else is expensive.

Your tone is so kind, I do appreciate it. I do love so much of what I've seen and experienced in New England, though.

Average rents in NYC for a 1-BR apartment is from 2200-3000/month. Fortunately, I pay less than that, but it's still been hard to keep afloat. My rent, by NYC standards, is quite reasonable, but my occupation isn't one that brings in the big bucks, and I've made some bad decisions. My gas and electric bill averages $120 to $130/mo. About five years ago, my electricity was turned off twice because I couldn't pay it. Now, I am also still recovering from the financial impact of my divorce. So, it's been a struggle. If I could make about $40k somewhere with rents half of what I pay now, I'd be okay. I am used to expensive food and everything else.

Originally Posted by cowbell76

I know you're not looking for "bright lights, big city," but quality of life is also dependent on free attractions. NYC has tons of them. NH has quite a lot, too, but you need to have a car, even, often, for "urban" pleasures. I remember ending up in Manchester when I first moved here, and I was extremely disappointed to see that the only café downtown closed at 6 pm... so much for hanging out there after work. You think you want "simple," because you're feeling overwhelmed now, but I think the reality of being stranded in a two-mile radius in a tiny, strange city would not be good (though, if it weren't for COL issues, I would still recommend Concord, but only if you could live right downtown, which is becoming highly sought-after.)

Got it. Again, you are very kind to acknowledge my overwhelm. No, I wouldn't want to live in a totally sleepy town that rolls the sidewalks up early. I see that I need to look at bigger cities with more transportation options and lower COL, but hopefully where salaries are not paltry.

Originally Posted by cowbell76

Your plan in general would be a lot more doable if you were selecting a location in which you already had a support system, rather than plopping down in a strange city.

How can someone already have a support system in place somewhere they've never lived? My whole life, I've never had any kind of support system. No matter where I go, I'd be on my own. Had to fend for myself at an early age. I have family that I like in different places but wouldn't move near any of them, because none of them are in places I'd want to be. We don't have much contact anyway.

I do need a radical shift from how my life has gone so far.

Originally Posted by cowbell76

I also wondered about your idea of finding not just one, but possibly two jobs within walking distance of where you would be living. And what if you managed that but then lost your job(s)? Most people, even living in cities here, don't limit their job search to even the immediate surrounding towns, let alone within a one- or two-mile radius of their home.

I just meant that I am willing to do what it takes, and if I had to work two jobs, I would. But I can't afford to buy a car to do that just yet.

I am not saying I want to be carless forever, either. I just never needed to drive in NYC. Once on my feet, and able to brush up my driving skills, I suppose I would eventually buy one to get around (for the first time in my life!)

Originally Posted by cowbell76

Also, yes, the Monadnock Region is nationally-known for the arts. There is the MacDowell Art Colony (oldest in the US) in Peterborough, and the Sharon Arts Center (now part of NHIA) in Sharon, with its Fine Arts and Crafts galleries in Peterborough. There are a huge number of artists here, the Arts Walk in Keene, shows by the Monadnock Area Artists' Association, etc.. It is a mecca for artists. Keene, in the Monadnock Region, is not a bad choice for a walking lifestyle, except that it would likely feel very remote and isolated to you, especially without a car.

The arts are throughout the state, if you know where to look. There is also the League of NH Craftsmen and their galleries around the state, as well as their annual fair at Mt. Sunapee, not to be missed if you like arts and crafts.

My ex and I stayed in a B&B in Peterborough once, and we visited Keene and loved it. I remember a pretty indoor mall with a green exterior and a number of lovely small shops, and I still have the wall hanging I bought there. And one of the few times in my life that this city girl actually went camping was somewhere in the Monadnock region.

Originally Posted by DebNashua

If you like artist communities, you might check out Peterborough. I doubt there is much public transportation there though, so I don't really know what to say about that.

I think there is no more of problem of bears here than there is in New Jersey! Actually, it might be worse in NJ, as densely populated as the state is, bears have lost their habitat and are common to see in suburbs there (my father lives in N. NJ).

I read somewhere that NJ has the worst bear problem in the country. There have been numerous times bears roam in the suburbs and small towns, and several sightings even in Paramus!

Oh, you all have been very helpful, even though most of the responses are telling me New Hampshire is not a good option for me. Thank you.

[bizcuit]

If it makes you feel any better, I did not have a driver's license at all when I moved up here. My first month of work, I had to take a cab back & forth to work and to the grocery store, etc. I was in a corporate apartment in Bedford, so not near anything very walkable. It was rather depressing, frankly. It was also January, so I wasn't too eager to go for long walks anywhere anyway, so if it had to be that way, maybe the best month to be homebound here.

I grew up in Northern NJ and so did used to drive. But I lived in NYC for so long, that any former license was long expired when I relocated. And it had been a NJ license, not NY, I had no way of getting a license in NY by then, no car, no friends with cars. So, I moved here, took cabs (I had a corporate relocation package, so could afford it) and I took driving lessons to brush up. The driving instructor took me to the DMV to take the tests to get my license. I bought a car that weekend.

I had never been a nervous driver, however. I drove myself from NJ to Key West and back. Many times through NYC, to the mountains to ski, everywhere. Once I picked up my car, it all came back to me pretty quickly, so I had no problem. People laugh at me that I didn't drive for 15-20 years and then I moved here and ran out and bought a manual transmission car. It also took me about a year to feel like I wasn't breaking the law by driving. Every time I saw a police car, I would feel a stab of guilty anxiety, until I remembered, 'oh yeah, I'm legal.'

ETA: Yeah, bears in Paramus. My father lives in Wyckoff and has had bears on his property. The deer are even worse. They literally hang out on the sidewalks. We have lots of deer here, but we also have lots of woods. So, you don't typically see them just hanging around on the street like I've seen in NJ! I don't remember it being that way when I grew up there.

[jdhpa]

Originally Posted by citychik

most of the responses are telling me New Hampshire is not a good option for me. Thank you.

Maybe this is a longer-term option, but could you develop some sort of online business? Then you can live anywhere there's an internet connection

[citychik]

Originally Posted by DebNashua

If it makes you feel any better, I did not have a driver's license at all when I moved up here. My first month of work, I had to take a cab back & forth to work and to the grocery store, etc. I was in a corporate apartment in Bedford, so not near anything very walkable. It was rather depressing, frankly. It was also January, so I wasn't too eager to go for long walks anywhere anyway, so if it had to be that way, maybe the best month to be homebound here.

I grew up in Northern NJ and so did used to drive. But I lived in NYC for so long, that any former license was long expired when I relocated. And it had been a NJ license, not NY, I had no way of getting a license in NY by then, no car, no friends with cars. So, I moved here, took cabs (I had a corporate relocation package, so could afford it) and I took driving lessons to brush up. The driving instructor took me to the DMV to take the tests to get my license. I bought a car that weekend.

I had never been a nervous driver, however. I drove myself from NJ to Key West and back. Many times through NYC, to the mountains to ski, everywhere. Once I picked up my car, it all came back to me pretty quickly, so I had no problem. People laugh at me that I didn't drive for 15-20 years and then I moved here and ran out and bought a manual transmission car. It also took me about a year to feel like I wasn't breaking the law by driving. Every time I saw a police car, I would feel a stab of guilty anxiety, until I remembered, 'oh yeah, I'm legal.'

That's a great story. Thank you. I grew up in Bergen County, btw.

I'm not as much a nervous driver as I am lacking confidence. Yes, a little nervous, but mostly I don't feel in command of what I'm doing, and that I don't know enough about defensive driving or the basics about today's cars. From the age of 18 until I was 22, I used to drive either my boyfriends' cars or my mother's. Even though I never owned a car, I did drive fairly often but not daily. I moved to NYC at 22 and then never needed to drive for the longest time, although I eagerly traded in my NJ license for NYS because I was so excited to be here. Sometime in the early 90s, I did help a friend move to Boston and drove the rental van back to NYC for her, and I remember feeling so intimidated by all the big trucks around me on the highway. There were only a few times after that when I drove, and it was always a long time in between each one. When I was married, my ex drove us everywhere and I was always the navigator in charge of the map, reading the signs on the highway, and watching out for landmarks.

One of the first things I did when we split up, about six years ago, was to take a few driving lessons to brush up again, and I did rent a car a few times. I did okay except for one time when my tire went flat and I didn't know it until another driver pointed it out to me. I was a long way from home and the rental car had no spare in the back, so I had to wait for someone to come and help me. I felt like such a boob for not being able to tell I was riding on a very flat tire. Then, due to my circumstances, I had to watch my spending more closely, so I didn't book any more lessons. Nor did I rent a car again until last summer for vacation -- even though I was feeling very rusty, I drove up to Maine and back. I did not like the experience of doing that, mostly because the symbols on a lot of the buttons and controls didn't make sense to me and I had to stop a few times to read the manual. Plus, I can't have the radio on while driving because it distracts me, and I don't like to go above the speed limit, which means there is always some impatient driver on my tail and that irks and frustrates me to no end.

There are people who are so confident and comfortable with driving, but I am not one of them. I need more than just a few driving lessons. I need a solid two or three months of lessons every week, and frequent practice, as if I am starting all over again. I do want to be better at it and become a confident driver, but there's no sense in taking lessons before I am ready financially to either buy a car or rent regularly, or I will just wind up rusty at it again.

[Nonesuch]

Originally Posted by citychik

Whew, good. I wondered why I have never heard anything about bear problems in NH.
. . .
I read somewhere that NJ has the worst bear problem in the country. There have been numerous times bears roam in the suburbs and small towns, and several sightings even in Paramus

To be honest, New Hampshire does get it's share of problem bears, nearly always related to people who (intentionally or unintentionally) offer a food source. We have a good Fish & Game program with seasons for bear and deer, and open season on more problematic wildlife like groundhogs and coyote.

Unlike NY/CT/NJ, we don't coddle our wildlife, and encourage self-help. “A fed bear is a dead bear and usually they cannot be trained to leave human beings alone...Although there is a specific hunting season, bears that are nuisances can be shot by property owners at any time of the year. Fish and Game will trap and relocate such bears, but sometimes the animals need to be euthanized.” (Patrick Tate, leader of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Furbearer Project).

Originally Posted by citychik

Is that reflected in higher salaries there?

Somewhat, mostly in the easternmost parts of the state. Primarily it is a reflection of the higher salaries available just across the border in MA, and salaries in Nashua are only slightly elevated.

Relative to the rest of the state, the most expensive factor along US-3 and 93 is real estate prices and rent, which fall off significantly when you get far enough out to not be a viable commuter suburb for Boston and the 495 tech corridor.