Moving to the Seacoast! (Rochester, Dover: appointed, for sale, skateboarding)

[jgoody123]

We are planning on moving our family to the Seacoast next summer. Is it really as beautiful and active as my research has shown? The ocean, rivers, lakes, farmers' markets, country stores, excellent schools, rain, snow, cool summers, the best fall ever, lilacs, and family values?

Dover is our main interest right now. We our very interested in Portsmouth Christian Academy for our 4 kids, with one on the way.

We are moving from Phoenix, AZ. Any city in NH seems like a dream compared to AZ. Right now is "brown cloud season"...for weeks the pollution condenses down to the city floor causing a brown cloud... It is terrible. We will get fined 100 bucks if we burn real wood! Our schools are very depressing and over crowded, it is too hot, corn actually pops on the cob out in the field here, illegal immigration has completely ruined the state, many kids don't even speak english in the schools. Housing prices are astronomical for what you get...dirt and rocks. No lilacs for sure. No rain. No shade. My kids get burned on the playground equipment all the way through October! And in the summer when they can finally have free time to play outside all day, they can't because the heat is too over bearing. It is horrible.

My family thinks that we are crazy for moving to NH. They think the winters will be to hard and the kids will never be able to go outside for 5 months. Is that true? On the contrary, my kids don't get out much here. Now that they are back in school, when the weather is finally suitable, they are in school all day. I feel like when the summer hits in NH, they will actually be able to play outside all day when they actually have the time to! It only gets to about 85-90 degrees right?

Is there a real spring? Some say it is a long winter and long summer. Very short springs and falls?

jg

[mlynnsoucy]

Rochester NH, which borders Dover is known as "the lilac city".

I'd say, compared to how you've described AZ, NH will definitely be an improvement! Don't worry about NH winters. It's usually a child's favorite season. There's nothing better than waking up at 6:00am to see it snowed overnight and school is canceled. Coming from AZ, it might be a little cold for you, but you'll get used to it. Winters here aren't as long as people think. There's no snow on the ground in So NH yet, and it usually melts by April.

Spring is short, usually about a month or less of warming but lots of rain to go with it. When we don't get flooding rain, spring is the most beautiful season of the year (IMO), when the grass turns green and everything starts blooming.

Our summers are mild compared to AZ, we complain that it's hot, but we don't get the scorching heat that you do. (Our corn drowns instead of popping). 85-90 is hot for us.

The past few years fall has been great. I wore a skirt and short sleeved shirt for Thanksgiving, and I was comfortable. The temperatures have stayed in the 50's right through November.

The conditions I've described are for southern NH (seacoast included), but northern NH is a different world.

[CityGirl52]

You won't regret this move ONE single bit, I guarantee it. The seacoast of NH is fantastic to raise a family. NOT that I have a family to raise here, but I come from a very large large family and most of them are living on the seacoast with their kids. I just counted the kids in my head and there's 12 of them all over the seacoast that are cousins! You're going to love it here and your kids will be very very busy, I assure you. There's a LOT of sports and tons of recreation that they can get involved in, indoor soccer is huge here and field hockey as well as softball teams to join in the spring. They're going to be non-stop busy IF that's what you and your kids want. There's also the Y that's really great up in Portsmouth that you could check out. The Dover Ice Arena has tons of programs to learn to skate, there's 6 local high school teams that use the rink, they have the Dover Youth Hockey as wll as the Seacoast Spartans that you could check out. The Arena is also home of the Great Bay Skating Club. There's this site my rec dept dot com that you could look at, it's got tons of programs on it for the Dover area. Go to the seacoast online site, there's so many things going on it's not even funny. Your kids will never be bored living on the seacoast, trust me! There's basketball programs, karate, archery, kickboxing, taebo, fencing, volleyball, even skateboarding lessons at the Rye airfield, there's ski and snowboard programs. One program that you could check out, if any of your kids are in the 8th grade, it's one program that is AWESOME according to my nieces and nephews, they all loved this one. It's a sKi & snowboard program for 5 weeks in the winter and they get brought up to the Waterville Valley Ski area, they have a ball up there. I think it's held in January in to February on fridays. So there's a LOT to do, a LOT of activities and things going on around here. I forgot to mention Gymnastics, it's a biggie around the seacoast, how could I forget it. Do they like to dance? We're fortunate to have the New Hampshire Academy of Performing Arts right on the seacoast, it's WONDERFUL too! It's located at 875 Lafayette Rd. in Seabrook, NH. Go to the site to check it out, nhapa dot org. So there's a LOT of recreation to consider!

The school that you have chosen for your kids is one of the top private schools in New Hampshire; if not New England for them to go to. You'll never regret your decision to move here and send them there, not for one second. This school the Portsmouth Christian Academy in Dover, NH is highly respected and I know for a fact it's right up there with the other private schools in the area such as Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, NH., with Berwick Academy in So. Berwick, ME. as well as the Cornerstone School in Stratham, NH, and St. Patrick's School in Portsmouth as well as Sacred Heart in Hampton and St. Thomas Aquinas in Dover, NH., which is a non-denominational high school that a lot of my nieces and nephews went to through the years and it paid off extremely well for them.

We don't get the springs the way we used to it seems, although you'll know it around the seacoast when you see the tulips and crocus' all up! Some years we get prettier autumns than other years, this past year it was just okay, we've had much prettier colors I think. Our winters haven't been too bad in the last few years. We might get hit with a couple of doozy snow storms, but living in New Hampshire one thing you'll notice right away are the roads! They get all cleaned up in no time! The Public Works in NH are absolutely fantastic and I'm talking in every single corner of the state where they operate, no matter where it is. As soon as you drive over the border from another state in to NH, you will know you're here because the roads are extremely well maintained no matter what happens with the weather, rain or shine, with snowstorms or without, the roads are as neat as a pin in this state all the time.

Good luck, I know you and your family are going to be MUCH happier here for a fact!

[woodchuck]

There is an old saying about the weather in NH as "Nine months of winter and three months of poor skiing". While that is funny it's not entirely true. While we do have our cold spells and Nor'easters will drop a foot or two of snow on occasions there are plenty of sunny days too. On those days the daytime temps might be in the 30's to 40's it is warm enough for the kids to go out and play (parents too). Naturally, the further north you go the lower the temps will be as the elevation rises. The seacoast tends to be several degrees cooler in the summer than inland because of the sea breeze. During the winter it can be a few degrees warmer on the coast. As in all areas, NH can have some mild winters and some severe winters. Today, Dec. 10th, the temperature is going to be around fifty degrees in southern part of the State. I plan on taking a motorcycle ride today to enjoy this warm spell and it most certainly won't last much longer. As Citygirl stated the Highway Dept does an excellent job of keeping the highways clear of snow. Most of the local towns do the same. Usually, once you have cleared your driveway you can get to anywhere you need to go. Keep in mind that this is the northern climate and the weather can be unpredictable at times.

You should be warned about the summers here. Most of the time the temps are around 80 during the daytime and will drop to a pleasant 60 degrees at night. We do have a short spell where the temps can climb into the 90's and sometimes go over the 100 degree mark. During those spells the humidity can also be high and uncomfortable. What is significant about that is there a few homes here that have central air conditioning. You can spot window A/C units hanging out of the windows even in the more expensive homes. Usually, that weather pattern doesn't last long so most people don't see the need for central A/C. This past summer NH did experience an extended period of heat and humidity and as a result I ran my A/C units for nearly five weeks straight. That is not normal but it can happen. When it gets that hot rather than cook at home most people will eat at a local restaurant. You will see a lot of your neighbors there. On the other hand I have experienced summers where the temps never rose above 85 degrees.

The Spring is always a welcome sight after the long winter. While unusual, a Nor'easter can come thru and dump a pile of snow on us as late as April or May. But, typically, the snow will be melted away in a few days afterwards. Spring is the wettest time of the year with the snow melting and the rainy season begining. Once you start hearing the "peepers" (tree frogs) you know that summer is finally here.

The Fall season in NH in is my favorite time of the year. With it's mild temperatures and the spectacular world reknown foliage makes it most pleasant for a motorcycle enthusiast. The apple orchards are very busy with the fresh crop ready for sale. The pumpkin patches are open to the public for "Picking your own". You can also pick your own apples too. During the summer the orchards are open for picking strawberries and blueberries.

So, if you enjoy the four seasons NH is is one of the best places to experience them.

[Dragondog]

Winters along the NH coast are not all that severe. In recent years the weather has become milder year round. You will have 4 months here with cold weather- not endless frigid weather with deep snows. This week it will be near 50 or above in most of southern New England, including coastal NH.

Winters though brisk are not that inhibiting to travel or life here- you may have a few snowstorms in the winter that may stop travel for a day-thats about it. Winter starts to fade by late March, and spring is a delightful show of flowers and sun. Summers are wonderful- mostly warm, but as someone above said there can be periods of heat and unpleasant humidity. Autumns are wonderfully brilliant with warm days well into November.

[jgoody123]

Thank you all for your very informative responses! It makes me very excited to think that we will be moving to a place that offers so much to its resident. Fall is by far my favorite season, which I have missed for 15 yrs.

Are New Hampshire people friendly to newcomers? Arizonan's I find to be very rude and self secluding. It is very old.

[woodchuck]

I ended up in NH as a result of a job transfer nearly 25 years ago. The neighborhood I live in was full of people from all over the country in a simular situation so we had little problems being accepted. We had a lot of fun with our neighbors who are NH natives over each other's accents. My neighborhood still has people coming and going and there's never been a problem with accepting the newcomers. I have a theory that if you are a friendly person you will make friends easily. As in any community anywhere in this country the worst thing you can do is to try to change things after arriving. You will find that southern NH has a larger population of people who are "from away". Most of them do make the commute to MA for their jobs but prefer to live in NH for various reasons. Now, I can only speak of my own personal experiences but I have never had any problems over the years I lived in this fine State.

[koukalam]

You definately won't have a problem with being accepted. NH's economy is supported by tourists (mostly from MA) and we are very used to having new people. Many homes in NH are summer homes also, so every summer there are new people. Dover is a great town, but don't move into Rochester, it is kinda scummy (we call it Rotten-chester). Of course we call it scummy because we are from the "sticks" and it has no resemblance of city. Dover, Somersworth, Portsmouth and surrounding are all very nice and Portsmouth Christian Academy is a great school. Good luck... you'll love the area.

[heleneclare]

Hi -

I have lived in the NH Seacoast area for 3 years now, previous to that, spent 7 years in Boston/Andover, MA (originally from Minnesota). Be careful before you get too overly enthusiastic about this area. First, I would reconsider Dover. Dover is OK, better than the surrounding towns of Somersworth and Rochester/Gonic, but the town is undergoing tremendous growth, and does have a rising drug and crime problem. Crystal meth is gaining a foothold in the town and will be an issue to deal with for many years to come. Although you've said that you are sending your kids to private school, the Dover Public Schools are having issues including capacity, academic standards, and rising drug problem. Both the Dover MS and HS are on the Federal No Child Left Behind "Needs Improvement" list. If you have to send your kids to the public schools as "backup" you may be very disappointed. You may want to consider Lee, Madbury, Durham, Stratham, Exeter, or Brentwood if you are sending your kids to public school. I mean, Oyster River School District, is on par with a private school, we look at our painful property taxes as private school tuition, I mean, we get nothing else for the money. But, the schools in ORSD are IMMACULATE.

One of the biggest issues that I have noticed coming from a more urban area, is that there are less services available in general. Not a huge issue, but it does take time to adjust to. Less restaurants, cultural attractions, available shopping (I do online mainly), medical services, amenities, etc. And it is fairly expensive to live here. Property taxes are high, housing costs are high, fuel costs are high, insurance costs are high, and there is very nominal job growth in the state, so if you lose your NH job (if you are lucky enough to find one), you are looking at very long commute into MA (and you will be paying MA income taxes and not getting them back), because that's where jobs are that pay a living wage. Jobs in NH pay on average about 20-30% less than MA. Oh, and NH pays a VERY small sum for unemployment insurance.

And, natives will curse me into infinity, but there is an income tax coming in NH. There is no way that NH can maintain this "no tax" attitude when the state has explosive growth happening for the foreseeable future. The question is, will high property taxes be abated when the income tax is brought forward? Probably not, which will make MA look like a tax haven in comparison!

Yes, NH Seacoast is very safe for kids, I don't worry about my children playing outside, etc. But, it's not a panacea.

Don't be alarmed, but people in general are very unfriendly in New England. That is just their general demeanor, and I think actually originates from the Puritan suspicion of anyone not "in their clan" is someone to be regarded with suspicion and caution.

The weather is poor for the majority of the year. If you dislike rain and fog, and summer not beginning until July, the weather may bother you. However, with global warming, winter doesn't really get going now until Jan, so Nov and Dec are actually rather pleasant.

Just a cautionary note. Good luck on whatever you choose to do!

[Dragondog]

helenecare

I have to respectfully disagree with you re; the climate in Mass/NH- the Boston area and coastal NH are considerably milder then Minnesota. All of Minnesota is a zone 4- meaning absolute lows in the winter -20 to -30 below zero.

Coastal NH is a zone 6- meaning absolute lows to -10, that is much milder then anyplace in Minnesota. Boston and the south shore are near a zone 7-

The weather in general is far milder then Minnesota, with less extremes in temperature- we may have a nor easter or two in the winter, but do not have extreme days of heat and long humidity- which the twin cities do, they also have more extreme cold spells with wind chills of 50 below. Also tornadoes, are common in Minnesota, and very rare in New Hampshire.

Climate change is happening in Minnesota as well, but it is a considerably harsher climate then coastal NH due to Minnesota having NO oceanic influence and a flat surface, which makes the winds sweeping across the northern prairies brutal in the winter.

Summer weather here in Connecticut tends to kick in by memorial day- areas by the coast may be cooler because of the oceans cooling influence- but the summers also benefit by a refreshing sea breeze- absent in Minnesota.

Someone saying that Boston or coastal New Hampshire as having 'poor weather' and being from Minnesota is like calling a kettle black in my opinion.