Can anyone tell me about Rumney/Plymouth? (Concord, Laconia: how much, house)

[motoracer51]

We're looking at a house up in Rumney, and since we've never really been further north than Concord, I was wondering what you guys can tell us about the area?

My main concern is the winter. What will the winter be like compared to Concord? The other place we are looking at is in Epsom.

I also see that the schools are better up in Rumney, and I assume that the small class sizes have something to do with it.

Well, anything you guys can contribute to compare the Rumney/Plymouth area to the southern half of the state would be great!!

Thanks again for all the help in this and prior posts. We're still trying to get out there

[KarynO]

I would say it is usually about ten degrees colder and you'll have much more snow....remember, you'll be in the mountains.

[Verseau]

I live in Bristol (just south of Rumney and Plymouth), and to be honest I don't think there's a huge difference in temperature and snowfall between this area and Concord. We're not that far north.

Rumney and Plymouth are less than 250 feet higher in elevation than Concord, which doesn't make a huge difference in terms of weather. You will probably get a bit more snow than in Concord and it will take a little bit longer to melt come springtime, but I wouldn't expect a dramatic difference.

From what I can tell, the average temperatures in Rumney are about 2 to 5 degrees colder than Concord.

By the way, where are you getting your information about schools? I'm no expert on the school systems, but I wasn't aware there was a big difference between the two towns...if anything, I would have guessed that Plymouth would be better...

Keep in mind that Rumney is a very small, rural town. If that's what you prefer, then go for it - Plymouth is nearby so you're not completely cut off from civilization (Plymouth has a Super Wal-Mart, Hannaford supermarket, small movie theatre, Rite-Aid, Dukin' Donuts, a hospital, vet's office, various restaurants and other stores).

Plymouth also has secluded, rural sections but a fairly vibrant downtown. It's a college town, though, which you may or may not like. There is a fair amount of arts-related events and it feels much less "provincial" than Rumney.

Hope that was helpful!

[Thnder]

Traffic in Plymouth is a probably a bit heavier than in Rumney, however in order to get anywhere you will likely have to go through Plymouth via rt 25. Traffic on that road is fairly heavy for the area as that is where most of the stores in the above post are located. Rt 25(Tenny Mountain Highway) is 2 lane traffic with at least 3 lights to get through to reach I93, pretty much your only ticket south.
I would suggest Campton as an alternative, fairly close to both. Campton has less congestion if you are not and do not need to be on rt 49 during peak hours. If you are near I93 in Campton it is a strait shot to Plymouth in less than 10 minutes. Alternatively you can take rt 3 or rt175 for scenery.

[Verseau]

Just a note - while there is definitely more traffic passing through Plymouth than Rumney, the "traffic" in Plymouth is nothing like Concord.

[motoracer51]

Originally Posted by Verseau

I live in Bristol (just south of Rumney and Plymouth), and to be honest I don't think there's a huge difference in temperature and snowfall between this area and Concord. We're not that far north.

Rumney and Plymouth are less than 250 feet higher in elevation than Concord, which doesn't make a huge difference in terms of weather. You will probably get a bit more snow than in Concord and it will take a little bit longer to melt come springtime, but I wouldn't expect a dramatic difference.

From what I can tell, the average temperatures in Rumney are about 2 to 5 degrees colder than Concord.

By the way, where are you getting your information about schools? I'm no expert on the school systems, but I wasn't aware there was a big difference between the two towns...if anything, I would have guessed that Plymouth would be better...

Keep in mind that Rumney is a very small, rural town. If that's what you prefer, then go for it - Plymouth is nearby so you're not completely cut off from civilization (Plymouth has a Super Wal-Mart, Hannaford supermarket, small movie theatre, Rite-Aid, Dukin' Donuts, a hospital, vet's office, various restaurants and other stores).

Plymouth also has secluded, rural sections but a fairly vibrant downtown. It's a college town, though, which you may or may not like. There is a fair amount of arts-related events and it feels much less "provincial" than Rumney.

Hope that was helpful!

Thanks for the reply. Just out of curiosity, what kind of snow fall amounts did you guys see last year up there?

My wife has been getting the school "grades" from some website, I think linked from here; I'll ask her when she gets up.

I'm looking for rural, large acreage(50+) properties, so my selection is limited. I want to be secluded, but somewhat close to town.

Sounds like the area is pretty nice, and I like the fact that we'll be close to the White Mountains for recreational things.

I wish we had driven up there when we were up there in July, but it was kind of off the radar for us, and it still might not be possible as my wife applied to the law school in Concord as a professor.

How do you like, overall, living in the area? What do you love, hate, accept?

How is the weather? Is there many grey days, and what's the humidity like?

Thanks again.

John

[Verseau]

Well, we got a ton of snow this past winter, but I couldn't tell you exactly how much. I think pretty much every part of the state got a ton of snow, though.

The best I could find was this animated map of snow depth during the season. The scale's a bit hard to read, but if you can spot where Plymouth and Rumney are (a bit west of Squam Lake, which is just above the obvious Lake Winnipesaukee) then you can see what the snowfall was like relative to other areas.

I think it's a great area to live in. You're right between the lakes and the mountains... the natural beauty is stunning. And compared to more northern parts of New Hampshire, you're still relatively well-connected to civilization, being a reasonable distance away from Tilton, Concord, Meredith, Laconia, etc.

As much as I love the outdoors, though, I have to admit that it can get rather boring up here sometimes. But I'm sure part of that is the fact that I'm young and restless. The key to getting through the winter is winter sports. Tenney Ski area is just nearby, snowmobiling is really popular in the area, and of course there are several lakes and ponds to skate on.

I don't think the weather is wildly different from other parts of New Hampshire. According to city-data, about 40-45% of days in a given year are mostly cloudy. I think that's typical of the region. As for humidity, it can be annoying during the summer, but not really bad. Let me put it this way -- while there are probably about three weeks or so of uncomfortable humidity in total during the summer, it's not enough to make me buy an air conditioner. I get by just fine using fans. Most of the summer is quite pleasant, weather-wise.

I have posted a few photos from Plymouth and Rumney in the photo thread, if you're interested.

[KarynO]

I worked in Concord and drove home every night during the winter...at exit 22 the snow accumulation increased three to four inches instantly....I live 3 miles off exit 23, and there would be about two more inches at my house than that....The higher you go...the more you snow.

Also, if you've never been farther north than Concord, you will probably not consider Plymouth to have any traffic on balance....after 11 years up here, if there is one person in front of me at the bank or grocery store, I feel impatient because of the "line", lol.

[KarynO]

...Oh yeah...I think Plymouth is a nice community with good schools if you can put up with the college students.....and there's a Marshalls.

[newhampshiregirl]

I think the Plymouth area is fabulous. You have easy highway access, as well as easily accessible rural areas. You have the vibrancy of a college community, but a small town atmosphere. You have the amenities that come with a college town like theatre, concerts, a hospital, a great library, etc.

That said, I love Concord, too. I'm just a north country kind of gal, so Plymouth would be my #1.