any artsy places in NH? (Concord, Hudson: home, theater, good schools)

[overleaf]

Is there a town that is family friendly, has educated population and is artsy? If there is, I would be interested in knowing where. We are primarily looking at moving to Maine but I dont want to rule out NH either. Thanks!

[sgthoskins]

I think Maine is more artsy and educated than NH. It would suit you better.

[renlouis]

I don't live in NH, but was researching areas a while back when DH interviewed for a job there. It sounds to me like Peterborough would be a great fit for you! There are a couple of people on this board from Peterborough who may be able to give you more info. Good Luck!

[Verseau]

I think Portsmouth and Keene both have an artsy vibe. Probably Hanover too.
Those towns all have well-educated populations (and there are very few places in NH I wouldn't describe as "family friendy"). They're a bit on the large side for NH standards, but I'm not sure what size town you're looking for. Definitely worth checking out, though.

[NH2008]

Peterborough is extremely artsy and home to the Macdowell Artist Colony, which draws a lot of artsy, cultured types to the area. There's a good independent bookstore/cafe and a bunch of restaurants and shops. The play "Our Town" was based on Peterborough.

The MacDowell Colony

Portsmouth has a lot of live music and theater. They have a film festival and broadcast the Met on film at the local theater. This is an actual (albeit small) city so a lot of people looking for good schools AND proximity to Portsmouth's cultural offerings probably live in New Castle, Rye, Hampton Falls, etc.

Exeter is nearby and since it's home to Phillips Exeter Academy it has a well-educated population and more going on than you'd expect, including artsy events at PEA.

I've heard Hanover is great and I know it's home to a very well-educated population and has a lot going on, but I've never been there and can't comment on it from personal experience.

[buck naked]

The MacDowell Colony is great! I also recommend the Kimball-Jenkins Community Arts in Concord.

You can find a lot of info at NH Arts - Community Arts Program

If you like the mountain region, Conway NH also has a fairly large artistic community.


Also, we can't forget to mention the Cornish colonies that inspired artists like Maxfield Parrish and Leonard Bernstein.

so many artist colonies began here the 19th and 20th century, from followers of sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens in Cornish to the Hudson River School camp in the soaring White Mountains (called "the Alps of America" back then) to the renowned MacDowell Art Colony in the west,

[WannaComeHome]

Peterborough was also my first thought, with possibly Portsmouth, and maybe Cornish.

[dognh]

I agree with sgthoskins, Maine is much more educated than NH. Please move there.

[fishnfool]

I don't really know how you can quantify or generalize "more educated". I don't drive to Maine and think to myself "these people obviously have higher and better degrees than those in NH". I also don't feel "less educated" if I walk around Cambridge in Mass...

Seriously, there really isn't a noticeable difference and you'll find places and people vary from town to town and region to region. You can't generalize the population of an entire state, even one as small as NH.

I definitely agree with what was said above about Peterborough and Portsmouth.

[seamusnh]

Originally Posted by dognh

Maine is much more educated than NH.

Wrong. US Census: Percent of people 25 years and over who have complete a bachelor's degree:

New Hampshire 30.3% (#10 in the US)
Maine: 25.9% (#22 in the US)