What is a great So. NH town for a young married couple? (Washington: loans, public schools)

[grimstuff]

Ocean95... keep us updated on how the search is going. My wife and I are getting very eager to move out to NH (from across the country), and are particularly interested in Portsmouth, mainly since it seems to be the place with more jobs and it might be easier for us to get established there first. Our ultimate goal will be to move up to northern NH (Littleton area), but think it would be best to move to the Seacoast first to get acclimated to the weather, culture, etc. Any impressions you get from the Portsmouth area would be very helpful.

What kind of work do you do, may I ask?

[ocean925]

Ahh I just replied and wasn't logged in and lost everything! *cries* Ok. Let's try again. Grimstuff, that's exciting that you're thinking of a big move! I'm not sure that we'll find ourselves in Portsmouth but if we go there I will certainly report back.

As for work, I do a lot of different things. I got my degree in technical communications but have a lifelong history in the fine and performing arts, so it's been a struggle to find a good balance of the two sides of my brain since college. Currently I work a couple of days a week as a marketing and technical contractor/consultant at a small publishing firm (they told me today my official title was 'tech lady' haha) doing everything from web copywriting to CSS web design/drupal development, log analysis and PR.

Another couple days a week I work from home for a search engine marketing software company writing optimized landing pages for their website. One other day I work as a music director at a children's theater organization writing original musicals and accompanying rehearsals/performances, and I play piano for a ballet class there at night. Throughout the year I work as the resident music director for a brand new theater company in the Greater Boston area, and have recently become a published children's book illustrator!

Needless to say I keep pretty busy haha...but it's so nice to have a variety and a bit of flexibility that I've been hoping and struggling for since college. I'm not really the '9-5 office job' type so it's been a learning experience. I think that's what our 20s are for, though, to try a bunch of jobs and see what sticks. Now that I've totally rambled, hopefully I won't lose my post again! : )

[grimstuff]

Ocean95: Well,, it sounds like you have experience in a lot of different things around the print/web publishing world. The biggest part of this move stuff, of course, has to do with re-creating a living for ourselves... I need to be able to find my kind of work (planning, policy analysis; call me a libertarian-minded bureaucrat, lol), and so far the advice I've received is to look around the Seacoast area for more urban-dependent professional jobs. Sounds like you might be in a similar boat, what with publishing and all. However, it also sounds like you have some options for working from home. That would be my dream , of course, because then I could live where I REALLY want to live--in the country--and not have to live somewhere in town.

Good luck with everything, and like I said, post your thoughts and progress here.

-David

[steveusaf]

Originally Posted by grimstuff

Ocean95: Well,, it sounds like you have experience in a lot of different things around the print/web publishing world. The biggest part of this move stuff, of course, has to do with re-creating a living for ourselves... I need to be able to find my kind of work (planning, policy analysis; call me a libertarian-minded bureaucrat, lol), and so far the advice I've received is to look around the Seacoast area for more urban-dependent professional jobs. Sounds like you might be in a similar boat, what with publishing and all. However, it also sounds like you have some options for working from home. That would be my dream , of course, because then I could live where I REALLY want to live--in the country--and not have to live somewhere in town.

Good luck with everything, and like I said, post your thoughts and progress here.

-David

I grew up across the Piscataqua River from Portsmouth in Kittery, ME. If you can't find work in the greater Portsmouth area, then you must really be a specialist with a hard to find profession. Portsmouth is a pretty good city to find work in, in my opinion. So is Dover, just up Rt 16 a little bit. I'm basing my location for retirement on a 45 minute max commute from Portsmouth to have the widest options for employment.

Although Portsmouth is great, I wouldn't want to live in the city. I, like you, want to live in the country. Sure, the seacoast is heavily developed compared to many other areas of NH, but you can still find solitude in the country relatively close to Portsmouth. Towns like Barrington, Strafford, the country around Rochester, Epping, Raymond, Northwood all are rural or have rural parts to them where you can have the ultimate country experience yet commute to Portsmouth (or Manchester in the case of Epping or Raymond) for work. So I believe you can have it both ways. You've just got to be smart about where you live....

[maxxoccupancy]

First off, if you two are "liberal" (think high taxes are okay, believe that more taxes lead to more and better services, rather than political corruption), you might not be welcomed in NH. It's not that New Hampsha' folks are mean, but are getting wary of so many tax lovers moving in. If you're just not aware of how politicians are using most of your tax money for political payoffs, please get actively involved in state and local politics, like most NHites do.

If you don't mind that kind of corrupt, wasteful state government and the taxes, crime, sprawl, and "excellent services" (like having your kids taken from you by CPS, environmental agencies taking your land, city inspector ordering you to pay $16,000 to deal with some minute crack in your basement), continue enjoying all of that down in Mass. We're busy fighting all of this in NH as it is. Please, either learn about what's going on, or stay down there.

[BF66389]

Folks, I think we got a good bit off topic here. When Ocean responded to SgtHoskins with:

"Sgthoskins, I'm sorry to hear you feel that way, but to each his own. I didn't really want to start a political discussion on this thread, so I'll leave it at that for now, and I will try not to let your comment deter me from continuing to consider the move."

I think it truly was a statement "to each his own"; as in she could care less about politics and wasn't asking any questions about it/didn't want to get into the conversation.

Remember that without a solid introduction that conservatives in NH are mostly believers in classical liberalism (look it up if the term scares you); one might think that "conservative" means what it has been exemplified as by neo-conservatives: bible thumping/gay bashing/war mongers with little regard to fiscal restraint.

[grimstuff]

Ok, I'm more than a little tired with all the "stay away liberals" rhetoric that seems to be the over-arching theme of every thread here. I'd have harsher words, but i want to exercise a little civility also. Suffice it to say, my political leanings are really none of your business. You think that just because I'm from CA, and the OP is from MASS, that we like big-spending and heavy taxes? Get off your soapbox. For your information I base most of my political choices and votes on libertarian values. not that it would matter, since as I've said it's none of your business.

Originally Posted by maxxoccupancy

First off, if you two are "liberal" (think high taxes are okay, believe that more taxes lead to more and better services, rather than political corruption), you might not be welcomed in NH. It's not that New Hampsha' folks are mean, but are getting wary of so many tax lovers moving in. If you're just not aware of how politicians are using most of your tax money for political payoffs, please get actively involved in state and local politics, like most NHites do.

If you don't mind that kind of corrupt, wasteful state government and the taxes, crime, sprawl, and "excellent services" (like having your kids taken from you by CPS, environmental agencies taking your land, city inspector ordering you to pay $16,000 to deal with some minute crack in your basement), continue enjoying all of that down in Mass. We're busy fighting all of this in NH as it is. Please, either learn about what's going on, or stay down there.

[maxxoccupancy]

I just got back from the State House, and the DOT is pushing more toll increases, more toll collections, and a lot of new spending projects for all of this new toll infrastructure. This will likely pass through (like the 17% spending increase from the last session) because the new voters here are less careful about who they elect than most of the natives. This is exactly what happened to my home state of Washington, and the Puget Sound is suffering from myriad problems caused by corrupt politicians there. I have a right to express anger. Most people just don't get involved, and have no idea how bad things are getting in our nation's state legislatures. Our roads and highways, our neighborhoods and schools are becoming more dangerous. People are losing their homes, their savings, their jobs, and people are actually dying because of bad decisions made by these crooks.

[Valerie C]

Just a quick response here, as I need to get away from the computer early today. GrimStuff, while I can appreciate your frustration with the oft-repeated message of "please leave your liberal values in the state that you're leaving behind", please try to understand that every day, new people who've never been here read these forums and ask these questions. That's why, when the same questions are asked over and over and over (by different & new posters) the same sort of messages seem to go out in response.

The regulars never tire of answering questions and helping others, but as the uncertainty grows throughout our nation, you've got to see that New Hampshire people are absolutely terrified (yes, that's a strong word) that this state is going to end up exactly like Massachusetts and California... (sigh) where a single welfare mom with no source of income or support can have taxpayer-funded fertility treatmemts, resulting in a 'family' of 14 children, all destined for a state-sponsored life. NH says "No, thank you..."

Many people want to come here for the "cheaper housing", the no income tax/no sales tas, and also because as Nicolem said in another thread, "it's not as bad as the state that they lived in before". But when they come here and then continue to vote in the same way that they always did, slowly but surely, this state will change into what they left behind.

Just listening to the daily news about the foolishness, and you can understand why people feel the way they do... And one living here needs only to look across the border to see the corruption and greed that has RUINED the state of Massachusetts, and it continues each and every day.

Right now, this week, Massachusetts is considering a .27 per gallon tax increase for gas, in addition to the increased tolls, etc. We here in NH (you know, where it's not "as bad") are looking at a possible .15 increase in the gas tax. Our elected politicians have looked across the border, and they like what they see: TAX AND SPEND, we'll have some of that too!

(disclaimer: As a former Mass. resident I also voted Democrat like the Sheeple that I was, no thought behind it, you just vote that way. In MA, being liberal is almost a badge on honor... no kidding!)

Originally Posted by grimstuff

You think that just because I'm from CA, and the OP is from MASS, that we like big-spending and heavy taxes? Get off your soapbox.

[grimstuff]

Valarie, I wasn't objecting to people being worried about a changing political landscape in their own state. I understand that. What I do object to is rudeness and the presumption that by virtue of me being from CA, and the other poster being from MASS that we vote for tax and spend measures.

You can't force every person who wants to move to NH to pass some sort of litmus test, but that's what a lot of posters on this board try to do. It's rude, and you have to use stereotypes to do it. That's what I find unnecessary.