Bedford or Amherst

[BF66389]

As seamushnh alludes to- the key here is really knowing what environment will be best for YOUR children with regard to education. Some kids thrive in an open/self-motivating environment; some don't...and peoples perceptions/opinions are based off of their individual experiences.

[avironneur]

My parents live in Amherst (not the village proper but Chestnut Hill Road/Horace Greeley area) and overall coming from Northern Virginia (Fairfax) we find the people reserved, standoffish, and snooty. Bedford seemed a little more down to Earth and friendly with a large number of transplants from Boston, NY, DC etc in town for BAE, Fidelity (or what's left of that sinking ship) Liberty Mutual etc jobs.

That said, Amherst village is more picturesque but shopping is almost nonexistant barring a small overpriced village market -- the closest grocery stores are in Bedford (new Hannaford off of 101) and Milford (101/101A intersection - Stop and Shop and Shaws) -- 101 is a bear to drive on...speeders and aggressive drivers left and right, heavy but ineffective police enforcement, and relatively high volume as 101 is the primary East-West thoroughfare in the State.

I would look at Hollis and Bedford with a preference for Bedford if you need to be near the Everett or 93.

[thedudewiththeplan]

I used to live in Bedford and I would say you really can't go wrong with either one. They are both very nice towns!

[maestramommy]

We moved to Bedford last summer, partly because of schools, but mainly because of the commute. The latest on the high school is that some people want the IB program to be eliminated because they consider it too expensive and controversial. I've been researching that because the IB being controversial is news to me! My personal take is that some people are very suspicious of change or new things, or things they consider new. I want to talk to HS students and their parents before I take a stand either way. Besides, it's so competitive to get into I'm not assuming my own kids will get in!

I can't speak to the charm of Amherst compared to Bedford, but the people here are very nice, down to earth, helpful. It feels like a real community, even if you just move in from the outside (like out of state).

[seamusnh]

I've lived in Amherst for 13 years and don't find it snooty at all. I did get some of that vibe from Hollis. They have a U11 lacrosse team that shows up with over 30 players and three coaches all wearing the full coaches outfits. Looked a little silly at the U11 level...

[NH2008]

I'm sure there are snobs everywhere and nice people everywhere. I've found everyone I've met IRL here to be incredibly down to earth and nice. We looked at houses in both towns and everyone was very friendly in both towns.

I've heard great things about IB programs btw.

[seamusnh]

Is IB the International Baccalaureate (sp?)? We don't have that in Amherst. There are a lot of AP courses. My oldest has 4 AP courses this year...

[maestramommy]

Originally Posted by seamusnh

Is IB the International Baccalaureate (sp?)? We don't have that in Amherst. There are a lot of AP courses. My oldest has 4 AP courses this year...

Yes. I would say, based on the way I *think* Souhegan HS is structured, you'll probably get many of the similar benefits that you would expect from a full-on IB program

[gailley]

Hi. I'm currently living in Amherst, but still own a home in Bedford and have since 1990. I've lived in NH since 1984. I'm in a new relationship now and to suit the two of us, we were looking for a home in Hollis, but found Amherst had more affordable homes with the land we were looking for. (We now own 3 homes) I love Amherst. It's a beautiful, quaint town. Bedford (depending on where one lives) has easy, quick access to I-93, Route 3, I-293, and Route 101. Amherst is not convenient to any highway, but I love it so much, I don't mind driving the extra 20 minutes to everywhere, but I don't work full-time and don't have little kids anymore. Hollis is a more convenient town than Amherst, having easy access to Route 3. I think Amherst is more rural than Hollis. Bedford isn't as quaint as it used to be, having cluster developments now. Schools in Bedford are excellent, and are great for kids that are high achievers. I know kids in Amherst that love their schools and believe my children would have done much better in the Amherst school system. I think Bedford is a town that is rather transient with political issues, but has a lot to offer and although Bedford and Amherst both have Comcast, it was great in Bedford and is terrible in Amherst. Hollis has a very nice mix of people with excellent schools. If you want quaint and less expensive housing, Amherst is the town. Bedford is probably the most convenient and affordable at this time, but used to be the most expensive. Hollis is now the most expensive of the three towns, most likely because there aren't as many homes for sale. I think you have to decide what kind of house you are looking for, how much you want to spend, and how far you're willing to travel. Some people will fit in better in Bedford, others in Hollis or Amherst. I think Bedford is snootier, and although this has never affected me, I know people that dislike this. I find Amherst is the friendliest town with a lot of people that like to walk. All three towns seem to consist of people from other states. My kids are older now and out of school. Only one had the opportunity to attend both Bedford HS and Manchester West HS. He dislikes Bedford HS, claiming it is too difficult, that West was much easier. I miss the convenience of Bedford, but love Amherst. I hope my experience has helped.