Another where in Southern NH question (Manchester, Nashua: for sale, real estate, houses)

[kwiley1221]

Hello,

I am considering taking a new job in Salem, NH. My family and I are very excited about the change. We currently live in the Atlanta, Georgia area now where my current commute of 12 miles takes me 40-60 minutes on average (depending upon morning or evening). I've done all the research for property taxes, cost of living, etc, etc. and feel very good about the opportunity. I lived in Pennsylvania for a few years so I can handle the snow (yes I know you get a lot more there than Pa does). I've never been north of NY so not sure what to expect in New Hamspshire (population density, commutes, communities, housing availabillity, etc). I prefer smaller areas to bigger ones as long as it doesn't take a half a day to get to civilization.

To cut to the chase: I've been following some of the other threads concerning living in southern NH. What I'd like to know is how far out (from Salem, NH) should I consider and still have a decent commute? What would the average commute be like if you were say 10-20 miles radius: west (towards nashua), north (Manchester), or northeast (towards Seabrook) of Salem?

Thank you very much, in advance, for any information you're able to provide.

Keith

[mg75]

Hi Keith

First off let me reassure you if you live decide to live in Salem, New Hampshire you will not be that far from civilization. I am currently in Nashua, New Hampshire (from Florida believe it or not) and Nashua is only about 40 miles north of Boston and depending on where in Pennsylvania you are talking about we do not necessarily get a lot more snow then there. Philly area yes, Erie County heck no. (They get over 100 inches a year according to a friend that lives there and Pittsburgh and central PA about the same as us.) Southern New Hampshire is more "urban" then people realize but not as urban as Alpharetta (been there, have friends there).

East-West roads have long commutes around since the only major east/west road is 101A. But it is no where near as bad as Boston! So a commute from Nashua to Salem could be a pain. Or Seabrook to Salem. From Manchester you at least have Route 93 but everyone is commuting South to Boston but I can guarantee you it would be nowhere near as bad as the traffic you would have had to deal with in metro Atlanta. It is hard to say how long it would take for you to get to Salem because it depends on what time you would leave in the morning but I would guess (and someone can please correct me about 30 minutes from Nashua to Salem, 20 to 30 minutes Manchester to Salem, 45 minutes if not longer Seabrook to Salem.

Good luck.

[kwiley1221]

Thanks for the info mg75. Small world - Alpharetta. It's nice here, but the traffic is TOO MISERABLE to make living here enjoyable. There's no room for anyone to go anywhere in any reasnoable amount of time, yet new neighborhoods are springing up like wildfire.

As for PA, I was more in the lower middle (Lancaster). It was hit or miss with the snow: some years better than others. But I can tolerate the cold, but getting to the point where I can't stand the hot summers here in Atlanta or when I go back home to Texas.

[GregW]

Try and find a place actually in Salem. There are some very nice houses for sale. Getting anywhere around southern NH during rush or Satueday morning is a PIA. Just one of the reasons I want to get out of here. Cashing in on the Real Estate is the other. I live in Londonderry and Salem is about 20 min south.

[LagasseGreen]

I would suggest looking in Salem first as there are some nice spots. Try to find a home where you DO NOT need to jump on Rte 93 for the commute. Depending on the hour and direction of travel it will seem as though you are back in Atlanta. Pelham, Windham, Hampstead, and Atkinson are close commutes. Derry's property taxes I've heard are high but probably most in the area are up there as there is no income tax. Good Luck

[kwiley1221]

Right now my (Atlanta) commute is about 45 minutes, one way...and that's being 13 miles from work. I could live with anything under 45 minutes. Not sure how far out that would put me. Of course, a nice place 10 minutes from work would be great!

[southward bound]

Rt 93 can be a rough ride for anyone not used to commuting. Once I got used to it, I drove 27 miles one way to Salem 5 days a week for almost 7 years, in all kinds of weather, and didn't think anything of it (never had an accident, could count on the fingers of one hand the times I saw one on 93). The ride was worth returning to a lake home in southern NH daily and having the weekends to spend in the "country". I worked and shopped in Salem in those 7 years, and got to know Salem pretty well, along with people who live in Salem, and it's not a great place to raise a family. It's on the Mass line and way too close to the drug and cime problems of Methuen and Lowell that flow northward into NH. When I left that job, there were Salem long-time residents who were looking to get out, but found it difficult to sell. Not too many people can afford the "nicer" areas of town.

My hubby commuted into MA for years. We could have lived closer, but glad we didn't. We wouldn't ever trade the quality of life and peace of mind for a shorter commute. Originally when we moved to NH we almost bought land and considered building a home in Salem. At that time (30 years ago) it was a nice "small" town. All that's changed now and I'm glad we didn't settle in Salem at the time. Where we live now, we're far from main routes and our kids could walk two streets over, or ride their bikes in safety and we never needed to worry about them. That's still true. We're close to everything, yet removed from "city problems".

[ManchVegas]

I live in Bedford, next to Manchester on the west side of the Merrimack River, and commute to Salem. I'm not the ultimate authority on the commute, since I get to work either before or after the rush hour depending on my shift, but my commute is usually 20-25 minutes depending on traffic. The few times I've driven down at the height of rush hour have added 10-15 minutes to that.

I used to live in the NYC area - Long Island, New Jersey, or Orange County - and one thing to get used to in NH: there are fewer services. This might not matter as much if you're like most folks; the biggest thing I noticed is that none of the towns I've lived in have municipal trash pickup, a given in many areas, so I pay $30 per month to Waste Management to pick up my garbage weekly. I also pay transfer station fees as part of my property taxes.

And speaking of taxes - that's the other thing big thing to adapt to. You have no sale or state income tax, but your property taxes will be a lot higher than most places (not compared to some in the NY metro area, however). We're talking around $18 to $20 per thousand, roughly.

Is it worth it? Absolutely - my wife and I love it here. Lots of nice folks, not far from Boston or the Beach (Bedford is roughly an hour from each off-peak) and not even far from Maine - about 1:45 to Portland. As far as "civilization", we have a good local airport in Manchester, malls that aren't as big as elsewhere but big enough, and while I miss having a good NY pizza, the food choices are getting better. Manchester now has AAA level hockey and AA baseball (and an arena football team), so you're set for minor league sports. If you like to hike, lots of places to do that, especially about an hour north in the White Mountains (though there's lots of good hiking closer by too). I'm glad I live here.

[kwiley1221]

Yeah I've noticed from posts and real estate sites that the property taxes are high, but I guess that's the trade-off for having no state tax, no sales tax.

Even with the additional 15 minutes on your drive, that's not bad for me. If I can average 45 minutes or less, I'd be happy. We're thinking we'll be a lot happier further out away from the Mass border in a smaller town...like Merrimack or something similar.

Love hiking. We're hoping to get up there and settled before the end of July so we can enjoy a little bit of the nice summer days up there.

[southward bound]

Mt Monadnock is great for hiking, if you only have the one day and don't have time to drive more than an hour one way. It's only about 45 mins west of Amherst/Merrimack/Bedford. It's also a nice climb (variety of trails for experience levels/age levels) for families with kids (no toddlers, but jr. high age and up). There's also skiing available in the area without long drives, if you don't have the entire weekend to spend up north.

Smaller tykes will enjoy the Heritage Trail in Merrimack all the way to the waterfall! (just enough to tire them out for when you get back home. We took that hike through the woods with 3 young'uns, and they had an easy time of it and great fun exploring. Heritage Trail was built by the town and volunteers some years ago, and is a wonderful natural resource right in the center of town.