moving to Portsmouth, NH from California (neighborhood, schools, best)

[picklejuice]

Originally Posted by jojoboulette

My husband and I are seriously considering Portsmouth. We live in Oakland, CA currently and want to move to a smaller area with more green (we're in a very urban area in Oakland.)

Love the architecture in New England; most everything out here in CA is stucco crap. I'm from Ohio originally, so I don't think changing climates will be a problem. I actually miss the seasons quite a bit. CA is too generic in terms of weather for me.

We are self-employed and run a software development/web design firm. Wondering about getting contract work from the Boston area and how that would affect taxes - does anyone know if we would have to pay MA taxes if the work was procured from and completely done in NH, even if the client was in Boston?

Are there any areas within Portsmouth itself that are particularly desirable to live? From the listings I've seen on Craigslist, a lot of it looks really nice, lots of green with nice older homes.

Also, how are the schools in the Portsmouth area?

I lived in your current area, and moved out long ago. I am currently on the east coast, but considering the Pacific Northwest and New England for different reasons.

You got it right on scenery/architecture, etc. I looked in Ohio and really liked all of the English Tudor. Good luck! And happy job and house hunting. I'm enjoying it.

[jojoboulette]

@NH2008

Excellent, thanks for the link!

Anything you don't like about living there? Anything that has been hard to deal with since moving from CA?

[jojoboulette]

Originally Posted by picklejuice

I lived in your current area, and moved out long ago. I am currently on the east coast, but considering the Pacific Northwest and New England for different reasons.

You got it right on scenery/architecture, etc. I looked in Ohio and really liked all of the English Tudor. Good luck! And happy job and house hunting. I'm enjoying it.

Ohio has beautiful homes and especially in the northern/northeastern areas, beautiful nature as well. A lot of people think it's just flat cornfields but east of Cleveland is gorgeous (that's where I'm from.)

Thanks... cannot wait to get the hell out of Cali. :P

[OCCASparky]

If you can get a decent price for your home, you might also want to consider Rye. More expensive overall, but the taxes are also a lot less than Portsmouth.

I would avoid places with lots of state institutions like Durham, etc., because those facilities take up a lot of services without paying into the tax base. Ergo, the property taxes there are higher than in adjacent communities.

Newington is a possibility, as is Dover. That being said, a lot of the newer homes are basic models with vinyl siding. Nice enough, but no real "personality", if you catch my drift.

[jojoboulette]

Originally Posted by OCCASparky

If you can get a decent price for your home, you might also want to consider Rye. More expensive overall, but the taxes are also a lot less than Portsmouth.

I would avoid places with lots of state institutions like Durham, etc., because those facilities take up a lot of services without paying into the tax base. Ergo, the property taxes there are higher than in adjacent communities.

Newington is a possibility, as is Dover. That being said, a lot of the newer homes are basic models with vinyl siding. Nice enough, but no real "personality", if you catch my drift.

"Disneyland" homes is what we're trying to get away from, among other things. There's only two decent types of architecture out here: Victorians (very limited supply) and ultra modern homes (mostly in LA.) Both are really, really expensive if you want something decent and not in a crappy area. We're in a loft in Oakland so we've got character, and we actually really love the loft... but are completely over almost everything else in CA.

I checked out Dover on CL and the homes didn't seem as nice as in Portsmouth of Exeter. Thanks for the tips!

[smilinpretty]

When I was a child, 11 years old, moved to Portsmouth, NH from California. You talk about fun. Ice skating, skiing in the winter and summer was hiking in the woods picking blueberries. The downtown of Portsmouth is absolutely beautiful. The streets were brick, if I remember right. A few years ago, I drove through Portsmouth and went to "Yukoms, Thar she blows" restaurant. It wasn't as nice as when we went there in the 60's but still good food.
I attended a private Catholic School because the public schools were not up to par.

Mosquitos were rampant and once a week trucks would drive around the neighborhoods and blow insecticide in the yards. It was a fog and we would ride our bikes through it. Winters back then were long. Snow would last 3 or so months on the ground.

It was totally different from California but a good different.

[jojoboulette]

Originally Posted by smilinpretty

When I was a child, 11 years old, moved to Portsmouth, NH from California. You talk about fun. Ice skating, skiing in the winter and summer was hiking in the woods picking blueberries. The downtown of Portsmouth is absolutely beautiful. The streets were brick, if I remember right. A few years ago, I drove through Portsmouth and went to "Yukoms, Thar she blows" restaurant. It wasn't as nice as when we went there in the 60's but still good food.
I attended a private Catholic School because the public schools were not up to par.

Mosquitos were rampant and once a week trucks would drive around the neighborhoods and blow insecticide in the yards. It was a fog and we would ride our bikes through it. Winters back then were long. Snow would last 3 or so months on the ground.

It was totally different from California but a good different.

ah, yes, the bugs... haven't missed those and that will take some getting used to again. but nowhere is perfect. and I'll take 4 seasons with bugs any day over what we have out here.

thanks for your recollection, brings back memories of my own...

[NH2008]

Originally Posted by jojoboulette

@NH2008

Excellent, thanks for the link!

Anything you don't like about living there? Anything that has been hard to deal with since moving from CA?

Nope. I'm not from CA and really hated the West Coast. I grew up in Ohio (like you) and we spent at least part of every year at our family house in NH, so I knew what I was getting into! We moved to CA for work and I couldn't wait to get out, although we lived there about 8 years.

[Valerie C]

Ahhhh Yoken's. It's closed now but the City of Portsmouth bought the sign, and is now used a some sort of historic (?) landmark. Does anyone know where it is now?

Originally Posted by smilinpretty

A few years ago, I drove through Portsmouth and went to "Yukoms, Thar she blows" restaurant. It wasn't as nice as when we went there in the 60's but still good food.

It was totally different from California but a good different.

[26MDoyle]

Can anyone recommend a realtor in Portsmouth, NH? We need someone to help us learn about neighborhoods. We have an eight year old son so want information on schools and neighborhoods with young families.