may have job offer in Meredith, any info? (Manchester, Concord: homes, school district)

[iamhadley]

Is there anyone who has info on Meredith. I am concerned about good schools and quality of life. Also how is the weather, being that it is on a lake? Does it get as cold as whitefield? Thanx in advance

[Verseau]

Meredith is a really nice town. It has a vibrant downtown and an active waterfront. It's small but gets pretty busy during the summer, at least in the downtown area. There are lots of amenities right in town but you're also close to Laconia, Tilton, etc. for convenience. It's in a good central location in the Lakes Region, so outdoor activities are in every direction.

The school district (Inter-Lakes) is definitely one of the better districts in the Lakes Region. It's not as highly rated as Moultonborough or Wolfeboro, but I'm pretty sure it's a good step up from most of the neighboring districts. The elementary school won the "NH Elementary School of Excellence" award this year.

I don't think the lake really affects the town's weather very much. On average, it should be about 5-10 degrees warmer than Whitefield during the winter and should get a little bit less snow.

[iamhadley]

Thanx verseau I appreciate the info. All of the pictures i have seen are views from the water looking in on the resorts. I cant seem to find out what the town looks like. Does anyone know what the teenagers do to keep busy?

[Verseau]

Here are some photos I've taken in town:

[iamhadley]

Verseau, u really went above and beyond! Thanx for the beautiful pics. It does look rather cold....we r coming from Las Vegas where we r still in high 90's. The homes look charming....Is there a main highway running through town? Is wolfboro just as nice or would u prefer it? If my husband worked in Meredith, would it be practical to live in Wolfboro?

[Verseau]

Well, it's cold in the winter but that's only part of the year. You've got average high temperatures around 30 in January and 80 in July. The seasons are part of life here.

Route 3 runs through Meredith, which is an important north-south state highway. I-93 is the nearest interstate highway (about 15 minutes away) and that provides direct access to larger towns and cities like Tilton, Concord, Manchester, and Boston. There's also Route 25 which runs east through the Lakes Region towards Portland, Maine, and Route 104 which runs west towards I-93.

With the exception of I-93 these are largely two-lane highways (one lane in each direction), but traffic is rarely an issue in NH.

Wolfeboro is also a very quaint town in a beautiful setting, but it has a slightly different character than Meredith. First of all, it's a more expensive town (based on median home values and even prices in stores), largely due to its status as a summer resort area for wealthy urbanites. It also tends to be a bit quieter and less busy than Meredith because it's more isolated. The downside is that it takes a while to drive from Wolfeboro to any larger towns, for certain amenities and whatnot.

I do prefer the eastern (Wolfeboro) side of Lake Winnepesaukee to the western (Meredith) side for the tranquility and scenic beauty, but overall I think that Meredith is the better place to live, unless you're a retiree or something. A Wolfeboro-Meredith commute is not very practical because you have to go around the lake -- it takes about 50 minutes.

[SFT]

It is definitely cold anywhere in New Hampshire. You're looking at average HIGHS in the 30s for 2-3 months in winter. The lows and on cold days it can definitely be in the 10s-20s or colder. However, this does open up new possibilities such as snowboarding/skiing if your interested, or even doing some winter hiking in the snow. The key would be investing in a good jacket, hat and gloves. Also, there is nothing better than a bonfire on the colder fall, and warmer winter nights.

[Brave Stranger]

I would stick with living in Meredith. Better than average schools, low property taxes, nice selection of homes. One of my favorite towns in NH.