Dover/Portsmouth VS Exeter (Manchester, Nashua: real estate, school districts, quality of life)

[HarrisonTweed]

Which area is considered most desirable?

I know both coastal options have good reputations and it seems that Dover/Portsmouth might be favored among the younger while Exeter is a bit stodgy(?), though I'm sure both are over-generalizations.

If you could choose between the two areas to raise a young family, which would win out? Factors considered: quality of life, school system, opportunities for the little ones...

Honorable mentions are more than welcomed (Concord, Rochester, Durham, Barrington?)

Any thoughts are appreciated...









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[gf2020]

You may want to base your comparison on school system, not necessarily the specific community, because these towns are all served by different regional systems.

Portsmouth and Dover maintain their own schools. SAU 16 serves Brentwood, East Kingston, Exeter, Kensington, Newfields and Stratham.

SAU5, the Oyster River Cooperative School District, serves Durham, Lee, and Madbury.

Barrington maintains its own elementary and middle schools but sends its students to Dover for high school.

[HarrisonTweed]

Originally Posted by gf2020

You may want to base your comparison on school system, not necessarily the specific community, because these towns are all served by different regional systems.

Portsmouth and Dover maintain their own schools. SAU 16 serves Brentwood, East Kingston, Exeter, Kensington, Newfields and Stratham.

SAU5, the Oyster River Cooperative School District, serves Durham, Lee, and Madbury.

Barrington maintains its own elementary and middle schools but sends its students to Dover for high school.

Good point, gf2020.
My question was meant to contrast communities generally while taking specifics (ie schools) into consideration.

Given the differences you've described, is there one school system that is preferred over the others?

In other words if you live in Exeter, do you "end up with" better schools than you would in Dover, Durham or Portsmouth?

[mdamien]

I have lived in Portsmouth, Dover, and Exeter, and they are all nice places to live and raise a family.

I would consider Portsmouth the most desirable.

[HarrisonTweed]

Originally Posted by mdamien

I have lived in Portsmouth, Dover, and Exeter, and they are all nice places to live and raise a family.

I would consider Portsmouth the most desirable.

Thanks for the input, mdamien.
I've read good things about that city myself. (But then, I've read good things about Exeter, Durham and Dover as well.)

Your first hand experience is helpful.
In Portsmouth, is there a particularly attractive area as far as housing?

We have a young family and a yard would take precedent over walking access to the town's amenities.

Thanks!

[thebig0]

Portsmouth has the best downtown of the three. Dover would be second for the sub 30 crowd; the over 30 crowd may prefer exeter.

I would rate the school districts as follows:

portsmouth (lowest)
dover
exeter
oyster river (best)

I would personally not send my children to portsmouth or dover if i had the choice.

stratham, kensington, newfields, east kingston, brentwood attend exeter middle and high school

durham, madbury and lee send their kids to oyster river; all have the taxes and real estate costs required to pay for the excellent education

personally if moving to the area with a family i would look in nottingham, northwood, barrington and strafford

all are a good 10 minutes from any major stores but offer a small town atmosphere, lower real estate prices and moderate property taxes

all four towns have local elementary and middle schools; northwood and strafford send their high school students to coe brown (highly regarded); barrington and nottingham have agreementts with coe brown but the kids must test in and there is no bussing

nottingham kids default to dover high school if they do not attend coe brown but the town will also allow the parent to use the cost of dover tuition for another high school as they choose

there is talk of barrington building their own high school; if built nottingham may attend barrington rather than dover but this is all subject to change and the whim of the voter

[mdamien]

Originally Posted by HarrisonTweed

Thanks for the input, mdamien.
I've read good things about that city myself. (But then, I've read good things about Exeter, Durham and Dover as well.)

Your first hand experience is helpful.
In Portsmouth, is there a particularly attractive area as far as housing?

We have a young family and a yard would take precedent over walking access to the town's amenities.

Thanks!

Elywn Park and the Woodlands are very attractive. There's also Greenland where you could probably find a bigger yard.

We are now living in Amherst, which is more in the Nashua/Manchester sphere of things.