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At the moment we're going with Nashua or Hollis, but like here I'm guessing there are 'good' parts of both areas and 'bad' parts that we'll want to avoid. I may be wrong - I hope so when I pick our house to buy.
Hi Surts,
I'm from Hollis and I have family still there. Got questions? I can't think of any 'bad' sections of town, but I can tell you that anything on Tyng Hill Rd is oging to be expensive. Taxes are high in Hollis: a 3 bedroom 2 bath house on 5 acres costs about $6000 year. Mostly because the schools are considered very good - and anything the school board asks for in their budget, they get. Also taxes are high because a couple of developers like to build McMansions. There is a regulation that you can't build more than I think 5 houses in any one field in a year, and you have to have a minimum of 2 acres (waterfront area around Silver Lake is entirely different).
It's a pretty town, people are nice, there is a small shopping center for groceries and such now but the prices are better if you go into Nashua (especially to Market Basket).
Nashua is a city, and has pretty much everything you expect in a city - as well as good & bad neighborhoods. Hollis is the suburb. I'll be back up there at the end of July for our settlement if you want me to take pics around town (since it's unlikely you'll have much opportunity to visit there )
I as a geographer by training know NSW AND THE Sydney area reasonably well.
Southern New Hampshire and New England are really beautiful- and will be
indeed a big change from Australia. The flora will be conifers and deciduous forest. The autumns will be something you will not forget.
Everything is green from May till September- then in October the colors begin with reds, orange, bronze, yellow leaves- something you will never forget. Then in November 'the stick season' and then snow. The four seasons here are very exact- and are not subtle like in South eastern AU.
I am familiar with the 'Blue Mountains' and the town of Katoomba - where they can receive snow in the winter.
Thanks for the offer WannaComeHome - I really appreciate it, but we've decided to rent for a bit so we get to know the areas and settle somewhere we really want to be. It's not ideal, but we're trying to be 'sensible' - not something we're very good at :-)
With a potential new born and Richard's work things as well as a house full of things - 2 moves in 12 months doesn't seem like a lot of fun, but it's all part of the adventure.
Oh I'm sooooooo excited. Reading everyones descriptions. I'm even excited about the supermarkets. It seems so far away until we move - about 270 sleeps - he he.
It does snow in Katoomba, you're right. It's not like you get in the USA though and I've only seen it once myself up there. The change in seasons is one of the things I am really looking forward to. I may have to come back and read what I just said when it's below freezing and I cant get to the shop because of the snow.
My husband and I are migrating to the USA next year from Australia as my husband is expanding his business (it doesn't matter to him where we live).
I will need to work and will probably be looking for a job in IT (although I'm looking for a sea change there also).
We've pretty much settled on NH, but not sure where. I see some gorgeous new condos in Nashua, but they seem a bit too good to be true.
Where would be a good place to settle so that I could get work and does anyone have anything to say about the new condo residences I see advertised in Nashua? I would hate to buy in what we call here a "slum of the future".
I am 1/2 Aussie. Mom came here after the war to marry Dad. She is still an Australian citizen. Would not ever give it up (good for her!).
We moved to NH from Massachusetts 22 years ago and we still say it was the best thing we ever did. Unfortunately, every year we get closer and closer to the complete "Massification" of NH. More and more liberal Massachusetts folks moving up here and slowly this is becoming just a suberb of Massachusetts. And believe me, that is a BAAAAAAD thing. The farther south in the state the worse it is.
The farther north you go, the prettier the countryside and the slower the lifestyle and the safer it is to live. The Capital, Concord, is a wonderful city for those of you who like cities. Very safe and no traffic to speak of. Walking everywhere. Nice, Nice people.
That is my advice. We would get you in touch with our Australian relatives outside Brisbane who have visited if you would like to discuss with them the area from an Australian Point of View.
In my opinion, I would stay away from Nashua and Manchester. I moved to Nashua in 1999. I moved out in 2001 to Concord. Now in 2007 Nashua has changed so much. There is more crime and it is totally being overrun with illegal aliens. Drugs are very prevalent. A bowling alley I used to go in has gang fights all the time.
Nashua is still safe to live in and there are very wealthy areas but even 10 years from now I don't think I would want to live there.
The same thing with Manchester, stabbings almost everyday on the news, illegal aliens attacking each other with hammers, I wuld steer clear of Manchester.
For a place so often mentioned as "up and coming", Manchester seems to be headed in the wrong direction. Some of the lip service from the city's elected officials as it regards illegal immigration is not something most would expect from New Hampshire. Local representative Lily Mesa: just when I can't be bedazzled any more with the people we choose to elect...I mean who in god's names are the clowns that elected this nut-case? Yes she is a state rep, but let's not be naive to the fact of where most state reps receive their votes when coming from any district. This is something I'd expect from Portland or numerous southern New England cities, not in New Hampshire. I think it is more indicative of Manchester than anything.
You're right - the houses are much better, bigger and marvellous in the USA. Where I live you would get a 1 room (not bedroom - 1 ROOM) for $450000. We rent at the moment and pay much, much more than a mortgage of the same amount in the USA, but owning our own home here is too far out of reach.
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They are, but some of those bigger and grander homes are 100 years old , and not upgraded. You're better off sticking to newer construction homes as you might not get a dishwasher, washer or dryer. IMO Charming house = old house, by New England standards.
Not sure which flavor of IT you need, but there are a lot of companies around the 495/95 area of MA (Woburn to Newton roughly), and in Cambridge. There are some companies basically everywhere else (inc. Nashua). For the big companies, it depends on what you do for where they will need you.
Best of luck!!
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