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Hi all,
I'm looking for a little help. I'm currently living in MA and looking to move up to NH. I spent most of my childhood/life in NH. I have family all over. I'm looking to get a little guidance.
I am getting married very soon (3 months) and then I will be looking to buy a home to have children and raise a family....
Which towns offer the best schools and the best environment to raise a family?
I've been looking mainly at Bow because I hear they're schools are great. What other towns have great schools and are family friendly? I will be working in MA until I get situated in NH so I'm concerned as anyone would be for schools/ cost of living / safety issues.
Thank you for any help you can offer....
It all depends on what you are looking for. I live in Nashua, and love it. Most people on here would never recommend this city. I like the convenience of town water, trash pick up, etc. I like a quick drive to the supermarket. I'm on the town line with Hollis so it's nice and quiet and I have great farms nearby to buy produce, go apple picking, etc. My family is in Mass so the drive is that much quicker to see them. I don't have to pay any tolls. Schools - we'll be doing St. Christophers in 2 years when my son can start school. Toying around with 2nd Nature Academy, but it may be too off the main-stream for me...not sure. We can easily drive to Boston, the mountains, the ocean. I like it here.
Hollis & Amherst are both fantastic...as is Bedford (closest to furthest from Boston). Nashua is nice, Merrimack is decent. Bow is a bit of a hike for MA and is probably better for a commute to Concord or Manchester than anywhere else.
I really would say checkout Hollis, Amherst, Nashua, Bedford, Merrimack (in that order) then make your call...they all have a decent feel and different positives and negatives; but you can't really go wrong.
Some of this depends on what type of neighborhood you want to live in. Hollis is mostly houses on country roads. We found more neighborhoods and cul-de-sac's in Amherst. Bedford is a nice town but we did not consider it as it did not have its own high school then... Bedford is more oriented towards Manchester and Hollis towards Nashua. Amherst is pretty much in the middle....
If you are commuting to MA, then further south is better. To get to Hollis, it is pretty much either Exit 1 or exit 6. To get to Amherst, it is exit ll and then 5 miles west...
I like Hollis as well, but most of the town does not have a "neighborly" feel. I like having neighbors and getting trick-or-treaters on Halloween. I wouldn't want to live so far apart....but you may like that. And you CAN find some neighborhoods in Hollis.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but Merrimack and Bedford don't really have a "downtown" area, correct? For some reason that bothers me. I like having a downtown...even if it's small. Amherst has the nice oval area which I'm sure is very pricey to buy a home on.
Another factor for me was the "competing with the neighbors" thing. Hollis and Amherst are wealthy towns. My kids are not getting new cars when they turn 16 and they will never be driving a Mercedes. I wanted a solid middle-class neighborhood where my kids would be happy driving their used Civic. I could carry a Coach bag if I wanted, but I'm more of a Kohl's sale kind of gal.
So it's all in what you are looking for. You could even go a bit further west and check out Brookline. Or go east to Pelham, Londonderry, etc.
You could even go a bit further west and check out Brookline. Or go east to Pelham, Londonderry, etc.
If you feel Hollis is to status oriented for your kids to be in, then Brookline won't work either since Brookline sends its kids to Hollis. Mind you, I never heard of any problem with my nephews going through school there recently - I know I never did either <cough mumble> years ago.. but then the million dollar mansions out on Tyng Hill didn't exist and it was all my back woods then.
Info about Bedford - thinking about moving to Seacoast, suggestions?
I live in Bedford with two small kids (1 and 3). Bedford does not have a "downtown" and the community is trying to change that. They are creating a town common for town events like Halloween parades, christmas tree lighting, Easter Egg hunt, etc. There are a lot of "neighborhoods", but I find that most of Bedford isn't "walkable"... no sidewalks, not stroller friendly. Bedford is definitely a safe town, has good schools, new high school, nice library, a lot of kid programs at the town hall. Saying all of that, I don't love it here - I grew up outside of Boston and miss the arts, culture, community feel of the boston suburbs. We are thinking about moving to the sea coast - maybe Portsmouth, Rye, No Hampton... Anyone out there have any suggestions about that area?
If you feel Hollis is to status oriented for your kids to be in, then Brookline won't work either since Brookline sends its kids to Hollis. Mind you, I never heard of any problem with my nephews going through school there recently - I know I never did either <cough mumble> years ago.. but then the million dollar mansions out on Tyng Hill didn't exist and it was all my back woods then.
Actually I was just having a talk about this with a friend of mine who has several children in the schools in Hollis. She said the biggest shock to her was how integrated kids were from all walks of life and interests. Obviously there is still the occasional prick (such is life)...but not the norm at all.
My kids are not getting new cars when they turn 16 and they will never be driving a Mercedes. I wanted a solid middle-class neighborhood where my kids would be happy driving their used Civic.
Shhhh.... Don't tell my kids about the Amherst teenagers getting new cars at 16... They'll feel inferior given the used Subaru I bought the princesses that they have to (God forbid) share! I also pay the insurance and the gas....
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Info about Bedford - thinking about moving to Seacoast, suggestions?
