Upper Lakes Region? (Lebanon, Hanover, Enfield: house, school, college)

[lady fern]

Hi there. My family and I are planning to move to NH from WA sometime next year to be a bit closer to aging parents (but maybe not too close). We both work in healthcare and are very interested in DHMC in Lebanon. We've been doing a ton of research but you can only get so much info from the internet. I was wondering if anyone could give me some local insight on some of the communities within a reasonable commute to DHMC.

So far my husband is most interested in Lyme and Orford. He would like some property with rolling hills and believes that Sullivan county may be more flat. I would like to get a better feel for these areas as well as West Lebanon, Plainfield, Enfield and anywhere else I might have missed. We looked at Canaan a bit but it appears to be in a flood plain.

Also, perhaps you can clear something up for me. I have read on previous threads that Hanover has a bit of an "elitist" attitude. How bad is it? I really hate getting bogged down with worrying that someone is judging me on my handbag or my ski attire is "chic" enough.

Thanks so much for any input you can provide. We want to be well prepared before we make the jump.

[Verseau]

Hi there lady fern and welcome to the NH forum

Just to clarify, the region you're looking into is commonly referred to as the Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Region (the Lakes Region is further to the east). The towns along the Connecticut River in this part of the state are also collectively called "the Upper Valley".

Almost every town is this area has rolling hills (including Sullivan County), but the real question is to what extent you want to really see this topography. Since New Hampshire is so densely forested, there are relatively few places that offer sweeping vistas of the hills. Unless you find a house at a higher elevation with a yard that has been cleared for a view, most of the expansive views will be in areas with sizable farmland. Any of the towns immediately along the Connecticut River will have the most farmland, but since the valley is also relatively flat, the hills will be in the distance.

Have you looked into any towns on the Vermont side of the river? Believe it or not, the topography changes dramatically across the state line. Vermont has a lot more of what one would typically consider "rolling" hills, that is, hills that are densely packed together. Also, there is considerably more farmland in Vermont than in NH, which means a higher availability of good views.

I'm not sure about flooding in Canaan, but there's no way that the entire town is in a flood plain. Most of it is fairly elevated, in fact. Besides, flooding in NH is uncommon and extremely localized. We can't generalize about entire towns; only about individual properties that sit adjacent to rivers.

Canaan is a small, rural town (I'll affectionately call it "backwoods"), a bit more conservative than the other towns you're considering. Hanover is very much a college town, and I think the "elitist" perception comes from the fact that Dartmouth is an Ivy League school and does attract a population that is more wealthy (and occasionally snobby) than many of the surrounding towns. However, I don't want to blow this perception out of proportion, because I *don't* think that Hanover is a place where you really have to worry about being judged on your purse or your ski attire. As monied and intellectual as it may be, Hanover is still a fairly "crunchy granola" place where people appreciate the simple, down-to-earth rural New England lifestyle, and aren't likely to badmouth you based on what you're wearing. You'll see plenty of hairy, sweaty hikers trekking across town on the Appalachian Trail.

Still, if you want to avoid any traces of yuppification you'd be better off heading east; Enfield and Canaan are definitely more traditional working/lower-middle class towns. Lyme is still very quaint and rural but is principally a bedroom community for Hanover and has similar demographics. The Dartmouth influence is still present but weaker in Orford and Plainfield, which are also very rural.

The best way to make a decision is to visit and get a feel of the towns for yourself.

[lady fern]

Verseau, thank you for your speedy reply. Yes, I did mean the Upper Valley. We did briefly look at Vermont, but we like the tax structure and political environment of NH and are pretty firm on living within state lines. I am glad to hear that Hanover is "crunchy granola". Our current town is often described that way and we like that environment. You gave us a lot of good information to work with. Thank you!

[vter]

Orford is beautiful. It is definitely hilly as is Lyme. Hanover is great as Verseau mentioned - if you'd like more rural check out Etna which I believe is part of Hanover.
If you do reconsider Vermont check out Thetford and Norwich.
Are you going to be able to come to visit soon?

[lady fern]

I'm hoping we can visit in the spring and get a more personal feel for the area. I would not be suprised if we just ended up moving there blindly once we get things settled here. I met my husband after he moved to Washington from NY - having never been here before. He did several years of research, mapped out the locations he was most interested in, then sent out letters of interest to hospitals shortly before driving across the country with his whole life packed up in a Saturn. He had done so much research and planning that there were very few surprises once he got here.
It's going to have to be a more traditional move this time (I'm not quite so brave). Since I'm an RN, we did talk about looking into working as a traveler for a bit so we can check out the area while being employed without having any permanent commitments.

[Be Free]

I agree that Orford is beautiful. I think Rt. 4A from Enfield Center to Springfield is real nice too, though Springfield is a little swampy on the low ground.

[Aptor hours]

Hanover is a wonderful town and dog friendly! I work in Hanover and I'm very happy there. The farmers market is great and I find the people a delight. I work with a girl that lives in Orford that is a recent Harvard grad and she seems very smitten with her hometown.

[lady fern]

Thank you all for your replies. I know that every place has some negative features, but after several years of research we feel that NH is the perfect fit for us. We are both counting down the days until we can make the move!