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Hello, my family and I are moving to Berlin this summer. We have some questions and were hoping someone might have some suggestions...
1. What are some safe and great places in and around Berlin to live?
2. What are some excellent daycare/nursery school places?
3. What will be the most challenging thing to adjust to in Berlin?
4. What is the greatest part about living/working in Berlin?
If you have any other information...we would love to know! Thanks.
Berlin was not such a great place before the paper mills closed down. Now it is not such a great place with no jobs or much of an economy. It is still located in a spectacular setting in the mountains.
I strongly suggest:
Get a copy of the DeLorme "NH Atlas and Gazetteer" and another road map.
Contact realtors in Berlin about apartments of houses for RENT
Visit before you move if possible.
you know, Greg, I know you love the DeLorme map - but we have it (that one) and hate it! we never use it. It's always left behind. It's missing over half of the state! There are many many places if you're driving around, that aren't listed at all -let alone even a tiny insert. It has been totally useless. We found a state atlas that does have everything. Ok, it doesn't show terrain. We don't really care about the hills as much as the roads (since we're driving a car). I just don't see why you're so stuck on the DeLorme.
What atlas are you using? I recommend DeLorme because I have not found any better. AFAK all the back roads and tiny places are listed. what is missing?
Ok, I've pulled out our "DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer: detailed topographical maps". It only lists 67 towns (there are 237 of them in the state). Heck Hollis isn't even in there, and many of the towns are only tiny little inserts maybe 6 to a page... sure center of towns can be small but there's often more to it than that and it won't show how it connects to anywhere. And it was hard to find (maybe we just aren't used to looking in the usual places, we went to grocery stores first cause that's the easiest place to find maps in MD when you don't know where bookstores are, and now there aren't many of those!). We have found it a mostly useless booklet and never even take it with us.
We also found Southern New Hampshire Street Atlas. it wasn't much better. Ok, it had Hollis, but it still only had around 60+ towns (though that's just for southern NH and not claiming to be all NH!).
The best one, the one we take is by Jimapco and called the New Hampshire Road Atlas. I haven't counted, but this one actually has Greenville & New Ipswich (important to us), and even Union, Freedom, Cornish... and even Dublin. and seems to have pretty much all the roads. Ok, it's not topo, but frankly I'd rather have the roads.
I'll have to dig out the map book that I used to use until I picked up a GPS. I think using the maps actually gets me to where I'm going quicker than GPS, but have been spoiled with the ease of plugging in an address and letting it direct me. Sure the map required more work, but was excellent for getting to know towns, what streets to look for, etc. Now, GPS makes getting anywhere pretty much idiot-proof (sort of how the introduction of Windows products made it possible for just about anybody to use a computer...) Somedays I miss maps almost as much as I miss the good old programs like Lotus 123, dBaseIII plus, NU, etc...
Wish I could help with your questions about Berlin, but really don't know much about the town. We stayed overnight once (when our car broke down coming down Mount Washington, FUN (not!) and while it was a most picturesque town, we got the feeling that it's a pretty tough area to make a living...
1. What are some safe and great places in and around Berlin to live?
I happen to believe that there are some areas of Berlin that are ok to live in. The area around the high school specifically is ok, as are some of the neighborhoods to the north of the main part of the city (Cates Hill Rd. is worth checking out as there are some nice homes). If you want more rural living Milan is a good option.
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Originally Posted by FunnyGirl1010
2. What are some excellent daycare/nursery school places?
Sorry, I can't help you there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FunnyGirl1010
3. What will be the most challenging thing to adjust to in Berlin?
The mentality and the overall banality of living in such a place. As for the first point, I hesitate going into details on this forum. I will say that there is a real trashy element to Berlin that you just don't see elsewhere in the state, or at least not to that extent. Be mindful of that and do your best to keep your kids far away from it as best you can.
As for the banality, that speaks for itself. Don't expect there to be many family-friendly things to do within the city itself because you won't find them.
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Originally Posted by FunnyGirl1010
4. What is the greatest part about living/working in Berlin?
Berlin doesn't have many redeeming qualities. I'd say the greatest part of living there is proximity to the White Mountains, which offers some of the state's most spectacular scenery and by far the best options for outdoors activities. I also have fond memories of going to the North Conway area, which is touristy but really does have some great stores and restaurants. The drive is very pretty too.
I wish you luck, but I also hope that you think very hard about this decision. Is it a done deal? If not I urge you to read some of the other threads regarding Berlin (there are more than a few) and inform yourself a bit more as to the problems the city has. There is a reason why it has acquired the reputation it has, and there is also a reason why real estate prices are so low.
Live in Shelburne instead. It is a short drive to Berlin.
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