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My boyfriend was recently offered a job in Campton, NH. Since Campton is pretty small, I am hoping that I will have much better luck (eventually) finding a job south of that area. I was wondering if you could help me with the following questions:
1. In your opinion, where is the “best” place to live that is inbetween Campton and Concord? I have been looking at Franklin - seems like it's a good central location between those two places (I am looking for work in/around Concord).
2. Does anyone have thoughts on a commute on I-93 from Franklin to Campton, or Franklin to Concord? If so, how is the I-93 drive in the winter?
3. Finally, it seems like it is difficult to find a house rental that allows dogs in northern New Hampshire. Any advice on this one? We have one labrador mix who is very friendly – and we don’t want to buy a house until we know a little more about the region. We currently live in Idaho so it’s hard to visit.
If it helps, here is a little about me:
· My background is in anthropology, forensics, disaster relief, and teaching/education. I have a lot of experience with the Red Cross so I am happy that Concord has a main office.
· I am originally from Connecticut, so I am familiar with a lot of the northeast. Just not this area!
Hello, I will be relocating to central New Hampshire in the near future and I would love some advice about the different towns in the region. I am moving from Michigan and I would like to live in a town that is safe, generally nice, and that has all the basic amenities (groceries, nice downtown, restaurants, shops, movies, etc.). Being within 45-50 minutes of Concord is a necessity for me, so that is why I am looking at these towns.
Would love to get locals' points of view! Thank you!
I grew up in the region (Bristol, to be exact) so I can offer some insider advice on these towns.
While almost anywhere in NH is extremely safe compared to many other parts of the country, if safety is one of your highest concerns then I might have second thoughts about Laconia. It has one of the higher crime rates in central and northern NH - which, again, doesn't necessarily mean very much - but it's worth taking into consideration. Laconia has struggled a bit over the years to revitalize itself, and still has issues with poverty and the societal ills that go with it. It's not a terrible town by any means, but it has a noticeably different character from the other two towns you mentioned.
The biggest advantage of Laconia is that it is larger and has much better access to some of the amenities you described. There is a much larger selection of restaurants, supermarkets, shops, etc. in Laconia and the surrounding areas than in Bristol or Plymouth. Somewhat paradoxically, the actual downtown core of Laconia is lacking in vibrancy and contains several empty storefronts (in part thanks to the downtown's poorly designed street layout).
On the other hand, Bristol and especially Plymouth have relatively vibrant and attractive downtown areas given the smaller populations of these towns. Bristol benefits significantly from the tourism attracted by Newfound Lake and the town's population almost doubles in the summer months. Plymouth is basically the opposite since its economy is built around the presence of the college and college students, and becomes a relatively quiet town during the summer when the students are gone. Plymouth benefits more from the cultural amenities associated with a college town, whereas Bristol feels a bit more like typical small town rural New Hampshire.
Plymouth also has many more shopping options than Bristol, including two supermarkets (Hannaford & Wal-Mart) versus Bristol's one (Shop 'N Save). Neither town has a movie theatre anymore - the closest ones are in Meredith and Gilford (both adjacent to Laconia). The closest modern movie theatre is all the way down in Hooksett, but that's the price you pay for living in a rural area.
Out of the three towns, I think Plymouth sounds like the best balance for you, as long as you don't mind driving a bit to the movies. Have you researched Meredith at all? I think that would be a great choice for you as well, and somewhat better situated than Plymouth for access to shopping etc.
I grew up in Belmont and lived in Laconia a while. One of my sisters still lives in Laconia and is a fan of the place. I'm not. I would either choose Plymouth, or as Verseau mentioned, even Meredith. That said, it's not like you need to fear for your safety in Laconia. It's still a safe town. If I ever lived in that general area again I'd live on the outskirts in a neighboring town though.
I advise people to look at the school quality of a place whether they have kids or not, whether they care less about the schools or not. There is ample evidence out there to suggest that good schools have as much to do with the parents as they do teachers and funding. In fact, some will argue it is the biggest factor in school ratings. Laconia has horrific schools. The HS is only rated a 2!! There are migrant farm communities in CA where half the student body barely speaks english that do better. This is a rating you would expect in the most ghetto neighborhoods of America's largest cities. Funding and teachers alone cannot account for such a low rating. This is a reflection on the parents...the people who live there. I don't believe in generalities. There are some really fine people who live there and some really good parents. BUT, on the whole the people get failing grades. It's a disgrace. The HS is only a 2!!!! Some will try to blame the teachers of funding. Don't buy it. I can spend a day in a town and tell you the general ballpark the schools will fall in just by observing and interacting with the people. Teachers and funding might explain the difference between a school being a 6 or a 9, but not a 2. That falls squarely on the residents. It addresses your "generally nice" requirement.
Thank you both for your thoughtful responses! This is the kind of info that is hard to find elsewhere.
Generally I think I am leaning towards Plymouth. Do either of you know what the commute from Plymouth to Concord is like on I-93, especially during the winter months? I need to live fairly close to Campton but also be able to go back and forth from my home base to Concord regularly.
Bristol would be my choice. Commuting to Concord from Plymouth isn't too bad. However, once you get north of Concord, 93 takes a hit from almost every storm. Your commute will take much longer during those times.
NH is fairly good at keeping the highways clear, but sometimes Mother Nature gets ahead of them.
I like all 3 towns too but feel a lot like Verseau does. But there are other towns around Laconia, Merideth is one, so your selections could be opened more. Anotherr towards Plymouth, is Ashalnd smaller maybe but a nice town just the same.
Between Ashland and Plymouth on I-03 is a high wind warning area that lasts around 3 miles and in winter in certain storms cars have been blown off the highway. There are posted signs there still, but the orange wind cone flags are gone. I assume blown away....
Thanks everyone! I have a job lined up but my fiance does not - she will be moving with me. It seems like the job boards we would normally turn to (Indeed, Monster, Simply Hired) don't have many openings for these smaller towns. Does anyone know the best place/website to look for job openings in this region? She is flexible about what position she would take (but would love to find a job in administration in a school district, law enforcement agency, museum, or similar institution).
Also, I am aware that the employment outlook is pretty bad across the board these days. We are as prepared as we can be for that! Thanks.
Jobs are like jobs anyplace else, hard to get. Medical related job sectors appear to be doing better than anything else at the moment here, which won't help her I guess. Museums in the towns you are looking at pretty much don't exist, other than Historical Society museums which are usually open a few days a year and have sun baked items cookin' in the windows.
We are laying off teachers or trying too in many towns as the tax burden is just too high, and there are not enough students to justify the costs.. LEO who knows, but i might guess that unless she is tipping the scales at 220 or better and looks like a Bull Dawg, the same deal as in schools NH has it's fill of tax paid application Full.
Perhaps something in tourist related jobs could suit her. That can run from B&B nannie to a all round helper in the kitchen to the garden to x-c sking and etc... depending on the Inn. NH is still about tourism.
I currently live in Campton and commute to Concord (Bow actually) Daily. Its a long commute but honestly it is completely stress free.
To answer your questions..
1. It really depends on your preference of country vs. city living. With either preference I would probably look at towns around the Franklin/Tilton/Northfield area rather than in them. Franklin has gotten a little run down and has had a lot of time in the news lately for drug busts and related crime. Depending on where your from it may not be bad but if you are used to rural living you may not like it. If you like rural living I would look at Sanbornton, New Hampton, Canterbury, or even Ashland. All of those are an easy commute to Concord and Campton.
2. The drive on 93 anywhere between Concord and Campton is really easy. The only traffic you will run into is between exit 17 and Concord in the major commute times. Other than that it just gets a little heavy with tourists coming and going on Friday night/ Sunday afternoon. If you are used to city traffic then you won't ever think there's any traffic
3. Contact a realtor and tell them what you are looking for up front, around here they are all pretty helpful with rentals and can often get you into places that are not listed publicly yet. If you are looking for a place in the immediate Campton area I can fully recommend Alpine Lakes, they helped me find a rental and were extremely helpful and courteous.
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Laconia, Plymouth, or Bristol?
