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We would like to move from California to New Hampshire. I am concerned about the job market though. My husband is in information technology/data management with the state government. It doesn't look like there are a lot of options in this field. He is definitely not cut out for manual labor, but would be ok in any kind of business. I am a stay at home mom but would consider temporary employment if necessary to facilitate our move. My experience is in administration but I would prefer child care (is there a need for in home child care?). My brother recently retired from the Marines, and would prefer something outdoors with a lot of movement. Any good places to look for employment for us?
We intend to rent for a while first before buying a house, but we do want to look for employment near a place we would eventually like to buy in. We would prefer to live 30-45 minutes from any major city, and we're ok with that distance for a commute to work. Otherwise we want a small town/city with some if not mostly countryside, with three to four bedroom houses at least 1400 sq ft under $140k with a bit of space between neighbors. Safety is our first priority. School systems are not an issue (homeschooling). We do not care about entertainment venues, nightlife, or shopping. We do require decent cell coverage and high speed internet access however.
Recommendations on where to start looking for jobs and places to live?
I was right there with you and had a great suggestion until I got to that line. I didn't spend enough time in the southern part of New Hampshire to give you some good advice following your wish list.
Kudo's to you for being very specific, although your wish list is challenging. Many people open similar threads but are way too vague to give any solid advice.
Well, I might be able to get my husband on board with a LAN line instead of cell coverage, but I don't think he'd give up the high speed internet. I would appreciate any recommendations that don't include that requirement anyways, since I wouldn't mind at all and maybe he would come around.
Our main reasons (but there are many more) for wanting to move to NH are we hate the heat, we want a more picturesque environment (Ca is beautiful but those places are either expensive like the coast or has a small economy and job market like in the far north), and Ca is too much of a nanny state. We are also tired of the people here in general. Too much entitlement and too little self sufficiency and a willingness to work hard and go without to meet your goals. Also, (and I can't think of a good way to say this) too many things like places flying the Mexican flag above the US one, or some school organized events having to be in Spanish and English combined with too little love of our American roots.
We were both born and raised here, but our lifestyle just doesn't fit many of those around us, certainly not enough to deal with all the problems California has. We live a rather slow paced life. We like to enjoy nature, and we would prefer not to have to drive an hour to a large nature park or even further away for any bit of wilder areas. I've read that some relocators think New Englanders are rude and standoffish, but my guess is they are simply more private and less inclined towards meaningless chit chat, which I would appreciate. I'm so tired of fake and lazy people; those who pay lip service to their god, those who know more about what a celebrity wore out to lunch than what their kids' did in the classroom that day, those who can't be bothered to speak decent English. I also would like to be able to say what I just said in an appropriate circumstance without expecting backlash. I do not know that the last few items mentioned are actually true of NH, but I have a suspicion some of it is true at least to a greater amount of the population than California. I hope I do not offend anybody, but not being honest about my feelings won't get me the best advice either.
You are making a political statement yet describe it as a job related relocation.
I would separate between the two and prioritize. If finding good jobs are your first priority, then follow that path, wherever it takes you. (I have a feeling that CA can provide more opportunities then NH, but I may be wrong). If on the other hand, living in a place you like comes first, then follow this lead.
I would also suggest posting this on the work and employment board, people there may have better advice.
I suppose my post title was ambiguous. Our reason for moving is not related to jobs at all. We are actually perfectly happy here financially and my husband has a great job. We want to move for all the other reasons, but of course being able to find a job that can support a growing family wherever we move is of utmost importance. Can't live on the dirt alone!
Chances of landing a good paying IT job (or any tech-related profession) are higher in Massachusetts. Many people live in southern NH and commute to MA for this reason. The commute can be easy or it can be brutal depending on many factors.
im just replying to the cell phone coverage thing. if you do move to NH do not get Sprint its garbage. i barely get a signal in the state capital. They offer unlimited data because it never works anywhere and your always relying on wifi so it doesnt cost them anything.
The best coverage in new england by far is Verizon.
We had the same problem with Sprint in this area too. Thank you for commenting.
I was reading about living in NH and commuting to MA, but everywhere I heard mention said the commute was terrible. Which areas would be an easier commute.
We had the same problem with Sprint in this area too. Thank you for commenting.
I was reading about living in NH and commuting to MA, but everywhere I heard mention said the commute was terrible. Which areas would be an easier commute.
We have Sprint (voice only) and it's fine. We live in Nashua.
Remember MA has other cities beside Boston. A commute to Boston, IMHO, is brutal. But I work in Littleton, my wife works in Dracut. 25 miles for me, 20 miles for her. And it's only that long because we live deep into north Nashua. If we moved down towards the border, we could cut 5-10 miles off.
The big arteries down to MA are rt3 and rt93. The less you have to travel those roads during rush hours, the better your commute will be.
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