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Hi Everyone! I am in the process of looking for homes, and I like the city of Franklin. Looks can be deceiving, and I am curious as to what the "insider" views of the town are. I'm looking in the Pleasant Street area near the Assisted Living Facility; seems like a nice neighborhood? I just want to feel safe walking my dogs and being alone at night.
Thank you in advance for your honest thoughts and opinions!
The first time I drove through Franklin (with no destination, just driving around) I thought, "hmm... this looks like kind of a cute small city." It seemed historic and actually has a real little downtown, fairly close to Concord. It's really only from this website that I have learned Franklin is NOT considered a nice place to live. But that said, I think there are very few places in NH where you have to worry about walking alone at night. Random violent crimes (or even non-violent muggings) are still very rare everywhere. So, I wouldn't be worried about that aspect of Franklin. And depending on what you need, I suppose Franklin is still a fine place to buy. A lot of places get a bad rap due to crime (typically drug-related) when the majority of people in the area are never subjected to the crime. Others get a bad rap due to the school systems, which don't really matter if you don't have kids. But then again, a bad reputation can generally deter buyers, so if you are looking to buy and then sell sometime down the line, you have to think about that.
Try Meredith if you want a town feel in the Lakes Region.... or New London in the Lake Sunapee.
An interesting comment because I've never even considered Franklin to be in the Lakes Region - I think of it being in the "Capital Region," but looking at a map, I guess you're right, it's relatively close to the lake. Is it really considered Lakes Region, anymore than, say, Loudon or Pittsfield? (I don't know, which is why I'm asking.) Then again I guess technically Pittsfield is considered Lakes Region, although it's 30 or more minutes to Wolfeboro. (Before you say, no, Pittsfield is not, I have to say I saw a post on the Winnipesaukee forum with a map of the "Lakes Region" as defined by some tourist bureau, and Pittsfield was the southernmost town. It, like Franklin, has the proximity, but not the $$$ and character.)
I can see how it would not be part, as most consider the Lakes Region to end at I93 for a western boundary.
I was just mentioning that Meredith has a nice town feel in the Lakes Region; actually wasn't insinuating that Franklin was part of it.....just as I suggested to try New London in the Sunapee Region.
Thank you so much, everyone! We are moving from a very "un-townlike" place, so the lack of town feel in Franklin would not be an issue. For us, it's safety. I'm grateful to all of you who took the time to give me all of this food for thought! ~Trish
We lived just outside of Franklin for about 5 months last year. It is definitely tied to the Lakes Region as the traffic naturally flows through Rt 11 toward Laconia. It is not a town that I enjoyed spending my time in and I would second the comments that others made. Traffic through the main drag will drive you crazy in the summer and there is definitely a seedy element, to the extent that NH has them. Homes are cheaper than other areas, but for reason.
I took a stab at your question earlier but backed down, seeing as I don't live in Franklin and didn't want to badmouth a city in which I've never lived. But the comments above are consistent with everything I've ever heard about the city. It doesn't have a good reputation at all.
Meredith and New London were suggested as possible alternatives. These are terrific places to live, but they're among the most expensive in NH. If they're out of your range (not sure what that is), check out Plymouth, Henniker and Contoocook (part of Hopkinton) as well: these are very nice communities with nice, walkable downtown areas in the same general area. Plymouth and Henniker are college towns, and Plymouth students can be rowdy after sports games, but otherwise I believe they are perfectly safe. If it's not too far a commute for you, Warner, New Boston and Goffstown might also be worth considering.
Wow, lots to think about. I am coming from a lousy area on Long Island, so "seedy" concerns me. Right now, I cannot walk my dog in my neighborhood because there are drug dealers, crack houses, meth labs, and prostitutes all around. Is this the kind of "seedy" in Franklin?
What I liked most about Franklin/Tilton was the central location. We looked in Laconia first, but it's just too busy for us. One of my best friends lives in Boscawen, so I want to be close to her, sadly there's not much for sale in her area. My daughter went to Concord HS (she lived with her father; better school district than the one here!) and now attends UNH, and we want to be near her (and Franklin is only an hour away).
Essentially, Franklin is convenient to so many things for us, and yes, affordable. As it was mentioned, there is a reason for that, though is the area by The Golden Crest safe? We found a house near there that we LOVE that would be perfect for our family. We are not looking to move/sell for many years, so that's not a concern. It seems "off the beaten path" from the Main Street.
I just want to be safe while walking my dogs and to not have to worry about the issues that plague my current horrible neighborhood. It may sound simple, but that's really my main issue. We want a simple life, to be able to be a blessing to our neighbors, and to be able to enjoy the outdoors and be near my daughter/friends.
Thank you again, everyone. Happy Monday to all!
PS: Edited to add, I read about the Northfield meth lab that blew up. :-( Heartbreaking stuff, especially with that little boy living there. Such young people getting off to a rough start in life.
Also, traffic doesn't bother me. We have terrible traffic here, so I'm sadly kind of used to it. :-)
Last edited by trishbeez; 03-24-2014 at 08:32 AM..
Reason: Added info :-)
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