Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
U may want to consider the Albany/Troy/Schenectady area of upstate NY. Very diverse, easy to make friends, people are cool, much better socially speaking in my opinion, then New England, as I lived in NH for a time at one point. The capital region of upstate NY, has a great bus system, good nightlife, and is cheap as far as rents go, for the most part. There are some crime issues in some areas, but that is anywhere these days. Some of the coolest people I ever met in the USA were from when I lived in the capital region of upstate NY.
I like your response....I did consider it......but when I mention upstate NY....people were not polite when I brought up the conversions sometimes.....I still secretly wanted to check out NY....I know it may not be a good idea to move to NY, NY...however...do you have any further advise?...I would be really grateful if you did.....I was trying to get next to NY in the first place....to be honest!!!!
Thank you again for any of your advise or input...It is all relevant!
You should really think hard about it and visit Manchester before making a decision.
I don't think you're going to want to live there without a car. There may be bus service but I guarantee it's minimal and oriented towards getting poor people to their jobs and to shopping. As Alfheim said, Manchester is a very small city and there will probably be a lot of culture shock compared to a cosmopolitan place like Minneapolis.
Also, you say that diversity isn't important to you, which is fine, but lack of diversity may be important to some of the people who live there, if you know what I mean. Quite frankly, I would be surprised if you didn't encounter some veiled racism, and not-so-veiled racism. Most of northern New England is very white, and sorry to say, there are still a small number of people who like it that way. How well you tolerate that probably has to do with how much of a thick skin you have. As I say, you should visit and make your own decision, but I suspect that there's always going to be someone who's giving you the stink-eye when you walk into their store, or talking about you behind your back. Considering that Manchester is the biggest city in NH, less than an hour from Boston and an economic center in the region, you have to think that there's a reason why it's less than 5% black.
This^^I am black, and live in MA. But, I love hiking in NH. It's kinda "white" if you know what I mean. And like Scratchie said, some may like it like that. Not saying there wouldn't be folks who would be great friends with you, but as a black person I wouldn't make that my first choice. I would need a tad bit more diversity.
NH is great. Public transportation is not so great and not likely to change in the foreseeable future. I'd certainly chose anyplace in NH over anyplace in NY but of course there is a lot of personal preference in these choices.
Whether it is NY, NH or someplace else, I'd recommend trying to visit to get a sense of what you are getting into. Many people move without ever having visited and are fine of course but I think it is hard to get the feel for a place from the web.
I love NH, but the cost/benefit equation really doesn't favor moving there unless a) you're going with a job in hand you know can pay the bills, or b) you're moving there because of family ties. NH is a relatively expensive state compared to the local economy because Boston, and to a lesser extent NYC, money gets dumped there, both through people commuting down for work, and second/vacation homes. Admittedly, vacation money has more direct impact on Wolfeboro than say, Manchester, but there are a lot of Manchester people commuting down into MA where jobs are more plentiful and pay is higher. That's not going to be an option for you and you'll be at a disadvantage.
FWIW, I've lived in both Mpls and NH, and I don't think Manchester would be an upgrade in any regard for you. The other disadvantage in your case is that NH is one of the most expensive states if you ever wanted to continue your education. NH ranks pretty much dead last in state support for higher ed, and at the top of average borrowing.
Albany/Troy is one suggestion, but personally I'd suggest looking at slightly bigger options. Cleveland is a bit better than its reputation, and while it has tradeoffs vs. Mpls, as long as you avoid the worst neighborhoods on the east side, it's worth a gander.
Other cities off the top of my head I'd suggest before Manch: Pittsburgh, Raleigh/Durham, Columbus, maybe Charlotte/Richmond/DesMoines.
A car is necessary in NH to be productive for most. There is a T stop in Exeter NH that goes to Boston. If you do not like driving you should find a location close to a T stop. It opens up your job prospects. Without a car you will be stuck. Manchester is not an ideal choice.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
