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We are relocating from St. Louis to New Hampshire. We recently visited several cities within an hour of our work. We very much enjoyed Gilford, but we were told there is a heroin epidemic in nearby Laconia. Considering we will have a 4yr old and 8yr old, we want to be sure that we aren't moving them from one problem area (stl) to another.
Is there a true epidemic in Laconia? Does it or does anyone forsee it bleeding into Gilford?
Any other facts and opinions are welcome.
Note that overall, crime in NH is low compared to major urban areas.
Laconia does have a larger heroin problem than most other areas of the state.
Gilford is mostly private vacation homes or rural, with a few motels and a cluster of big box stores. While its residents could certainly obtain heroin, it doesn't have bad neighborhoods like Laconia.
I lived in Gilford 15-25 years ago and still visit frequently. It's my favorite of all the places I've ever lived. Unless you're working from home, do seriously consider whether you want an hour commute in the winter. Bad weather can nearly double that commute time.
I live near both and also have a two children the same ages as yours. I drive, shop, eat and walk around Laconia and Gilford on a daily basis and have never felt unsafe for me or my children.
There's a heroin epidemic everywhere, thanks to a few decades worth of pharma marketing and the increased opium production post Afgan war.
Despite having two of my peers OD in the early 2000's and a neighbor spiral into addiction after spinal surgery, no one would paint my wealthy suburban neighborhood as having an 'epidemic' - not with $800K+ colonials and top rated schools. Areas such as north central NH, however, lack the contrast eastern MA and southern NH has. Capable youths are leaving in droves for metro areas like Boston or DC, which leaves behind a higher proportion of vulnerable depressive types.
It's not that Laconia has a notably worse problem, it's simply more transparent than in other areas of the state/country where wealthy provincial types are more likely to sweep issues under the rug.
Fentanyl seems to be the drug of choice in the area these days. Its deadly. Laconia has gone from a blue-collar working class city to a section-8 non-working community. It's issues are indeed leaching over to other towns in the area. If you don't traffic in these circles the area is decent, but it's no where near what it was even 10-15 years ago. It's a problem most everywhere these days.
What puts me off most about the area is I don't see much of a chance at a bounce-back. The city is riddled with homeless shelters & thousands of section 8 housing units. The other side of the lake is better off, but there really is not much there in terms of medical & shopping.
Last edited by Brave Stranger; 07-17-2017 at 09:01 PM..
We are relocating from St. Louis to New Hampshire. We recently visited several cities within an hour of our work. We very much enjoyed Gilford, but we were told there is a heroin epidemic in nearby Laconia. Considering we will have a 4yr old and 8yr old, we want to be sure that we aren't moving them from one problem area (stl) to another.
Is there a true epidemic in Laconia? Does it or does anyone forsee it bleeding into Gilford?
Any other facts and opinions are welcome.
The issue is all over New England and all over the country.
I personally don't see any of this. But it is certainly out there.
The joke around town is to go to any high school parking lot - and one can get anything that they want.
This one rich/middle class town - brought the police into the high school to do a student locker check for drugs. Even brought in the sniffing dog. Found nothing. BUT the police never went near the high school student parking lot.
It's not like there is a wall between Laconia and Gilford. If there is a drug problem in one, it's in the other as well... it all comes down to money and who can hide it (or maybe treat it) the best.
Drugs are a problem all over the country, and all over rural northern New England for sure. What you'll find is that drug crimes most often effect drug people. Random acts of violence (at least from everything I've read) by drug abusers against people completely disassociated with drugs are rare and mostly limited to petty property crimes.
Now, does that mean I want to live in a trashed out area full of section 8 housing and issues? No, of course not. (I grew up in sec. 8 housing btw) It's just that it's not a simple black and white argument. ie. Town A is bad, Town B, next door, is just fine.
A few years back when Rolling Stone came out with their big piece on the heroin epidemic in Vermont, we had discussions on this forum with folks making moving decisions. They'd say... 'I want to live in Lebanon NH, and won't consider any town in Vermont because Vermont has a drug problem.' Well that's silly, these towns along the river (where I reside) are totally intertwined, you live and work and play with folks on both sides. There's no magic water in the Connecticut river that keeps drugs out of the NH side. if there's drugs in White River, or Windsor, then there's drugs in Lebanon, and yes, even richie-rich Hanover.
So keep doing what you are doing... gather info, talk to people who live in these places, and make an informed decision. Just understand that no mater where you go, there will be drugs of some level. It's just a sad fact of the times I'm afraid.
Love it I know the family & have been out to their farm many times to see the Buffalo. Check out the link & watch the video....it's epic.
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if there's drugs in White River, or Windsor, then there's drugs in Lebanon, and yes, even richie-rich Hanover.
