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Hi JJMAC
Keene is growing rapidly; I actually live in MASS, so I can't give you a whole lot of info, but I often shop in Keene, because there is no sales tax. The downfall of that is, of course, high real estate/property taxes. It seems there is always something new being built and new stores/restaurants being put in. There seems to be a lot of condos going up on the outskirts of Keene. I prefer living in a small town, but as far as growing city's go, it's not too bad. I never hear of much crime and there are a couple of colleges, Keene State and Franklin Pierce has a campus, as well. As far as outdoor activities? There is always something to do outside...it's still New England! Lakes, Mountains, Hiking Trails...all within a reasonably short distance. The center/downtown Keene is full of character. The streets and layout of the downtown area is just classic!
Hope I have helped, somewhat!
Would you recommend any small towns outside of Keene to live?
Yes, Keene is a little expensive: $25.54 per $1000, but being a college town it also has a lot of amenities.
Once you've picked a town or two (or three) to investigate, you can go to <http://www.nhes.state.nh.us/elmi/communpro.htm> to get lots of info about each town, and <http://www.nh.gov/revenue/municipalities/ms-new.htm> to download a file with all of the 2006 tax rates (more current than the previous website's listing). And of course <//www.city-data.com/city/New-Hampshire.html> has info that no other site has (weather graphs, sometimes crime reports)
Dublin and Marlborough look a little cheaper, don't know anything about them.
I don't really know much about the towns surrounding Keene, for instance, as far as schools, taxes, etc. I've heard good things about Swanzy. Richmond, Winchester, and Fitzwilliam are all towns near Keene, and border Massachusetts. Chesterfield, and Hinsdale are nearby, as well. Like I said, I don't know much about the towns, only know of them. Royalston and Warwick are in Massachusetts, but are nice, small towns, relatively close to Keene. I live in Warwick, and it takes me 30 minutes maximum to travel to Keene and the same distance to Brattleboro, VT, and Greenfield, MA. Property taxes are pretty high for MA, but my guess is that they are lower than NH. Good luck with your search!
If school quality is a concern, stick with towns in the Conval System (Antrim, Bennington, Peterborough, Hancock, Dublin, Greenfield and Francestown). If you want to be closer to Keene than 1/2 hour, stick with towns like Harrisville, which are in the Keene school system. Harrisville is a beautiful town built amidst the old mill buildings, with lakes everywhere throughout the town. It has awesome character and charm! In the Conval system, my favorite town is Antrim, where we just moved from. I'd go back if I could. It's a great little (but big enough to have what you need) town and offers great schools and a lot of town programs and charm. Plus it's a lot less expensive than most of the others.
The towns south and west of Keene I don't know much about, but have heard the schools weren't as good. That was a few years ago though, and it may have changed.
I don't know to much about Keene, but we looked at a new Charter school in Surry. The Surry Village Charter School. It is a new Charter School, growing to k-8. You can live anywhere in New Hampshire and go there for free. Charter schools are great as they are public but don't have to report to the school board so they are often have more flexibility to be creative in their curriculum. The school is base on New England stuff like maple sugaring etc. It is stongly supported by the Antioch school. I loved it but it was a little to far for my husband to get in /out of Boston.
Last edited by johnycakes; 02-05-2007 at 04:45 PM..
Reason: Eliminated a page-full of blank lines. It can happen to anyone once, I guess. (But probably not twice) :)
I have seen photos of Keene, it is beautiful. What is it like to live there, in general? Would someone from the Midwest, like it, and find it not too out of place? How expensive is it to live there?
Also, how accepting are people there of outsiders? I have New England/Puritan ancestry, but my relatives left long ago (1850s) to move to the Midwest. But, if you are from one area in the midwest, and you move to another, you are not always accepted. I don't want to live in a town, in an area like I currently do ( will not name town but it is in Iowa), where you are an outsider though you are from the Midwest. I want to move to New England within the next six/eight years, so I have got time, but I saw pictures of Keene and loved it. I would appreciate any answers to my questions.
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