Tell me about Nashua NH (Manchester, Bedford: home, schools, medical center)

[Valerie C]

Welcome to the NH Forum--you've found a great place to ask questions and get real answers

Actually, there seem to be at least 3 or MORE in every town. Londonderry has 3, Derry has 5, Nashua has at least 7, Milford has 3 or 4, Amherst has 2 or 3... If you're not from here, one thing you need to understand is that it's all about the COFFEE, the name of the franchise ought to be Dunkin Coffee

Originally Posted by WannaComeHome

Dont' forget the donuts and coffee! There's a Dunkin Donuts in nearly every town!!!

There are all sorts of community groups that you might consider joining... Mom's Clubs, Newcomers Clubs, Garden Clubs, etc. Even volunteering if you're into it can become an opportunity to get to know others Of course if you have children or pets (especially dogs!) that is a whole other way to get to know people. We have several dog parks in the area, a great way to meet others...

Originally Posted by BF66389

One more thing- it is harder to make friends here. People are more transient in NY, NJ, and VA I've found- so therefore they are generally actively looking to meet others/expand their circle of friends. In New England in general people tend to stay put more because they like it (note: not stagnate) as a result it takes a little longer to meet people/make friends. I'm sure having kids will help A LOT though since it gives you more in common... Not a big deal, was hard at first, then we realized that things take time and all is well...

Wanna posted a good link for the 2007 town tax rates. Generally, the tax rates for any given year aren't calculated until just prior to the final tax bill for the year (mailed in November here in Londonderry. This may vary depending on town).

Originally Posted by WannaComeHome

If you want to know how last years taxes were for any town, go to 2007 (http://www.nh.gov/revenue/munc_prop/2007.htm - broken link) and download the pdf for 2007 (2008 doesn't seem to be ready yet). That will also give you an idea of how the property taxes can vary from town to town.

390K for a 900 s/f home?? I can see why you're sick of nyc! The same home in Nashua would run well under 300K, with much lower taxes as well. Take a look at the our New Hampshire MLS database: Northern New England Real Estate Network - Official Website of the Northern New England MLS for all listings throughout the state.

You also mentioned that you'd miss the ocean. I can relate--I lived 20 minutes from the beach, and now that I'm in Londonderry, it can be 45-60 minutes to get me there. The reality is that we don't go as often now as we once did, however that may be that the kids are older and doing their own activities that don't revolve around our schedule (sports, band, etc) We're thinking of buying a canoe or kayaks to take advantage of the huge number of lakes, ponds and small rivers in the area...

Yes, winters can be a challenge, and summers are short, much too short! That said, here, just like in NY, each one is different. By May of 2008, I wanted to throw my shovel at the next plow driver who went by We get quite a bit more snow than NYC, but since you're already used to the cold, and also a shorter summer than "down south", I'm not sure how much of a concern it would be for you. It seems that we get NYC's weather a day or so later... One thing you should know is that NH keeps their state roads extremely well maintained, and doesn't wait for the snow to build up before plowing-in fact, they pre-treat surfaces on the major highways (Rte 95/93/3) and continually plow throughout the storms. Some towns do a better job than others at clean-up... I think that's true of anywhere...

One thing that always concerns me when folks move to NH from a busier place like NYC, SoCal, etc. is that we just don't have the same lifestyle and bustle. On the surface that probably sounds good, but the reality is that if you want a 2 am breakfast, it's just not around the corner. Many towns have little to no businesses or walkable areas. They are lovely and scenic towns, but to those who are more used to having the convenience just around the corner, the quiet is deafening, and the quiet and idyllic lifestyle can translate to dull and boring (as we've seen posted here on occasion!)

Originally Posted by sickofnyc99

I actually live on Long Island but my husband and I both work in Manhattan and commute over an hour each way. I would love to move to a place where I could cut that commute down by at least 1/2 hour. I would need to live in close proximity to major hospitals for job opportunities. What areas are the nicest and what would a 4 bed, 2 bath home run? I bought a 3 bed, 1 bath 900 sq foot home for 390k and my property taxes are $8,600 a year . If Nashua can beat that, I might actually be packing my bags sooner than I thought. The only thing I think I'd miss is the ocean. I live 5 min for the beach and we love boating and fishing. The NH winters are also a concern. How cold does it really get and how short are the summers?

[BF66389]

Originally Posted by sickofnyc99

I'm definitely coming for a visit soon. Perhaps to see some Fall foliage. Any suggestions on where to stay so I can really get a feel for the area and see the Fall sights?

The weekend of October 4th is probably your best bet time-wise (kind of right in the middle- so you can head north/south/stay put accordingly). Are you looking for a hotel or a bed/breakfast? And are you looking to stay close to where you're interested in living (Nashua-area) or closer to where the foliage is considered the "most" beautiful (heading toward the White Mountains)? You may run into some availability problems at this point unfortunately

[UpOnBase2]

I was offered a promotion with my company, the area I would manage is North Shore, VT, and NH.

My new boss lives in NH and claims its the place to be, here is what I need/desire.

Great schools
Low crime
Nice town for families but would like good bars/resturnats/etc.
Easy access to Boston, will be working most days from home but wife will need to find good job, she is currently pharaceutical rep.
400K + or -...not sure what the cost of living is up there.

I was in NH last winter for wedding at Lake Winne (can't spell the rest) and it was awesome, almost wicked awesome.

Thanks everyone...nice forum

[yinduffy]

I too am a displaced Long Islander. My employer moved to NH and I moved with it over 15 years ago. I have lived in Manchester (renting) and then we had a home built in Nashua in 1999. When house hunting we started in the Manchester area and gradually worked our way further out until we saw this little new development. We paid 186K and have 1/2 acre. Now valued at 325K, they raised the taxes to over 6K per year.
Nashua is a city with one movie theater. No overnight parking on the street - anywhere, anytime. Two high schools- very modern. One newly built and one newly renovated. The city is bisected by a river North & South and by a highway East & West. Neighborhoods vary dramatically from very nice to scary.
I commute to Manchester and my wife works in Southern Nashua. We both use the Everette Turnpike. We swim in the YMCA, my daughter is on a swim team there.
My daughter is in Catholic school. The local public schoolwas built in the "open concept" style in the 70's. No walls between classrooms. It is too expensive to correct and teachers and parents don't like it.
We live in a nice part of the city so we can't complain about the bad parts. Just down the road from us is farm country with farm stands,apple orchards and fields of corn. we have a big mall, some busy streets with lots of retail outlets, several major food stores, the big box stores etc.

[nsgjdennis]

I lived in Nashua for basically all of 2006 and I really liked it a lot. Their are a lot worst towns to live (TRUST ME!). I highly recomend moving there if you have the oppurtunity.

[yinduffy]

Every hospital I have seen in the last umpteen years is expanding and adding additions. St.Josephs in Nashua is no exception. They have just finished a major renovation, have other new parts under construction and are purchasing more land nearby. I think they will be hiring. They have a cafeteria in the basement that is a local restaurant and near it is the employment office that has flyers and applications in bins. They have free health classes in the basement too as a part of community outreach. We have attended some and thats how we found the restaurant. The hospital also provides the meals for the meals-on-wheels program.
There are a few homes for sale including a nice one two houses down from me. I'm sure the listings are adequate. I live by the Nashua/Hollis border and I think Hollis has a three acre minimum lot size.

[BF66389]

Originally Posted by yinduffy

I live by the Nashua/Hollis border and I think Hollis has a three acre minimum lot size.

Hollis has kind of interesting zoning. The last time I checked it was this:

2 Acre Minimum IF the home has at least 200 feet of road frontage (in other words, if you try to put in a development- the homes not only need decent sized lots but they also must be spaced out well)

4 Acre Minimum IF the home has at least 20 feet of road frontage (in other words, lots that are way back...must be pretty big)

It works out pretty well, even a "development" in our area doesn't appear crowded and there are plenty of trees/grass, etc...

[NH2008]

Originally Posted by BF66389

Hollis has kind of interesting zoning. The last time I checked it was this:

2 Acre Minimum IF the home has at least 200 feet of road frontage (in other words, if you try to put in a development- the homes not only need decent sized lots but they also must be spaced out well)

4 Acre Minimum IF the home has at least 20 feet of road frontage (in other words, lots that are way back...must be pretty big)

It works out pretty well, even a "development" in our area doesn't appear crowded and there are plenty of trees/grass, etc...

The exception is the village itself, where the old houses on smaller lots are grandfathered in.

[Kelticnomad]

Hello I was just reading this post and folks have made such good points, I especially agree with the post by BF there are pros and cons to everywhere you might live...no place is perfect...and I've found IMHO that the needs of your family can change over time. So good job here We do get a lot of ?'s on NH living and its seems there is a ton of information if one reads all kinds of post about NH ...IMHO everyone stay warm...Kelty

[seamusnh]

"I bought a 3 bed, 1 bath 900 sq foot home for 390k and my property taxes are $8,600 a year. If Nashua can beat that, I might actually be packing my bags sooner than I thought."

Wow. Here is a nice example. 4 BR, 2 1/2 baths, 2000+ sq ft, $350k with $7k in real estate taxes:
NNEREN

For a young family, I'd check the towns of Hollis, Amherst, and Bedford due to the better schools.

As for hospitals, St. Josephs in Nashua and Elliot in Manchester are the two in this area...