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I found all those things u wrote about hard to deal with also (living in SWFL) myself. It's hard to realize those things when you grow up there, or some place similar and people think you're nuts for calling it out. Here it's hard to even find houses on the market before 1970's. all build 1995-present and honest we wouldn't even considera house without upgrades. There it was common to have original stove or flooring or what have you. Old is old, not charming and the cost can't even compare. What I'd spent in just heating alone for the winter there is probably what half my rent a year is here.
You're pro's are correct too ,there are some lovely things about the state but I found more con's than pos for our family at least. We moved back to Fla after 11 months. The only other place I think we could s
Consider moving weather wise would be Cali but man is it expensive!!!
NH is a great state to visit and I can't wait to do so but after a lot of homework and number crunching I don't think we could ever live there again .
p.s.
I was shocked at how short autumn was I thought it lasted for months not weeks! Some years (the year we lived there) there was practically no autumn the leaves mostly turned brown and flew away! I got jipped :-p
YES! I was so sad when my autumn came. My husband was busy with work one week and the other two it rained and rained...and then our short window to leaf peep was over quickly. By the time we made it up north for a day trip the leaves were already dead.
And yes, I think the people who are originally from this area are just used to the dilapidated state of these homes. It's one thing to have a make a kitchen look pretty but it's another when you have to buy a home and the fix the whole foundation, add in central heating, replace plumbing, etc. When people say they want a home with some "charm" they're usually referring to a nice original wood staircase or some pretty hardwood floors, not a re-build.
I haven't read the rest of the responses but I'm going to be honest.
1-It's tough to just leave the house on a whim.
2-It's expensive and inconvenient to stay warm
3-You will spend a lot of time indoors.
4-Here are your "FOUR SEASONS'.....WINTER starts in October and goes until April/May
5-If you like art, museums, theater or culture you won't find it here. Not much in the way of entertainment.
6-These homes are extremely old - remember this is the oldest part of the country - and no one updates these homes.
All valid points. Here are my comments:
1- 100% true especially with kids. Though it makes us appreciate the warm weather when it arrives.
2- Depends. Natural gas convenient and relatively cheap as long as your house is weather tight. You won't get natural gas in the woods or northern NH but it is available in some cities and towns.
3- True. But after slaving away with the lawn, garden, pool, trees, shrubs all summer I actually look forward to the reduced work load in the winter. I get inside projects done and start working out (too busy and hot in the summer for workouts). I might also get a book read or learn a new hobby (music lessons). There is more to do in the cities too. In greater Nashua there are indoor soccer fields, movie theaters, indoor playgrounds, etc.
4- Depends. I've been at Hampton beach riding waves in both April and October. I've shoveled snow those same months. "Life's like a box of chocolates"
5- That's what Massachusetts is for. Its not far if you live south of Manchester. Boston is a great city for walking. Just park the car and you'll enjoy it a lot more.
6- Depends. I assume you lived in a rural area. Things are more modern in the populated areas (ie southern NH).
1- 100% true especially with kids. Though it makes us appreciate the warm weather when it arrives.
2- Depends. Natural gas convenient and relatively cheap as long as your house is weather tight. You won't get natural gas in the woods or northern NH but it is available in some cities and towns.
3- True. But after slaving away with the lawn, garden, pool, trees, shrubs all summer I actually look forward to the reduced work load in the winter. I get inside projects done and start working out (too busy and hot in the summer for workouts). I might also get a book read or learn a new hobby (music lessons). There is more to do in the cities too. In greater Nashua there are indoor soccer fields, movie theaters, indoor playgrounds, etc.
4- Depends. I've been at Hampton beach riding waves in both April and October. I've shoveled snow those same months. "Life's like a box of chocolates"
5- That's what Massachusetts is for. Its not far if you live south of Manchester. Boston is a great city for walking. Just park the car and you'll enjoy it a lot more.
6- Depends. I assume you lived in a rural area. Things are more modern in the populated areas (ie southern NH).
I guess it all depends on what you like. I think if you've lived in NH your whole life you're used to these things. But coming from Florida...
1. This is a great glass-half-full viewpoint. Very positive. But tough to sell to someone who's already coming from year-round warmth. That's like choosing to starve yourself for 6 months just so you can "appreciate" food for the rest of the year.
2. I'm either heating or cooling my house year-round here. In Florida you can open the windows during the winter months so by comparison, it's cheaper there.
3. Gardening in Florida is actually considered a joy by most. It's much more fun to throw on a bathing suit and get some sun in your yard than it is to shovel snow. Plus, I'm pretty sure most people would would prefer cheerful flowers and palm trees over dead trees. And when you're used to being able to explore outdoors any time of the year, it's tough to not have the choice for months. Indoor soccer fields and indoor parks are not a selling point for someone who can go to outdoor soccer fields and outdoor parks. Ask any kid if they would rather go to an indoor water park or an outdoor one. There's no comparison.
4. Again, not a selling point for me. To be certain I'm getting cold and snow Nov-March and then POSSIBLY have more of it for two more months is a bummer.
5. Agreed. Boston and Massachusetts is a bit better. Too bad we're comparing New Hampshire. :-(
6. I live in Nashua. If you've never lived outside of New England I can understand how it's hard to imagine the masses of updated homes in other areas of the country. But I hate to break it to you, you win for the oldest, most run-down homes in the country. The homes here look like shacks by comparison.
Again, just trying to speak honestly to someone coming from Florida. If they were moving to NH from Minnesota or the Mohave Desert, I would agree that your points are great and a move would be an definite upgrade.
I haven't read the rest of the responses but I'm going to be honest.
Born and raised in Florida, moved to California for 4 years and now because of my husband's job I live in New Hampshire. I will try to be as kind about my opinion of NH as possible but I will admit, I am not happy here and am in the process of looking for a place to relocate our family ASAP. I've also lived in NC, which I've found to be a nice happy medium between the sun and the snow. I only hope I can help someone make the right decision for their family. So here are a few other things to consider besides just being uncomfortable and cold.....
-It's tough to just leave the house on a whim. People who have been raised in the cold don't realize how convenient it is to throw on a pair of shorts and some flip flops and run to the store. Here, it's an event to go out. Especially with children. It takes a long time to put on all your layers, shovel your walkway, be cautious of black ice, move the snow from the car doors just so you can get in and then heat up the car so you're not shivering inside. It's an ordeal if you're not used to it.
-It's expensive and inconvenient to stay warm - from the pellet stoves or oil to heat your home to the amounts of clothing you have to purchase (expensive jackets, clothes in all types of layers). Living in Florida you have one wardrobe. And that wardrobe fits nicely in your closet. Here, you have to have many different types of clothing and you have pack and unpack them every season and this means TONS more laundry. I'm sure you've already heard about the cost of snow plowing so I won't go into that.
-You will spend a lot of time indoors. A LOT. There will be days you have no choice and others where you'll be too tired to do the above ordeal just to leave your home. And you would think that there are indoor entertainment options here. Nope. Just a few old movie theaters. When you have been cooking everyday and just want a break but can't go to a restaurant (because you can't find a decent one here or they're all closed) you would think they have delivery options here. Sadly, no.
Here are your "FOUR SEASONS'.....WINTER starts in October and goes until April/May which means you can have snow during any of these months. Have you seen those calendars with the pretty pictures of snow in the winter? Those photos are taken in Colorado where it snows and then the sun shines. Here, it's cold and grey. Very depressing if you're used to sunshine in Florida. Even the rain in Florida will keep you in a better mood than the dismal skies here. SPRING is maybe the end of May and June. SUMMER is July, August and a bit of September. Good luck finding a pool. The beaches are NOTHING like Florida and you will be disappointed, but at least you'll be surrounded by people who are so excited to be in warm weather, maybe the excitement will rub off on you. FALL, the infamous fall you've heard so much about lasts only three weeks. The trees are beautiful colors for three weeks and then it's over.
If you like art, museums, theater or culture you won't find it here. Not much in the way of entertainment.
It's oddly more expensive than you would expect it to be. I though we would be making some sort of trade-off with the weather but I was shocked to find out that the rent/cost of homes here is not worth the living conditions. These homes are extremely old - remember this is the oldest part of the country - and no one updates these homes. In fact, I'm certain that no one here is aware of what it means to update or remodel a home. If you want a new home, they're few and far between and extremely expensive.
Here are some positives about New Hampshire:
Clean air is great, lots of trees (although you have to look at branches without leaves most of the year)
Very safe for your children
Moose are fun to see if you can locate them
If you like to ski, it's nearby.
Boston is an only an hour away (although the traffic is pretty bad)
The seafood is delicious.
Again, as a family coming from Florida, I'm trying to be as honest as possible. I wish someone had told me these things before we moved here.
GOOD LUCK!!!!
It definatly doesent sound like N.H. is the place for you. It was exactly the same for me when i moved to Fl. As much as i tried to adjust to living down there it just didnt work. I really wasent able to adjust to the "florida lifestyle" just as a lot of the florida people who move up here don't usually stay long. N.H. and the whole" Northern lifestyle" isnt easy. But for anyone willing enough to "do what ya gotta" do to survive and be happy up here there is no better place to live.We moved back after ten years down there and couldnt be happier. We spend very little time indoors. Theres way to much to do.
He asked for a similar perspective...coming FROM Florida TO New Hampshire so I figured I would give him some additional points to consider. I will say that I can understand some of the dislikes of Florida too, so my advice to the original poster is to look for a compromise, something that isn't too extreme. The huge differences between these two places can be quite a shock to the system. We're currently looking to move somewhere south of New England and north of Georgia. Sure, nothing is perfect, but it's tough to be used to certain conditions and move to the complete opposite.
I agree. The two locations couldn't be more different! Would have to expect some shock...
6. I live in Nashua. If you've never lived outside of New England I can understand how it's hard to imagine the masses of updated homes in other areas of the country. But I hate to break it to you, you win for the oldest, most run-down homes in the country. The homes here look like shacks by comparison.
I'm not convinced. I house-hunted in NC for 9 months in the 90's. I've stayed with family in central FL and FT Lauderdale many times. Stayed with friends (who were house hunting) in the Phoenix area.
Tract housing in central FL and Phoenix doesn't appeal to me. Sure the houses may be "nicer". But it's subjective and possibly superficial. It's like living in a really big apartment except there's 10 feet between the apartments instead of 10 inches.
The family in FT Lauderdale bought their house same time as ours for roughly the same price. Maybe it's nicer in that it has a tile roof and palm trees. But our house has 2 floors, a 3rd bedroom, a basement, 2 car garage, and attic. Both homes were roughly in the same state of disrepair when we bought them. Plenty of run-down "Florida ranches" in their neighborhood just as there are plenty of run-down splits and colonials in mine (mostly rentals).
Houses we looked at in NC were just as crappy as the ones in NH given our price range. The new tract houses were nice, but built on slabs and as cheaply as possible.
So I'm not saying the houses in NH are not run-down. I just don't think it's unique to NH.
Yup it's cold, been cold, and when it isn't it's gray or the bugs are bad, and then it's cold again
Ain't nuthin' ta' do either..... Nuthin but shiver anyway to try and stay warm.... Unless you are running from the bugs..
Yup sure do need to go to the dump at least once a month.... We don't pay taxes for trash pick up, and beside the dump pickin' is pretty good in this economy.. I mean if you can grab metal then you can take up some of that spare time and go to a scraper and sell it all over again.
In the doing you either let the car go cold or the bugs get in....
I have no idea why people from good places 'AWAY' would want to come to cold and bug infested New Hampshire anyway.
We like old cape cod houses and in this economy it helps if they look like they are falling apart since property taxes are less that way and or they get that way (falling apart) since property taxes are just too high anyway.
I haven't read the rest of the responses but I'm going to be honest.
Born and raised in Florida, moved to California for 4 years and now because of my husband's job I live in New Hampshire. I will try to be as kind about my opinion of NH as possible but I will admit, I am not happy here and am in the process of looking for a place to relocate our family ASAP. I've also lived in NC, which I've found to be a nice happy medium between the sun and the snow. I only hope I can help someone make the right decision for their family. So here are a few other things to consider besides just being uncomfortable and cold.....
-It's tough to just leave the house on a whim. People who have been raised in the cold don't realize how convenient it is to throw on a pair of shorts and some flip flops and run to the store. Here, it's an event to go out. Especially with children. It takes a long time to put on all your layers, shovel your walkway, be cautious of black ice, move the snow from the car doors just so you can get in and then heat up the car so you're not shivering inside. It's an ordeal if you're not used to it.
-It's expensive and inconvenient to stay warm - from the pellet stoves or oil to heat your home to the amounts of clothing you have to purchase (expensive jackets, clothes in all types of layers). Living in Florida you have one wardrobe. And that wardrobe fits nicely in your closet. Here, you have to have many different types of clothing and you have pack and unpack them every season and this means TONS more laundry. I'm sure you've already heard about the cost of snow plowing so I won't go into that.
-You will spend a lot of time indoors. A LOT. There will be days you have no choice and others where you'll be too tired to do the above ordeal just to leave your home. And you would think that there are indoor entertainment options here. Nope. Just a few old movie theaters. When you have been cooking everyday and just want a break but can't go to a restaurant (because you can't find a decent one here or they're all closed) you would think they have delivery options here. Sadly, no.
Here are your "FOUR SEASONS'.....WINTER starts in October and goes until April/May which means you can have snow during any of these months. Have you seen those calendars with the pretty pictures of snow in the winter? Those photos are taken in Colorado where it snows and then the sun shines. Here, it's cold and grey. Very depressing if you're used to sunshine in Florida. Even the rain in Florida will keep you in a better mood than the dismal skies here. SPRING is maybe the end of May and June. SUMMER is July, August and a bit of September. Good luck finding a pool. The beaches are NOTHING like Florida and you will be disappointed, but at least you'll be surrounded by people who are so excited to be in warm weather, maybe the excitement will rub off on you. FALL, the infamous fall you've heard so much about lasts only three weeks. The trees are beautiful colors for three weeks and then it's over.
If you like art, museums, theater or culture you won't find it here. Not much in the way of entertainment.
It's oddly more expensive than you would expect it to be. I though we would be making some sort of trade-off with the weather but I was shocked to find out that the rent/cost of homes here is not worth the living conditions. These homes are extremely old - remember this is the oldest part of the country - and no one updates these homes. In fact, I'm certain that no one here is aware of what it means to update or remodel a home. If you want a new home, they're few and far between and extremely expensive.
Here are some positives about New Hampshire:
Clean air is great, lots of trees (although you have to look at branches without leaves most of the year)
Very safe for your children
Moose are fun to see if you can locate them
If you like to ski, it's nearby.
Boston is an only an hour away (although the traffic is pretty bad)
The seafood is delicious.
Again, as a family coming from Florida, I'm trying to be as honest as possible. I wish someone had told me these things before we moved here.
GOOD LUCK!!!!
I can see where if you are warm weather born and raised you might not enjoy it up here. But who says you can't go outside in shorts and flipflops? People do it all the time. You (and your kids) are tougher than you think. I have never heated up a car before getting in. Never. You can get used to it.
Hubby and I once visited friends of his in northern Virginia in the winter and decided to go out to dinner. They started bundling up, layering, wrapping scarves around their faces. Hubby and I put on our light fleece jackets. They looked at us like we were nuts. "It's 20 degrees out!" they said. "Yes we know, pretty warm!" we replied. If you hide indoors you'll never get used to it and you'll never enjoy it. Get out and snowshoe, cross-country ski or take your kinds sledding. The absolute worst thing you can do is stay inside all the time.
We don't pay anyone to plow. Hubby has a blower, I man the scoop. Between the two of us we clean up our 1/3 mile driveway and parking area in an hour. Did you know that shoveling snow bruns 400 calories an hour? You can pay to join a fitness center or you can get the real deal for free.
A couple of other things deserve mention in favor of northern New England.
First we don't have the endless malls/strip malls with the same old same old franchises selling the same crap and same old same old "food." Not only do we not have the junk food franchises, we also don't have the eateries that pretend to offer "good" food (like Olive Garden or Cracker Barrel) and overpriced chi-chi stores like Whole Foods. If you go out to eat, you can eat somewhere where the owner is responsible for the menu and the food instead of training monkeys to operate the microwave. If you want farm food, drive down the road and get it from the farmer instead of paying 3x what it really costs so you can have fancy decor. I also don't understand the fascination out-of-staters have with big box stores like Home Depot and Lowes. We have plenty of regional building supply stores that stand behind their products instead of selling bottom drawer junk for 1.5 times what you could get from the regional vendors.
And while I have gotten fixing up old houses out of my system for good, there is no way on God's green earth I would EVER purchase a brand new home. NEVER. If you think that is something desirable I have two words for you: Chinese drywall. A home has to be at least five years old and lived in before I would even set foot in it.
Sorry it isn't for you, and I admit I am not as good at taking the cold as i was when I was younger. Still, there are things to be enjoyed that you can't find in sunnier climes.
I guess it all depends on what you like. I think if you've lived in NH your whole life you're used to these things. But coming from Florida...
1. This is a great glass-half-full viewpoint. Very positive. But tough to sell to someone who's already coming from year-round warmth. That's like choosing to starve yourself for 6 months just so you can "appreciate" food for the rest of the year.
2. I'm either heating or cooling my house year-round here. In Florida you can open the windows during the winter months so by comparison, it's cheaper there.
3. Gardening in Florida is actually considered a joy by most. It's much more fun to throw on a bathing suit and get some sun in your yard than it is to shovel snow. Plus, I'm pretty sure most people would would prefer cheerful flowers and palm trees over dead trees. And when you're used to being able to explore outdoors any time of the year, it's tough to not have the choice for months. Indoor soccer fields and indoor parks are not a selling point for someone who can go to outdoor soccer fields and outdoor parks. Ask any kid if they would rather go to an indoor water park or an outdoor one. There's no comparison.
4. Again, not a selling point for me. To be certain I'm getting cold and snow Nov-March and then POSSIBLY have more of it for two more months is a bummer.
5. Agreed. Boston and Massachusetts is a bit better. Too bad we're comparing New Hampshire. :-(
6. I live in Nashua. If you've never lived outside of New England I can understand how it's hard to imagine the masses of updated homes in other areas of the country. But I hate to break it to you, you win for the oldest, most run-down homes in the country. The homes here look like shacks by comparison.
Again, just trying to speak honestly to someone coming from Florida. If they were moving to NH from Minnesota or the Mohave Desert, I would agree that your points are great and a move would be an definite upgrade.
Youve got to be kidding with number 3, unless youre talking about Nov-Apr. Mowing my lawn in July feels like walking through the gates of hell, which you have to do down here every single week during summer. I lose so much water through sweating I get a nasty headache later too.
Well said. I lived in the South (Virginia / maryland) for 15 years -- *never* adjusted to the heat. Running AC often enough 7/24. Impossible to do anything during the day. TX must be even worse. And you know, the worst thing is, the winters are not mild at all in DC area. They are windy and downright freezing. Waking up to 12F is not that uncommon. NE is really not that much colder. Much more snow - yes, which I like, it makes the winter feel like winter.
Interesting tidbit about living all over America. I'm not really sure what my genetic make up is, but I can tell you from years of experience, some people can't handle living in AC all year round.
I grew up in New England without air conditioning. Every time I live in Texas, I'm stuffed up and suffer from severe allergies. I have to wash my nasal passages all the time. I have to use nasal spray all the time. I have to eat local honey every day in my hot tea to help build up immunity to the local flora.
Two weeks ago, I started a temporary assignment for the agency I work for. I was there 3 days and the morning of the third day, I had to be driven to the doctor because my eyes swelled shut, my chest and face broke out in huge red splotches, and I was struggling to breathe. I got a steroid injection and a doctor's note saying I wasn't allowed to return to that office building for health purposes.
That has NEVER happened to me before.
After much deliberation, I'm finally leaving Texas! We came down here to help my BF who had become a widow in 2010 save her home. I am really struggling with the allergies this year, it's really bad here this season. I will miss my family, but I really think I can't live harmoniously with nature in Texas.
We're actually headed to Wisconsin this time!
Kat
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