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Will the seacoast of NH people accept you? Of course they will! Come on up! It's Live Free Or Die remember, that's the NH motto!
You wouldn't believe all the many many different accents coming out of people's mouths up here these days; are you kidding me? Once you start talking away to various people? Texas is just ONE (big) state where they're from! In fact, here's what a small world it is, that's where the Town of Hampton's Town Manager was from, Texas! His name was James Barrington and he was the Town Manager for a good 10 years or so. He just left to go back to Texas this past year. There's people from Kentucky, other parts of New England; a ton of people from New York, California, Pennsylvania, New Orleans, Kansas, Virginia. One of my friends is from Indiana originally; she's been living here for a good 20 years now; even her mother is living up here near her and her brother and sister too and they seem to like it here, or at least they're still living here, any way! Another friend of ours is originally from West Virginia; her husband is from here, so they'll be living here for a long long time, especially where their kids grew up here now. People are from ALL over the country and I really think the rest of the USA is like this now too, don't you? No matter where you live, there's people from every where else. People just get up and go and settle in other areas of the country, especially the young ones and retiree's I notice! I think it's JUST wonderful, where else can you do that in this world? Can you tell me? There's SO much offered right in our own country in our own back yards for us to see and do. We're all SO SO lucky and fortunate, every one of us. Not only are people from various states in THIS country? I forgot about our European cousins and friends! They're from Canada, they're from England, they're from Ireland, they're from Amsterdam, Italy, Brazil, Australia, oh, you name it kiddo people are from all over the world around here!
So hopefully you enjoy living in New England as much as we do. I seriously think you'll find a lot of positives rather than negatives about the area; once you get settled here. It'll take a good year or two to get really used to it most likely, but in the end, you'll be glad you moved here. The only only reason why people move back to where they originally came from is usually because they can't get acclimated to our 4 seasons or it's their jobs or it's their elderly family members....
You are such a wealth of information - thanks so much for posting! I can't wait to get there. If it was up to me, I'd leave now, but hubby's job doesn't start until July. Now, if I can just locate housing...
My wife is originally from Katy. I am from the Dallas area (actually Corsicana). We are currently living in Alpharetta Ga, outside of Atlanta. No guarantees for us yet, but if everything works out we would be moving to So NH in mid July. As far as the Texas support group goes, only if we can meet in a good Tex-Mex place or a place that serves Texas style BBQ.
Oh ya? Try getting Italian cuisine in any of the southern states I've been to, ya think it's easy when you have the North End of Boston right at your finger tips, do you? Well guess again!!
I don't know how good this is myself, but a lot of people on the seacoast rave about it. It's called the "Muddy River" Cafe up in Portsmouth, NH. It won Best of New Hampshire quite a few times and I guess it won again this past year. Here's their site to check out their menu to see what you think about going there some day when you're settled up here. Keep it on the back burner any way because it's a fun place to go to in Portsmouth, you'd really like it I bet just the same:
Oh I just remembered this other awesome place that people absolutely love, it used to be in Exeter for the longest time, near my hankerchief shop where I get my material BUT it moved to Brentwood, so keep this one on the back burner too, it's quite good here for a fact. Guys in my office were driving up from Mass. just to go here, they absolutely love it here....
May be you'll feel like you're at home when you check these two places out? Close enough huh? You might even hear some of your Texas twangs in one of these places I bet!
Last edited by CityGirl52; 05-14-2007 at 07:03 AM..
Reason: typo...
Tremendous amount of excellent info here. A question--perhaps unanswerable--but we'd appreciate even a guess.
First, a little background. We are semi-retired, still doing some freelance (possible anywhere) work, and looking for a place we'd really like to live that is, of course, affordable. We have the care of a relative, who needs to be at home with us, but also needs a place within the house that is truly her own.
I have wonderful memories of camp summers in New Hampshire, and cottage rentals, and visits from across the border. Yes, we had some family in Vermont. Confession: we thought we'd eventually retire to Vermont, but we worry that we can't afford it!
We need a three bedroom house--two of those bedrooms would become office-studios. Yes, important for our work. The more difficult problem is that we need an attached apartment, with its own door, kitchen, and so on. Everything could be combined in one large room.
I like what we've read about Exeter, but I'm wondering what such a house might cost there. We need to be not too far from Boston, because our relative will have to have some medical visits there, along with good local doctors.
You live in the Portsmouth vicinity, head 2 minutes over the bridge to Kittery and hit Loco Ono's- Rt 103 and Rt 1 (not the bypass!). Very good hole-in-the-wall establishment w/ lots of authentic hot sauces and green chile sauces that you can apply yourself. At least by northeastern standards, the place is excellent. Margarita's may be the hot spot, but most of the zealots apparently aren't aware they in many cases aren't eating Mexican, nor is "Tex-Mex" synonomous with Mexican cuisine. I do actually like some of the food at Margaritas, but nothing that would qualify so much as being "Tex-Mex"...the enchiladas, tacos, and burritos they serve are nothing to rave about.
Tremendous amount of excellent info here. A question--perhaps unanswerable--but we'd appreciate even a guess.
First, a little background. We are semi-retired, still doing some freelance (possible anywhere) work, and looking for a place we'd really like to live that is, of course, affordable. We have the care of a relative, who needs to be at home with us, but also needs a place within the house that is truly her own.
I have wonderful memories of camp summers in New Hampshire, and cottage rentals, and visits from across the border. Yes, we had some family in Vermont. Confession: we thought we'd eventually retire to Vermont, but we worry that we can't afford it!
We need a three bedroom house--two of those bedrooms would become office-studios. Yes, important for our work. The more difficult problem is that we need an attached apartment, with its own door, kitchen, and so on. Everything could be combined in one large room.
I like what we've read about Exeter, but I'm wondering what such a house might cost there. We need to be not too far from Boston, because our relative will have to have some medical visits there, along with good local doctors.
Any thoughts? Guesses? Greatly appreciated!
I live in Exeter and I think given your background and assuming you appreciate the simpler things, a slower pace w/ a charming quintessential New England downtown, I highly recommend it as probably THE best Seacoast town within a hour of Boston. In fact, the Amtrack N'easter commuter rail stops in Exeter and is the first and last stop in the state of New Hampshire. There are wonderful parks, miles of paved trails circumventing the Swampscot River, a well-maintained recreation park w/ basketball, tennis, a pool, and a massive, impressively constructed jungle gym for the kids, and also Exeter Woods w/ miles of wooded pedestrian and bike trails. To boot, you have the scenic Phillips Academy with a massive amount of land they own for their athletic teams, but is permissable to be utilized by the public in most cases and adjoins Exeter Woods. BTW the kids attending achool here are truly not just outstanding students, but outstanding all-round people and very friendly. I find it easier to hold an intelligent and friendly conversation with these individuals than a majority of adults!
As long as your not living the "single lifestyle", you will love Exeter. I mention this because there is the other aspect to Exeter. You may find it a slow after dark despite being a growing town with various excellent dining venues, as well as taverns and the popular Ioka theater which hosts comedy routines, occasional small musical acts, and movies (including premiers of blockbusters right at Midnight Thursday-technically Friday like Spidey 3 and DaVinci Code, written by Exeter's own Dan Brown). Yes those are MORE pluses. BUT... some need to be advised that Exeter, while I give it a big thumbs up, it should be heeded that it is not an after-hours pub town what so ever. In fact, many of the establishments will close around 10 pm even on a Saturday night which really blows my mind how some of the owners can successfully operate such a business (and many have in fact not in the year I've resided here). The town attracts younger folks because of the many apartments available and cheaper rentals than Portsmouth while still only being 15 minutes from the town, as well as the beach. But many of them often complain in regards to Exeter's lack of activity after dark, because the town would seem to have more potential from that aspect. Some say the local police are a nuisance, some say it is the proximity to Portsmouth, which in itself isn't exactly booming these days after dark. I really don't buy either line of reasoning. Nontheless I had to throw out the "bad" of Exeter to cover all bases. But for your concerns, I think you would love the town of Exeter!
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Now, if I can just locate housing...
A Good Smokehouse for ya...
