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My husband and I are still trying to decide on our upcoming move this April. We were considering Londonderry, Bedford & Hopkinton but found the property taxes to be way too much! My husband will most likely work in Concord, not definite though, so I was wondering what the commute would look like from various regions in the Lakes. I have a ton of questions so if anyone could help me out, I'd really appreciate it. Our budget is nothing more than $300 but it really all depends on property taxes. We have a 1 year old son so obviously schools are very important to us. We're planning a trip in the beginning of February to look at areas in that region. So far we're looking into Meredith, Moultonborough & Wolfeboro. Any input on these regions would be great! The property taxes are low in all these areas, which is GREAT, but I'm concerned about the commute to Concord. Also, which areas have that "town feel," if any? I'm also wondering how accessible commerce is to these towns, such as pet stores, home depot, grocery stores, target and things like that. We're looking to be within 20 minutes of these areas, if possible.
Thanks to you all if you can offer any advice!
Kelly
We live in Gilford and it is about 35 - 45 minutes to Concord, either via Rt. 106 or I-93. Gilford has good schools and nice small town community. Please feel free to ask me any other questions you have about living in the Lakes Region. Having been here almost 4 years, and in the Concord area before, I feel I know the area well.
nhfinehomes, I see a possible job in Gilford, what ammenties do you have in town? Is there a town center or anything? Do you get a lot of tourism during the summer because of the location in the Lakes Region?
Hi Dzmjp. Yes, Gilford does have a nice little town center where the schools are located, the general store, church and library. It has a very New England feel to it. Gilford has some nice amenities which include a town beach on Winnipesaukee and town docks to launch a boat. These are only to be used by Gilford residents. Just a few years ago a brand new library was constructed with help of donations. A rec and youth center was also contructed on the same parcel. Both are very nice to have in town. The towns 'official' web site is here. We live about 5 minutes outside of the village and don't notice a lot of tourism traffic in the summer. Of course, on holiday weekends and nice summer days, you will notice more tourism traffic on the main roads around Lake Winnipesaukee and areas like Route 11 but I wouldn't say it ever gets too congested in Gilford.
Wolfeboro is a lovely town right on the water. It has a definite downtown area with a grocery, park, restaurants and shops. The library and hospital are just past the downtown area. The downside is that the population is heavily composed of seasonal second home owners. Downtown can be really crowded in the summer, and my guess is that not every business stays open all winter. Brewster is a private school located downtown.
Meredith has more activities for kids - Fun Spot, a train. Moultonborough would be the most rural in my opinion.
The whole Lakes Region has a lot of second home owners. This is great in that it pumps a lot of tax dollars into the school system from people who don't use the services, thus keeping taxes low overall, but it can make for lonely winters. I'd look carefully at any town you're seriously considering to see how many kids are in each grade and so forth - where my extended family lives, some grades have only a handful of kids, which is really disproportionate to the overall population. (most of that population being seasonal, and many of the rest opting for private schools.) This could be great, or it could make it hard for parents and kids to find a community of friends.
Have you considered Bow? It's got some of the best schools in the state, prices seem reasonable, and it's very close to Concord.
Meredith has easy access to 93 - so the commute to Concord would be good. Moultonboro is a great town and is also doable, but further away. It's not easy to get anywhere from Wolfeboro - they are just on the wrong side of the pond.
good luck with your move - I know you will love the lakes region.
Holderness is also a great town with a Currier and Ives feel. Close to exit 24 off I-93 and approx 10 minutes to Plymouth and 35-40 minutes to Concord.
I'm very far from New Hampshire. So where exactly is the Lakes region? What towns? Major City? How is life in the Lakes region compared to Manchester?
Is it more liberal in the lakes? More conservative?
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