Relocating to NH Seacoast with Family?

[clg898]

I apologize if this is off-topic for this forum, but I am hoping my fellow outdoors lovers, particularly those living in the NH seacoast region can help... My wife and I are thinking about making a life change. I may have a job opportunity in the Portsmouth-Durham area of NH. We have a little one and another on the way, so looking for feedback/advice on the pros/cons of raising a family in the NH Seacoast area. I'm well aware of the outdoor opportunities and the dining options that the areas has to offer, but am curious about the more mundane aspects of life on the Seacoast that one doesn't pick up by spending a Saturday at the beach and grabbing a brew in Portsmouth.

Namely:

1. Education - how are the schools? Which towns have great schools, which should we avoid.
2. Community - which towns/neighborhoods have nice, active, family communities. The kinds of places where kids run from neighobor's house to neighbor's house playing tag, etc. and parents know and talk to each other... Are there areas with a strong community feel?
3. Which towns/communities generally attract a more highly educated and worldy population? Which don't?
4. Which are convenient for commuting to some of the areas larger commercial centers and UNH?
5. Are there towns where there are things for teens to do on weekend nights other than hole up in someone's basement drinking pilfered vodka and whatever mixer is handy?
6. What are the downsides of living in the area? What don't you like about where you live? What took getting used to if you moved from somewhere else?

This is a big decision for us. Neither of us is particularly adventurous when it comes to our careers... we're both pretty risk-averse, but increasingly unsatisfied with the lack of balance in our lives and the very high cost of living in our neck of the woods. Thanks for the help!

 

[dug]

Stratham is a very nice area, with great schools. I have many friends in the Portsmouth area, went to school at UNH, and most have settled in Stratham. It's right off Rte. 101, which gets you access to Manchester easily. It's also close to I-95, access south and Maine. Also, rte. 16 (mountains). That answers 1-4.

#5, well...it's NH, so it's going to be everywhere. But, you are close to both Portsmouth (neighboring town) and Manchester (about 30-40 minutes).

#6, no downsides that I am aware of. I live closer to Manchester, but actually wished we moved to that area before my daughter became of school age. We are down there 2-3 times/month.

Exeter is nice, too. Just a bit further from the actual coast. Hampton is also an area to look at. But, my preference would be Stratham

I love the NH Seacoast. It is easy to get into Maine, Boston, the mountains. Beaches are nearby. Has a ton of history. Downtown Portsmouth is very nice, lots of shopping, restaurants, small local shops, bars. etc.

 

[Peppersass]

I've lived in Stratham since 2001, after 3 years in Exeter. My daughter graduated from Exeter High School. You are welcome to email me directly if you like. dolreb at comcast.net Pepp

 

[maineguy]

We have lived in the Seacoast area for over 30 years now, in Southern Maine. Raised a family here. The absolute biggest plus to living here is that it is about as crime-free an area of the country as you will ever find. We have lived in many parts of the country, and this place is SAFE.

 

[peakbagger]

A general comment is to watch out for wide variations in property tax between towns in NH. The towns fund most of the schools so there can be a big difference in taxes between what town you buy a house in. Towns with a lot of taxable commercial property tend to be lower rates while towns with lots of residential and non taxable land has higher taxes. The house prices will reflect that but at least in the long run you get back higher house payments while property tax is gone forever.