clg898
New member
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!
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!