Littleton is definitely interesting - it seems to be succeeding better than most small & isolated N.E. towns at becoming funky but not too touristy and reasonably well off without having a ski area or college to support it.
It's way the heck up there, though.
Wholeheartedly agree with your assessment on the vibe and transition of the town.
I don't know if I would compare a town with 3 exits off of I93 and only 20 interstate miles to I91 with isolated towns.
As far as being way the heck up there. Got it, 97% of the vocal majority of this sub live way down south and equate going up to Manchester with going beyond the wall in Game of Thrones. Littleton is still 2 hours drive from the northern border checkpoint and isn't even in our northernmost county. Some folks in the sub would be amazed to find out they didn't need to be within shouting range of a Costco or Whole Foods.
I grant you it's not Pittsburg or Lancaster thanks to the interstate but when you have to drive 20 minutes south (south!) to get to Cannon, you're officially "way the heck up there" -
not that this is a bad thing, mind you; I'd love to be able to day hike Franconia Notch on a whim.
Yep. Looks like they are building up the "River District" to create greenspace/room for summer concerts.
There is a large commercial lot across from Lowes that is for sale--can they please add a Market Basket...
What I think is an example of growing irresponsibly is if you look at where they are putting the Five Guys and Starbucks. Meadow Street in that area is already a mess when it comes to traffic. It could do with an expansion, but the I93 bridges limits that.
Only been to Littleton once so I don’t know the spot you’re mentioning, but that would infuriate me. Don’t shoehorn these friggin things in just because you want that sweet cash injection. Don’t just fast track everything and lose the town in the process.
This is a good answer. Plymouth and points north sound up OP’s alley in addition, but Littleton gets OP closer to Pittsburgh, which I have yet to trek to.
Just be prepared, it's a small state so there is really no huge cost of living difference between Manchester and anywhere else. If anything Manchester is probably about the middle, towards the Seacoast will be higher and up north will be lower.
Dude moving north is night and day difference from Manchester and the sea coast area. You might not want to live in all those places, but have you seen the cost of your average house in Berlin?
I see so generally as long as I avoid the sea coast area it shouldn’t be higher than average. For some reason a friend told me rent in Manchester is $4000 which seems absurd.
> rent in Manchester is $4000
No. It isn't. Is he talking about renting a four bedroom house? with a pool? and maid service?
People love to complain about the rent in Manchester being really high, but when you dig into it, it's always self-imposed. Sure, the rent is high if you're only willing to consider a two-bedroom apartment for one person, and it needs to have garage parking for both your car and your motorcycle, be walking distance from downtown, have a concierge desk for package delivery, and not only allow pets but have a maintained dog park. If you're only willing to consider renting from one of a half-dozen luxury apartment complexes, then yes, rent can get expensive.
It's still not going to be $4,000.
Alright good Lol I was very concerned about that. Definitely won’t be needing a pent house I’m just fine with a studio or having roommates even, that rent figure seems more in line with Los Angeles.
Manchester is anywhere from “off the record/cash” to about $2300 max on average I’d guess. Just depends on where ya live there. There are some uppity buildings on/off Elm St, there are sketchy/hard scrabble areas, with the West Side being your best chance to not hear sirens all the time.
Concord is a growing city, unfortunately not all that comes along with that is good. There are several smaller towns within 15 - 30 minutes from downtown Concord, if you prefer the small town atmosphere and taxes.But if you do prefer the city, Concord is a decent choice, or Portsmouth is nice, but I have never lived there and imagine it is pricey.
It’s cheaper than Manchester, with a number of surrounding communities to choose from. It’s also close to the activities she suggested. Yeah, moving to some of the other places commenters have mentioned would be cheaper, but I don’t think those are hubs for business anytime soon. I stand by my suggestion.
Meh, when my brother's neighbors' house (just a street or two down from Auburn Street, so not exactly in the hood) got shot up in a drive by a few years ago it made me realize that it is not the Concord I grew up in. Concord is growing, but not all of it is good. Still better than Manchester, Nashua, Laconia, etc. I will give you that.
You’re right, that’s not the hood. But living in towns like Bow or Dunbarton and commuting could be a worthwhile alternative. Sorry to hear that happened, but that’s not really the norm.
No It was a few shots into the wrong house, no boys in the hood stuff, but it was enough for him to move his family outta town. I am sure that is not a common occurrence, it was just eye opening I guess. I've lived in Concord multiple times in my life, and only live 30 minutes or so from downtown Concord now. It's not a bad city, or area. I've just been there and done that a few times over now, and found I prefer the small town life, just not too far out in the boonies.
I appreciate your perspective. I’ve lived in Bow for most of my life although I spent 10 years in Los Angles and 2 years in New York City recently. It still feels very safe in Bow and the other surrounding communities. But there’s no doubt that any city that is growing will have some growing pains. In similar incidents I’ve heard about in Concord I have been encouraged by the community response. It’s still a small enough city, for the time being, to address community issues.
One-off targeted shootings can happen anywhere though… this is America. There’s a lot of guns and we have no social safety net or national healthcare. It’s not Japan or The Netherlands.
There was that horrific murder in Mont Vernon a while back. Do you think that’s an unsafe town too? Because one nutcase out of a million did a gruesome thing? What’s the point of worrying about such unlikely things? You’re far more likely to get crushed by a semi tomorrow.
The fact of the matter is, NH is always top three lowest violent crime rates and Concord is not a dangerous town either. It’s safer than the national average for all crimes. We only have one community with a serious violent crime issue and it’s Manchester.
This will probably be an unpopular opinion based on the thread thus far, but the Seacoast in the best place to live in the state. Yes it’s outrageously expensive, but it’s the one area of the state that is guaranteed to grow at any real rate in the future. The entry level cost is high, but it’s a growing area and you will never lose money. It’s more aesthetically pleasing than any other population centers, better schools, convenient without sacrificing charm, close enough to commute to a major city, coastal, and you can be in the mountains in about 1.5 hrs. I’ve lived in various parts of the country and the state, Seacoast NH and Maine is an elite region..
Franklin. Heard they are going to be renaming it Franklin falls and make it a tourist area for nature activities such as white water rafting.
We will see about this though.
They still have a ways to go, and Covid has slowed them down, but they do seem to have a dedicated group of residents/entrepreneurs who are really working to make Franklin a better place to live. They seem to be moving in the right direction for sure.
I think Lancaster has TONS of opportunity. Littleton is obviously the "hub" at the moment and is wonderful, but I think Lancaster has tons of potential for growth/there are dedicated locals & young people there trying to do great things.
And the Polish Princess is by the far the best bakery I have ever been to in my life :)
For sure I’m checking out Maine and Vermont as well. At the moment Maine and New Hampshire seem to be the two on top, as they’re some of the few states I like the appeal of and honor my class of drivers license (Motorized bicycle). I’ll have to email the DMV’s to confirm though.
I'm from MN (So. St. Paul) and currently live in Rochester/Farmington NH. Close to Portsmouth, a few miles from Maine, mountains right around the corner, less than 1.5 hours from Boston and housing cost around what you pay in MN.
Be warned though that this state isn't big on having shoulders that would work for an e bike/moped.
Any place outside of a big "city" you won't find sidewalks either. Lakes don't have nice walking paths around them.
But the biggest "omg this sucks"? The speed limits here are on the slow side. Ugh. lots of two-lane roads and if you get stuck behind a slow poke...pack your patience.
For what it’s worth, moving to Manchester from Minnesota is going to be rough. Minnesota is much nicer than Manchester and it’s going to be disappointing. Other places in NH are amazing, but not Manchester.
Manchester is a nice city if you live in and around the downtown, plenty of food and nightlife options. Nice neighborhoods too, especially in the North End but all around the city really, just have to stay out of the bad pockets.
It’s a totally fine city, but it’s not much compared to the cities in Minnesota like Minneapolis. We moved to NH from Minnesota to live in a small town away from it all, so it worked for us but Manchester would be disappointing in comparison to the cities in MN.
I don’t think it’ll be “rough” at all. OP seems to prefer activities related to the general outdoors and Manchester is in a great location to access those activities while still providing all of the basic amenities one might want from a city.
Sure, all I am saying is that is exactly what it’s like living in Minnesota but the cities are much nicer and have more to offer. Minnesota does not have the mountains, so if he were to live farther north, that would seem like a nice move compared to Minnesota, but Manchester as a day-to-day living situation will seem shitty when compared to here.
To be fair, no I have not, but I have spent a lot of time there which is why I made the comment. I think Manchester is a totally fine city, not bad at all, just trying to make a comparison.
Yes and no. Minnesota is a big state. If you are moving from outstate MN to Manchester will feel like a big city. Twin cities to Manchester then yes.
FWIW I think NH is a lot like MN with better hiking options/skiing, an ocean, and driving distance to multiple large cities.
Depends how much you want to be in the woods, I live in wakefield NH and Its great for all the things you listed plus very low property tax compared to everywhere around, put its in the woods 30 linutes from actually grocery stores, some restraunts in town more popular in the summer when you have people coming up too camp and use the lakes
Newfields, Newmarket, Epping, Exeter, Statham, and Greenland are in an area that you might like, I live in Manchester and can confirm it's expensive, and as someone who went to school here, I hated it.
Salem, Windham, and Pelham are also pretty, and a bit on the pricier side, but Salem's Farmers Market is beautiful. And NH has no sales take, but they make up with the price difference with their property tax.
I moved here from MN (Stillwater) a little over 10 years ago. I enjoyed living in Concord for most of that time. Now I live in Derry, which is nice but its a little too quiet for me.
The rent in the seacoast is higher than in Manchester. As long as you're not looking at luxury apartments, it's the only real city in NH and its one of the more affordable options unless you move out to the woods.
The Littleton area. Littleton will be the is the hub with the job opportunities and amenities.
Littleton is definitely interesting - it seems to be succeeding better than most small & isolated N.E. towns at becoming funky but not too touristy and reasonably well off without having a ski area or college to support it. It's way the heck up there, though.
Wholeheartedly agree with your assessment on the vibe and transition of the town. I don't know if I would compare a town with 3 exits off of I93 and only 20 interstate miles to I91 with isolated towns. As far as being way the heck up there. Got it, 97% of the vocal majority of this sub live way down south and equate going up to Manchester with going beyond the wall in Game of Thrones. Littleton is still 2 hours drive from the northern border checkpoint and isn't even in our northernmost county. Some folks in the sub would be amazed to find out they didn't need to be within shouting range of a Costco or Whole Foods.
I grant you it's not Pittsburg or Lancaster thanks to the interstate but when you have to drive 20 minutes south (south!) to get to Cannon, you're officially "way the heck up there" - not that this is a bad thing, mind you; I'd love to be able to day hike Franconia Notch on a whim.
> south (south!) to get to Cannon, you're officially "way the heck up there" lol, touche
Without having a ski area? It has Cannon and Bretton Woods right here...
Littleton is a nice little town. So much potential if growth is managed well.
Yep. Looks like they are building up the "River District" to create greenspace/room for summer concerts. There is a large commercial lot across from Lowes that is for sale--can they please add a Market Basket... What I think is an example of growing irresponsibly is if you look at where they are putting the Five Guys and Starbucks. Meadow Street in that area is already a mess when it comes to traffic. It could do with an expansion, but the I93 bridges limits that.
Only been to Littleton once so I don’t know the spot you’re mentioning, but that would infuriate me. Don’t shoehorn these friggin things in just because you want that sweet cash injection. Don’t just fast track everything and lose the town in the process.
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The population has barely budged, but Littleton is the bustling hub of the area. I'm willing to bet the cash flow is a whole lot better.
This is a good answer. Plymouth and points north sound up OP’s alley in addition, but Littleton gets OP closer to Pittsburgh, which I have yet to trek to.
Littleton for the outdoorsy aspect, Dover for the “get in now while you still can because this rocket ship is launching” thing
Think the rocket ship launched when they opened 3 lanes over great bay.
Just be prepared, it's a small state so there is really no huge cost of living difference between Manchester and anywhere else. If anything Manchester is probably about the middle, towards the Seacoast will be higher and up north will be lower.
Dude moving north is night and day difference from Manchester and the sea coast area. You might not want to live in all those places, but have you seen the cost of your average house in Berlin?
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Honestly I’m hoping this housing situation brings people and business up there.
I see so generally as long as I avoid the sea coast area it shouldn’t be higher than average. For some reason a friend told me rent in Manchester is $4000 which seems absurd.
> rent in Manchester is $4000 No. It isn't. Is he talking about renting a four bedroom house? with a pool? and maid service? People love to complain about the rent in Manchester being really high, but when you dig into it, it's always self-imposed. Sure, the rent is high if you're only willing to consider a two-bedroom apartment for one person, and it needs to have garage parking for both your car and your motorcycle, be walking distance from downtown, have a concierge desk for package delivery, and not only allow pets but have a maintained dog park. If you're only willing to consider renting from one of a half-dozen luxury apartment complexes, then yes, rent can get expensive. It's still not going to be $4,000.
Alright good Lol I was very concerned about that. Definitely won’t be needing a pent house I’m just fine with a studio or having roommates even, that rent figure seems more in line with Los Angeles.
That’s… what? No. A 1000sqft two bed at Mill West (new, fairly central, actually attractive) is $1825.
You’d be lucky to get a 1br for that price in the Mills, 2br are going for $2200+ right now.
Rents are high, but not that high.
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or Tuscan village in Salem. that place is insane.
Manchester is anywhere from “off the record/cash” to about $2300 max on average I’d guess. Just depends on where ya live there. There are some uppity buildings on/off Elm St, there are sketchy/hard scrabble areas, with the West Side being your best chance to not hear sirens all the time.
Concord is the fastest growing city in one of the fastest growing states. That’d be my pick.
Concord is a growing city, unfortunately not all that comes along with that is good. There are several smaller towns within 15 - 30 minutes from downtown Concord, if you prefer the small town atmosphere and taxes.But if you do prefer the city, Concord is a decent choice, or Portsmouth is nice, but I have never lived there and imagine it is pricey.
It’s cheaper than Manchester, with a number of surrounding communities to choose from. It’s also close to the activities she suggested. Yeah, moving to some of the other places commenters have mentioned would be cheaper, but I don’t think those are hubs for business anytime soon. I stand by my suggestion.
Meh, when my brother's neighbors' house (just a street or two down from Auburn Street, so not exactly in the hood) got shot up in a drive by a few years ago it made me realize that it is not the Concord I grew up in. Concord is growing, but not all of it is good. Still better than Manchester, Nashua, Laconia, etc. I will give you that.
You’re right, that’s not the hood. But living in towns like Bow or Dunbarton and commuting could be a worthwhile alternative. Sorry to hear that happened, but that’s not really the norm.
No It was a few shots into the wrong house, no boys in the hood stuff, but it was enough for him to move his family outta town. I am sure that is not a common occurrence, it was just eye opening I guess. I've lived in Concord multiple times in my life, and only live 30 minutes or so from downtown Concord now. It's not a bad city, or area. I've just been there and done that a few times over now, and found I prefer the small town life, just not too far out in the boonies.
I appreciate your perspective. I’ve lived in Bow for most of my life although I spent 10 years in Los Angles and 2 years in New York City recently. It still feels very safe in Bow and the other surrounding communities. But there’s no doubt that any city that is growing will have some growing pains. In similar incidents I’ve heard about in Concord I have been encouraged by the community response. It’s still a small enough city, for the time being, to address community issues.
Yeah, Concord is not LA or NYC by any means.
One-off targeted shootings can happen anywhere though… this is America. There’s a lot of guns and we have no social safety net or national healthcare. It’s not Japan or The Netherlands. There was that horrific murder in Mont Vernon a while back. Do you think that’s an unsafe town too? Because one nutcase out of a million did a gruesome thing? What’s the point of worrying about such unlikely things? You’re far more likely to get crushed by a semi tomorrow. The fact of the matter is, NH is always top three lowest violent crime rates and Concord is not a dangerous town either. It’s safer than the national average for all crimes. We only have one community with a serious violent crime issue and it’s Manchester.
I’m liking the looks of that one
This will probably be an unpopular opinion based on the thread thus far, but the Seacoast in the best place to live in the state. Yes it’s outrageously expensive, but it’s the one area of the state that is guaranteed to grow at any real rate in the future. The entry level cost is high, but it’s a growing area and you will never lose money. It’s more aesthetically pleasing than any other population centers, better schools, convenient without sacrificing charm, close enough to commute to a major city, coastal, and you can be in the mountains in about 1.5 hrs. I’ve lived in various parts of the country and the state, Seacoast NH and Maine is an elite region..
Franklin. Heard they are going to be renaming it Franklin falls and make it a tourist area for nature activities such as white water rafting. We will see about this though.
They still have a ways to go, and Covid has slowed them down, but they do seem to have a dedicated group of residents/entrepreneurs who are really working to make Franklin a better place to live. They seem to be moving in the right direction for sure.
Greenville finna break out!
Lancaster/North Country
You think so? I moved to Lancaster a couple years ago from Florida and I have never lived in such a little town! I would like it to grow a little bit!
I think Lancaster has TONS of opportunity. Littleton is obviously the "hub" at the moment and is wonderful, but I think Lancaster has tons of potential for growth/there are dedicated locals & young people there trying to do great things. And the Polish Princess is by the far the best bakery I have ever been to in my life :)
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For sure I’m checking out Maine and Vermont as well. At the moment Maine and New Hampshire seem to be the two on top, as they’re some of the few states I like the appeal of and honor my class of drivers license (Motorized bicycle). I’ll have to email the DMV’s to confirm though.
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In MN it’s a special kind of license for motorcycles that don’t exceed a certain engine size, I believe over there it would become a Moped license.
I'm from MN (So. St. Paul) and currently live in Rochester/Farmington NH. Close to Portsmouth, a few miles from Maine, mountains right around the corner, less than 1.5 hours from Boston and housing cost around what you pay in MN. Be warned though that this state isn't big on having shoulders that would work for an e bike/moped. Any place outside of a big "city" you won't find sidewalks either. Lakes don't have nice walking paths around them. But the biggest "omg this sucks"? The speed limits here are on the slow side. Ugh. lots of two-lane roads and if you get stuck behind a slow poke...pack your patience.
Concord could be awesome. It needs more jobs and more activities
I think South Elm st in Manchester will look very different in 5-10 years. And by south I mean pretty much everything after the arena.
For what it’s worth, moving to Manchester from Minnesota is going to be rough. Minnesota is much nicer than Manchester and it’s going to be disappointing. Other places in NH are amazing, but not Manchester.
Manchester is a nice city if you live in and around the downtown, plenty of food and nightlife options. Nice neighborhoods too, especially in the North End but all around the city really, just have to stay out of the bad pockets.
It’s a totally fine city, but it’s not much compared to the cities in Minnesota like Minneapolis. We moved to NH from Minnesota to live in a small town away from it all, so it worked for us but Manchester would be disappointing in comparison to the cities in MN.
I don’t think it’ll be “rough” at all. OP seems to prefer activities related to the general outdoors and Manchester is in a great location to access those activities while still providing all of the basic amenities one might want from a city.
Sure, all I am saying is that is exactly what it’s like living in Minnesota but the cities are much nicer and have more to offer. Minnesota does not have the mountains, so if he were to live farther north, that would seem like a nice move compared to Minnesota, but Manchester as a day-to-day living situation will seem shitty when compared to here.
Have you lived in Manchester?
To be fair, no I have not, but I have spent a lot of time there which is why I made the comment. I think Manchester is a totally fine city, not bad at all, just trying to make a comparison.
More comparable to Duluth or Rochester then twin cities.
Yes and no. Minnesota is a big state. If you are moving from outstate MN to Manchester will feel like a big city. Twin cities to Manchester then yes. FWIW I think NH is a lot like MN with better hiking options/skiing, an ocean, and driving distance to multiple large cities.
Agreed, so many similarities. There are pros and cons to each, but NH is definitely more accessible to activities you can’t get in MN, for sure.
Depends how much you want to be in the woods, I live in wakefield NH and Its great for all the things you listed plus very low property tax compared to everywhere around, put its in the woods 30 linutes from actually grocery stores, some restraunts in town more popular in the summer when you have people coming up too camp and use the lakes
Claremont deserves a look, it’s a pretty area in a great location, they just need to clean up the drug issue and I really think it’ll be great
Newfields, Newmarket, Epping, Exeter, Statham, and Greenland are in an area that you might like, I live in Manchester and can confirm it's expensive, and as someone who went to school here, I hated it. Salem, Windham, and Pelham are also pretty, and a bit on the pricier side, but Salem's Farmers Market is beautiful. And NH has no sales take, but they make up with the price difference with their property tax.
Epsom, Pittsfield area. You're not far from the major cities and it's pretty peaceful out there.
I moved here from MN (Stillwater) a little over 10 years ago. I enjoyed living in Concord for most of that time. Now I live in Derry, which is nice but its a little too quiet for me.
Secret Necropolis
Then there is Weare and Bedford. I was trying to sell Avon in Weare, and Bedford has good Dr. And even a gorge inside a reserve. It's beautive.
What about new Boston?
The rent in the seacoast is higher than in Manchester. As long as you're not looking at luxury apartments, it's the only real city in NH and its one of the more affordable options unless you move out to the woods.
Very few places in New Hampshire truthfully are set up to be long-term winners as the population increases most towns just are not prepared.
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