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Hello! Okay, I'm hoping I can get some help here. I'm looking to move to Nashua or Londonderry possibly Salem NH but I don't know a whole lot about any of the areas. Which of these are more city than small town? With things to do, night life, pub. trans. Can you get by in any of the three with out a car? Is there public transportation available --hop a bus to get down town or across town anytime? Are they areas you can walk to stores, restaurants ... or do you absolutely need a car ?
Also, I'd like to be able to get into Boston and my boyfriend will possibly be commuting there, I was told there's a bus/ transit system in place in Nashua and Londonderry which is great but do you have to drive to the bus or is there a stop right in town? How much is the fair--what should we expect for day fare/week fare... and how long is the commute on an average day--by car or bus/transit?
I can speak for Nashua, since we live here. It is the second largest city in NH, after Manchester. There is a city bus system that is very affordable, but does not reach every neighborhood in the city. The city's website City of Nashua, NH > Nashua, NH Home can help with info. Commuting by car can be very slow during peak rush hour. If you live in Nashua you would be taking Route 3 south, to I95 North, to I93 South into Boston. It can take 1 hr without traffic or double that with traffic. If you leave by 6am, it should be a smooth commute into Boston. The Boston Express bus also runs from Exit 8....
hubby was writing that and had to run...he'll finish later
The Boston Express Bus has two stations on I-93 at Exits 4 and 5 in Londonderry. They have a commuter schedule from Exit 4 and an (check this on BostonExpressBus.com) hourly schedule from Exit 5. I use this service to commute to and from downtown Boston. The fares are $20 for a one day round trip and $80 for a five day RT pass. I take the very early bus and arrive in Boston in about 50 minutes although it can take longer.
You can get around Nashua without a car but one would be very useful. IMHO cars are required in Salem and Londonderry/Derry. I have no idea about the "night life" as ours consists of mostly reading and watching TV. Often at the same time. We don't get out very much.
I live near exit 8 off Rt3 in Nashua where there is a Boston Express terminal. Right behind the terminal is an apartment complex called Boulder Park and also a large condo community called The Villages at Kessler Farm. Kessler Farm has everything from small 2-bedroom townhouses all the way up to large detached houses with yards, basements, etc. I haven't personally done it, but it you could walk to the Boston Express terminal from these neighborhoods (though the hill is fairly steep). A bike would be better. My neighborhood is just behind Kessler Farm and there are city bus stops at the end of my road that will take you all over the city (haven't done that either but I like knowing its there). I could also bike to the Boston Express terminal in a few minutes.
Commuting to Boston from Nashua via car would be miserable unless his work hours allowed him to avoid "rush hour" (rush hours starts around 6am and goes till after 8am). For 7 years I commuted to Billerica MA which you would have to go through to get to Boston. RT3 traffic really ties-up at the at the area where it crosses 495. It backs up from all the Billerica & Chelmsford exits. As more people start going back to work, the traffic will only get worse. Nashua to Boston is at least an hour drive with no traffic.
I can walk to a bunch of strip malls from my house. There are few restaurants with lounges, a Golds Gym, Nashua Community College, etc. No shopping mall (take the city bus) or bike to a new outlet shopping complex being built in nearby Merrimack. I personally drive everywhere but I could survive without a car, I suppose.
Relatively newly developed Vista Ridge Condo's are directly across from Exit 5 bus station in Londonderry, NH and you can walk there in 5-10 minutes depending which bldg. you live in. In the winter, the commute to/from Boston can take up to 2-3 hours each way depending on weather and traffic, but there is free wi-fi, complementary newspapers, music, and a bathroom on the bus. The 5:30AM bus is your best bet traffic-wise if you need to get into town to work. Feel free to send me a message if you have more questions. I will try to help
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Quote:
Originally Posted by conniecs1
I'm curious about the commute from Chelmsford, Ma. to Manchester, N.H. Is this a nightmare drive during the week?
So a reverse commute, living in Chelmsford and commuting to Manchester? If I were you, I would move north of the border, instant 5.2% raise.
Aside from congestion around the 3/495 junction you should be fine, it's all the people driving south to Boston causing southbound congestion (starting right about Chelmsford) during peak rush hours. So just take side roads to Drum Hill, then join US-3 NB.
you want to live in Nashua.. well once you get there you probably wont want to live there. because nashua is the dirtiest and nastiest city in the state of NH. But Nashua has what youre looking for, night life and public trans... Lots of car theft, lots of crime, lots of drugs... I would never live there, and don't even like going there. But it is huge, has tons of places to visit and shop at and does have nice parts, but I always have a bad taste in my mouth when I visit.
Londonderry is small town feel. I lived there for over 20 yrs... you will need a car, and you will be bored, unless you like watching apples grow. The town is boooooring.. It has maybe 10 restaurants.. 3 worth going to.
Salem is better fit for you than Londonderry if you want night life and entertainment. Lots of restaurants and stores.. unsure about public trans.. theres a big mall (rockingham mall), borders mass... basically its living in mass without the sales tax.
I'm curious about the commute from Chelmsford, Ma. to Manchester, N.H. Is this a nightmare drive during the week?
My girlfriend commutes from Nashua (Everett Turnpike exit 1) to Merrimack (Everett Turnpike exit 10) during the week, which is a subset of that commute, and it's not bad. I imagine it's much better than the reverse. Traffic on the surface streets of Manchester always seems bad to me though, so I'd take a close look at how far you have to drive inside Manchester once you get off the highway.
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