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We are debating a move and looking at the NH shore area or NH on a lake. We are coming from DC and we have kids in pk through 5. We can work from anywhere so we get to choose location, which is nice.
We go to Oxford, MD on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake - if I could I would replicate this life with good public school options. Walk or bike around town, nice restaurants, hop in the boat at the marina, walk to the pool and beach, etc. I like the idea of a country home and land, but we really like being able to walk places.
I have read most of the comments on here, but thought I would ask.
Having grown up in small towns in MN, I was not enamored with small towns until I started exploring the east coast.
We are casting a wide net but we want to be in (relatively) easy driving distance of sunnapee NH region for family. Coming from our current situation, we have a budget that should work in most areas.
You might like Hanover, but it is a college town. Or New London (also a college there,) but both are quaint towns with nice shops, restaurants, etc. and are fairly close to Sunapee. If you want more "working class," then you might like Newport.
If the nice restaurants are important to you, I would lean to Hanover over New London. There are a few in New London, but it can get old eating at the same four restaurants over and over again. If you can deal with just a few options for dining out, take New London. Sunapee is a great little town, but dining out options there are pizza, pizza, or pizza. Not much of a walkable downtown area, more of the action there is in the harbor, which is what you seem to want anyway.
Do you have the option to come up for an extended weekend and check it out? Sunapee and New London are 10-15 minutes apart, with Hanover being about 30-40 minutes north.
If you're willing to expand your search radius a little bit, Keene is another walkable college town with more affordable properties than Hanover. Not sure about the public schools, though.
If being near water is more important to you than having a ton of restaurants in town, then I would also consider Meredith or Wolfeboro. These are definitely smaller than Hanover or Keene, but it looks like Oxford is even smaller! So perhaps you don't need somewhere as big as the college towns. Meredith schools and particularly Wolfeboro schools have a strong reputation.
HI we live in Easton! go to Oxford often for ice-cream and the beach...except the jelly fish seemed to arrive early this year. I have been to Keene some years ago and loved it! I have been to Londonderry too..so many beautiful small towns with the big steepled churches...some have lakes running thru the middle of town..I love NH as a whole..and have always wanted to move there. Some friends of ours just bought a house in Oxford, sold their house on the water in Wolfeboro! what a small world. If you don't mind..what do you both do for a living? Work is so scarce up there, that is one main reason we can't move. We also have small kids..1.6.8.12 Good luck in your search..I will be following all the suggestions...awesome
What about looking in Eastman Village in Grantham? The community surrounds the lake and there is a restaurant as well as a rec facility. Eastman frequently has events for community members such as snowshoe outings and live entertainment. It is a bit of a vacation area, but I am told that around 50% of the community lives there year round. Grantham schools are ranked well but you would have to drive for more restaurant options to Hanover or Lebanon.
What about looking in Eastman Village in Grantham? The community surrounds the lake and there is a restaurant as well as a rec facility. Eastman frequently has events for community members such as snowshoe outings and live entertainment. It is a bit of a vacation area, but I am told that around 50% of the community lives there year round. Grantham schools are ranked well but you would have to drive for more restaurant options to Hanover or Lebanon.
I would like to know about Eastman as well. Retiring and looking for a nice place to settle in.
How long a drive from Sunapee would you be willing to consider?
Because I just google-mapped Oxford MD, and it might as well be New Castle NH's twin sister. I'd say that New Castle is a good 90 minutes from Sunapee, but you should seriously check it out (if only on google-maps), because it might be exactly what you're looking for. I'd say the shopping/dining options are comparable to Oxford MD, except New Castle is maybe a 30 minute walk from downtown Portsmouth, which has just about every cosmopolitan amenity one can imagine. Also, I'd be remiss not to mention Kennebunkport ME as an option as well, assuming 2 to 2.5 hours from Sunapee is doable for you. Both New Castle and Kennebunkport are wealthy enclaves with well-funded school districts that have excellent reputations. New Castle students go to high school in Portsmouth, and Portsmouth's high school has an excellent reputation as well, without the bad rap for ultra-competitive/clueless/sheltered/maladjusted kids that many "wealthy" towns' schools get. Be prepared to spend over $1million on a home in either of these towns, though.
I agree with much of what's been said on here - New London, Wolfeboro and Meredith all have a nice blend of New England charm, lake-oriented activities and and 21st century convenience. Sunapee itself is charming, in my opinion. Each of these towns has a good school system. The nice thing about New London is that it has a number of lakes within the town - including Lake Sunapee on the western border and Pleasant Lake fairly close to Main Street - and the dining options aren't as limited as one might think. It's not too far away from Hanover, Henniker and Concord if you need more variety. Main Street is lovely, and the college means that it isn't so lonely/depressing in the wintertime. Personally, New London is my favorite of these three communities, but each is one of the most desirable places to live in the world.
If you wouldn't mind a more rural town with a beautiful, walkable but un-commercial postcard-perfect village, Harrisville has a number of very small lakes and ponds, including the mill pond downtown, and it's easily one of the most strikingly gorgeous villages in New England. Harrisville schools are - to wit - good. High school students go to Keene High School (in Keene), which I understand is good. Teachers are well-paid, there's a healthy variety of classes, the hipstery college town of Keene means there's a lot to keep the students engaged (other than drugs) and families are academically-minded, parents of current students have nice things to say.
Also, Holderness is right on Squam Lake, which is easily one of the nicest quietest, nicest lakes in New England. Holderness has a small, mostly residential but pretty Main Street with a couple of restaurants and convenience stores, but most shopping/dining is in neighboring Plymouth (funky college town). Holderness schools are excellent.
Similarly, Drewsville (part of Walpole), Temple, Plainfield, Warner, Francestown and Hancock are like Currier and Ives lithographs come to life. Hancock is the only one of these communities with a lake. There are two noteworthy bodies of water in Hancock: modestly-sized Nubanusit, which isn't within walking distance of the village, and Norway Pond, a small pond in the center of town. Plainfield has the Connecticut River, though. Warner schools are excellent (middle/high school students go to Kearsarge High with New London students). Francestown and Hancock high school students go to Con-Val, which has a great reputation (I don't know anything about these towns' K-8 programs, though). I don't know very much about the schools in any of these other communities; any feedback would be appreciated. Even if you conclude these towns are too small and/or waterless for you, you ought to take a scenic drive through them on a nice day.
Also assuming a river would make up for the absence of a lake/ocean, I second the recommendation of Hanover (which arguably has the best school district in NH) and add Woodstock VT (stunningly attractive, chic, bustling albeit touristy village) to the list of communities you ought to consider.
Good luck and best wishes!
Last edited by Oldmanlookatmylife; 03-18-2014 at 02:07 AM..
Reason: Wanted to write more about Harrisville, then realized you said work/commute doesn't matter, added school info (it's late)
Love the Sunapee area. Newbury and New London share the same middle and high schools and would meet many of your needs. Both are great towns with Newbury having lower taxes and lake-front properties available on Lake Sunapee. As far as a walkable community, New London is pretty but it is pretty limited. That being said, it has all the essentials and is a quick trip from Lebanon, Concord or Tilton for more extensive shopping options. Hanover has more of a down-town area but it is much more expensive and lacks many of the other amenities you are looking for.
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