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We are a family of 4 currently living northeast of Atlanta. We made the move to GA 3 years ago from Florida, but this is not our final destination. (crowds, traffic, crime, gangs, water issues, polluted air) We have two boys, ages 1 and 3, and we are trying to find a nice place for them to grow up. (thinking 20 years into the future!)
We just returned from our first visit to NH and I have to say it was outstanding! The first leg of our trip took us to the New York City area for a family matter. We were stressed out with the traffic and crowds. We were so excited to finally cross the NH border. We stopped in Concord for lunch. (It was interesting that the plastic cups were made from corn and fully biodegradable) We did see a few men walking around who looked homeless, but still "clean cut" compared to the homeless I saw in Orlando. (My husband said he didn't even think they were homeless)
From there, we went up to the Lake Winnie area, where we spent two nights at the Steele Hill Resort (great price + $20 gas card). We took a day to drive around the lake and check out various towns. We started down at Gilmanton. (not much to see, but the people that I spoke with were all very nice) From there, we went up to Gilford, Weirs Beach (very empty this time of year), and over to Meredith. Meredith was very pretty. We found a park near Weirs Beach and walked down to the shore of the lake. It was so quiet and the water was crystal clear. (you never find clear lake water in FL or GA) The lake was huge and very scenic. (we love to kayak, so living near that lake would be a dream come true!)
We continued around to Moultonborough where we drove by the local schools (tiny!). We thought the middle/high school was a private school because it had such a regal gateway entrance with a long, wooded drive. We also stopped by the Loon center. Everywhere we looked, there was beautiful scenery (woods, ferns, stone walls, fall colors). We continued on to Wolfeboro and around to Alton and then back to the resort in Sanbornton. Tilton/ Laconia had plenty of stores. I was very surprised by the number of cute shops all around the lake (catering to visitors I guess). The air was fresh and clean and the roads were well maintained (except for some rough areas near the Steele Hill Resort in Sanbornton).
The next day, we drove up to Lincoln in the White Mountains. We were surprised to find so many towns and shops up there. We took a small road to loop around to the west and back to Plymouth. From there, we went west to Lake Sunapee. We stayed in a cabin there (terrible!) but the lake was very pretty. Many ritzy houses on the shores. We visited New London(pop around 4,000) and found many large homes right on the main road. There seemed to be a lot of middle aged/ retired people around.
We also went over to Claremont but it didn't appeal to us. (reminds me of a typical smaller Southern town)
The next day, we took a loop over to Vermont. (very rural, beautiful farms everywhere, but too isolated for what we are looking for) We spent that night in Keene (the Best Western is very nice there). Keene has a college town feel, and the downtown is very vibrant and upscale. There is a shopping plaza with Michael's, Olive Garden, Dick's sporting goods, etc. We liked that town as well, but it did seem kind of isolated from other major towns in NH. (and of course, there is no big lake to enjoy)
Overall, we noticed there were very few churches compared to here in Georgia. The air smelled fresh. I loved the fall colors and the little rock walls. We liked the "Lake Winnie" area best. The Meredith area (Inter-Lakes) school district pays well and has great benefits and working conditions (I visited the district offices). On the long drive back to GA, I made a list of pros/ cons for a move to NH. The list of pros spilled off the page and the cons were only two: (1) cold and (2) far from my parents and brother in FL. (but closer to my husband's family in PA and rural NJ).
We are now planning to visit again in December. My husband is ready to move next summer if he can find a job there and sell our house here, but I'm worried about how to pull that off with a 1 year old and a 3 year old.
We both agree that the South is not for us anymore. We were sad to leave NH, but I'm looking forward to our December visit already. I need to see things in the winter, and not just the beautiful fall days. I still can't picture the lake freezing over!
I'm happy you had a great trip! Sounds like everything went well. Next time you're up, I hope you have a little more time to explore the White Mountains -- once you get out of Lincoln/Woodstock and North Conway it's all wilderness. Lots of beautiful scenery up there.
Oh, and don't count on the lakes being frozen in December -- the bigger ones don't usually freeze over completely until January in my experience. But there's something beautiful about seeing that blue water surrounded by white snow!
Outstanding. You really are doing your homework, and you hit just about every part of NH in the short time you had Look, don't let this stress you out.....you guys are young & smart. You will do fantastic up here.
Thanks for the kind words, Verseau and Brave. Yes, we did a crazy whirlwind tour with an infant and a 3 year old along for the ride. I had a feeling that the lakes region would be our top choice before we even went there.
I doubt we will make it to the White Mountains on the next trip because we will be focused on the Lakes Region and will need to really work on getting info about moving there (talking to realtors, etc). I guess we will have to save the mountain tours for after we move there. The scenery up there right now was spectacular and the hills were covered with fall colors. Down this way, we hardly have any colors yet and what we do get will now pale in comparison.
Our ideal situation would be to sell our house here next summer for less than a $20k loss, have my husband find a teaching job with the Inter-Lakes regional school district, and then settle on 2+ acres somewhere within 15 miles of Lake Winnie. (the closer the better!) That would be as close to perfect as we could hope for. Now we have to see how close we can get to that scenerio!
Verseau, that picture looks great. I don't think the snow will bother me, esp when it is followed by clear blue skies. (our winter here is very wet/damp and grey)
I don't know what your price range is for homes, but you have several communities that have very low property taxes like Meredith & Moultonborough. Gilford is another town with a great school system. Laconia has a lot of services, but the schools are just ok......you can do better than that. Belmont has carzy high property taxes. Alton has very low taxes, good schools, and low cost housing, but is a bit remote from shopping & hospitals.
What kind of housing are you looking for......condo or single family ? Condos are not always great when you have kids, but you can get an awful lot of house cheap with condos right now, and they do all the snow plowing I think that www.nneren.com is the best site to use when looking for real estate in NH. One of the better realtor's in the Lakes Region is Judy McShane in Laconia at Coldwell Banker IMO. She's on the ball, and knows the area well.
Last edited by Brave Stranger; 10-03-2009 at 11:51 AM..
We are a family of 4 currently living northeast of Atlanta. We made the move to GA 3 years ago from Florida, but this is not our final destination. (crowds, traffic, crime, gangs, water issues, polluted air) We have two boys, ages 1 and 3, and we are trying to find a nice place for them to grow up. (thinking 20 years into the future!)
We just returned from our first visit to NH and I have to say it was outstanding! The first leg of our trip took us to the New York City area for a family matter. We were stressed out with the traffic and crowds. We were so excited to finally cross the NH border. We stopped in Concord for lunch. (It was interesting that the plastic cups were made from corn and fully biodegradable) We did see a few men walking around who looked homeless, but still "clean cut" compared to the homeless I saw in Orlando. (My husband said he didn't even think they were homeless)
From there, we went up to the Lake Winnie area, where we spent two nights at the Steele Hill Resort (great price + $20 gas card). We took a day to drive around the lake and check out various towns. We started down at Gilmanton. (not much to see, but the people that I spoke with were all very nice) From there, we went up to Gilford, Weirs Beach (very empty this time of year), and over to Meredith. Meredith was very pretty. We found a park near Weirs Beach and walked down to the shore of the lake. It was so quiet and the water was crystal clear. (you never find clear lake water in FL or GA) The lake was huge and very scenic. (we love to kayak, so living near that lake would be a dream come true!)
We continued around to Moultonborough where we drove by the local schools (tiny!). We thought the middle/high school was a private school because it had such a regal gateway entrance with a long, wooded drive. We also stopped by the Loon center. Everywhere we looked, there was beautiful scenery (woods, ferns, stone walls, fall colors). We continued on to Wolfeboro and around to Alton and then back to the resort in Sanbornton. Tilton/ Laconia had plenty of stores. I was very surprised by the number of cute shops all around the lake (catering to visitors I guess). The air was fresh and clean and the roads were well maintained (except for some rough areas near the Steele Hill Resort in Sanbornton).
The next day, we drove up to Lincoln in the White Mountains. We were surprised to find so many towns and shops up there. We took a small road to loop around to the west and back to Plymouth. From there, we went west to Lake Sunapee. We stayed in a cabin there (terrible!) but the lake was very pretty. Many ritzy houses on the shores. We visited New London(pop around 4,000) and found many large homes right on the main road. There seemed to be a lot of middle aged/ retired people around.
We also went over to Claremont but it didn't appeal to us. (reminds me of a typical smaller Southern town)
The next day, we took a loop over to Vermont. (very rural, beautiful farms everywhere, but too isolated for what we are looking for) We spent that night in Keene (the Best Western is very nice there). Keene has a college town feel, and the downtown is very vibrant and upscale. There is a shopping plaza with Michael's, Olive Garden, Dick's sporting goods, etc. We liked that town as well, but it did seem kind of isolated from other major towns in NH. (and of course, there is no big lake to enjoy)
Overall, we noticed there were very few churches compared to here in Georgia. The air smelled fresh. I loved the fall colors and the little rock walls. We liked the "Lake Winnie" area best. The Meredith area (Inter-Lakes) school district pays well and has great benefits and working conditions (I visited the district offices). On the long drive back to GA, I made a list of pros/ cons for a move to NH. The list of pros spilled off the page and the cons were only two: (1) cold and (2) far from my parents and brother in FL. (but closer to my husband's family in PA and rural NJ).
We are now planning to visit again in December. My husband is ready to move next summer if he can find a job there and sell our house here, but I'm worried about how to pull that off with a 1 year old and a 3 year old.
We both agree that the South is not for us anymore. We were sad to leave NH, but I'm looking forward to our December visit already. I need to see things in the winter, and not just the beautiful fall days. I still can't picture the lake freezing over!
Congratualtions!!! My wife and I returned from a trip to NH this past June, but it was more for her than me. I have been to NH several times and would leave for it in a split second if it weren't for my job committment. I have just a year to go until I'm done and then we're out of here (Orlando, FL area). Seems to me you all are doing it for the same reasons we are, especially for our children. The winters are our only concern (well, my wife's; I can't wait for the snow). We may make a follow up trip in January or February so she can really get an idea of what the winters are like in NH. Good luck with everything!
Glad you enjoyed your first trip up there! You certainly saw more of NH that we did Don't worry about moving with 2 little ones. Ours were the same age when we moved here last summer. Just stick to their daily routine no matter where you are, and it'll roll right off of them!
My husband and i are considering a move to NH next summer also. We currently live in Louisiana. We fell in love with New England last Dec/Jan. But we did not get to spend any time in NH so it will be our main focus this winter trip. I know people think we are crazy for heading north in the winter but they don't realize what winters are like in the south or should i say lack of winters. It snowed several inches last Jan when we were in MA and it was awesome!!! Finding jobs are our main concerns. We hope to make 2 more trips up there before the actual move and find work (fingers crossed). Thanks for the detailed post! These posts are helping us a lot. I hope y'all sell your house quickly.
Glad you had such a good time, but... can you handle 5 months or more or 'awesome'??? it stops being so awesome after a while (unless you are seriously into winter sports).
We are a family of 4 currently living northeast of Atlanta. We made the move to GA 3 years ago from Florida, but this is not our final destination. (crowds, traffic, crime, gangs, water issues, polluted air) We have two boys, ages 1 and 3, and we are trying to find a nice place for them to grow up. (thinking 20 years into the future!)
We just returned from our first visit to NH and I have to say it was outstanding! The first leg of our trip took us to the New York City area for a family matter. We were stressed out with the traffic and crowds. We were so excited to finally cross the NH border. We stopped in Concord for lunch. (It was interesting that the plastic cups were made from corn and fully biodegradable) We did see a few men walking around who looked homeless, but still "clean cut" compared to the homeless I saw in Orlando. (My husband said he didn't even think they were homeless)
From there, we went up to the Lake Winnie area, where we spent two nights at the Steele Hill Resort (great price + $20 gas card). We took a day to drive around the lake and check out various towns. We started down at Gilmanton. (not much to see, but the people that I spoke with were all very nice) From there, we went up to Gilford, Weirs Beach (very empty this time of year), and over to Meredith. Meredith was very pretty. We found a park near Weirs Beach and walked down to the shore of the lake. It was so quiet and the water was crystal clear. (you never find clear lake water in FL or GA) The lake was huge and very scenic. (we love to kayak, so living near that lake would be a dream come true!)
We continued around to Moultonborough where we drove by the local schools (tiny!). We thought the middle/high school was a private school because it had such a regal gateway entrance with a long, wooded drive. We also stopped by the Loon center. Everywhere we looked, there was beautiful scenery (woods, ferns, stone walls, fall colors). We continued on to Wolfeboro and around to Alton and then back to the resort in Sanbornton. Tilton/ Laconia had plenty of stores. I was very surprised by the number of cute shops all around the lake (catering to visitors I guess). The air was fresh and clean and the roads were well maintained (except for some rough areas near the Steele Hill Resort in Sanbornton).
The next day, we drove up to Lincoln in the White Mountains. We were surprised to find so many towns and shops up there. We took a small road to loop around to the west and back to Plymouth. From there, we went west to Lake Sunapee. We stayed in a cabin there (terrible!) but the lake was very pretty. Many ritzy houses on the shores. We visited New London(pop around 4,000) and found many large homes right on the main road. There seemed to be a lot of middle aged/ retired people around.
We also went over to Claremont but it didn't appeal to us. (reminds me of a typical smaller Southern town)
The next day, we took a loop over to Vermont. (very rural, beautiful farms everywhere, but too isolated for what we are looking for) We spent that night in Keene (the Best Western is very nice there). Keene has a college town feel, and the downtown is very vibrant and upscale. There is a shopping plaza with Michael's, Olive Garden, Dick's sporting goods, etc. We liked that town as well, but it did seem kind of isolated from other major towns in NH. (and of course, there is no big lake to enjoy)
Overall, we noticed there were very few churches compared to here in Georgia. The air smelled fresh. I loved the fall colors and the little rock walls. We liked the "Lake Winnie" area best. The Meredith area (Inter-Lakes) school district pays well and has great benefits and working conditions (I visited the district offices). On the long drive back to GA, I made a list of pros/ cons for a move to NH. The list of pros spilled off the page and the cons were only two: (1) cold and (2) far from my parents and brother in FL. (but closer to my husband's family in PA and rural NJ).
We are now planning to visit again in December. My husband is ready to move next summer if he can find a job there and sell our house here, but I'm worried about how to pull that off with a 1 year old and a 3 year old.
We both agree that the South is not for us anymore. We were sad to leave NH, but I'm looking forward to our December visit already. I need to see things in the winter, and not just the beautiful fall days. I still can't picture the lake freezing over!
Next trip hang a left in Wolfeboro And head up towards the Ossipee, Madison , Conway area. There are a lot of real nice lakes up that way for kayaking ect. Winnipasaukee is a big lake for sure but gets a little crazy at times.
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back to GA, I made a list of pros/ cons for a move to NH. The list of pros spilled off the page and the cons were only two: (1) cold and (2) far from my parents and brother in FL. (but closer to my husband's family in PA and rural NJ). 
Sounds like everything went well. Next time you're up, I hope you have a little more time to explore the White Mountains -- once you get out of Lincoln/Woodstock and North Conway it's all wilderness. Lots of beautiful scenery up there.
Don't worry about moving with 2 little ones. Ours were the same age when we moved here last summer. Just stick to their daily routine no matter where you are, and it'll roll right off of them!
