Thinking of possible move to N.E. - your thoughts?

We just don't make no never mind bout it...

 

Nope, air is crisp.
Latest Conditions - Past Conditions - Metric Units
57°F 14°C
Feels Like 57°FHumidity 67%Wind S 3 MPH
Dew Point 46°FVisibility 10SM
Barometer 30.42 in. 772.7 mm - Rising Slowly
Reported at Augusta, Augusta State Airport, ME
at 7:53 PM EDT MON SEP 8 2014

 

My wife and I moved up from CT to VT back in 2002. We're on the CT river, so we also spend a lot of time in NH, especially since I also work there - in Lebanon, where you ended up on your trip. Quite a few people end up in NH because there is no income or sales tax, and it's hard to argue with that. Don't like to slam where I live, but if you Google some combination of "is VT a good place to retire," most often the answer appears to be no. They tax Social Security benefits, income taxes are high, etc. Maybe I ended up on the wrong side of the river...

Otherwise the quality of life is great up here, no matter where you end up in northern New England. Almost everywhere you go little traffic compared to CT or NJ, nice people (I am still getting used to strangers waving at me as they drive by while I'm in my yard), great places to hike, hunt, etc. I will always be a "flatlander" outsider to some, as will my kids, even though they were born here - your family has to be here for a long, long time to be accepted as native, but that doesn't bother me much, but was a foreign concept to me coming from suburban CT where practically everyone was from somewhere else. BTW, CT is not considered to be part of New England up here.

One thing that took some time to adjust to was the cold. We get down to -30F some winters, and -20F every winter. This little old CT boy wasn't ready for that. And the snow. Lots of snow. Expect a blanket of it from December to the end of March, which I actually like, because if there's going to be cold, there might as well be snow to play in.

Hope this novel I just wrote helps, and if we become neighbors, I'll be dropping by to barter for some of that home made kraut you mentioned in another thread.

 

Not up in the "other Maine"
http://www.onenewengland.com/article.php?id=383

 

Thanks to all that responded. It's always good to read your insight/info/thoughts of life in N.E.

We visited Lake Placid last January and experienced -20F overnight. Brisk to say the least! You're on for the bartering of Mac's Kraut! It's been three weeks since it's been crocked, and the water lock finally stopped burbling. Couple more weeks and I'll have to give it a taste.

 

It gas been colder in Maine than around here. I have seen -46* while growing up in The County.

 

Its not considered to be a true part of New England in Mass either.... its the pass through state or New York lite.

^^^ This spoken as somebody who was born and raised in SW CT and relocated to MA after school.

CT is like NJ, not a lot to draw anyone to want to go back....

 

Lots of people up here put Mass in the "not part of New England" category too. Paul Revere, one if by land and two if by sea, doesn't matter. You've got the traffic, endless suburbs, and that's what they see.