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Topic: Looking to move from PA (Read 2461 times)
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ross11988
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Hey All. First off I want to say how great the FPS project is. From what I've seen and read you guys are doing a great job.
My name is Matt. I'm 23 living in Pennsylvania and I am seriously considering joining the FSP. I signed up with an expected move date of May 2013, but I seriously doubt we have that much time left. So I'm looking to possibly make the move by the end of this year. I do have a couple of questions.
Best areas of NH to move to? I really love the idea of FSP NH because of it's large population of liberty minded people and considering it has the highest number of people that voted for Ron Paul for its population (1 out of 20 I believe) I really want to live in a area where I can be politically active. Looking at maps on NH primary night it looks like the southern part of the state is more like Massachusetts. So is the northern side more liberty friendly?
Housing, what is the typical cost of rent per month?
How much money should I bring to get myself on my feet once I make the move? Cost of rent, living, etc.
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10stateswithnh
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I'm not sure what maps you're referring to - I didn't watch TV that night. If it was showing the 2 congressional districts it might be that the more rural one went more for Ron Paul than the other. Otherwise, it differs more by different towns and cities than by what part of the state you're in. Most of the biggest cities tend to lean liberal (Nashua, Concord, Dover and Portsmouth are all more liberal than conservative, Concord and Portsmouth are VERY liberal, Manchester is more equal I think, Rochester where I live seems to switch back and forth in presidential elections in different years. I think Derry might have been solidly Republican - it's been a while since I looked at those maps). If I find the maps again I can post link on here.
I'm not sure how the cost of living here compares to where you are, might depend on if you're in a big city in PA.
Do you have a certain part of NH you're thinking about, or a certain kind of activism you want to do (political activism, you said - would that be national, state, or local primarily)? Cost of living varies a bit depending on where you are here as well. Do you want to be somewhere close to large numbers of liberty activists, or prefer to be somewhere that still needs new people? Or somewhere away from civilization to prepare yourself and be safe from whatever might occur?
I hope you can make it out here soon - if you are here by June 18 you can attend Porcfest when you arrive.
If you are close to Philadelphia, there is a big conference on Nullification coming up on March 31.
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Bryce in Rochester
States I have lived in:
PA, DE, WA, ME, SC, NY, GA, UT, CO, NH as of Sep 2011!
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time4liberty
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Hey All. First off I want to say how great the FPS project is. From what I've seen and read you guys are doing a great job.
My name is Matt. I'm 23 living in Pennsylvania and I am seriously considering joining the FSP. I signed up with an expected move date of May 2013, but I seriously doubt we have that much time left. So I'm looking to possibly make the move by the end of this year. I do have a couple of questions. Welcome!  Best areas of NH to move to? I really love the idea of FSP NH because of it's large population of liberty minded people and considering it has the highest number of people that voted for Ron Paul for its population (1 out of 20 I believe) I really want to live in a area where I can be politically active.
Everywhere in NH has nice places to live. I'd just look for jobs that are a good fit, anywhere in NH, and go from there. If you can afford to move first, it certainly can be easier to find work when you already live here. Looking at maps on NH primary night it looks like the southern part of the state is more like Massachusetts. So is the northern side more liberty friendly? Not exactly, but roughly. I'd say most rural areas are more liberty friendly, though there are exceptions. The two most left-leaning cities in the state are Keene and Berlin -- and neither Keene nor Berlin are close to Mass. Really, I'd recommend just finding the job that best fits you, then living in the nearby town that best suits you. There are towns with very different personalities in any region. The only exception would be if you feel you need to be in striking distance of a really big city, in which case you should probably live somewhere on the border between nashua and seabrook -- you'd be within 45 minutes of boston, sans traffic. It doesn't sound like that's you. Housing, what is the typical cost of rent per month?
We pay around $900 for a two bedroom apt. How much money should I bring to get myself on my feet once I make the move? Cost of rent, living, etc.
That's really hard to say, since I don't know your lifestyle. If I were to move somewhere without a job, I'd probably want at least six months of expenses saved -- actually since I'm super careful about these things, maybe even a year. |
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greap
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How much money should I bring to get myself on my feet once I make the move? Cost of rent, living, etc.
Food & Gas are cheaper here then in PA. The cost of shopping at Giant in PA is about the same as shopping at our high-end supermarket here, going to the Giant equivalent will save you ~20%. Gas is about $0.10/gal cheaper up here too. Also consider we don't have a sales tax (-6% on prices from PA) and don't have an income tax (at least a 3.07% raise in wages for you). Looking at maps on NH primary night it looks like the southern part of the state is more like Massachusetts. So is the northern side more liberty friendly?
I don't think any of the state is really like Massachusetts, even the democrats here (including the oft-hated Governor Lynch) are fiscal conservatives. Yes you will run in to people trying to raise taxes or increase the size of government but for the most part people are about strong communities and the government staying out of the way of that. I live right on the border (literally could walk over it if I wanted) in Nashua and while there are many of things to fix there are also many things which are already heading in the right direction, we have a charter school going in next year and slightly over half the local government positions were uncontested last election (including that of Mayor) making them ripe for assimilation as well as a town charter that gives plenty of room to soften fiscal decisions from Concord. |
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« Last Edit: March 08, 2012, 03:09:44 pm by greap »
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TheMagicBullet
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Hi Matt and welcome! I'm a recent mover from PA along with my boyfriend, Lehigh Valley area. Definitely a great improvement.
As for cost of living, it really depends where in PA you're coming from and where in NH you want to go to (rural vs city and northern NH doesn't have any cities). As others said, your tax burden will decrease somewhat. I live in downtown Manch and rent is $900 for a 1br duplex with storage space and a shared deck. It's a pretty reasonable price. I think for the most part rent is the same unless you're from the Erie area where I heard prices are ridiculously low, or Philly where rent is ridiculously high. Usually 500-700 for a studio or tiny/crappy 1 br, 700-900 for a decent 1br or sometimes an ok 2 br, 800-1200 for a 2br or very luxury apts. The most I ever heard was 1300/month for a super luxury apt in Manch. Utilities, around the same. Food, depends a lot where you go and how much eating out you do. I'm stuck with Stop and Shop right now, which is actually owned by the same company as giant (has the same new logo) and they're probably the worst place to go along with maybe Shaws. Market Basket is probably the cheapest, and a lot of people like Hannaford's too. Haven't been to either of those much, but I think they're about what you'd see down in PA. The only thing that will get you is the 9% prepared foods tax, watch out if you have a habit of eating out! The usual advice is to have at least 3 months of generous living expenses saved up on arrival. You will probably be going to have drinks/dinner with people as you make connections, and spend on gas to travel around and get the lay of the land. What kind of work do you do? That can make a big difference too, and should probably be your first priority. If you're tech or engineering, you will not have much problem getting a job at all, and southern NH would be your place then.
As far as where in NH is the most liberty friendly...depends on what you define as liberty-friendly. Manchester has the most amount of movers in raw numbers by far and therefore has a lot of events and socializing. Grafton has the most per capita I think, and the only fed building is the post office. My general impression is that living in northern NH is more about doing your own thing quietly, live in the mountains kind of thing, with a lot of underground markets. Concord is where some of the more political types are but it doesn't have a whole lot of FSPers. Manch and Keene both have a lot of activism and you would never be lonely. Don't know much about the scene in Nashua and Portsmouth. Of course the best way to judge is visit around, and don't fall in love with a place too quickly!
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ross11988
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Thanks for everyone's responses.
I am from the Pocono Mountain region, so TheMagicBullet you were not that far away. Glad to see someone from the area part of FSP. Right now I work in logistics/warehousing making about 35-40K. My bachelors, which I hope to have done by December, is in Media Communications so it is technical, but I can work in anything really. To be honest I like moving around rather then working at a desk. My rent currently is $700 a month. My main issue is Massachusetts is I love my right to carry in PA and I wish to continue in NH. I just do not want to have to worry turning down a road and ending up in MA.
As far as politics, I'm really use to working at a national level, I've been helping out Ron Paul since 2007, but wouldn't mind helping at state and local levels as well.
Living wise, I would prefer to stay out of a city, but do not want to be secluded. I do not mind having neighbors and would prefer it because I like to socialize.
I plan on visiting once done with school for the semester in May. If you had to come up with a list of 5 possible places to live what would they be so I can hit them up.
Thanks again for everyone's help!
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Jerry
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If school's out in May, I suggest you plan to be in Lancaster, NH in June for Porcfest- http://freestateproject.org/content/porcfest
where you meet hundreds of NH residents happy to supply info on their sections of the state.
I am also a former resident of PA, now retired to beautiful southern tropical Grafton, where Burning Porcupine happens, the week following Porcfest.
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« Last Edit: March 09, 2012, 05:30:20 pm by Jerry »
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1DayAtATime
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To add to what Jerry said, there is the Bardo Farm Fest that happens the last weekend of May in western NH. I recommend coming for Porfest above all else, though.
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powerline87
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Hi Matt and welcome! I'm a recent mover from PA along with my boyfriend, Lehigh Valley area. Definitely a great improvement.
As for cost of living, it really depends where in PA you're coming from and where in NH you want to go to (rural vs city and northern NH doesn't have any cities). As others said, your tax burden will decrease somewhat. I live in downtown Manch and rent is $900 for a 1br duplex with storage space and a shared deck. It's a pretty reasonable price. I think for the most part rent is the same unless you're from the Erie area where I heard prices are ridiculously low, or Philly where rent is ridiculously high. Usually 500-700 for a studio or tiny/crappy 1 br, 700-900 for a decent 1br or sometimes an ok 2 br, 800-1200 for a 2br or very luxury apts. The most I ever heard was 1300/month for a super luxury apt in Manch. Utilities, around the same. Food, depends a lot where you go and how much eating out you do. I'm stuck with Stop and Shop right now, which is actually owned by the same company as giant (has the same new logo) and they're probably the worst place to go along with maybe Shaws. Market Basket is probably the cheapest, and a lot of people like Hannaford's too. Haven't been to either of those much, but I think they're about what you'd see down in PA. The only thing that will get you is the 9% prepared foods tax, watch out if you have a habit of eating out! The usual advice is to have at least 3 months of generous living expenses saved up on arrival. You will probably be going to have drinks/dinner with people as you make connections, and spend on gas to travel around and get the lay of the land. What kind of work do you do? That can make a big difference too, and should probably be your first priority. If you're tech or engineering, you will not have much problem getting a job at all, and southern NH would be your place then.
As far as where in NH is the most liberty friendly...depends on what you define as liberty-friendly. Manchester has the most amount of movers in raw numbers by far and therefore has a lot of events and socializing. Grafton has the most per capita I think, and the only fed building is the post office. My general impression is that living in northern NH is more about doing your own thing quietly, live in the mountains kind of thing, with a lot of underground markets. Concord is where some of the more political types are but it doesn't have a whole lot of FSPers. Manch and Keene both have a lot of activism and you would never be lonely. Don't know much about the scene in Nashua and Portsmouth. Of course the best way to judge is visit around, and don't fall in love with a place too quickly!
Thank you, TheMagicBullet. I am actually originally from the Lehigh Valley (went to Northampton high school, lived in Moore Twp.), until I had to move to Indiana to get a job, because it was 9.8% unemployment and it was before I heard about the Free State Project from John Stossel and before I heard Ron Paul's really "amazingly accurate predictions" about the economy. So, your post was pretty helpful to me. |
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ny2nh
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If at all possible, find a job and then live where it is convenient to get to work. Income should be your top priority IMO. If you want to move without a job, I would suggest 6 months of living expenses to give you time to find a job. You can always get a temporary job at first while you continue to look for something more permanent. You can always find a room for rent or share an apartment to save $$, too. You mentioned you would like to be politicall active. Manchester / Concord is probably the best areas for that IMO....but again, income should be your priority. Don't worry about MA. I can honestly say that with the exception of driving through to RI, I haven't been in MA in a year - and I live in Manchester. I just have no reason to go there. The last time I did, was to hand out flyers at the opening of Atlas Shrugged. Good luck with your plans. |
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10stateswithnh
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You mentioned you would like to be politicall active. Manchester / Concord is probably the best areas for that IMO....but again, income should be your priority.
For state level activism, yes. For local activism, you can do this pretty much anywhere, but you may want to choose a town or city where your efforts can be effective, based on the local flavor of the politics. I am working on a couple of resources to help people see the liberty leanings of different towns, based on Ron Paul's votes, and also of the legislative district representatives, based on the 2011 NHLA Liberty Ratings. You want to consider whether you are more amenable to running as a Republican or Democrat, and which towns have that same tendency, or whether you prefer a place where the two parties are in a kind of balance and fairly evenly split (such as Rochester, where I live). |
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Bryce in Rochester
States I have lived in:
PA, DE, WA, ME, SC, NY, GA, UT, CO, NH as of Sep 2011!
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RichW
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Welcome Ross11988! I agree that Concord and Manchester are good places to start for those who are looking to be active politically. Concord, the state capital, and the location of Ron Paul's state HQ, is a natural choice. Manchester has a higher number of early movers and is also a hub of political activity. If you do not care for urban living, look at some of the small towns or communities bordering the two cities. There are many Pennsylvanians in the area already. I have met about a dozen so far from the eastern part of the state. I recently moved from the Philly burbs and, as a youth, spent my summers playing in Lake Wallenpaupack. I think you will find that much of NH has the flavor of the Poconos. There is lotsa wilderness here. Yet, we are conveniently close to the amenities of larger cities. If you are done school in May, why not visit Porcfest? |
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"... it does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds...." ~ Samuel Adams
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ross11988
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Hey everyone. I kinda fell off the map. 4 months ago, by job was contracted out to another company. This turned out to be a good thing for me, but kept me very busy and delayed my move. I am now looking at next spring to make the move or sooner. I am hoping that my company will have a job up there for me and will cover some of the moving expenses. I am planning on talking to my manager this week to see if any sites have any openings. I have narrowed my search down to either Manchester or Concord. I really don't plan to move alot of furniture up to the area. I would rather buy 2nd hand stuff, would that be easy to find on craigslist or a thift shop?
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1DayAtATime
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Thanks for everyone's responses. Yes, and thanks for being here! My rent currently is $700 a month. Rent various a lot in NH. 4 bedroom apartments go for under $900 a month in downtown Keene sometimes (I saw it this year). People pay high rent for nice converted condos in Manchester. A couple years ago there were 2 bedroom condos going for around $40k (own) in Concord. My current rent is around $300 a month, though I have roommates. My main issue is Massachusetts is I love my right to carry in PA and I wish to continue in NH. I just do not want to have to worry turning down a road and ending up in MA. NH has some of the least restrictive self defense laws in the county and it has been that way for a long time. In fact, Northern New England has the least restrictive gun laws of any region in the county. PA has terrible, highly restrictive gun laws compared to NH. NH is not MA. There was a time when lots of anti-tax, anti-liberal cheap type folks were coming to NH from MA. That has slowed down and not many people are moving to NH from MA right now. As far as politics, I'm really use to working at a national level, I've been helping out Ron Paul since 2007, but wouldn't mind helping at state and local levels as well. NH is the most important state for national politics, obviously. However, state and local politics is where it is at, IMO. I've personally helped both stop a bad law and pass a good law. It is great to know that you are helping make the world a better place. It is hard to get feedback like that by going door to door for Ron Paul in most states, especially when Ron Paul only averaged around 10% nationally. And that was in the primary for the smaller of the 2 main parties - the Republican Party. |
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TheMagicBullet
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You can definitely find good cheap stuff on Craiglist and thrift stores. I got addicted to the goodwill on S Willow St in Manch. The clothes are ridiculous, designer brand stuff for $5-10!! Definitely a smart move to not bring a lot with you - sell it off beforehand to help with funds for the move. Besides that, some of these New England homes have pretty narrow doors so your giant leather couch may just not fit...not like I found that out the hard way, twice, or anything...(cough)
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