NCEP: Colorado or New Hampshire

[cattyvintagegirl]

Hey ladies!

I haven’t posted anything here in a good long while, I lurk, but I just don’t stress over the news as much as I used to. 😊 My H and I are seriously contemplating a big move in the next few years. We are traveling to and researching potential locations. We are currently in Atlanta, but are ready to be in a different climate and in a different part of the country. Right now, we have it narrowed down to Colorado (Denver suburbs) or New England (specifically New Hampshire). We don’t have kids so nothing to factor there. H is a software engineer and needs ample job opportunities. Here’s how things are breaking down as of right now:

Colorado Pro: access to a metro area w/a good tech hub, close to the mountains, cooler weather
Colorado Con: housing costs, traffic

New Hampshire Pro: easier pace of living, lower housing costs, cooler weather
New Hampshire Con: harsh winters, fewer in-state job opportunities, unlikely to have direct flights to our home states (we are not originally from GA)

In short. it seems like Colorado would be a change of scenery, but we would still have a lifestyle similar to what we are used to in Atlanta (shopping, dining, entertainment, etc.). New Hampshire would be lifestyle change with a less hurried pace, but H might not have as many opportunities for tech jobs.

Can any of you ladies help expand on this list for either of these areas?

TIA!!

[Wallflower]

I'm from upstate NY, so not far from NH. I lived in CO for about 30 years before moving back to NY about 6 years ago.

I love both places, but I found after long years living in a drier environment that I missed, soul-deep missed, the prevalence of water in the NE. Regular rain, driving over rivers and creeks and next to lakes and ponds, sitting beside a lake and watching the waves. These things are much harder or impossible in CO. It took years, but I finally had to return to my watery roots.

Also, you should really understand the impact of the drier and drier climate - wild fires are more and more common and the fire season is lasting longer and longer each eyar. If you have any breathing problems at all, air quality is potentially an important issue for you, not just as wild fires rage but year-round. (It was so bad this year that a friend's wife had serious breathing issues for a month or so over the summer as not just CO wildfires burned but as smoke from more-distant fires blew into the state.)

[Wallflower]

I feel like I came down hard on CO. I love Colorado. I really do, but there are just some things to consider. I'm sure there are some similar issues for NH, I just don't have those at the ready. Maybe I'm still in my honeymoon, "oh, look at all the water" phase for NY.

Good luck!!!

[Velar Fricative]

I can't speak for either state, but depending on where you live in NH, Boston and its large airport are not too far.

[cattledogkisses]

I grew up in southern NH, so if you have any specific questions I'd be happy to help answer them.

[theoriginalbean]

My husband grew up in NH (Laconia) and we considered moving there about a decade ago. It was actually between NH, Colorado, and the Seattle area. Seattle ended up winning because of job opportunities and economic constraints, but also I just didn't want the cold winter.

I do love NH, and it wouldn't be awful to live there, but the jobs and the snow were both on top of our "cons" list. The lack of metro area was also a consideration for me.

I will add that we didn't end up in Seattle proper, but in a small town across the water, and the change of pace in terms of not having quick access to restaurants, entertainment, general city life took me a while to adapt to. It's been almost 7 years and I'm just now starting to appreciate the slower life we have here, though I still miss the easy city access we had in our old area. We have no real food delivery options and a limited selection for nights out. We do a lot more "outdoorsy things" living here. I would think about that aspect of things, for sure.

[Poeticxpassion]

Where would you be working in Colorado? That will be the key in determining what your commute would be like. What Denver suburbs are you looking at? There are a lot, which makes it hard to determine where you are in comparison to dining, entertainment, etc.

I am from Florida and have lived in Colorado for 6 years. I want to get out of the state soon. The cost of living is just too much for someone living on disability.

ETA: Colorado snow and ice can get really bad here as well but I don't know anything about NH weather.

[cattyvintagegirl]

Oct 18, 2021 13:45:37 GMT -5 cattledogkisses said:

I grew up in southern NH, so if you have any specific questions I'd be happy to help answer them.

Thanks! I actually do have a question. I mentioned that my husband is a software engineer. He’s comfortable in an enterprise environment, so he would likely be looking at larger companies. Is it common in New England to live in one state but work in another? We are thinking that his job might be based in Boston and he would need to commute some. In our part of the country, most people live and work in the same state. But with New England states being smaller, we have wondered if an overlap is common.

[twinmomma]

Oct 18, 2021 14:02:17 GMT -5 cattyvintagegirl said:

Oct 18, 2021 13:45:37 GMT -5 cattledogkisses said:

I grew up in southern NH, so if you have any specific questions I'd be happy to help answer them.

Thanks! I actually do have a question. I mentioned that my husband is a software engineer. He’s comfortable in an enterprise environment, so he would likely be looking at larger companies. Is it common in New England to live in one state but work in another? We are thinking that his job might be based in Boston and he would need to commute some. In our part of the country, most people live and work in the same state. But with New England states being smaller, we have wondered if an overlap is common.

It's very common where I live in Southern NH to commute into Mass. I joke that we're basically a Boston suburb even though we're a state away. It's about an hour drive. My boyfriend actually owns a business down in Boston and commutes there regularly. Keep in mind - NH doesn't have income tax but if you work in MA you do have to pay MA income tax. Salaries in MA are usually higher than in NH so it works out. We actually have a huge problem with getting young people to stay and work in the state vs leaving and commuting elsewhere. 

I do love NH - we have mountains, oceans, lakes, Boston and even NYC are relatively close, etc. I feel like whatever I want to do is basically within driving distance. But, if politics are a big thing for you, do a little research on how red our state is and how our state legislature is getting even more conservative and crazy. Sometimes we say we're basically the south of the north. 

[cattyvintagegirl]

Oct 18, 2021 13:53:57 GMT -5 Poeticxpassion said:

Where would you be working in Colorado? That will be the key in determining what your commute would be like. What Denver suburbs are you looking at? There are a lot, which makes it hard to determine where you are in comparison to dining, entertainment, etc.

I am from Florida and have lived in Colorado for 6 years. I want to get out of the state soon. The cost of living is just too much for someone living on disability.

ETA: Colorado snow and ice can get really bad here as well but I don't know anything about NH weather.

. I assume he would be working in downtown Denver or near Greenwood Village. We haven’t seen a lot of suburbia yet, but we may be keen on the west side of Denver because of the mountains. But if not there, then maybe Littleton, Centennial or Parker.

Yeah, the cost of living is a definite consideration. I’m so sorry you are dealing with that situation.

[pixy0stix]

I'm in CO, but not the Denver area. I love CO, and will probably never move. That being said, our air quality is shit and our COL will probably not go down as development starts reaching growth capacity.

[bee20]

I haven't lived in either but our company has major offices in both NH and the Denver area. From my visits I've noticed...

NH:
-The Pro of lower cost of living is true, at the expense of...living in a rural area in 2021. Politics have been Trumpy/Anti-Vax, we have trouble keeping younger people because there isn't a lot going on, and there are a lot of addiction centers in the town our facility is in, which is surprising to see in a small town. That being said, it's pretty, the people are nice to me (I'm white) and you are a reasonable drive to Boston. The folks that are looking for that environment really like it there, they seem to be older white guys that are into hunting and fishing. We have folks that work here living in Massachusetts and Maine, so that does seem pretty common.

Denver:
-This area is getting really expensive, but generally folks here are younger and ok with that. When I visit it feels a little more suburb than city but our offices are not downtown. There are huge political swings between different suburbs, everything from super crunchy to super evangelical. The employees here are less close than the NH facility, I feel like the NH guys all socialize together whereas the Denver office folks go their own way after work. As a visitor the dry air and elevation make me feel run down the whole time I'm there but I assume you get used to it.

For reference, we also have an office in Atlanta, so my thoughts on there is it seems like a faster growing/changing area than either Denver or New Hampshire. When I've been to Atlanta I feel like it has a little more personality and energy than Denver did, similar "sense of place" as NH although very different vibes between the two. Denver just feels more bland. (Could just be the office locations, the Atlanta office is a little closer to downtown). I have purposely never been to Atlanta in the summer, although I have been to other southeastern states and totally understand wanting to get away from that weather.

[cattledogkisses]

Oct 18, 2021 14:02:17 GMT -5 cattyvintagegirl said:

Oct 18, 2021 13:45:37 GMT -5 cattledogkisses said:

I grew up in southern NH, so if you have any specific questions I'd be happy to help answer them.

Thanks! I actually do have a question. I mentioned that my husband is a software engineer. He’s comfortable in an enterprise environment, so he would likely be looking at larger companies. Is it common in New England to live in one state but work in another? We are thinking that his job might be based in Boston and he would need to commute some. In our part of the country, most people live and work in the same state. But with New England states being smaller, we have wondered if an overlap is common.

Where I grew up it was pretty common for people to commute to Boston.  My dad, BIL and SIL have all lived in southern NH and worked in the greater Boston area at one point or another.  How long that commute is depends greatly on the time of day, and whether you're driving all the way into the city, or driving to a T station and taking the train the rest of the way.

[mouse]

I don’t have specific regional advice, but watching my grandma and now my in-laws struggle with aging in a rural area, I’d consider the limitations and if you’re planning on relocating again before retirement. What kind of healthcare is available and does it fit your current and future needs? Hopefully further off in the future, but what are your options if driving becomes difficult?

[cattyvintagegirl]

Oct 18, 2021 14:52:24 GMT -5 mouse said:

I don’t have specific regional advice, but watching my grandma and now my in-laws struggle with aging in a rural area, I’d consider the limitations and if you’re planning on relocating again before retirement. What kind of healthcare is available and does it fit your current and future needs? Hopefully further off in the future, but what are your options if driving becomes difficult?

Those are definitely things to consider. One thought we had was we could choose Colorado and spend the rest of our working days there, then when we are really ready to slow down and relax, retire to NH. By that time H could do consulting work of his choosing to keep an income stream going and just enjoy the mountains and lakes in NH.

[winecat]

Oct 18, 2021 14:13:29 GMT -5 cattyvintagegirl said:

Oct 18, 2021 13:53:57 GMT -5 Poeticxpassion said:

Where would you be working in Colorado? That will be the key in determining what your commute would be like. What Denver suburbs are you looking at? There are a lot, which makes it hard to determine where you are in comparison to dining, entertainment, etc.

I am from Florida and have lived in Colorado for 6 years. I want to get out of the state soon. The cost of living is just too much for someone living on disability.

ETA: Colorado snow and ice can get really bad here as well but I don't know anything about NH weather.

. I assume he would be working in downtown Denver or near Greenwood Village. We haven’t seen a lot of suburbia yet, but we may be keen on the west side of Denver because of the mountains. But if not there, then maybe Littleton, Centennial or Parker.

Yeah, the cost of living is a definite consideration. I’m so sorry you are dealing with that situation.

The commute from a western suburb to Greenwood Village would be not fun.  The northwestern suburbs have quite a bit of tech companies too.  Our weather gets cold but not bone chilling cold and the snow melts.  

[cattyvintagegirl]

Oct 18, 2021 14:16:29 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

I'm in CO, but not the Denver area. I love CO, and will probably never move. That being said, our air quality is shit and our COL will probably not go down as development starts reaching growth capacity.

I’ll make a note to compare air quality here and there. I’m curious. Atlanta air quality sucks too. So much pollution and smog, even with emissions standards. Do you mean that there is poor air quality in CO due to wildfires snd such, or is it just crappy in general?

[pixy0stix]

Oct 18, 2021 15:38:00 GMT -5 cattyvintagegirl said:

Oct 18, 2021 14:16:29 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

I'm in CO, but not the Denver area. I love CO, and will probably never move. That being said, our air quality is shit and our COL will probably not go down as development starts reaching growth capacity.

I’ll make a note to compare air quality here and there. I’m curious. Atlanta air quality sucks too. So much pollution and smog, even with emissions standards. Do you mean that there is poor air quality in CO due to wildfires snd such, or is it just crappy in general?

Crappy in general, and then when the wildfires start it's awful. Mostly it's ozone pollution that is caught and held here due to the mountains and high altitude.

[wanderingback]

I have no specific advice on either of those places cause they’re both too white for me, but 2 things I would consider:
Climate change and access to health care if you’re thinking long term planning and thinking about aging.

Obviously the northeast isn’t immune to climate change, but the wild fires and droughts and air quality in CO def put it on the cons list.

[plutosmoon]

I know nothing about CO, but I mostly grew up in Southern NH and my dad always worked in downtown Boston. The traffic could be a mess. He used a vanpool service for years, there was a park and ride in Nashua and then the van went into Boston. I know some of his coworkers took trains. The places I lived were basically suburban Boston with bigger lots than most suburbs to make it feel rural. I remember property taxes being quite high in the more desirable areas. I've also lived in suburban Atlanta and think you'll be able to access similar things in Southern NH and what you can't find in NH, Boston really is close if you live in an eastern border town. I remember Windham, Pelham and Salem as popular commuter towns.

[RockNVoll]

I live in the Boston area and occasionally drive up to NH for long weekends or day trips. While it has physical beauty, I've never had any interest in moving there given the lack of diversity, largely conservative politics, and mostly rural nature of the state. I'd be bored as hell there most of the time and also wary of dealing with Trumper types on the regular. Winters are really bad, though I'm sure they have the infrastructure to deal with it (e.g. regular street plowing). Commuting to Boston is pretty common, but it's not a slog I would voluntarily sign up for.

[DotAndBuzz]

Of those 2, I'd pick NH.

But I'll throw in Michigan as a suggestion if you're still looking around. Winters are dicey (but not as bad as NH or possibly CO), but the state is really beautiful, with loads of nature to explore. Up north, the UP, lakes all over (not to mention the great lakes/beaches), and we have a Delta hub at the Detroit airport. Lots of job opportunities in Metro Detroit, as well as around the University of Michigan, and depending on the city, decent COL. Can PM you more info if you want.

Also, we're leaning more and more democratic. Dem Gov, SoS, and AG, and 2 Dem US Senators. And citizens are currently re-drawing the districts for the 2022 election, so *fingers crossed* we'll be able to FINALLY flip the state legislature, which is gerrymandered to hell, and have locked the state government into R for decades, despite the shift in voters.

[isabel]

I live in one of the suburbs you mentioned. Feel free to PM me if you want specific information. DH works in software as well and his company is downtown, but he works from home full time now.

[mrspez07]

I will take Front Range/Denver CO winters over NE or Midwest winters any day of the week. Our snow melts between storms (often right after), because we get sunshine regularly even in the winter. Most roads are clear within hours of the snow stopping, especially in the daylight.
Snow stays much longer and gets deeper in the mountains, but even there the roads get clear pretty quickly.

I live on the west/southwest side of Denver in Lakewood. I do not recommend a commute from here to the tech center/Greenwood Village, the road networks are not great east-west, but more of a spoke out from downtown and better north-south.

[snapoutofit]

Oct 18, 2021 14:02:17 GMT -5 cattyvintagegirl said:

Oct 18, 2021 13:45:37 GMT -5 cattledogkisses said:

I grew up in southern NH, so if you have any specific questions I'd be happy to help answer them.

Thanks! I actually do have a question. I mentioned that my husband is a software engineer. He’s comfortable in an enterprise environment, so he would likely be looking at larger companies. Is it common in New England to live in one state but work in another? We are thinking that his job might be based in Boston and he would need to commute some. In our part of the country, most people live and work in the same state. But with New England states being smaller, we have wondered if an overlap is common.

We live in MA close to the NH border and my H (a computer programmer) worked in NH for years. Depending on where in NH you go there can be lots of opportunity in the tech fields. NH is beautiful. You have the mountains and the ocean! Plus lakes and all that. In one of my previous jobs in MA, lots of my coworkers lived in NH.

[VillainV]

Oct 18, 2021 14:20:21 GMT -5 bee20 said:

Denver:
-This area is getting really expensive, but generally folks here are younger and ok with that. When I visit it feels a little more suburb than city but our offices are not downtown. There are huge political swings between different suburbs, everything from super crunchy to super evangelical. The employees here are less close than the NH facility, I feel like the NH guys all socialize together whereas the Denver office folks go their own way after work. As a visitor the dry air and elevation make me feel run down the whole time I'm there but I assume you get used to it.

We lived in C Springs for three years and never really got fully used to it. Better than visitors, sure, but we spent three years feeling run down the whole time, and as healthy people in our late 30s, this was pretty miserable.

[shauni27]

just coming in to add that I live in NH and have worked in tech for the last decade here. I live in the Hanover area where there are TONS of tech companies, and most will allow for remote work, if you do not live locally. It is progressive and slightly more diverse due to Dartmouth. But not as close to the Boston airport for direct travel (2 hours...)

feel free to PM me with specific questions if you want.

Also: technical.ly/2016/08/11/new-hampshire-tech-startups/

[Aquatica]

I lived in CO for a few years, south of Denver, and while I did like it, it just never felt like home. There were plenty if travel opportunities, lots to see and do. Coming from WA/OR where you're used to evergreens and then suddenly not made us not want to live there long.

I just moved to upstate NY and I'm loving it. It's so beautiful and it makes us feel happy having lots of trees all around us. I may change my mind after our first winter though!

[Wallflower]

Aquatica, welcome to upstate!! I'm outside Albany. Where are you?

[twilightmv]

I live in NH and love it. Housing is nuts right now but I’m sure that’s true of Colorado too. Our snow situation hasn’t been bad in about 5 years. We have some really cute areas, like Portsmouth. We have mountains, the beach, no sales tax, and close to Boston and NY. I don’t love cold weather but I like everything else about NH.