<p>I have two spots in mind for our Plans B,C,D, etc. for what to do when my kids are in high school. Plan A is to stay where we are at and my son goes to Troy High School in Fullerton, CA and my daughter heads to Orange County High School of the Arts in Santa Ana, CA. But you know what they say about the best laid plans…so what if they don’t get into these schools?? Plan B…</p>
<p>We have two main ideas—one is moving to Avalon, CA which would be the easiest route to go, since we already live in S. Cal and we have business associates there. We would be making a move to a small town with a K-12 school set up. Education is not top rate–but the atmosphere is small and the education is very “up close and personal”.</p>
<p>Plan C–considering moving to Hanover, New Hampshire. We love college towns for all the activities and diversity that colleges attract. We love outdoor activities and fresh air. I had this in mind about a year ago and now my interest was re-kindled by and article in last month’s Money magazine that ranked Hanover as their #2 choice for small town living! WOW, it was nice to know my research was somewhat valid!</p>
<p>I would like to hear more from people who have lived in Hanover—sent their kids to the schools there, and any other info you have about this area. Quality of education, quality of life, moving to this area from a big city, things you wish you would have known before you moved there, things you joyously discovered after being there–all topics open. </p>
<p>IVY - Hanover (and surrounding area) is a wonderful place to live - tho expensive as well - but … cross over the town lines and real estate prices become much more reasonable. Hanover has one of the best school systems in the state of New Hampshire - and the high school is attended by students from several towns by school choice in that area for the most part. Keep in mind also that many of these kiddos are related to Dartmouth profs :)</p>
<p>I will say tho - that it may be culture shock LOL - coming from (big) S. Cal area to (small) N. New England area - tho for some it is not a problem being the site of choice to live there. Even tho it is a small town area there are actually alot of activities and social outlets - tho that really depends on ones interests. </p>
<p>Hanover definitely deserves that #2 ranking that they recently got That area is a wonderful place to live - and to bring up children as well.</p>
<p>I like NH, my brother lives in Peterborough in southern NH. It’s nice because it’s a close enough drive that they actually go on outings to Boston. But it’s still very much a small town. I haven’t spent enough time in Hanover to give you advice. I have a friend who teaches organ at Dartmouth and lives not to far away in Orford. They seem happy.</p>
<p>Hanover is a great area and the high school definitely has a good reputation. There are also some nice towns nearby. Please realize that it will be cultural shock after Southern CA. Also, there are no cities nearby. Boston is at least two hours away. That said, when I first moved to Vermont in 1981 (from grad school in Boston), I lived in the same area as Hanover (same general community referred to as the Upper CT Valley). I lived in Woodstock, VT for two years, and I taught school in Lebanon, NH, which is the town next to Hanover (in fact, by sheer coincidence in the same elem school my mother-in-law had attended as a child growing up in Lebanon, NH). So, I was in Hanover all the time. Hanover shares a school system also with Norwich, VT on the other side of the river (which also has a very fine elem school). Unlike a typical rural town, there are cultural and other fun activities to do in the area being a college town and just not a typical rural town of just natives. I enjoyed the area. I live in a different part of VT now and while there is no college in my rural town, it is also NOT a typical rural town as it is a resort area. So, things are happening a bit more here, like is the case in Hanover a bit. Still, for anyone from a place like you live, it is very very very small. It is a great place to bring up kids. I recommend you visit before making such a drastic change, just to be certain. By the way, my D has several friends who have attended Orange County HS of the Performing Arts. Please realize that in this neck of the woods, there are NO performing arts high schools. Your children would basically be attending Hanover HS…no other options…other than boarding school. It is a fine school! I am just explaining that the kinds of options you have in Southern CA are not what we have here in VT/NH.</p>
<p>One thing that hasn’t been brought up yet I don’t think. Hanover, NH is f-ing COLD. This is coming from someone who goes to school in Boston. My dad works and lives (part-time) in Hanover and man is it bleak if you’re not used to that kind of thing. There’s nothing to do in the winter except stay inside as much as possible and the winter is about 6 months long. From October until April. The summer is temperate but it has it cold spots and spring and fall are just these quick descents into winter-- though the foliage is beautiful. My Dartmouth friend says that the fall, winter, and spring quarters were essentially all winter, and it wasn’t until they went home for the summer that things shows the first signs of starting to turn green. Streets are generally empty then and crime is so astoundingly low even the criminals are too cold to operate. Seeing that you’re from So Cal, I can’t bargain that you would like it there, though you never know.</p>
<p>ALTHOUGH despite all that (or maybe because, people are weird), many Dartmouth students and Hanover natives tend to return to raise their families there. They generally have good associations with the place and think it’s wonderfully peaceful and beautiful- not my friend though- he’s never going back there.</p>
<p>…There’s nothing to do in the winter except stay inside as much as possible and the winter is about 6 months long…</p>
<p>Not quite true LOL - but yes - it is cold up there - as it is in most of New England in the winter… and the seasons… nothing like the fall in Vermont and New Hampshire… and the spring - well - it does turn to mudd season and then one day you wake up and EVERYTHING is green green green.</p>
<p>Winter sports can be interesting - skiing, skating, sleding, ice fishing, sno-mobiling, lake/ice sailing, hockey, snow-shoeing…just have to use one’s imagination and one certainly can learn to enjoy those cold winters :D</p>
<p>I do agree with your comment tho about folks who do return to Hanover later in their lives - great community up there :)</p>
<p>Pebbles, different lifestyles appeal to different people. Personally, while I find winter to be cold, I like the change of seasons. I do not agree with your statement about not having much to do but stay inside. Many who live in northern New England enjoy the outdoors. In winter, there is alpiine skiing, nordic skiing, snowboarding, figure skating, hockey, snowshoeing, sleigh rides, etc. At other times of year, there is hiking, mountain biking, boating, leaf peeping, horseback riding, swimming, etc. My children grew up in Vermont. They skied three times per week as children and one of my kids skied six times per week in high school. They also did figure skating (outdoors) a couple times per week growing up. So, even in winter, they were outdoors on most days. In other seasons (we have five seasons up here), they were involved in many other outdoor activities such as horseback riding, soccer, softball, tennis, swimming, and mountain biking. So, it is a different lifestyle from a kid who lives in a city, or even in a suburb. Lots of cityfolk come up to where we live every weekend and vacation to get what we have every day! While it may be cold in winter in VT and NH, it is also cold in places like NYC (maybe not quite as cold) and cold enough that people don’t want to hang out outdoors either! But at least up here, there are cool outdoor things to do in winter!</p>
<p>By the way, it is not winter for the entire school year! September is partly summer-like and part fall. October is all fall. November is kinda in between fall and winter and called stick season. Dec., Jan., Feb. and part of March are winter. March into April is mud season. April into May is spring. June, July, and August are summery.</p>
<p>If my Sarasota, FL sister-in-law can make a home in NH I think a southern Californian could too. She learned to skate and ski. There’s nothing more fun than taking a hockey stick and puck and some friends out on to a frozen pond. Mud and black fly season aren’t so wonderful, but I really like the rest of the weather. And fall couldn’t be prettier.</p>
<p>Hanover is a beautiful town with a first rate high school, but other towns in NH with excellent schools are Bedford, Hollis, Peterborough and Keene-closer to Boston too.</p>
<p>When I moved to VT 30 years ago, we had mud season instead of Spring, but not so much anymore. I’m afraid it’s because of global warming, but VT seems a lot warmer to me than it did. Compared to SoCal, of course, it would seem cold, but if you find outdoor things to enjoy, winters can be fun.</p>
<p>What annoys me about Hanover HS–and this is petty–is that they are allowed to play both VT and NH teams (at least in my son’s competitive area) and sometimes win BOTH state championships! Shouldn’t they have to choose? Highly irritating.</p>
<p>Hanover is an unusual school district in that it straddles two states. It does seem unfair, however, if they compete in one activity in two different “divisions” or state championships. In my D’s sports, I don’t recall them ever involved and she has played these on the state level in VT. I know you are talking of an area that is not a sport but it doesn’t seem right to me either!</p>
<p>And bethievt, the next time we have a day that has a wind chilll factor of 30 below, I will bring this post back up! j/k</p>
<p>We are into downhill skiing, fishing, hiking, hunting, and camping–OR should I say the guys are into all that. We also have hobbies of brewing beer and cooking. So I think that we could find things to do indoors when we aren’t on the slopes or casting a fly rod. I went to school in Eastern Washington and know the feeling when your nose hairs freeze! We are considering a Christmas vacation to St. Petersburg–yep Russia has a mighty cold winter…so I am not too afraid of the weather. However I also hate the mud seasons in Washington, so I will have to think further about that! Thanks for all the tips.</p>
<p>Property Taxes in VT vs. NH–how do they compare? NH is supposed to be one of the cheapest states as far as overall taxes. Is it a good idea to live in VT on the border and send your kids to the Hanover Schools? Seems like houses cost less in VT.</p>
<p>Housing in Hanover and Norwich (to be within the Hanover middle school and high school range) is expensive. Both grade schools are highly thought of (I can only speak to personal experience with the Ray School and the old Richmond School location).</p>
<p>Property taxes in NH are high, but no sales tax or earned income tax. VT has lower property taxes, but also an income tax and a sales tax (but you can imagine the shopping that goes on in NH along that border, though VT residents are supposed to declare those purchases and pay sales tax to VT).</p>
<p>Are you familiar with the local newspaper, the Valley News? You might want to check it out. A lot of recent discussion about Hanover High due to a cheating incident from last school year. </p>
<p>Ivy2B: I’m from new hampshire (southern) but am obviously familiar with all the towns. Personally I wouldn’t want to go to HS in Hanover. It’s very isolated and kind of a diamond in the rough type city. The city is small and pretty nice, but once you leave hanover its a drive until you find other nice cities, let alone any big cities. PM me if you have more q’s. </p>
<p>Also, yes hanover is cold. I’m not talking about “It’s in new england, of course it’s cold.” No, I’m talking about it’s in northern new hampshire, it’s windy as hell, and it gets considerably colder then the rest of the state (excluding mt washington)…</p>
<p>It is my understanding that Lebanon high school kids can also do school choice to Hanover high school :)</p>
<p>Being that Hanover NH and Norwich VT are pretty high real estate towns - It is possibly worth it to look 1 town out for much more reasonable real estate prices. Some of the tax rates on the NH side are not nearly as bad as one would think - tho Lebanon does have a high tax rate - but considering no income/sales tax it somewhat balances out.</p>
<p>It is difficult to really compare those real estate prices - but that said - it all depends on which side of the river you want to live on.</p>
That area is a wonderful place to live - and to bring up children as well.</p>
j/k</p>