Sunday dawned a gorgeous day, sunny and mild. I drove to Peterborough to drive by some houses and check out the town.
Here is a little firehouse museum. As per usual when I am in a new place I felt disoriented and was only able to find 6 houses to drive by. I couldnt find the grocery store or the bookstore.
A view up Main Street. A hilly town.
Unitarian church.
Right downtown was a house for sale that looked big in the photos but turned out to be smallish with only a foot of land on three sides and about 5 feet of land between itself and the Contoocook River shown above. Another cute house was on the edge of a cliff. Otherwise most of the homes were over my price range. I drove by a condo too but I didn't care for it.Mostly I thought, yes a cute town but why would I want to be here? It is so cold in the winter. I do have a friend who lives in a village nearbyish but she is very very busy. The comfort of having her near would be just a small assuagement to being a stranger in a strange town. They do have a yoga teacher here, plus a lot of crafts persons and artists, a bookstore and also the famous Macdowell Colony for the arts. The town was named one of the best small towns in the country. What more could one ask for?
41 comments:
Suki, thanks for sharing your Sunday drive! The town looks nice, the churchbell tower looks as if it will smash the church under it:)
I would wonder too, why to move to this town or another, and if you don't like cold..tough choice. But at the same time I envy you for being able to drive around and just have a look here and there, yet free to chose, not forced to!
Suki you are so sweet to mention my t-hsirts in your sidebar, I just discovered that! Thank you!!! It's funny cause my German and some French friends seem to prefer Miss Doodle "Cowgirl", and my American friends like the Birddresses better:)
Have a good day,
continuing your selection process,
love
Andrea
It is a lovely little town, I understand your quandry.
Andrea, it is true, it is fun to look and drive around. Nothing is forcing me such as job locale, husband's needs, the other sorts of things that focus people on one place over another. Sometimes I think such a need would help me though as the selection seems so arbitrary to me.
Thanks Artist unplugged.
Dear Suki,
I can imagine that it is a difficult task to find a new home. The only thing I can recommend you is to observe your feelings when you are in a certain region or town or house. Do you feel comfortable? Really comfortable? Or do you have a feeling like being in a "wrong" place?-In my opinion, it has nothing to do if you know some people there or not. You have to feel "at home", this is important.
Love from
Claudia
When you mentioned a house on a cliff, I immediately thought of the old woman's cliff house in Lemony Snicket's: A Series of Unfortunate Events. : )
The town appears to be very cute and welcoming. How does it feel?
Dear Claudia, I agree totally with you which is why I am driving around like a mad fool sensing various areas and houses. The houses on sunday I didnt go inside of. But the town felt confusing to me. although I could give it another few tries. Since I drive around alone and do both driving and looking it is sometimes hard to get a correct sensing. Thanks for your thoughts.
Starlene, this town felt like it was far away, though from what I am not sure. i read one lemony snickett book but didnt remember that woman. how fun.
Don't despair Suki. You will find a home. One day one of these houses will call your name to welcome you as you walk in.
I cannot imagine making such a decision on one days drive through. It sounds like there is yet much more to explore and find in this (or any)town before you can possibly be sure or not about living there in my humble opinion.
I think I'd want to meet some of those artisians...at least see where they are displaying their art, or making it,...see what my connection to them might mean for me being there or not...same with that missing bookstore...where is it? What's going on in that town?
I am so stuck where I am due to job constraints. Where would I choose otherwise? Seems like you have so many choices. I wonder if that makes it all the harder to decide???? Oh I am rambling here. Sorry...Oops. Good luck with your decision.
Thanks LIsa.
Lynn, I do think having a full open slate is hard for me, a libra, who has a hard time with decisions anyway. I know the bkstore is there as I have been in it in years past.
I'm sure it's hard.
Not like pick which one you like and go.
Being near family of some sort would be a priority to me, so that would automatically narrow my search. You're near some family now,,,but I'm not familiar with your area, and don't know,,,maybe where you're looking isn't too far from family.If I were young, that might not be as large a deal.
I'd also want to be in the very warmest climate I could possibly afford. Like you, I'm always cold.
And then there are the funds to consider, and that's a biggie!
Whether I'd be buying something outright ? Or making payments? ,,Would my money last in the uncertain economy, even though my 'needs' wouldn't be big.
Oh yeah,,,it aint easy, I can see that,,,,and wish you all the very best, Suki.
But it was a nice drive, thanks. Enjoyed seeing the town.
I admire your tenacity and patience in making sure you find the right house in the right town. I hope one calls to you soon but in the meantime, keep up the good work and best of luck.
First, I want to say how taken I am by your new header. Simply peaceful and serene.
Second, the town of Peterboro is so charming. I would feel right at home here and I'm sure you would too in short time. It seems to have most everything you want and surely you would make friends in a hurry if you got involved in the community. It is cold, though. Still, something to consider. Thanks for sharing.
That looks like a sweet town, but if your instincts are saying, 'this isn't the place for me,' I'd pay attention to that. Is it your instincts? Or your doubting self? So hard to tell the difference. For me, anyway.
It is so hard to comment from the other side of the Atlantic, but I have two tips: 1. drive around and then park the car and walk, to get the real feel of the place; 2. start a want/don't-want board on which to pin luggage labels: the first the things that are essential to you: a bookstore, museum, cafe, fabric store etc etc and then those that would turn you off - overmuch traffic, sun not shining into my bedroom window of a morning, lack of trees, no local food store. Etc etc. When the plus items exceed the minuses, search for a home in earnest; if the downsides overtake the plusses, walk (or drive) away. I don;t mean to preach, just now that after we found our home here in Warwickshire we drove around local villages and were amazed at how different was the atmoshphere in each. (And Librans are good at decision-making when the moment is right. You will know!) Ann from the UK
a real quandary. if the place doesn't 'talk' to me immdeiately, i move on, and i have always believed 'when in doubt, say NO'....helped me numerous times to make what would otherwise be a difficult decision...give yourself time...there is a perfectly lovely little house out there waiting for you! I know it, i feel it!
wordveri:nouris (nourish your soul?)
what a nice tour!
I like the little firehouse museum. Pass the chex mix, please!
Oh, thank you so much for taking us along with you. This place looks pretty cute! I know what you mean about too many choices. There is a saying in German: "Wer die Wahl hat, hat die Quall." She who has choices has the burden of choosing.
Cute Town. Hard decision. Why there instead of somewhere warmer?
We had someone to talk to about this town who lived here and that helped us but it was the charm of this town that brought us here. You need a realtor to show you around and see what there really is in the town.
we have a Peterborough in Canada too lol! but that would be even colder than New Hampshire lol! it looks like a lovely spot though. Best of luck with the crossroads-- to have so much choice-- exciting and scary all at the same time! namaste Elis.
suki, your pix are beautiful. it looks like the sky was beautiful too.
if you were forced, forced i say!-- to choose your top 3 places, what are they? just wondering...
xoxo
Sounds a rather fascinating place to live, though, indeed, a bit chilly in winter.
Your photos made me want to visit .
You have an amazing opportunity ahead. I'm sure you will find the perfect place for YOU. I agree that finding a realtor may help.
It is always good to just drive around and check out places you like though. That's how I found my little cottage in Florida.
PS It's WARM in Florida!
Suki, why not pick a place to live that you love? I would not settle.
Thanks for taking us on the tour.
Suki, Nice New England town, I like the water and the style of houses. Enjoy the process and trust yourself...you know best! Thanks for sharing...the photos are great!
I love that town Suki and would move there in a heartbeat if I had to be in NH. There is such a thriving art community there (Sharon art center) and nice little stores and shops, but it is all not cheap that's for sure. In terms of NH prices, I think it's still high but I'm not sure. My friends live in Rindge and while they have a big house and land, it's the middle of nowhere in my view - I'd much rather be in the middle of a small town.
Do you know the play "our town" by Wilder? He lived in Peterborough.
Good luck dear - have you given up on the Cape?
Babs, family yes. My family consists of my son and brother now. And they both chose to be here in NH. Most of my searching in NH/Vt area would keep me close to them but Peterborough is about 1 hr 1/2 from my son unless there are back ways I dont know about yet.
TeriC. thanks I am tenacious for sure in most areas. am getting rather tired though of the house search.
Katie Jane, the truth is i would probably end up happy most anywhere once I got used to the place. I know that. Even here at Mom's seems okay now I know about some of the resources.
San, it is hard to distinguish between instincts and doubting self. I would have to return and hang out there a bit more in order to know.
thanks ann. you are right about walking around. I did a bit that day but not enough. I have a sort of want/dont want list in my head. That's a great idea to write it out and post it. Thanks.
soulbrush, i too have often when in doubt said no. hard to know what would have happened had i said yes despite my doubts. for myself, i can always come up with doubts. sometimes this holds me back from taking a risk.
Mary, thanks for stopping by.
Willow, the chex mix is a pepper upper for sure. all that salt.
kelly thanks for that saying. guess it is better to have the burden of chosing as opposed to no choices if that situation is even possible. as i tend to think sometimes in a no choice situation, there are choices when one adjusts one's thoughts.
cris, i had contacted a realtor who emailed me houses. i wanted to drive by them though before dragging her out and around. but a tour of the town and area would be good by someone who knows the place, thanks.
elis, thanks for stopping by. it is both exciting and scary at the same time as you say. just need to keep my cool
kj, in my head my top three might be: Cape Cod, Santa Fe,Paris
Elizabeth, it is a charming town for sure.
Kathi oddly i have never been to Florida and think i would worry during hurricane season unless i had two homes one up north for hurricane season.
annie, it is so interesting. chosing the focal point for where to live. weather i love? near friends i love who are family to me? familiarity? cost of housing? near family? Each focal point brings up different answers.
BSD i am trying to trust myself and yet keep getting caught up in "thinking." Now the financial advisor thought i should buy on the Cape as housing prices will rise and then can sell and have made money. He sees things in terms of investments. interesting.
Mim, i havent given up on the Cape but i am closer to up here to look around. its a big trip for me to go to the cape. Peterborough has high taxes as does Keene. More out in the boonies the taxes are lower. Land taxes that is.
The pictures really do give a nice feel for what the place is like. I think I'd find it a bit desolate in winter only because I know how long it lasts in NH. But you know first hand!
I think the key factor for you would be not to feel lonely. To have enough friends to fill the empty spaces when you need them filled.
It sounds like the art community is wonderful. I love that about small New England towns.
Have you ever considered any towns in Rhode Island or Southern Mass?
Wareham and Marion are close to the Cape and would be perhaps more affordable.
I know this can be overload...sorry.
It's fun to go 'looking at houses' with you!
thanks Lolo. Marion, by the way, is a mega expensive and exclusive town. Wareham of course would be reasonable but also, I dont want to be there. Or Onset, a beautiful little place but run down and at least a few yrs ago big on drugs. anyhoo, another friend suggested RI and i do have a few friends there. Bristol and Newport, hmmm. I did check out Bristol in my price range...zilch. I imagine coming from California, you dont realize what the prices have become down there.
Ohhh, Suki! You are asking yourself all of the hard questions to be sure. I just cannot imagine the process you are going through. All of our moves have been dictated to us, but you are trying to make a decision which is for good (another idea which alludes me).
I think this town looks sweet, however without some very important parts, I too would have a hard time choosing it.
I am thinking of you a lot during this adventure you are on.
Thanks Kim. It is intersting, this process. But i have been uncreative and sluggish during it.
oooooooooh, suki!
Given all the factors, I am with Studio lolo with the fact that for you, being near people you know and love would be the most important.
I keep coming back to a place by the beach, but maybe that is just because it is my dream.I still say you will know the place when you see it, keep looking and don't give up.Think of it as a fun adventure, actually one I would not mind having right now.
What a lovely way to spend your Sunday :-)
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