I am looking to relocate to New England. I have been to ME; VT only to ski years ago; never to NH - which I think is my first choice. I would like to find a smallish town and need only the basics - groceries, post office, library, medical facilities. Any suggestions/help appreciated (I am on a fixed income and do not drive - right, good luck, huh!)

Smallish town and do not drive sometimes don't mix well in New England, since many areas have limited public transit systems. For example, my sister in law, who also does not drive, lives in Laconia - a smallish city that might meet some of your wants - but she has to walk everywhere.

A question - from where are you relocating and what type of weather are you accustomed to. And by not driving, are you comfortable and can you afford to rely on taxis for shopping, medical needs, social needs or is it important to you to have public transit.

Findyourspot.com is an informative site where you fill out a comprehensive questionnaire and they provide you with a list of places in the US that they think meet your needs and wants. I did it, even though I am not moving anytime soon, and it made me think of things that I would have missed - like social, cultural and religious availability, etc.

There are many small towns where you can live within walking distance of the post office, bank, library, physicians, dentist, pharmacy, and a good grocery store. However, the grocery store and pharmacy will be very expensive compared to driving to the nearest Market Basket or Walgreen's And, obviously, you would be limited on choices of places to live, unless there is a good local bus system.

We really enjoy living in New Hampshire, and many towns may meet your needs, but I cannot imagine a permanent move without actually visiting those places.

New London

I like Brattleboro, Vermont. You could get by without a car if you lived in town. Keene, NH is another possibility. I've lived both places and loved them both. But I do have a preference for the state of Vermont.

I would think that if you don't drive, the first question you might ask is whether there are cars/drivers/taxis for hire. You're talking about a region where negotiating sidewalks can be problematic from Nov. through March -- even if you get someone to shovel/plow, your neighbors may not. If you're retired, I'd think a number of towns would have senior services that might provide transport to places you can't walk, or once-a-week bus trips to shop for food, etc.

So pick a town you like, but ask a few questions.

In addition to limiting yourself by not having a car, have you thought of the cost of fuel? NE is cold in the winter - and fuel bills can be very high. Have you figured that into your equation?

I'm going to second the advice to try findyourbestspot.com. I did it, Raleigh was my #1 and I moved there. No regrets!

I'm not sure where you are moving from but I lived in Florida for most of my life and relocated to VT because my DH is from there and I lasted only 6 months and left (we weren't married yet). It was not a good relocation for me. I was hoping for quaint but it's not what I got.

Good luck in your process.

djkbooks brings up an excellent point which is to VISIT any prospective towns. Your budget will affect where you can move too! Parts of NH aren't cheap for housing.

New London, Hanover, Peterborough, Portsmouth, etc...there are a lot of lovely places here but only you can decide which one will suit you. The no car part throws a wrench into the equation.

I went to Dartmouth and I HATED NH. The cold winters had me on Prozac. I went to prep school in Boston, but at least there were things to do in Boston during the HORRID winters (my solace was the IS Gardner Museum).

My nephew lives in Andover NH. He goes to prep school there and he can't wait to leave.

If I had to live anywhere in NH, it would be Manchester.

Sorry to all of you who live in NH, but I could never live there again.

And aren't property taxes SKY HIGH????????

Thin

Thin, the property taxes are high but there's no sales or income tax. Concord NH started a bus system back around 1997. While it's a city Concord has a small town feel. The bus services Penacook and the routes include Walmart/Steeplegate Mall, the grocery stores on Fort Eddy Rd, the hospital, etc. I thought the taxi was expensive ($8 to go from downtown to the heights which is only a couple of miles). Concord's Main street is nice, the library is only a couple of blocks from the Main St bus route. The new, independent Red River Theater is on South Main near the Capital Center for the Arts. I agree with concerns about walking in winter. The downtown is usually pretty good, sidewalks on side streets, not so good. You should investigate the amenities at the senior apartments. Heritage Heights/Havenwood is probably the most expensive but they also have a lot of activities, their own transportation, etc. Some of the widows I know who live in senior citizen housing car pool to meetings and events. The one who still drives gives others a ride. The Concord bus also goes to the bus station which gives you easy access to Boston.
Andover is a very small, very quiet town. Right now Manchester has better restaurants but Concord has is a nicer area, prettier downtown. Both have farmers markets in summer. Thin, nowadays I think you would prefer Concord (check out Red River Theater and Capital Center for the Arts. Not having a car could still be a liability. OTH if you volunteered at one of the theaters or for some organization, I bet you would be offered rides. I don't think Concord is as quiet at night as it used to be. True, the stores close early but there are numerous clubs and activities and a terrific community education program at the high school. Next door to the Red River Theater is a great independent bookstore, Gibson's, which has a book club and frequently has author readings. Good luck in your search.

I don't think we need to go to the trouble of convincing Thin to go back.... fool's errand. People who make up their minds to hate something for sweeping, generalized reasons, aren't about to undo the conclusion - and if there's no need for them to live in the hated area, all's well. Fortunately, the local economy doesn't depend on patiently trying to convert those whose disposition is just happier elsewhere.

Anyone hear the 19-yr-old twit from Seattle on CahTawk yesterday who spend 4 months in Mt. Holyoke and decided all of the northeast was dreadful? Seattle is where she belongs. NY is where Thin belongs. What's silly is to hear them trash other places to the very people who love those places. If I said I hated New York City (I certainly don't, but for the sake of argument), I'm sure Thin would arrive at some sweeping, negative conclusions about me based on that. It works both ways.

dfishdf asked for a small town. Presumably that's what dfishdf would love. What say, dfishdf?

As usual, DFrost and I have the same take: Concord, NH. Although it's considered a "city" in New Hampshire, most people would consider it a "town." I believe it fits the OP's request very well.

Concord is a very nice and also agree it would meets OPs requirements very well.

Essex, Connecticut

http://www.essexct.com/