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Exeter, New Hampshire
About an Hour North of Boston and Home to Preppy Phillip Exeter Academy, Exeter Brims with Colonial History and Yankee Practicality
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Picturesque Exeter (population 15,000) sits along the Squamscott River about an hour north of Boston and was settled in 1638 as one of New Hampshire's original four townships. Today it is home to preppy, prestigious Phillips Exeter Academy. Where to stay when visiting? Check out these Exeter vacation rentals and Exeter hotels. Choose your own travel dates to see availability.
Exeter is a quiet place, rich in Colonial history, Yankee practicality and understated prep school vibe. Forty-two percent of locals are age 45 or better, and politics lean to the left. Crime is practically non-existent. Forty-six percent of residents hold at least a four year college degree. The cost of living is 27% above the national average.
The median home price is $575,000, reflecting a 1% increase from a year ago. Housing includes bungalows, Cape Cods, saltboxes, ranch ramblers and others, many in leafy neighborhoods with white picket fences. Sterling Price is a small 55+ condominium community.
The Park and Recreation Department stages a summer concert series, and the American Independence Festival celebrates Exeter's place in the country's early history. A farmers' market runs throughout the summer, and the annual Andover-Exeter football game brings alumni and others to town each fall. Apple stands dot street corners in autumn. Swasey Parkway is the place for a scenic jog, walk or bike ride.
Exeter has also attracted aliens. In September of 1965, in what has become known as the Exeter Incident, two police officers and a local teenager witnessed a large, red glowing object hovering in the nearby woods. The incident remains unexplained by the U.S. Air Force to this day and is celebrated with the annual UFO Festival each September.
The walkable downtown is small, historic and cute with bookstores, ice cream shops,clothiers, taverns and restaurants, including the delicious Green Bean. Several downtown structures, including one where an original, unsigned copy of the Declaration of Independence (known as a Dunlap broadside) was discovered in 1985, now comprise the American Independence Museum. The Museum showcases the lives of one of Exeter's most influential early families, the Gilman Family, and presents tours and exhibits.
The Exeter Public Library hosts a summer music series, book discussion groups and a quilters' club. The city also has a strict and extensive recycling program.
The Exeter Senior Center is managed by the Parks and Rec Department and offers a variety of services, including computers with Internet access, exercise classes, scheduled shopping trips, Meals on Wheels and trips to Martha's Vineyard, New York City and Boston to watch major league's baseball Red Sox play.
COAST supplies bus service, making more than a dozen stops in Exeter and then traveling to outlying communities.
This is a town that thrives on volunteerism and actively recruits members for its boards and committees, which include the Christmas Parade Committee, the Exeter Arts Committee, the Historic District Commission, the Recreation Advisory Board and many more. Joining a board is a fast way for newcomers to jump into civic life.
Exeter Hospital has 100 beds and is award-winning. It is accredited by the Joint Commission, and Medicare patients are accepted. More very good medical facilities are just an hour away in Boston.
Winter is long and brings temperatures in the teens, 20s and 30s. Skies are often overcast, with 56 inches of snow falling each year on average. Spring is quick and muddy, if it comes at all. Summers are short with temperatures in the 70s and 80s and 50 inches of rain on average. Autumns are crisp and cool with breathtaking colors.
Recommended as a Retirement Spot? Yes | Is New Hampshire Tax-Friendly at Retirement? Yes
Long winters might be a drawback for some, but quintessential New England charm, abundant history, very safe neighborhoods, a good hospital and glorious autumns are reasons to consider this little hamlet for retirement.
New Hampshire:
New Hampshire became a state in 1788 and was the first one to have its own constitution. It was also the first state to have a free public library.
The New Hampshire coast is the shortest in the nation, with just 18 miles of shoreline.
Scottish settlers planted the New World's first potato crops in New Hampshire in 1719.
The top of Mt. Washington is said to have the worst weather on the planet and holds the record for wind speed at 231 mile sper hour.
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