Thinking about taking job in Northeast Mass...

[Kevinakaq]

Good afternoon gents,

I am considering taking a job in Newburyport, Mass which is only five miles from New Hampshire and only a few more to Maine. I would never consider living in Mass due to the rampant anti-gun atmosphere (and have serious trepidations of taking the job and giving them my tax dollars), but working in Mass and commuting from NH or ME is a possibility. Anyone know this area very well and can recommend good places within say 40 minutes or less commute to look for a residence? Would be looking for a cabin/farm type where I could shoot regular if possible. Wilderness locations very welcome. I make a good living but don't need the Taj Majal as I am low rent and thrifty. It would be myself only.

General comments/suggestions on area most welcome.

Spent my first time ever in Western Maine (Carthage area) this week and loved it. It is a hunters paradise... Friend of mine has a cabin along the Webb river and it sure beats the Florida swamp as far as view. I have travelled extensively and lived many places just not familiar with this area.

Any and all help appreciated,
kevin

[bdicki]

There are a lot of people that work in the Boston area and live in New Hampshire. Makes for a wonderful commute. I've lived my whole life in North Western Massachusetts and wouldn't move out there for any job.

[Kevinakaq]

Did some fly fishing couple years ago in northwest mass...absolutly gorgeous. Shame about the politics of the state that Boston pushes...same with New York... They are destroying a beautiful state for some of us. Wouldn't work in Boston for anything. Took a job in NYC for a while a few years ago and could not stand it. Preferred living in Tokyo to NYC.....

It is a nice opportunity but i honestly think i would be better off living the simple life and managing a hardware store with a shingle on the door 'Gone Shooten!'.

When I am sitting on my stand in the swamp tomorrow and the sun begins to set i may have to do some serious thinking on the whole affair...

[FISH4BUGS]

For 35+ years I lived in Portsmouth NH, about 30 minutes north up I95 from Newburyport. I moved 25-30 miles inland, and would now be about an hour from Newburyport. The commute south on the I95 corrider to Newburyport is fine...rarely does the traffic get heavy.
Problem is that in coastal NH (Portsmouth, Greenland, Stratham, Newington) it is fairly settled. Not too many places to shoot in your back yard. Further up into Maine you might be able to get some land but that will add to your commute. York County (ME) is also settled and growing fast. Likewise inland from Portsmouth like Dover.
Whatever you do don't live in Mass. Their politics are bizarre (what can you say about a state that returned Ted Kennedy to office for some 35 years?). You will pay MA income tax. If you live in ME you will pay BOTH MA and ME income tax. And if your wife works at all, you will pay ME tax on her income REGARDLESS of where she works. Very bizarre situation.
That makes it simple - live in NH. It just depends on how much you want to commute. I am 25 miles or so inland and can test fire reloads in my back yard into a stump. You might be able to get some land but it will have to be inland. Coastal NH is pretty ritzy now. I got out just in time.
PM me and I can get you in touch with some real esate people out this way. It really depends on how much you wish to commute. Newburyport is 1/2 hour from Portsmouth, 1 hour from Strafford (very rural where I am), 1 hour from Kensington (very rural), etc.

[nhrifle]

Working in Mass. has never been big on my list of things to do, and the money would have to be big for me to even consider it. Call me paranoid, but I do not want my personal information on file in any such communist/fascist state. However, if you are considering working there and commuting from northern locations, take a look at Madbury, NH. I worked there for awhile when I was living in Rochester and Farmington. Unless it has grown dramatically since I was last there, it is very rural, mostly wooded, and I think would fit what you are looking for. The Spaulding Turnpike (Rt 16) has an entrance near the border of Dover, and is just a few miles travel south on that road to 95, which will take you right into Mass.

[RayinNH]

FISH4BUGS and nhrifle pretty much stated as it is. If you don't find a place with land to shoot at, there are plenty of ranges/clubs to choose from. http://wheretoshoot.org/Find_Range/wts_subresults.asp

[chsparkman]

I almost got a job teaching math at the high school in Newburyport about 12 years ago. Due to my wife's job, I had to find a school near Worcester. We loved our time living in Mass., but I hated the gun law situation. Luckily it only lasted two years. New Hampshire is the perfect solution, regardless of the commute. Good luck!

[monadnock#5]

The bad news is that you've chosen a densely populated area to live in. There are more people living in the triangle from Concord/Manchester to Portsmouth to Nashua than the whole of the rest of the state combined. The good news is that the finest shooting range in the state is the Nashua Fish And Game Club in Merrimack, NH.
I'm with Donald, find a place to live in NH. There is lots and lots of housing opportunities in Nashua, NH for the thrifty. For something more rural, check out Hollis and Brookline, NH. Nashua is 40 miles from Newburyport. I hope this works out for you. The area you've chosen has about everything a man could ask for except tropical beaches.

[Kevinakaq]

Well i have accepted the job offer and will start on the 27th. Company will put me up for a couple months at a hotel/extended stay while I look for a place in NH. Trying to navigate the myriad of gun laws and decide what I might bring as deer season begins in early November and lasts till Dec 7th. I can also hunt in Maine and use my pals camp in Carthage. I will be driving up via way of Kentucky (going to stop in for a week and do some deer hunting). Will return to Florida during Xmas break and return to NH (should have found place by then) with my belongings in a Uhaul. May be staying in Mass for my first couple of months which makes bring a few rifles problematic, and a pistol impossible....sigh.

[osteodoc08]

My mothers side is from Massive Two $hits. About all it's worth to me. Sorry. No love lost for the area that they lived in. I'm sure parts of the state are nice but couldn't stand the political atmosphere. And what's up with unsweet tea and iced coffee. Uh, I digress. OTOH, I've done some really nice hikes up in Vermont/NH areas. Some of the coldest, clearest lakes to cool
off in during the summer.

Best of luck with the new job.

[monadnock#5]

I don't know much about it, but MA requires a Firearms Owners ID card for residents. You might call the MA State Police to find out what the hoops and hurdles are for temporary residents. Perhaps your employer might consider putting you up in temporary housing in NH.

[Kevinakaq]

I was able to get them to set me up at an extended stay in Portsmouth, NH. Also talked to the hotel and they have no problem with me keeping rifle there as long as it isnt there when maid cleans. So i will just have them clean on weekends while I am out and about anyway. Did talked to Mass. Department that deals with firearms though and they said I would have two months to get card if I stayed there. Definitly plan on getting place in NH though.

Now to find a decent WMA to hunt as season will be starting shortly after my arrival. Also which modern rifle and which bp to take..lol. Like choosing which one of your children you prefer...

[starmac]

I'm pretty sure that if I took a job in Mass, it would because I wasn't thinking.lol I always hated to even drive through that whole part of the country. There is some pretty country in the northeast, but it just isn't for this guy that is used to the west.

[Kevinakaq]

I'm pretty sure that if I took a job in Mass, it would because I wasn't thinking.lol I always hated to even drive through that whole part of the country. There is some pretty country in the northeast, but it just isn't for this guy that is used to the west.

I wholeheartedly agree on Mass and its gun laws. I would not have taken the job if i could not live in NH. I despise Mass as a liberal bastion and for its anti gun laws. BUT this will be a great chance for me to explore Maine/NH and all they have to offer while making a nice salary. I like to see/experience new places.

Besides there are good people to meet and befriend in every state....shame is we are outnumbered in to many states...lol

[OptimusPanda]

Mass isnt all that bad frankly. Yes, it sucks from a gun owners standpoint, Im actively contemplating a 90 minute commute to live in new hampshire working in metrowest. All that said, once you get an unrestricted LTC its OKish. The only thing banned entirely are "assault weapons" (as per the old federal ban) and post '94 hicaps. Other than that you can bring anything you want in I think.

[RayinNH]

Kevin, Portsmouth is a beautiful city. If you like going out to eat and grab a beer, Portsmouth has a lot to offer. It has more watering holes per capita than any other town/city in the state.

Here's a couple links for you.
http://portsmouthhistory.org/about-portsmouth/
http://thedailyportsmouth.com/ This is a pictorial tour of the sights in Portsmouth.

Don't forget the Kittery Trading Post, just across the river in ME. It's heaven for the outdoorsman.

Send me a PM when you get in the area, I'd like to meet you. I'm 30 minutes away.

[MtGun44]

Be EXTREMELY careful about ammo or (I think) even empty brass being left in your car if you are in
Mass. I believe there was a situation where some ammo was found (like a dropped shotgun shell rolling under
a seat, IIRC) and the driver did not have the REQUIRED Mass firearms card or whatever so there is a
mandatory 1 year minimum jail sentence or something like that.

Get this from a Mass resident gun owner that really knows the facts, this is a dusty old memory of someone
where there are no state gun laws of this kind at all so I am so shocked that this sticks in my
memory, but perhaps not accurately.

I'd imagine that accidentally leaving a gun in the trunk would be a guarantee of jail time, too, if stopped for
a bad taillight and the trunk searched.

Bill

[starmac]

My problem is not that there isn't good people in Mass, and surrounding states, it is just that there is way too many people, good or otherwise. Just too much country in the west that I have not laid eyes on to contemplate living in the north east. I am thinking before a job there would cross my mind, I would be too poor to hitch hike that far. lol

[kayak1]

You might start with reading:
http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/forums/81-Massachusetts-Laws

It's a great place to kayak. It's not a great place for 2A items. http://comm2a.org/ is doing a lot of good if you do move to the area it would be good to join them and to a lesser extent http://goal.org/.

Good luck, it's not a free state. Being an out of stater you will have to apply each year and drive south of Boston to do it.

[FISH4BUGS]

Welcome to New England! Portsmouth is my former home town, but 3 years ago I moved 40 minutes away out to the country and bought a small farm house up on a ridge. Beautiful New Hampshire scenery with stone walls, hay fields and rolling hills with Parker Mountain and Blue Job Mountain in the background. I watched the sun come up this morning over the hills. Couldn't ask for a better place. I can even test my reloads in the back yard without anyone calling the police.
My former condo was located on the corner of Congress and Fleet Streets in Portsmouth. You could not get any more downtown than that! Noisy, drunks, honking cars, loud motorcycles, etc. made it eventually unbearable. Still, I am in Portsmouth every Saturday morning, managing my condo building. Banking, empty the laundry money, inspections, etc. I haven't cut the cord completely just yet.
Portsmouth has many many restaurants, craft beer places and a great arts and culture social life. Portsmouth really IS the best town in NH, bar none.
Major Waldron Sportsman's Club is about 20 minutes from Portsmouth and great club to shoot at. The allow no machine guns whatsoever (unless fired on semi auto only but then what's the point in that?) and they freak out with SBR's and supressors but they tolerate them. Piscatauqa Fish & Game is about 1o minutes from Portsmouth and is a funky little outdoor range. I think they are still in existence.
The Kittery Trading Post (about 10 minutes from Portsmouth in Kittery Maine) is a gun lover's heaven. Probably the biggest gun shop in New England, if not the entire country. If they don't have it, you don't need it!
Also Riley's Sport Shop and Manchester Firing line in Manchester, about 45 minutes from Portsmouth. MFL has the best indoor range in the country. They are my Class 3 dealers and MFL has more machine guns than the Army. Rennaisance Firearms is a funky little gun shop in Gonic, NH about 40 minutes out of Portsmouth.
Massachusetts sucks for me. I cannot take a machine gun or SBR to shoot at a a range or full auto shoot in MA. Non residents cannot posess a machine gun in the State of MA....period....unless you are a direct employee of a manufacturer or security firm.
You will like it here. Again, welcome to New Hampshire.....LIVE FREE OR DIE!

[monadnock#5]

If you win the moose lottery you will be told which zone to hunt. Otherwise, the various zones are well delineated and the rules aren't too onerous.
There are some big gun shows in MA that I won't go to because I can't even buy ammo without an FOID card. I treat any trip to MA like a trip to Mexico via commercial airline. I do mean that sincerely.
The magic in living in the NE is that within a two hour drive, the world is your oyster. Indoor, outdoor, rural, l'il city, big city, mega city, INTL airlines.....WHUDIYAWANNADO this weekend??

[DougGuy]

You don't have to give them your tax dollars, you can claim you live in NH and will file NH taxes. IIRC, Mass has one of the highest unemployment bennies of any state, so if you worked there, you can claim there, and if something doesn't work out and you need to file, you will get paid a LOT.

Ironic that if the founding fathers of this land, the framers of our Constitution could come back and see what was going on there, they'd be ready to string a bunch of loser politicians up by their thumbs in the village common. TOTALLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL to restrict ownership and/or bearing of arms like they do.

You gotta do what you gotta do for work, but there isn't enough money in the world to get me to move anywhere near the NE.

[monadnock#5]

In case your wondering, NH residents can buy handguns at the Kittery Trading Post. You pay in ME, and take receipt in Portsmouth, with paperwork on both ends. It's a PITA, but I was able to pick up on a 5.5" .44 Redhawk there, and so was glad to make the time.

[kayak1]

You don't have to give them your tax dollars, you can claim you live in NH and will file NH taxes. IIRC, Mass has one of the highest unemployment bennies of any state, so if you worked there, you can claim there, and if something doesn't work out and you need to file, you will get paid a LOT.


If you work in MA and live in NH, with the lack of a NH income tax, one will end up paying the MA income tax and then the high NH property tax.

[DougGuy]

If you work in MA and live in NH, with the lack of a NH income tax, one will end up paying the MA income tax and then the high NH property tax.

Could also claim FL as home state and file there!

[Kevinakaq]

From what I have read Mass doesn't care where you live...they will take their income tax regardless. Would love to avoid if possible (will give a tax expert a call).

Thanks for all the information on the various ranges and trading posts in the neighborhood. I will definitely give each one of them a visit (once I start getting paid that is!). Though I have lived in many big cities (Tokyo, Manila, NYC, Chicago, Norfolk, Tampa) I can succinctly say that I do not like them. I grew up a country boy shooting muzzle loaders off my mothers back porch and that is what I enjoy. It really was a 'can't say no' job offer and who knows what the future will hold. I try not to predict long term. Unfortunately my industry (packaging machinery) is rare in the south. I have taken it easy for quite a while and all my savings are chewed up (mostly spent on rifles and reloading equipment) and it is time to get back to productivity. I don't regret my time off as I have been near my family for two years and had a chance to spend LOTS of time with them. Might not get that opportunity again and that means quite a bit to me. Additionally I was able to bring all my rifles out of storage (had not shot in years) and get back in full swing. Good to get back to the things that make you happy - namely shooting and hunting. Now I just need to make certain my career doesn't push those back out of the picture.

Everything I read about New Hampshire sounds extremely positive. Relatively low population, low crime, etc. We have all of the opposite in abundance in Florida. I am an avid outdoors man as well and would love to bear/moose hunt. Another bucket list item or two I might be able to check off. I am a single man (divorced some years ago) and have no children so the move is all me. I do have a Jack Russel that I will be leaving with my brother. Job will require travel and as a single man I can't leave her at home and refuse to kennel her. She loves it at my family's place so unfortunately I think I will be missing her more than she misses me. BUT it is still the hardest part about leaving.

I am excited about starting out in Portsmouth as it looks like a great community. Lots to offer and very scenic as well. Will be a great place to stay a couple of months while living in the hotel. Only about a 25 minute commute to work which is worth it to get above Mass. They originally had me staying in Danvers outside of Boston and I don't think I would have enjoyed that local. Ideally I would like to live a little further inland within NH once I find a place (cabin/cottage type preferred). Trying to keep commute under 30 minutes if possible but would add to that if I could shoot!

Good to know about buying handguns at the Kittery Trading Post. I will not be bringing either of my full sized pistols with me. I recently traded my concealed weapon when I found myself short on cash and facing a really great buy. I will be buying a small 380/9mm in NH or Maine. I do have a FL concealed license which I know NH respects and surprisingly Maine does not.

Thanks for all the comments and helpful information my friends,
Kevin

[bdicki]

In case your wondering, NH residents can buy handguns at the Kittery Trading Post. You pay in ME, and take receipt in Portsmouth, with paperwork on both ends. It's a PITA, but I able to pick up on a 5.5" .44 Redhawk there, and so was glad to make the time.

Anyone who is not a Maine Resident can buy anything over $200 from KTP and pick it up in New Hampshire to avoid ME sales tax, including guns. They have a desk in an old closed gas station just over the border where you sign the filled out paper work for gun purchases.

[Kevinakaq]

Anyone who is not a Maine Resident can buy anything over $200 from KTP and pick it up in New Hampshire to avoid ME sales tax, including guns. They have a desk in an old closed gas station just over the border where you sign the filled out paper work for gun purchases.

Good to know bdicki - thanks for that!

[Dan Cash]

I don't know what you do for a living but you can find that occupation far aaway from the Nort Eastern cess pool. You would be nuts to move up there.

[bigalf]

I am from two towns over from Newburyport. Its a great area to live, right on the ocean. However be advised from a commute standpoint there is one toll on 95 just crossing the boarder and a few more the further up you go. Rochester is like a 40 minute commute and I think its about 8$ in tolls. So consider that when checking the commute. Additionally one big concern you need to be aware of DO NOT BRING ANY MAGAZINES GREATER THAN 10 ROUNDS. Unless you can prove they are pre94, IE AR15 mag that is dated of Glock Gen I mag with U notch. Pistols are fine, rifles can't have more than 2 evil features. NH is an awesome state to live in. When I get back from teh Army I plan to move to NH. My family is in MA but I can't stand the state. Lots of natural beauty in NH. This aint Florida, get ready for some cold winters. If your making a commute, I recommend a 4x4 if possible. As others mentioned, you will have to pay MA income tax and if you purchase a house in NH, their property tax. Sounds like guys here have you covered, feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

[RayinNH]

Alf your correct, property taxes are high, however we have no sales or income tax unlike all of our nieghbors that surround us. It might all balance out in the end though.