Back in 2007, for my own sanity, I made the decision to leave the world of corporations and start-ups in the Silicon Slopes (Utah’s version of Silicon Valley) and moved to a small town in the woods of New Hampshire to work in the same industry at a much smaller scale. It’s been one of the best decisions of my professional career.
But, why Peterborough, NH?
If you were to drive by Peterborough on highway 101 or 202, you may miss it completely. Nestled in among the trees and away from the main roads is the bustling little downtown area of a quintessential New England town. With its requisite red brick mill buildings, clock tower, and steeples, Peterborough seems like it stepped right out of a movie.
Mixed in with little mom & pop stores, you can find a world culture museum, fine-arts gallery and museum, a big screen movie theater, and a very popular Pub that pulls in some impressive musicians from Boston, Washington DC, and New York as well as top-notch local talent. Peterborough is home to the nation’s leading and oldest artist colony, The MacDowell Colony and also one of the oldest professional summer theatre companies, The Peterborough Players.
The list of plusses goes on: Outdoor recreation with a seemingly endless supply of lakes, rivers, mountains, and trails. There’s downhill and cross-country skiing in the winter. Festivals in the Spring and Summer. And to top it off, Boston is only an hour-and-a-half away. Is it any wonder this is where I chose to land?
Dublin, NH – Home of Yankee Publishing, Inc.
But what about internet access? I get a speedy 175Mbps from home. Yeah it’s not Google Fiber by any means, but it’s certainly not slow. In fact, it’s more than enough to allow me to stream 4+ hours of live music direct from my basement every Thursday night.
There is a downside: Property taxes in New Hampshire are pretty high. But there’s no sales tax or state income tax. And New Hampshire comes in 7th for the lowest business tax rates in the nation. Despite the high property tax rates, the other benefits seem to balance it all out.
Big city life isn’t for everyone. Finding a gem in the rough like Peterborough that allows for an exceptional work/life balance is a great alternative for people who enjoy a slower pace, but still want to work in fast-paced industry, while keeping their sanity.