I have a job offer in Bethlehem and didn't have any doubts until yesterday when someone said I would be miserable because it's such a small town. For reference, I am moving from a city where the population is 20 times that of Bethlehem. The job offers furnished housing and I would be moving with my two dogs. My other offer is in Charlottesville, VA and Bethlehem is seeming great because of the housing, proximity to skiing and hiking, outdoor opportunities, and the small town feel. Am I being naive in that it's a horrible move to make or should I just go for it?

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Peeeculiar t1_itzwo1o wrote on October 27, 2022 at 3:06 PM

It all depends on you. It's not exactly hermit territory, but unless you live near the gas station it kind of skews in that direction. There is not much to Bethlehem, but Littleton (which has basic shopping a couple of decent restaurants, solid craft beer) is right up the road. Even then, LIttleton is pretty small and is kind of an outpost (the Walmart there is a magnet for folks coming from many, many miles away.)

If you want a place close to awesome hiking and not far from great skiing and you want to be left alone, it's a great place for that.

TheMobyDicks t1_iu0kmst wrote on October 27, 2022 at 5:41 PM

> solid craft beer

Damn skippy!

RickyDaytonaJr t1_itzwbpu wrote on October 27, 2022 at 3:03 PM

This question is impossible to answer because it’s totally based on your personal preferences. Do you want a rural lifestyle with a lower cost of living and easy access to outdoor recreation? Or do you want to live in a larger community with more access to services, shopping, night life/social life, and a more temperate climate?

If the former, pick Bethlehem. If the latter, pick Charlottesville.

TheMobyDicks t1_iu0kp3v wrote on October 27, 2022 at 5:41 PM

This exactly.

Evening_Carry_146 t1_itzw4vq wrote on October 27, 2022 at 3:02 PM

What's the job? Is there travel involved?

sassooal t1_iu0m6in wrote on October 27, 2022 at 5:51 PM

Bethlehem is one of those places where you need to bring in nearly everything you need- there are some cafes, the most awesome ice cream ever, a brewery, and a gas station and that is pretty much it.

Littleton is about 15 minutes away, but it is one of those places with several cute little shops and only a Walmart and a Lowes if you need to buy, say, a microwave.

I guess one way to look at it is do you want to be someplace where you need to rely on a car or not?

99probs-allbitches t1_iu18dqx wrote on October 27, 2022 at 8:14 PM

Ha! Bethlehem is dope as fuck. Endless things to do, I wish the days were 50 hours long.

JaimeGordonLannister t1_iu1zbxs wrote on October 27, 2022 at 11:24 PM

I live in Littleton. If you enjoy outdoor activities like skiing, mountain biking, hiking, or gravel biking, you'll probably like it up here.

If you enjoy clubbing, bar hopping, ubering around big cities between fancy restaurants and cocktail places, museums, or any other stuff that's exclusive to big cities: it might not be quite your speed.

FWIW I'm not sure why so many people claim it's totally car centric up here. I've lived in plenty of places around the country with larger populations, and Littleton is among the most walkable because the town is dense with housing and there are ample sidewalks. And the trail networks by Littleton, Bethlehem, and Franconia are top-notch, rivaling trail networks on the edge of much larger cities. You can bike to a lot of stuff in Littleton; maybe a bit less in Bethlehem.

I'm not sure if you'll want to live here forever, but it's a great place to spend a couple of years and build up some outdoorsy hobbies. It could get lonely if you don't have a partner who will move with you, though.

Feel free to DM me if you have any other questions.

DeerFlyHater t1_iu2dwdz wrote on October 28, 2022 at 1:16 AM

Only disagreement I would have with your post is the car centric piece. While Littleton is not car centric and probably has one of the most walkable downtown areas out there, if you want serious grocery shopping you need wheels. In Bethlehem they'll need wheels to get anything other than beer or coffee if they live near downtown.

JaimeGordonLannister t1_iu50wnm wrote on October 28, 2022 at 4:27 PM

Good point. You can do a lot on foot, including go to the co-op, but it's not quite close enough to downtown to justify most days. And the street crossing by the co-op kind of sucks. If they added a back way to the co-op for bikes and pedestrians, preferably off the rail trail, it would massively improve my quality of life.

And of course if you want to ever go on a hike, check out other mountain biking trails, etc., you're totally dependent on a car. Not that different from most US cities, but you couldn't use public transit even if you wanted to here.

DeerFlyHater t1_iu2cyhq wrote on October 28, 2022 at 1:09 AM

Bethlehem is fine. You have all the amenities you need, to include a couple of restaurants in town and then Littleton stuff next door.

Only area related gripes would be is shitty grocery options. Shaws is suboptimal and the Coop is pricey. I know a bunch of folks who hit the Plymouth Market Basket.

Dacey_M0rm0nt t1_iu0i2dk wrote on October 27, 2022 at 5:24 PM

I’m living in NH and originally from Richmond, VA. I don’t have anything to say on Bethlehem, but I can say that Charlottesville is an amazing city. Fairly small town feel, but still lots to do. Great access to the outdoors. Great access to jobs. Great access to healthcare. Great shopping, great dining. Good weather. I love that city!

a1234321 t1_iu0x52a wrote on October 27, 2022 at 7:01 PM

If you need constant stimulation, it's not for you. If you're down for a slow-down (and stuff like not many takeout options, no public transportation, etc) it's just like any other small New England town

bingqiling t1_iu2ei11 wrote on October 28, 2022 at 1:20 AM

Are you able to visit first before making the decision? It totally depends on the type of place you're looking to live. Super different than Charlottesville.

FWIW I think Bethlehem is amazing and one of the biggest barriers for people moving to this area is the lack of housing, which you wouldn't have to worry about in your situation.

Orchidsgardens38 t1_iu2ycnf wrote on October 28, 2022 at 4:01 AM

It’s way up North in the mountains. Winters are COLD and long. No way would I ever move their. Unless you love mountains, hiking, skiiing, winter sports and you’re really active in the winter- I can’t understand why anyone would want to live there

overdoing_it t1_iu41vjs wrote on October 28, 2022 at 12:10 PM

It's not exactly the middle of nowhere but it is a small town far from any large cities.

There is enough around that you never have to leave the area or will be lacking things to do. But if you're fond of suburban or city life, you will probably not be happy with it. If it's of much importance to you, healthcare in the area is limited, with one hospital and its network of offices in the area. If you don't like that one, you're out of luck or driving far to alternatives.

Thefinalwerd t1_iu2jret wrote on October 28, 2022 at 2:00 AM

I live in Littleton which is like 5 minutes down the road.

If you like nature, art and are friendly you'll love it.

Otherwise you may struggle.

Nevaknosbest t1_iu0pmw2 wrote on October 27, 2022 at 6:13 PM

If you never lived in a small town and you're not an alcoholic you'll likely hate it.

Ok_Low_1287 t1_iu0rb6t wrote on October 27, 2022 at 6:23 PM

Most likely you will love it for 3 weeks, think its the greatest decision you every made, then over time the isolation and lack of social diversity will start to gnaw at you and you will start to hate it.

Watch The Shining as a reference.