Give Manchester a chance is my advice. It will likely have the most rental options under $2k, it is under an hour from the ocean, Boston, and lakes/mountains, and it has some of the best food in the state due in large part to its diverse population. If you’re single and looking to date there’s also lots of clubs, events, social sports, bars etc. There is also poverty, homelessness, and crime, just like any other comparably sized city. Don’t go looking for trouble, lock your car doors, and you should be fine.

I lived there for 12 years (I'm mid 30s, female) and had to leave as soon as I could afford to. I moved there in 2010 because it had a new build in my budget but I hated living there as the city council (and mayor) is a joke, wasted property tax dollars, and it was just getting overcrowded and crime-ridden. If you want to be AROUND Manchester for the nightlife aspect there are so many towns surrounding it that are so much better imo.

It's generally known to be one of the less safe areas to live in. I'm in the Derry/Londonderry area and it's pretty calm, I hear Concord is also pretty nice.