Sandwich, NH Pros/Cons
 

Good morning all. My wife and I are contemplating buying or building a second house in Sandwich. Sandwich seems quiet and a quick ride to boat launches and marinas on the big lake plus we will have access to Squam. Anyone on the forum from Sandwich or can anyone provide insight, advice or any pros/cons. The only thing I seemed to notice was the lack of Verizon cell phone coverage. Other than that the place seems perfect.

Thanks!
1

When you see the word community that is truly Sandwich!! Eveyone is there for each other and looks out for each other. Not sure if you have children but they have a fantastic school which is part of Interlakes. There is only one restaurant there and one coffee shop. Yes, Verizon is tough out there. You would be closer to the fair for fair time. Haha Boating on Squam is nice you can always go to our favorite restaurant Walter's Basin. Good luck with what you decide.

Thanks for the info. I wish I could pick up and move there now with the kids but work will be keeping me in place for the next 20 years. I'tll be used strictly for vacation now until I can make the final move out of NJ.

If you are building or renovating a home just beware that the weekend trips will be hard. It is a challenging "white knuckle" drive from NJ to NH and it gets real bad during the summer or when you encounter accidents.

Lakemamma pretty much nailed it. Great sense of community. Lots of wonderful outdoor activity options year round. Very peaceful and away from it all. But.... definitely away from it all. We were hiking with our kids there recently and our youngest decided he was starving. The Corner House Inn didn't open until dinner, the coffee shop wasn't open, we didn't realize until we got there but the north sandwich market had closed down. Our only choice was to go out to sandwich creamery for honor system ice cream sandwiches (that last part worked out really well).

If you are the kind of person who doesn't mind driving 30 minutes when you need some bread Sandwich is awesome. If you are going to be frustrated that everything requires a long trip in the car then think about it some more.

Sandwich is a very pleasant place. It is close to Moultonborough, and easy to travel between the two. As you make your choice, you might want to consider the difference in property tax rates. The Sandwich property tax rate is nearly double the Moultonborough property tax rate.

If leaving a home empty for the winter best read up on the various ways folks do this.

A good generator is almost a must now. More and more homes have a generator.

I think Sandwich like many small "out of the way" towns is a beautiful small community. However, if you have never lived in an isolated community like this consider how far you have to drive for conveniences. Your kids may initially like all the space they get but may grow bored with less kid based community sponsored activities that you may find in a larger community.

Also, while Squam is a gorgeous like and love being on it, it is also a very nerve-wracking lake due to the amount of hazards all over it. It will take some time to get comfortable there. The main draw back if you don't live on that lake is the parking only holds about 20 boats and fills up on weekends very early. Trout/salmon guys will take many spots before sunrise and bass guys will take many more before 9AM. Pleasure boats get what is left and there is NO WHERE else to park your trailer or launch if you miss the last open spot. As such each weekend trip for pleasure boaters or people who sleep in is a risky proposition.

Center Harbor (your closest public ramp) also has limited parking near the ramp and you will have to haul your trailer up behind the fire station after that. Sheps used to have plenty of space but since it went free...tough getting a parking spot on a weekend after 9.

While I love Sandwich as a community, I think the lake access issues, isolation and lack of services including cell phone would probably have me looking at other non-big lake communities that are a bit more convenient and have better public access like Gilmanton, Pittsfield, Sanborton, New Hampton, Belmont, Tilton, etc. Be aware that some of these communities are adversely impacted by Loudon races in summer or large activites like Bike Week.

I hear ya...luckily in my line of work I am blessed with extended weekends/days off when they eventually roll around.

Great info....thanks