Question: What brought you to South Berwick?
Since I’ve been running this blog I’ve had the opportunity to meet and talk to many South Berwick residents I never knew before. This morning I was thinking of the span of time people have been here. I’ve talked to some who have lived here all their lives and some who just moved here in the last few months. I got to wondering about the proportion of natives, long time residents, and new comers and that sent me off to look at the Census data. Here is what I found:
Place of birth of U.S. born South Berwick residents based on 2000 U.S. Census data:
Born in Maine: 20%
Born in another state: 80%
That doesn’t get at it. 80% of us were born in another state, but that includes people who were born in Dover and Portsmouth who were brought home to South Berwick. The 20% born in Maine includes those who lived in other Maine towns and moved here. So my only conclusion: A lot of us were born out of state.
Then I looked at the data from the 2000 Census where residents were asked when they had moved into their current home. Here is what I found:
Again this doesn’t get at it either. This includes people who moved from one home in South Berwick to another. But it does show a lot of movement. In 2000 57% of South Berwick residents had moved into their home in the last ten years and only 11% had lived in their home for more than thirty years.
The Census data couldn’t answer my question about how many natives, long time residents, and new comers there are here. So that leads me to my question:
When did you come to South Berwick and what brought you here?
I’ll tell you my answer in the comments and you do the same.
Tags: community, south berwick
April 4th, 2008 at 10:56 am
I moved to South Berwick in 1990. I moved to this area in 1983 from Burlington, Vermont for a job. It was a choice between Ithaca, NY and the seacoast. The seacoast won out because of the ocean and the proximity to Boston and Portland. I first bought a house in Rochester, NH but I never felt in sync with the town. I was attracted to Maine for its independent spirit. When we decided to leave Rochester we chose South Berwick because of its beautiful natural environment with rivers and open spaces and its downtown with a grocery store, a hardware store, a drug store, and the library. In 1990 it was an affordable town and the property taxes where much lower than NH. It was and continues to be a great choice.
April 4th, 2008 at 11:01 am
We moved here in 1987. I am originally from Maine, further up the coast, married someone from Massachusetts and lived there for awhile after college. Husband’s job moved to Dover, we wanted a particular kind of house and found what we wanted here in town. Although we still live here in town, we have since moved from that first home. We still debate moving out of Maine due to the tax structure and capital gains issues, but we like the town, we have a wonderful neighborhood and, rather like tortoises, we move slowly!
April 4th, 2008 at 11:40 am
I have to admit, it was the women who brought me to the area. (Well, one anyway)
My wife was born and raised in Eliot, and graduated from Marshwood.
We met when I was stationed at the Navy Yard.
After 4 years of my working for a high tech company in Gloucester Mass, we had the opportunity to move back to the seacoast.
When we started looking for a house, Eliot was untouchable for us.
We found a great house for a reasonable price in South Berwick, which, as we all know is part of SAD 35, and here we are today.
April 4th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
My husband and I moved to South Berwick in 1994. We had been renters in Eliot for 5 years prior to that. We knew that we wanted to live in either South Berwick or Eliot because of the school district. We had no children at the time, but generally speaking, good schools produce good citizens (less crime, more community envolvement, etc). The district did not let us down. We found a house in South Berwick that we really liked, and could afford. Our daughter was born in 1997, and was later diagnosed with Autism. I’m even happier that we live in this district now, because the Autism program in our schools is SO much better than most of the other districts! Our child has been attending SAD 35 schools since Kindergarten and is now in 5th grade, doing well.
For the record, I’m originally from Moorestown, NJ, which was selected as the #1 most liveable town in America in 2006 (by Business Week). Many of the elements that garnered that distinction for Moorestown, I’ve seen in South Berwick as well. My Husband is from Lexington, MA, and gets the same feeling.
April 4th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Another New Jerseyen! I moved here in May? of ‘06 with my brothers. I originally moved to New England 6 months prior from the small town of Elmer, NJ and stayed with them in Portsmouth but they loved the town of South Berwick, and we needed more room. So I went along for the ride. My move was due to personal decisions in my life and I still own and maintain a duplex in NJ. I really love this town and after moving out of their place in September, I’ve moved two more times but stayed in South Berwick for both moves. I’m looking to buy another house but being single I just can’t afford the prices here, I’m looking to move back to NH, maybe farmington, but I will miss being here.
April 4th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
I’m still waiting for the first person to claim the stork brought them!
April 4th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
No stork, just a silver Dodge 20 years ago. We moved here because it was near both of our families and we liked the community. Even with the unrest lately we don’t regret the move and don’t plan on moving any time soon.
April 4th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
I moved to woodland hills in 1990 only because it was a cheap place to live at the time.
Since then I’ve got divorced and remarried and have one child in the Great works school and one who will graduate next year. South Berwick is a great place to live and has one of the best school systems around thats why I’ve staid.
I was born and raised in Portsmouth. The thing that saddens me about Portsmouth is that and I can’t afford the house I grew up in.I make a very good living more than twice what my father made and couldn’t even touch a house in the neighborhood I lived in. So my greatest hope is that South Berwick doesn’t become to expensive for my children.
April 4th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Dave, That would have to be a quite elderly person whose computer skills are very limited. The hospital on Portland St. closed in the early forties, so since then most of us were born in either Dover,Rochester,Portsmouth, or Sanford.
April 4th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
My family and I moved here over thirty years ago from Portland, Maine….
Because a good job was offered very near our home~~~~~~ we liked the town and the surrounding area… Really like the fact that we are so near to Dover, NH.
To me, it is ideal– not that far from Portland or Boston or the White Mountains or the ocean… What more could I ever want?!!!
It is just the best of all worlds as far as I am concerned!!!
I know that times change and towns change and people change but I so do hope and pray that South Berwick, Maine will never lose its special charm and character….
We live in a very friendly neighborhood…… a just-right type of “friendly”… No one parked on our doorstep every day but we know if we want/need them they are there for us and vice -versa.
We are grateful…. And hopefully we can stay here the rest of our lives!!!
April 5th, 2008 at 10:29 am
We (2 generations of family) moved to my dream house last summer from Nottingham NH. It was kind of like a dream come true as well with having my father in law move in with us very enthusiastically, of course it had to be the “right house” which we were fortunate to find. I had been looking in Eliot and South Berwick for the schools, getting more fed up the property tax way of funding education in NH.
My husband and I started out are married life and had our first daughter 14 years ago in ME west of Portland, wanting to move here to South Berwick out of Brookline MA but at that time, late ’80’s prices were getting out of our reach.
April 5th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
We moved here in 1987 for the school system
We wanted Eliot but it wasnt in our price range
We have been very happy here and having had 3 children go through the school system we are glad we are here
We now have 3 granchildren in the system
It is a great town and a great place to raise a family
All this being said the politics in South Berwick seem to be getting much worse I hope there is a change comming….
April 5th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
The stork bought my daughter in December of 2003. My husband and I had moved to South Berwick in 2003, just about 6 miles as the geese fly from where I grew up on Route 101 in Dover. We had been living in California, and moved to the Seacoast to be closer to family. (I still can’t believe I convinced a native Santa Cruzian that New England winters are not that bad.) We came at the height of the bubble, and did not think we would ever find a house we could afford and love. I’m glad we were wrong, and happier still that our old house was in South Berwick. There are not too many places left in the Seacoast that have the open fields, access to riverfront, and woodlands that made being a kid in this area so special. I’m sad about the contentious politics at town hall, but hopeful that we can work it out.
April 6th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
My hubby and I bought an old run down house in 1983 (still working on it). We chose South Berwick because of proximity to family and it was a farm we could afford. I grew up summering on the seacoast and my parents used to bring us to Tatnic to run in the woods and explore old cellar holes. Climbing Mt A was a monthly excursion. I had a Huckleberry Finn childhood because of the open spaces here. My children have been able to enjoy the same experiences. Should they decide to settle in this town, I hope their children will have the same opportunities. This town welcomed us and invited us to get involved. Good people make good communities.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:43 am
I moved from to the seacoast area for my fist real job after college in 1983 (from New Jersey via Syracuse U). For a decade I bounced around between NH and ME rentals. In 1993 it was time to settle down and we bought our house in South Berwick because it was the only place where we could afford something “nice.” Since then I’ve had children and I’m thrilled that SAD35 is such a good school system. I’ve become very good friends with some of my neighbors and I’ve volunteered for different comittees in town. Even though I am from away and will never be a “native,” sometimes I feel like a “local” and I am proud to call South Berwick my home.
April 7th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
THE STORK BROUGHT ME TO SOUTH BERWICK IN 1942. HE LEFT ME AT THE SOUTH BERWICK BIRTHING HOSPITAL ON PORTLAND ST. I HAVE LIVED IN THIS GREAT LITTLE TOWN ALL MY LIFE. HOWEVER NOW THAT I’M RETIRED I REALLY INJOY MY WINTERS IN FLORIDA!!!!!!!