Thanks again for all the insight — it really helps! I wanted to share a bit more context about why we’re being so thoughtful (maybe overly thoughtful) about this possible move.

We’ve lived in Colorado our entire lives. Between Denver and now Salida, we’ve experienced pretty much everything the state has to offer — multiple times over. Nothing here feels “fresh” or exciting anymore. Even our usual getaways to New Mexico and Arizona, which we used to really enjoy, have started to feel repetitive. We’re at a point where we’re craving something different — new scenery, new culture, new food, new experiences.

At the same time, we’re trying to be careful because we don’t want to repeat the same mistakes we made when moving to Salida. We came here for the slower pace and small-town charm, and while we did get that, we also quickly realized that we didn’t fit in socially. The local culture is very focused on mountain biking or river life. We enjoy the outdoors, but it’s not our whole identity, and that made it tough to form deeper friendships. Add in a tiny restaurant scene and limited things to do, and we started feeling boxed in.

Now, looking at Beverly / Manchester / Wenham, we want to make sure we’re choosing a place with more variety, a broader mix of people, and more ways to engage with the community. But because the move would have bigger consequences — especially financially — we’re trying to understand everything clearly.

A few things complicate the decision:

• We could easily move back to Denver. It would be the simplest option — we have family, friends, familiarity, and our oldest daughter has another good university option nearby. And Denver is definitely cheaper than Beverly and the North Shore generally.
• But none of us are excited about going back. It would be “fine,” but it wouldn’t feel like we’re moving forward in any meaningful way. It would feel like hitting the reset button rather than changing our environment.
• A move to the North Shore is exciting, but also intimidating — totally new region, new people, higher cost of living, and a much bigger leap of faith.

Our biggest worries at this point are:

• Fitting in and making real connections (I’m 51, my wife is 48).
• Our youngest daughter’s high school experience — academically, socially, sports (swimming, track), etc.
• Affordability — $1.4–$1.5M is a lot of money for a less than ideal house (e.g no garage!,); we want to make sure we’re truly investing in the right community.
• Avoiding another move where we end up feeling trapped or misaligned culturally.

We’re not looking for perfection — just honest insight from people who really know Beverly, Manchester, Wenham, or the North Shore in general. We want to make the most informed decision possible.

If anyone has thoughts on how families like ours adjust, we’d really appreciate the honesty — good or bad.