This topic comes up from time to time on the boards and I respond to each time it does...
I made this exact decision back in 1989 when I lived in Boston. I wanted a fixer upper with land and a view up in the mountains. As a skier and a snow lover I looked all over NNE. I needed some balance between weather but social activities and even medical care. Living far away in a rural area has some downsides.
I found my place in the foothills of the White Mountains of NH. In a low tax town of 1000 people called Bridgewater NH. I'm high on a hill at a elevation of 1100 feet. Plenty of snow (over 80") but only 13 miles from interstate 93 so I can be in Boston in 2 hours for everything a city has to offer. So for me it was a balance of services, taxs, weather, skiing, shopping and medical. Also make sure you have wifi access. Much of NNE does not.
Good Luck