New North End (Burlington, Colchester, South Burlington: appointed, rental, day care)

[Jpnessa]

My family and I are moving to Burlington this summer and would love some info on NNE of Burlington.

1.Good schools are a must... so my question is is JJ Flynn a good school?
2.Safety is a big concern as well...is it a safe area? I may have to be home alone at times with children.
3. Is it family friendly?

I know alot of people say that it's not like a real city, but I'm having a hard time trying to figure out what it's really like here.

Also I notice the rental prices are crazy ...I can't imagine paying $1600 for some of these places. Is $1600 enough to get a nice home/townhome in a good area?
It's quite a stressful process a normal family home that is $800 per month here is $2200 a month there.

Well any advice would be great even opinions on areas you may like better..THANKS in advance!

[vter]

The new north end is suburban and middle class. Yes, it's safe. Lots of families.
Can't comment on the schools.
The only thing I don't like about the NNE is that it seems really isolated to me. To get to the highway you have to go through downtown/UVM or up and around through Colchester. Depending on traffic it could take you 1/2 hour to get to Williston (for example), 7 miles away.
I much prefer South Burlington, Essex, Colchester or Williston if you are looking for a suburban feel.

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by Jpnessa

My family and I are moving to Burlington this summer and would love some info on NNE of Burlington.

1.Good schools are a must... so my question is is JJ Flynn a good school?
2.Safety is a big concern as well...is it a safe area? I may have to be home alone at times with children.
3. Is it family friendly?

I know alot of people say that it's not like a real city, but I'm having a hard time trying to figure out what it's really like here.

Also I notice the rental prices are crazy ...I can't imagine paying $1600 for some of these places. Is $1600 enough to get a nice home/townhome in a good area?
It's quite a stressful process a normal family home that is $800 per month here is $2200 a month there.

Well any advice would be great even opinions on areas you may like better..THANKS in advance!

It's isolated and really not much to look at. The houses and streets are pretty unimpressive. There are a lot of cities in the country that have similar looking neighborhoods where the houses are dirt cheap. But it's Burlington, so you have to pay.

It's definitely safe, so it has that going for it. I suspect you'll be disappointed when you see it. But now that I know a bit more about the Burlington area, it's not a bad alternative.

[VT_CO10]

I really like the NNE. It's close to downtown and the lake/bike path without having to live with all the college kids. It is safe and family friendly but not sure about the schools. If I had to guess I'd say the "suburbs" (Essex, S Burlington, Williston, Shelburne) have better schools. Some neighborhoods are better than others, I liked Lakewood Estates and the neighborhood in behind Saratoga Ave that borders the beltline and Ethan Allen Park. Other neighborhoods have mainly older ranch style houses and as a whole everything is probably overpriced.


It is somewhat isolated in terms of getting to I-89 and the rest of Chittenden County as the other posters mentioned, this has the often overlooked benefit of having less traffic than you might expect. If you work downtown it's a breeze going on North Ave or the Beltline. Nobody goes to the NNE or Mallets Bay for shopping because there is none outside of essentials. They are not on the way to anything either. Traffic can be surprisingly annoying outside of Burlington in places like Williston Road and Shelburne Road if you need to travel them during "rush hour".

[Jpnessa]

I have heard some parts of NNE I should stay away from? Is that Plattsburg Ave?

[Sun Thinker]

I'm not real fond of the Burlington schools. I live on the lake in the NNE, so I'm relatively secluded from the rest of the neighborhood. The biggest drawbacks are lack of shopping and the time it takes to get to the Interstate, or anywhere else for that matter. But need to do the drive every day, so I'm more acutely aware of those shortcomings.

As far as rents and schools and access, Colchester/Essex/Williston/South Burlington are better bets AFAIC. Chittenden county rents in general are pretty high compared to many states. I own a house in Colchester, and the schools there are great. I would not send my kids to Burlington schools.

[nonimouse]

I grew up in the NNE, went to Flynn. I mostly agree with what everyone else has said..one of the nice things about Burlington schools is that they are relatively diverse, especially compared to SB, Essex, etc. (30+ languages spoken). Generally well run, great teachers.
Absolutely no safety concerns.
Burlington is small, but it draws from the rest of VT and has a lot more cultural options than you might expect for a city of its size. It's also beautiful, and outdoorsy and very accessible.

[Suelbennett]

I have to weigh in on this location. My daughter and son-in-law bought off Shore Road and just love the area. Housing prices are high everywhere but they did not want to have to pay rent so opted to buy. Area is walking distance to private beach,bike path and easy commute to UVMC (resident) Grocery store and bus route also withing walking distance. When we visit we have not had a problem driving through downtown Burlington to their house via North Ave. Also various roads will get you to the Mall shopping/Williston Box Stores when you want. We like shopping the downtown Burlington Mall. I would think living South Burlington or Shelburne would be a very conjested ride coming up Route 7. This is where we run into the most traffic. As far as schools we can't comment although my daughter hears Burlington schools are good. She did have great luck finding wonderfull day care right in this area.
We will be sad when they have to sell their New North End home in March as will they.

[Sun Thinker]

I'm now in the South end of Burlington. The incredible difference in driving time to just about anywhere has been noticed since day 1. The NNE has hardly anything to offer in the way of restaurants etc... In addition, I'm almost right on the beach, and save 20 minutes each way to work.