Single 28 year old gal - move to Burlington? (Springfield, Chittenden: neighborhood, theatre)

[LeavingNYC2008]

I'm a born-and-bred New Yorker who has been itching for a less noisy, friendlier, greener place to live. Would love some input on whether a newly-single, 28 year old gal would be happy here? Ideally, I'd love a decent "downtown" scene (art, theatre, music, bookstores, a decent selection of bars) but without the trendy, expensive, "ultra-chic" New York vibe. Just looking to relocate somewhere that has a progressive, young, vibrant culture without the hipster attitude. I'd also love to know if there's housing in walking distance of things to do, or if I'd need to bring my car everywhere (definitely appreciate the pedestrian-friendly aspect of NY). Thanks for your input!

[vter]

What about a job? IMO, thats what you should be worried about in making a move, not just to Burlington, but anywhere.
Burlington does have a decent "scene" and the vibe is more outdoorsy, not chic. Housing in Burlington is expensive when related to salaries. If you live downtown you can go wherever you need to go on foot or by bus. You will also find that it is MUCH quieter here than NYC.
Have you ever been here? YOu may want to consider coming up for a visit - watch JetBlue for cheap fares.
For ideas on rents/housing costs, check out www.burlingtonfreepress.com, www.sevendaysvt.com, and craigslist.

[middle-of-nowhere]

I'm a 26 y/o male who just moved from Burlington to NYC (Park Slope, Brooklyn) a little more than a year ago. I was born and raised in a large foreign city. I took a good job in the Burlington area thinking I would enjoy the exact downtown scenes you mentioned during my free time from work.

Although Burlington is a great small town, it's still pretty small. I got bored pretty easily. So before you make the move from the largest city in North America to tiny-by-comparison Burlington, here are a few things to consider:

1) Beyond downtown Burlington and the immediate area of Chittenden County that's accessible by CCTA, you will need a car. The CCTA is certainly not as frequent or wide coverage as the MTA subways and buses.

2) Even my current NYC neighborhood feels bigger than the entire Burlington itself. Have you tried looking at midsized cities such as Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, Madison? If you currently live in Manhattan, have you considered the outerboroughs?

3) You MUST enjoy the outdoors. Skiing, hiking, sailing, kayaking, snowshoeing, snowboarding, etc. It's the main source of fun and recreation in the area, and if you're not into it, you'll be in for a long winter (and rest of the year, too).

4) Do come prepared with a job lined up or a few options which would likely lead to jobs. As a previous poster mentioned, good paying jobs are a little difficult to find in the state as a whole.

I am not saying Burlington is a bad place. In fact, I actually really liked it up there. My current neighborhood actually somewhat reminds me of downtown Burlington, but with Subway access to the rest of NYC instead of being in the middle of a very rural state. Burlington wasn't the right place for me to live in, but I'd always love to be a visitor! I'd love to visit for a long weekend or an entire week on vacation, but I always felt that the city was for me. If at all possible, try to visit for an entire week and function as if you live there, it might give you a better idea of what life would be like.

[skytrekker]

You might also consider Northampton Mass- which has access to far more then Burlington.
Northampton has all the things you desire- but Boston is less then 2 hours away- Springfield is close by-

[Alt Dach]

Vermont is no place to move unless you are wealthly.Truth is while it is lovely,it is
a low wage-high cost backwater with a lot of snobs to boot.

[phish90]

alt what are you talking about? ive lived in vermont all my life and i am yet to meet a snobby person. and no you won't get rich but if you have a college degree you can make a decent living for yourself.

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by skytrekker

You might also consider Northampton Mass- which has access to far more then Burlington.
Northampton has all the things you desire- but Boston is less then 2 hours away- Springfield is close by-

Burlington is two hours from Montreal

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by LeavingNYC2008

I'm a born-and-bred New Yorker who has been itching for a less noisy, friendlier, greener place to live. Would love some input on whether a newly-single, 28 year old gal would be happy here? Ideally, I'd love a decent "downtown" scene (art, theatre, music, bookstores, a decent selection of bars) but without the trendy, expensive, "ultra-chic" New York vibe. Just looking to relocate somewhere that has a progressive, young, vibrant culture without the hipster attitude. I'd also love to know if there's housing in walking distance of things to do, or if I'd need to bring my car everywhere (definitely appreciate the pedestrian-friendly aspect of NY). Thanks for your input!

My wife works with a woman who is 29, she wants to move to Chicago because she feels there aren't enough people her age here. She ffeels to too old for the social scene . I believe you need a car here.

Portland Maine is a very cool city and not so dominated by college students.

For a bigger city, I really like Providence too.