Vegans relocation to Burlington, VT (South Burlington, Williston: real estate, apartments, rentals)

[MaggieVeg]

Hello all!
My husband and I are a young couple looking to settle down in the Burlington, VT area. We are both vegan, so we need easy access to good natural food stores and the occasional lunch/dinner out.
We've heard a little about the art scene and would like to know more about live theater in the area. How big is the theater scene?
Is Burlington really a bike town? Can one do without a car?
What Private High Schools are in the area?
What are the "burbs" like outside of town? Is that where all of the shopping is, such as malls and grocery stores?

[Sherylcatmom]

Awesome vegan-friendly restaurants in the Burlington area. Newest all-vegan restaurant: New Ethic Cafe : Burlington, VT's only 100% Vegetarian Restaurant!

For groceries, right off Church Street is the Onion River Co-op, also known as City Market (the website seems to be down right now but it's www.citymarket.coop). Healthy Livinghas a huge new store in S. Burlington, a tad more 'burb-ish and upscale area,

Compared to much larger cities it doesn't have much of a theatre scene, but for Vermont it offers the best there is. I've seen some good, off-beat shows at more conventional venues like The Flynn. I've also seen good stuff at the Firehouse Gallery on Church Street. I imagine that folks who live and spend more time in Burlington can offer even more possibilities. One of my much younger coworkers tells me that the younger, more punk scene in the Burlington area is becoming increasingly vegan.

Also, perhaps the Vermont Vegetarian Society will help connect you with more leads.

[MaggieVeg]

Thanks for the info. I liked the Healthy living website, it sounds great! Here are a few more questions. What is the best way to find apartments in the area? We have been looking online with little luck. What is the bus system like? What is the area near the University Mall and the Airport in South Burlington like? Is it loud (planes taking off and landing)?

[vter]

Sherylcatmom gave you a good rundown of the restaurant scene. I'm a carnivore but love eating vegetarian dishes when I eat out, especially at themore ethnic restaurants-I absolutely love A Single Pebble, so when you come check out Burlington make sure to make a reservation there. I'm sure they have vegan options there.
The airport neighborhood can be loud..not so much the commercial aircraft but the Air National Guard fighter jets. There is not a ton of air traffic either (not like a big city airport) - most commercial flights are in the morning and evenings. Check out google maps and look at the aerial-you'll see the configuration of the runway which should help get an idea of where there may be more noise. Traffic is what I'd be more concerned about in that neighborhood. The airport is growing in passenger numbers (thanks to our Canadian neighbors using it) - its a very nice, small, efficient airport. The area near the Umall is very busy traffic wise (for Vermont standards LOL). I don't use the bus system, but it seems to have a good network of routes. CCTA - Chittenden County Transportation Authority
Regarding apartments...the usual. Craigslist, Burlington Free Press (burlingtonfreepress.com | The Burlington Free Press | Burlington news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Burlington, Vermont) and Seven Days (Seven Days | Vermont's Independent Voice). The area has a pretty tight rental market due to all the colleges. Don't rule out condo rentals.
Rice Memorial High School is the largest private high school-it's catholic affiliated. Lake Champlain Waldorf HS is 20 minutes south in Charlotte. Vermont Commons School is a very small private HS in South Burlington. Trinity Baptist is in Williston.
For shopping, downtown Burlington has lots of shops. There is only one grocery store - City Market. If you want/need a more conventional grocery store, you'll have to head out to South Burlington. For shops downtown, there is a good mix of national chain stores and locally owned stores. Macys is downtown. The University Mall in South Burlington has Kohls, Sears, Penneys, & Bon Ton. Lowe's is in SB. Walmart, Home Depot, Xmas Tree Shops, Best Buy, etc are out in Williston.
Theater - The Flynn is the big game in town (http://www.flynncenter.org/). Some other small venues though, like the Waterfront Theater (not sure if that is the exact name, but its new and down by the waterfront LOL). Don't forget all the colleges around - UVM and St. Mikes have good programs. Also, Montreal is a mere 1.5 hours away with world class theater, music, restaurants, etc. Check out Seven Days (Seven Days | Vermont's Independent Voice) for listings.
You can probably get by without a car if you live along the bus routes, but you're going to want one so you can get out of Burlington and explore Vermont.
One question...what about jobs?
Have you ever been here before? I highly recommend that you come to visit, preferably in February when its below 0

[chaz longue]

Originally Posted by vter

Sherylcatmom gave you a good rundown of the restaurant scene. I'm a carnivore but love eating vegetarian dishes when I eat out, especially at themore ethnic restaurants-I absolutely love A Single Pebble, so when you come check out Burlington make sure to make a reservation there. I'm sure they have vegan options there.
The airport neighborhood can be loud..not so much the commercial aircraft but the Air National Guard fighter jets. There is not a ton of air traffic either (not like a big city airport) - most commercial flights are in the morning and evenings. Check out google maps and look at the aerial-you'll see the configuration of the runway which should help get an idea of where there may be more noise. Traffic is what I'd be more concerned about in that neighborhood. The airport is growing in passenger numbers (thanks to our Canadian neighbors using it) - its a very nice, small, efficient airport. The area near the Umall is very busy traffic wise (for Vermont standards LOL). I don't use the bus system, but it seems to have a good network of routes. CCTA - Chittenden County Transportation Authority
Regarding apartments...the usual. Craigslist, Burlington Free Press (burlingtonfreepress.com | The Burlington Free Press | Burlington news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Burlington, Vermont) and Seven Days (Seven Days | Vermont's Independent Voice). The area has a pretty tight rental market due to all the colleges. Don't rule out condo rentals.
Rice Memorial High School is the largest private high school-it's catholic affiliated. Lake Champlain Waldorf HS is 20 minutes south in Charlotte. Vermont Commons School is a very small private HS in South Burlington. Trinity Baptist is in Williston.
For shopping, downtown Burlington has lots of shops. There is only one grocery store - City Market. If you want/need a more conventional grocery store, you'll have to head out to South Burlington. For shops downtown, there is a good mix of national chain stores and locally owned stores. Macys is downtown. The University Mall in South Burlington has Kohls, Sears, Penneys, & Bon Ton. Lowe's is in SB. Walmart, Home Depot, Xmas Tree Shops, Best Buy, etc are out in Williston.
Theater - The Flynn is the big game in town (Flynn Center for the Performing Arts). Some other small venues though, like the Waterfront Theater (not sure if that is the exact name, but its new and down by the waterfront LOL). Don't forget all the colleges around - UVM and St. Mikes have good programs. Also, Montreal is a mere 1.5 hours away with world class theater, music, restaurants, etc. Check out Seven Days (Seven Days | Vermont's Independent Voice) for listings.
You can probably get by without a car if you live along the bus routes, but you're going to want one so you can get out of Burlington and explore Vermont.
One question...what about jobs?
Have you ever been here before? I highly recommend that you come to visit, preferably in February when its below 0

Wow - Vter...nice job!

Here's some more info:

Lyric Theatre Company: Welcome

Professional Theater in an Intimate Setting | Vermont Stage Company

I find apartments can best be found posted on bulletin boards, word of mouth, or via property managers. I have a list of property managers, with contact info if you'd like it. Many of those property managers use sites like Burlington Apartments-Vermont apartment rental, relocation and real estate resource too.

Let us know how else we can help.

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[GypsySoul22]

One good thing about living in Vermont/NH is that no one thinks you are weird if you are a vegetarian.

My husband is a one, my son is a semi-vegetarian.

The supermarkets carry a decent range of natural foods and lots of vegetarian foods. (more than in NY in my opinion).