Burlington, VT (Colchester, South Burlington, Winooski: apartments, to rent, crime)

[yuppidyup]

Hello,

Can anyone give a 22 year old soon to be 23 year old male some information on moving to Burlington, VT? I would be moving there for a good job. The pluses so far are the closeness to Boston and Montreal and outdoor related activities. My biggest concern outside of that is meeting people around my age to have fun with.

Thanks.

[chaz longue]

I'd be glad to, but I'd be repeating myself.

If you'll kindly have a look at the threads in the VT forums, you'll see many dozens posts relating directly to your question.

Please let us know how we can help with specific questions after you've had a look.

Best of luck,
David

[chaz longue]

I've just moved one of those threads up for you...

[yuppidyup]

I have been looking around the forums and the posts seem generally negative about living in Vermont with little detail other than Burlington is the better city to be in if you live in Vermont.

My biggest concern about moving to Burlington, VT is the friendliness and authenticy of the people. I am also concerned with the dating scene. I am currently living in Seattle and am originally from the Chicago area. Moving back to Chicago is an option but my job's headquarters is in Burlington and I would rather work in an office rather than from home. The company I work for is one of the biggest employers in Vermont. I am over Seattle I am burnt out of it. It's easy to do.

What is there to do in Burlington to keep you busy in your free time?
Live music, night life, restaurants, outdoor activity, social sports, gyms, martial arts?

[yuppidyup]

one more thing, what about apartment living? Are there good options? When I search apartments.com they seem kind of expensive.

[vter]

I bet I know who you work for..the Chicago area office wouldnt be in Barrington would it? If it is the company I'm thinking of, it's a good place to work.
There are quite a few 20 somethings in the Burlington area. Because of the colleges, there are quite a few grads that choose to stay in the area. Burlington has pretty vibrant bar & music scene for a town it's size. Check out www.highergroundmusic.com for an idea as to what the music scene is like. There are lots and lots of restaurants as well.
Plenty of outdoor activities - There is a great recreation path system that links you to the surrounding towns of South Burlington and Colchester. Skiing is nearby, as is hiking. Boating/swimming in the summer. The list is endless.
Burlington is like the "melting pot" of Vermont, meaning that there are folks in this area from all over the country. The area is becoming more and more diverse which is a good thing IMO.
Having MTL so close is great. We go up approx 4x per year for fun.
Any other questions?

[negreenUSF]

I just recently moved from Burlington but I grew up in the area and spent my "young" twenty somethings in downtown. The bar scene is big and since it is isolated you will start to find that all you have to do is go to the bar. (one of the reasons why I moved out.) However that took years for me to finally get to the "enough" time. The bars are fun and people are very friendly. There are at least 10 bars on 2 streets of downtown Burlington. It is a college town but there are also a lot of young professionals. If you have a good job (with good money) already in line then you will enjoy yourself! The job market isn't great and matched with the high housing costs it can be difficult to live comfortably. I don't think I need to explain to you the number of outdoor activites within a short drive, you'll never run out of things to do!

Apartments are everywhere in downtown Burlington and range from cheap to very, very expensive. The closer you get down to church street the higher the rent. (however you can find cheap places downtown) Downtown is mostly college housing and can get really loud, places are usually run down and crowded. On the flip side the homes are beautiful historic homes and walking distance to downtown amenities and the lake. The further north you go in Burlington is where the area becomes more run down and has higher crime but in general is still pretty safe. Stay out of Winooski and the old North End. If you go south of Pearl St you'll find some nice (more expensive) places to rent. South Burlington has some great places to rent but it is more expensive and about a 15min drive into downtown. But most young professionals live in S. Burlington or Downtown Burlington.

Burlington is a great place and it's really easy to make friends. The young age group is very active and friendly, honestly just walk into a bar and say hi. Try Ake's Place and Nectars those were my old hangouts! Great music, great food and lots of outdoor activites.Besides I don't think you will find a more beautiful and perfect downtown than Church Street. I think you'd really like it,most people do. Good luck and I hope this helped.

Oh and try craigslist, sevendays, The Burlington Free Press for apartments.

[christoforest]

Hey yuppidyup,

It sounds like you are fed up with the Seattle phony baloney too! My wife and I have just left Seattle and are either moving to Burlington or Northampton MA, depending where we find work. We really identified at your desire to make sure people in Burlington were authentic and sociable. Living in Seattle can leave a sociable person shell-shocked! I really dont know what Burlington is like, there seems to be differing opinions on this. I started a thread asking if people in Burlington were "friendly/sociable". The results were not very encouraging, but I really dont know that it is a representative sample of opinions. Your thread seemed to get more welcoming responses.

I do know that the area is incredibly beautiful, and watching the sunset over the Adirondacks across Lake Champlain feels like watching the sunset over the sound. Some clear advantages in Burlington are a little bit more sun than Seattle, 49% annual vs 43% in Seattle, no or very limited clearcutting, and limited sprawl and traffic. It is a very liberal/green area, which I consider a good thing. I think Vermonters walk the green talk, unlike Seattle. It is darn cold in the winter, and it lasts long, but you can get out and play in the snow under sometimes sunny skies intead of the leaden grey cottage cheese sky in Seattle winter. Rents are similar to Seattle but pay is less, although it seems like you have a good job lined up.

Best of luck and let me know if I can give you any more info.

[Levi's Mum]

Burlington is a wonderful place to live. I lived there for years before meeting my husband and having kids. I actually wish I could move back there (but my husband job is far away). If you want to get to know the feel of the town, head to Church Street on a Saturday afternoon. There is tons to see, and do. Walk the bike path and you will run into tons of people. I always thought it was a super friendly, warm town. Plenty to do, plenty to see and for the singles... plenty of people to meet.

Check out Seven Days Newspaper. It is quirky, like the town and usually has loads of information. Good luck. I am sure that once you get there, you will enjoy.

[jensen beach gal]

You have to check out Carmody's in Burlington-irish pub type place with a cheers feel to it-they had a Carmody's in Stuart fl-great place to meet people