Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I lived in Victoria County, Texas, before emigrating two years ago.
Population 70,000. Distance to a bigger city, 120 miles. That's the sweet spot -- big enough and remote enough to have everything locallly, but small enough you can get around easily and know everybody. And not on an interstate highway, so nothing to distract from the "center". Two hours from big league sports, major international airport, but very rural rancher lifestyle..
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
10,749 posts, read 23,822,981 times
Reputation: 14665
Franklin County, Vermont
Located on the Canadian border where I-89 enters Quebec, just an hour south of Montreal and a 1/2 hour north of Burlington. It's mostly rural with a good amount of agriculture, particularly in dairy farming. St. Albans, the county seat has some palpable historic charm, a vibrant little downtown, an awesome Farmer's Market, and a very classic Vermont vibe to it with plenty of ways to be active in the community and a lot of fun seasonal events. I absolutely love it here, and feel blessed to have had the opportunity to recently relocate and hook up my new life way up in these parts.
I love the scenic pastoral landscapes, the shoreline and islands on beautiful Lake Champlain, and the mountain views of the nearby Adirondacks and Green Mountains. Though it's rural, it doesn't feel isolated as there are plenty of amenities nearby, and it's easy to go up and spend the day in Montreal. I'm finding plenty of activities to do locally as well as I has taken up kayaking in the lake last summer and gotten back into skiing again at nearby Jay Peak. It's gorgeous here in all seasons, I'm very happy in my new home.
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 12-07-2019 at 04:53 AM..
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
10,749 posts, read 23,822,981 times
Reputation: 14665
Quote:
Originally Posted by mvpsharky
Counties don't mean much in New England
In Rhode Island and Massachusetts, it's true counties don't have a lot of identity and less governance than counties elsewhere in the US typically do and areas of the states are more defined by actual cities and towns or named regions (North Shore, South Shore, Cape Cod, Merrimack Valley, etc.) and less about counties. New Hampshire doesn't identify with its counties much either. One often hears more discussion in the state about names regions, like the Seacoast, Lakes Region, Monadnock Region, White Mountains, etc.
Elsewhere in New England such as Vermont, Connecticut, and Maine, counties do get more context and discussion. One will often here a lot of discussion about Fairfield County, CT in particular being the NYC commuter suburban county that it is, and what distinguishes it from tie rest of the state.
When talking about various regions of the state in Vermont the local media and residents will often mention the particular counties around the state to identify the area they are talking about. Chittenden county which has Burlington is really the only county in the state that has any urban or suburban areas, and the only one with a decent amount of commerce and employment. As such, naturally real estate is priced quite a bit higher in Chittenden county than other counties in the state, and the county itself is identified in many separate contexts on its own versus the rest of Vermont.
I think Vermont and Maine, being mostly rural with many not very well known rural communities, you'll hear about counties a lot more then you would in Mass and RI. Aroostook County up at the crown of Maine way up north, known for potato farming and blueberry harvesting has more land area than the state of Connecticut and is know to Mainers as "The County".
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 12-07-2019 at 05:20 AM..
Do I like it? Hell yeah. So much to do, great food, lots to see, etc ...
I just wish it wasnt so damn expensive.
I tend to agree. My wife was born and raised in Quincy. She can tell me everything about the Boston area, the towns, North Shore vs. South Shore, etc. But I asked her not long ago what county she was born in, and she had no idea.
She and I temporarily moved up to Cape Cod and lived there from 7/2017 - 1/2019 for a year and a half to help care for her mom who is battling Parkinson's Disease and Dementia. The entire time I was there, I heard the name "Barnstable County" no more than 5 times.
So, yeah. I've had that experience. Working with geography, metro rankings, and such on a regular basis for decades, it was new to me that there were some areas where counties just weren't as much of a point of identity as in most regions of the U.S. Nothing bad at all, but something different
I live in Philadelphia County, PA. I love everything about living in Philadelphia, including the urbanity, big city amenities, diversity, activities, etc. It is a place with a real identity and history.
Cobb County, Georgia is one of the more populous counties of metro Atlanta, on the northwest side. There is a lot to offer here within the 340 square miles:
* The population is about 760,000 and highly diverse - about 50% non Hispanic White, 30% Black, 13% Hispanic, 6% Asian. About 16% are foreign born with plenty of transplants from all across the US, and Georgia natives too.
* One of metro Atlanta's major edge cities is here, at the I-75/I-285 interchange. This includes an abundance of office and retail space plus SunTrust Park where the Braves play, and Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center.
* Cobb has several distinct cities with their own downtowns and cultural amenities, particularly Marietta and Smyrna.
* Kennesaw Mountain Park is an outstanding recreational asset for the county, with its historic landmarks and hiking trails. There is also a lot of green space along the Chattahoochee River and elsewhere. Both old and new neighborhoods tend to feature a dense tree canopy.
* There is a high quality school system and Kennesaw State University is a strong and expanding higher education presence.
* Property tax rates are lower than in the other large metro Atlanta counties, and roads and services are kept up well. Cobb is politically balanced as the popular vote in 2016 broke down almost identically to the nation's.
Working with geography, metro rankings, and such on a regular basis for decades, it was new to me that there were some areas where counties just weren't as much of a point of identity as in most regions of the U.S. Nothing bad at all, but something different
Yeah, it's kind of weird.
In CA, county lines are VERY important, cities aren't even allowed to cross their lines, and most people would be aware of which one they were in at all times.
Here in CO, the only thing that doesn't seem to cross counties are school districts. Everything else crosses them with reckless abandon. Cities cross them with regularity, we have a couple city/county consolidations (the story behind Broomfield's incorporation as a county is kinda funny), some county level governmental organizations combine (Gilpin County uses Jefferson County's court; Arapahoe and Douglas share welfare duties), they don't seem to matter as much and are very poorly signed, especially around Denver.
On an anecdotal level, if I exit I-70 to go home, I pass through 3 counties to drive the 2 miles home. I'm 6 blocks west of a county line, and my grocery store, gas station, a few fast food joints, and a cheap movie theater are in the next county.
In CA, county lines are VERY important, cities aren't even allowed to cross their lines, and most people would be aware of which one they were in at all times.
Here in CO, the only thing that doesn't seem to cross counties are school districts. Everything else crosses them with reckless abandon. Cities cross them with regularity, we have a couple city/county consolidations (the story behind Broomfield's incorporation as a county is kinda funny), some county level governmental organizations combine (Gilpin County uses Jefferson County's court; Arapahoe and Douglas share welfare duties), they don't seem to matter as much and are very poorly signed, especially around Denver.
On an anecdotal level, if I exit I-70 to go home, I pass through 3 counties to drive the 2 miles home. I'm 6 blocks west of a county line, and my grocery store, gas station, a few fast food joints, and a cheap movie theater are in the next county.
In New England 6 states, town lines are sacred, not allowed to cross town. But County line is just superficial, not meaningful other than self-identity. The only thing that county rules is court system. Court is by county and each county has own system of courts etc.
Even policemen within same county do not cooperate automatically. What matters most is town with own police station and property tax and public school system. School bus only help residents kids within own town, not neighboring town. County does not count anything here.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
