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I am a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker (from Brooklyn) who is seriously considering moving to southeastern Vermont.
I have my reasons for wanting to leave New York, and to move to Vermont, but I do fear culture shock, and feelings of dislocation and regret.
I know that people have moved to Florida and returned, or wanted to return.
I'd like to hear from New Yorkers who have gone to Northern New England, especially Vermont, and wanted to go home. What drove them north, and what drove them back?
Out of all the places you could move to -- why Vermont?? What types of job are in Vermont?? It is much colder and most of the state is wilderness.
I am planning on moving to the Austin Texas area. But I am keeping my apartment here in Queens in case the move doesn't work out. Hopefully I can find a job in my field in six months in Austin TX
Hi Arel...I have read your posts in the Vermont forums (and have posted a few times as well). I live in Queens, and we have a place up in Vermont...we've been tossing around the idea of moving up there for the longest time. It is a huge change, especially to the Brattleboro area...(as opposed to Burlington, which is more, ahem, 'city' like). We have always wanted to just up and go but are basically petrified to do so, especially considering our funds are tied up...would it be possible for you to rent a place for a year to see if you would like it? That is what we have always considered doing...
The common wisdom is to rent for a year before you buy, in order to see if you want to stay.
I might want to do that. But I have 5 cats and it would probably be hard to find an appropriate rental. Ideally, I'd love to buy a house and then sell it for profit after a while. But I'm concerned about the real estate market in Vermont. Someone posted that he wanted to leave, but he could not sell his house (I think he lives in or near Burlington.).
As you can probably guess from my posts, I am also scared of making the move, even though I usually want to. I love New York. New York is home. But I am tired of the congestion, the dirt and the rudeness. I want clean air and visual beauty. I suppose I could always come back, if I wanted to, but that is not a given.
I'm concerned about Vermont's climate, winter driving, and economy, but I love a lot of things about Brattleboro. Several years ago, I did exercises in "What Color is Your Parachute". One of the exercises involved finding one's ideal place to live. I didn't think of Brattleboro at that time, but once I thought of Brattleboro, I realized it had just about everything I wanted, including a cosmopolitan population. In addition, it is near the Pioneer Valley and the Upper Valley. There are small cities nearby. And there is a train from downtown right into Penn Station in Manhattan, functioning like a New Yorker's umbilical chord. I love the sense of community that exists there, and the social consciousness. In addition, there is the Retreat and I'm a mental health professional.
I used to visit Vermont and New Hampshire during car trips when I was growing up. I dreamed of moving to New England when I grew up. I love both the mountains and the coast. I like New Hampshire and Vermont. I also like parts of Connecticut. I have lived in Rhode Island, where I have some friends.
But I do fear making a mistake and feeling dislocated. I do not want to put myself and my pets through a move only to want to come home. I want to feel like I am "home", not in a place that feels alien.
A temporary stay is an idea, if I can find a trustworthy person to rent my house on a temporary basis and can find a rental that would allow my cats to stay with me. I have to think about this. It is a difficult thing to work out, but I do not want to "yes...but" a potentially good idea. I do worry about traumatizing my cats, though. Cats are very territorial and they love their homes.
I am a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker (from Brooklyn) who is seriously considering moving to southeastern Vermont.
I have my reasons for wanting to leave New York, and to move to Vermont, but I do fear culture shock, and feelings of dislocation and regret.
I know that people have moved to Florida and returned, or wanted to return.
I'd like to hear from New Yorkers who have gone to Northern New England, especially Vermont, and wanted to go home. What drove them north, and what drove them back?
before moving to long island i lived in canarsie ny , i really never fit in long island was a big shock when i came here i want to go back to brooklyn . the people are just differnent here. try vermont you can always come back good luck.
I would definitely not count on finding a house to sell for a profit...you might be able to do that in certain resort areas in VT, but especially the way the market is reacting now, unless you hold on for a while, I wouldn't 'expect' it. We own a condo in Stowe, and even in the insane market up there, profitability is slim.
Regarding winter driving - it's like anything else, you get used to it. As long as you don't panic and take it easy, you'll be fine. Besides, they clean roads up there pretty well...definitely take up some winter sports so you can have fun in the winter, and then you'll have something to look forward to every year!
Vermont is also a pretty pet-friendly place...I would imagine you shouldn't have a problem finding a place that would accept your cats, at least for a year or so for you to feel everything out.
The economy is the tough one though...and also just the change from big city environment to small town. It is a big change though - and we are feeling the same sort of nervousness as you!
to respond to NYC96's post, although the temperatures can be colder in Vermont, I have lived in NYC and Vermont and the cold effects me a lot more in NY. That is because of the wind. In most areas of Vermont, you will be protected from wind by surrounding mountains...not to mention, you aren't near the ocean, which is the main cause for lack of wind. Also, they have the same jobs that they have in New York City, and any place. They just don't have the abundance of jobs, but thats for obvious reasons, there are much less people, so it pretty much evens out. People move to Vermont and don't have trouble finding jobs. And yes there is more wilderness in Vermont, but seeing as how this person is strongly considering moving there, Im sure the person likes the wilderness in some way. I actually moved from Vermont to NY, and I really miss the wilderness, but I imagine the move to Vermont can be tougher in some ways.
Yes, the wind can be rough here, and also the humidity. The humidity insensifies the heat and, I think it also intensifies the cold.
Also, in Manhattan, the tall buildings on either side of the streets create man-made canyons. This creates a wind-tunnel effect that intensifies the wind, and therefore the cold.
I am still amazed, though, that you said the winter is harder on you in NYC than in Vermont.
Re the move to the "wilderness": Where I have been planning to move to in Vermont is Brattleboro, which is a large town and not a wilderness. I'm not interested in living in the wilderness. I like the amenities of civilization and a sense of community.
As a child, I dreamed of an isolated house on a long private road off an obscure rural road. But no more. Now I want the convenience and security of living in town, or at least close by. As a child I hated returning to New York and sidewalks. Now I dread the thought of dealing with mud season without sidewalks. Well... sidewalks in moderation.
A lot of the time, it is hard to have too much of a sense of community in New York City. In the so-called "outer boroughs" with their neighborhoods, it is a little easier, I think, but there are still a lot of people and a lot of ethnic and class divisions. To have a sense of community, in my experience here, you need to join some group of common interest, e.g. a faith community, a social, professional, hobby-oriented, political, ethnic or cultural organization, etc. New York City is simply too big and diverse, I think, for a real sense of community, except in the abstract or in response to a disaster, such as 9/11.
One of the things that make a place like Brattleboro attractive to me is the sense of community and the public participation in community life. Of course, New England, generally, is known for community participation, town meetings, etc.
And Brattleboro is close to New Hampshire, and to the Pioneer Valley area of Massachusetts, which is extremely culturally rich and cosmpolitan. Brattleboro is also cosmopolitan, with a rich cultural and artistic life.
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i am from long island
hi
