[cdostal]

My husband and I are researching various cities to move to when he graduates in May of 2008. He will be working as a Verteran's Service Represenative and we have a choice of cities all over the US that are available. My choice based on what I've read and the things I'm looking for is White River Junction, Vermont. I'm hopeing to make my career in the arts and the appeal this wonderful little town is obviously a perfect fit! If anyone has an opinion on this town, I would greatly appreciate it.

[originalalphamom]

I'm on my way out of Vermont and saw this thread. My wife and I are leaving because the jobs are scarce and the cost of living is very high. Vermont seems to be an especially tough place if you're a 20-something with a college degree. There's a lot of blue-collar jobs to go around, and plenty of high level jobs requiring 5+ years of experience, but if you're just starting out in the work world and you don't want to flip burgers you're out of luck.

It's really too bad because the place is beautiful. The people are generally friendly, although you have to deal with the whole "Vermonter" thing. Vermont is a bit solipsistic - the media like VPR and the Burlington Free Press love to talk about how Vermont is such a wonderful, amazing, idealistic place. This is probably true if you're independently wealthy or if you're one of the apparently thousands of people who made a ton of money on the stock market and then decided to come to VT to semi-retire and start a hobby farm. Vermont is great if you're old and rich or young and poor and want to do the whole Burlington bohemian thing. If you just want to be middle class and comfortable, you're generally out of luck.

The bottom line: educated twenty somethings should probably stay away till they make their first million on wall street

Great observation lived by one who knows and I can second the whole thing. I cant wait to be right behind you. You cant eat the scenery.

[GypsySoul22]

We'd be moving from outside metro NY but we are leaving NY because we can't afford it here. I am not interested nor can I afford a McMansion (a small apartment is about all we can scrimp for).
I appreciate the beauty of the state and we all enjoy nature/simple life.
Do you guys think we'd be okay?
(My husband, myself and our 9 year old son). Just looking for a quiet, nice life.
(we're interested in the Upper Valley/across from NH).

[KoZmiC NinJa]

Originally Posted by cinnabon

I may be moving to Rutland (from NJ) and I don't anticipate too much trouble fitting in there.

Just out of curiousity, why Rutland ??
You can tell me to MYOB if you like, too !

[Lisa Arrow]

Suzet, I am also from So. Cal., and my family is exploring a move to the Burlington area, in particular Shelburne. My husband was there a few weeks ago checking out the area and getting to know the company he would be working for. He LOVED it! Everyone he met was extremely welcoming and kind to him, and encouraged him to make the move. The scenery, the sense of community, the lack of traffic and pollution, the affordable cost of living compared to CA -- all of those aspects are very attractive. Now we have to see if it will work financially and if it will be beneficial for our kids (I have one with some special needs).

But I have to say, with regard to the term "flatlander"...we were actually called that here in Southern California while on a visit to Big Bear. We rented a cabin for the weekend, and some woman let her unneutered dog run wild all around the neighborhood from 1/2 mile away and it kept coming over to our yard and bothering our female (spayed) dog to the point where it was ruining our weekend. I finally called the number on the dog's tag and proceeded to tell her that her dog was over at our cabin bothering our dog, that I was afraid it would get hit by a car since it was running all around loose, and she needed to come get it. She refused, said she was going to work, and said "We all let our dogs run wild on the mountain." When I told her I would have no choice but to call Animal Control if she did not take care of her animal (which I didn't want to do, BTW, because I am a huge animal protection advocate!), she called me a "flatlander" and told me to get off her mountain!!! LOL!!!

That kind of ignorance makes me crazy. And it just goes to show, you can encounter it anywhere. So, now I know that if I'm ever called a "flatlander" by anyone in the future, I will consider it a very nice compliment!!!!

[KoZmiC NinJa]

Originally Posted by GypsySoul22

We'd be moving from outside metro NY but we are leaving NY because we can't afford it here. I am not interested nor can I afford a McMansion (a small apartment is about all we can scrimp for).
I appreciate the beauty of the state and we all enjoy nature/simple life.
Do you guys think we'd be okay?
(My husband, myself and our 9 year old son). Just looking for a quiet, nice life.
(we're interested in the Upper Valley/across from NH).

Rent first, thats all I would say.
The COL in Vermont is outragious.
If you dont have a decent job before you move you are almost doomed
to failure. I know thats not what you might want to hear but based on
my brutal 2 year stay, thats my opinion.
I have a very technical background and what I had to do to make ends
meet I will never do again. From a quality of life standpoint, it simply
wasnt worth it. All the beautiful scenery in the world cant make up
for that.

[ontheroad]

Perhaps the Upper Valley is less expensive, but fwiw, I find Vermont, or at least those towns I've spent some time in (Bolton, Richmond, Brattleboro, Guilford, Woodstock, Bennington) as expensive as New York City.

Vermont, a rural state does not have a big rental market, and generally apts are either tiny or extra-large family size, and not cheap. Most of the rentals I've seen equal the rent I paid in two very good NYC neighbourhoods. Also, an apartment in VT can mean: a refurb barn w/o windows, a convert from a single dwelling into multiple apts, or just about anything at all--including a wonderful farmhouse, circa 1790, on a retreat!

It is a beautiful place, VT, and wonderful folks, but in considering a change of domain and assuming rural means inexpensive or problem free, I sure have found my assumptions were way off (and I've lived in this community before).

Good luck!

Originally Posted by GypsySoul22

We'd be moving from outside metro NY but we are leaving NY because we can't afford it here. I am not interested nor can I afford a McMansion (a small apartment is about all we can scrimp for).
I appreciate the beauty of the state and we all enjoy nature/simple life.
Do you guys think we'd be okay?
(My husband, myself and our 9 year old son). Just looking for a quiet, nice life.
(we're interested in the Upper Valley/across from NH).

[GypsySoul22]

We know about prices (they are nuts) but living where we are now, a 2 bedroom apt is about $1200 or more without anything included. Jobs are not plentiful here (thanks 9-11), either. Some people make great money but that has never been the case for my husband or myself.

We'll settle for modest and be able to pay the bills.

So, it's a matter of taking a chance or just staying here. We've looked at so many states on paper--I am not interested in Down South. Even if 'it's cheaper' or 'I can afford more.'

We'll rent and see what happens in a year.

[KoZmiC NinJa]

Good luck !
Really....I hope it works !

If you are open to suggestions, there are places
in PA you can get the same stuff your looking for
but much cheaper and closer to jobs. Centre Valley PA
could fool even a real Vermonter if they didnt know where
they were, or you could look in/outside the Allentown area. A
certain amount of redneckage but 20 minutes outside the proper
and you are in hills and mountains that cannot be told from VT.
The difference being on 1200.00 a month you could have a
house, utilites covered and some left over. Just a thought.
I regret ever leaving PA. *sNiFfLe* *s0b*

[deborahr]

Hello...
I am interested in moving to Vermont as well. Particularly Montpelier since I want to attend NECI (career change desire). But I'm not looking to start school until 2008 and want to move before that. Part of the reason is that my only child is working in Boston and I want to be closer to her without living in a big city. I prefer a rural area. I have been doing research on Vermont for quite some time as this has been a goal of mine for many years. From what I have learned, it suits me. I like a great deal of quiet so a small town doesn't bother me. I just discovered this site yesterday so excuse me if I haven't read too many posts as yet...I will eventually in order to get the info I need without asking you to repeat so much. From what I can tell, housing is a problem. I am not in a position to buy, but I do have a small dog and a cat.

Anyway, I'm grateful to have discovered this helpful forum. Any info you have on the area in addition to what you have already covered would be appreciated.