[girlandpup]

Originally Posted by christoforest

Hi GirlnPup,

I really identify with your search to find a good place to hang your hat. I have been doing that for 20 years, including travelling to 25 countries in the last 15 years.

I am originally from NJ but lived in Boston from 1988-1991 and then moved to Seattle from 1991-2007 to get out of the busy Northeast corridor. We moved here to Northampton MA 3 months ago for several reasons. To me the good thing about Seattle was the amazing nature (at least in the protected areas) and the ease of the basic necessities of life, job, housing, organic food, plenty of things going on. But the negatives were very big for me:

1. The clouds in the winter (it is usually sunny in the summer). One winter it rained 93 out of 100 days, another it rained 36 days in a row. It is not uncommon to go three weeks without seeing the sun in the winter.

2. The clearcuts. They clearcut the forests with impunity out in the pacific NW. It is really tragic and people accept it. If it is not in a protected area the mountainsides are under constant assault, and it really depressed me, especially that the population accepted it

3. The people. I found them friendly on the surface, but often it was very superficial and phony. People are always "busy" (an American phenomenon but to an extreme it seemed in Seattle). Although it doesnt feel much better here in western Mass on this front but at least people are more real here and you know what they are.

When we moved here we decided to come to Northampton or Burlington because of them being "green" and liberal areas with an educated population. This is a hard thing to find in rural America. In the end we are in Northampton because we got jobs and I was afraid of the weather in Burlington. It is definitely not as gloomy as the PNW in the winter but that is not saying much. Here in Northampton the sunshine is enough.

i am happy to answer any other questions!

Wow - you really have been all over, which I think is great! It's nice to know that others can identify with my search to find the place I want to live, so thank you. All those reasons you gave for leaving the Pacific Northwest are exactly the biggest reasons why I'm not considering there, esp. Seattle area. I think I can be happy even if it is very cold, but believe I'll be depressed very quickly in weeks of constant rain everyday and/or no sun for extended periods at a time. The clearcutting I know going on there gets me so angry just reading about it. I have very good friends living outside Seattle, so have been there to visit them several times, and despite how much they love it there (they're both originally from NY), I couldn't see myself being as happy there for those top 3 reasons.

Burlington seems to keep coming up as the "right place" for me when I look at so many things, even with some of the negatives (higher rents/houses and other expenses with lower salaries being a big one). Of course, no where is perfect, so I'm trying to find the place with the most and strongest "pros" and the most tolerable "cons" for me. Is the weather in Burlington similar and comparable to that in Northampton where you live? If so, I would love any more details you could give me about the winters there (e.g., about how much sunshine vs. grey and gloomy, how much does the freezing temps. and/or amounts of snow really prevent you from being outside like for hiking and other outdoor activities, etc.). I know Vermont also has mud season, but don't know if you experience that also. I have not looked into Northampton, so to be honest, I know very little about it. Would you recommend it for someone like me do you think (single and 40 years old, really want to be accessible to mountains for hiking, have a dog so need very dog-friendly place, overall not to expensive cost of living).

THANK YOU!!! Btw, I truly do hope that you have been happy with your decision to move to Northampton!

[vter]

Just as an fyi, if you live in Burlington or one of it's suburbs, you won't have to worry about mudseason as all the roads are paved. It's more of a rural VT thing where all the dirt roads are.

[girlandpup]

Originally Posted by vter

Just as an fyi, if you live in Burlington or one of it's suburbs, you won't have to worry about mudseason as all the roads are paved. It's more of a rural VT thing where all the dirt roads are.

Oh, thank you. I didn't realize that, and it's helpful to know. It will affect me for hiking I know, though - although I THINK (I'm now trying to find out more for sure) even that is really only for the higher elevation that gets so muddy not the parts of trails at lower elevations. Of course, all that white stuff called "snow" in the months before mud may be a problem.

Thanks, again!

[MRVphotog]

During mud season many of the hiking trails are closed until they dry out. The trails on state lands are usually closed and the Green Mountain Club suggests people stay off the trails in the GMNF.

[68vette]

Originally Posted by MRVphotog

During mud season many of the hiking trails are closed until they dry out. The trails on state lands are usually closed and the Green Mountain Club suggests people stay off the trails in the GMNF.

Thats right about the trails. Mud season isn't just at the higher elevations. If anything the lower elevations can be worse and take longer to dry out due to all the water from the snow melt flowing down to lower elevations.

My wife and I went to Northampton last weekend. It's a nice town. Look Park is beautiful as well. I never lived in that area, but I drive past there all the time on my way back to Ct. Winters are definitely more mild than the Burlington area, but I don't know about how cloudy it can be.

[sordid]

i have lived many places, most recently portland, maine. it is so far the greatest place ive found. theres a lot of reasons, and they are all particular to the individual, but i couldnt pass up recommending portland. im leaving soon, and wish i wasnt.

[girlandpup]

Originally Posted by sordid

i have lived many places, most recently portland, maine. it is so far the greatest place ive found. theres a lot of reasons, and they are all particular to the individual, but i couldnt pass up recommending portland. im leaving soon, and wish i wasnt.

First of all, I am sorry you are leaving when you don't seem to want to. I hope that whatever your reasons may be, it is not too tragic for you, and that wherever you move to you learn to love as much as you love Portland.

I was wondering if you would mind writing some of the particular things that you love about Portland, Maine. I agree that it is always based on the individual preferences, as what one person loves another may hate, but it would be helpful just to hear about it, then I can decide which ones I personally would agree with or not for me. I was also wondering if you do any hiking, and if so, if you could tell me just how accessible, or not, some of the trails are to Portland. It seems that nothing is all that close, but it is difficult to really judge based on a map. Please feel free to respond to me privately if you prefer.

Thank You!

[sordid]

hi.

no its not a bad thing - im going willingly. and im coming back!
i lived in many places growing up. and came to portland for college. i was coming from pittsburgh, pa, and i wanted to come back north.
i was used to big cities, and sort of came to portland to get away from cities. i hoped it would be just big enough to keep me from going crazy. and initially i was surprised at how much like a real city portland was. theres a lot going on here for sure. now that ive been here... almost ten years, i realize how much like a small town it is too.
i remember thinking it was crazy that i kept seeing the same stranger out in random places on the street.
and, to this day i laugh at the drivers here. they are almost kind to a fault. wile walking, im used to eyeing traffic while i walk, then perching at the side of the street, picking a spot, running across. and here... cars will stop ten yards down the street to let you go, while youre just standing there!
haha! its great, but it throws me off.
sure, they arent ALL like that, but i used to have cab drivers try to hit me when i was a teenager...

theres a LOT of arts, and artists in portland. a lot of musicians that are actually talented and doing shows. lots of visual arts for sure. thats why i came here initially.

and mainers really are pretty nice. like a lot of towns, portland is full of people 'from away', and everyone gets along pretty well.


ah-
parking sucks, bad.
housing sucks, pretty bad. not really the rates, just availability. unless you live a bit outside the 'city'.



edit-
i dont do much hiking. but there are a few places ive heard of that arent too far. within an hour, north of course. haha!
i went once to a small trail in the freeport area, just north of portland. im not sure what the name was, if there was one.

[girlandpup]

Thanks, sordid. I'm glad you're leaving "willingly" (and planning on going back).

[MRVphotog]

For me, Portland is a very friendly place, has alot of great restaurants, the Old Port area is awesome, plenty of shopping and cool things to check out in your free time.

We enjoy concerts at Merrill Auditoriun, walking around the Old Port in the evening, movies at the indie movie theater on Exchange St., the numerous ice cream places like Beals and Giffords, the seacoast vibe, the Eastern Promanade and the many sightseeing places to visit.

Parking is dificult but after awhile you discover places. I always park in the numerous band parking lots plus there are several parking garages.

I don't like cities much but Portland is a-okay in my book.