[LifeLongLearner]

Hello,
I am a mother, and I moved here from Tx. I looked at all the areas you listed, and then came and spent a week here. I chose Burlington, and I am happy with my choice. I have friends in surrounding towns, and although I love some things about the other areas, I am most at home here. It all depends on your family's needs and desires.

[summers3d]

Thanks for all the great advice. Are there any other nice small towns that have a good energy and are not too quiet? Natural/organic food store is a big plus. Also, we are looking to buy a small hobby farm just outside of a small town, so an area that has lots of small farms would be great.
-David

[chaz longue]

Waterbury Center, Richmond, Hinesburg, and Montpelier might all be places which would interest you, Summers3d.

Feel free to pm me if you like.

[nomadrn]

Having lived in Vermont for four years recently (in the Upper Valley) I would suggest Brattleboro. My husband worked near there (long commute) and it seemed like a great place to be. Much more going on, especially with the Brattleboro Coop and nearby fun music scene in Bellows Falls, plus the proximity to Northhampton Mass. I may have stayed in Vermont if we had landed there. Montpelier is okay, a lot colder. I don't know about Middlebury at all, but would choose Brattleboro out of the three anyway.

[nomadrn]

Just posted, but wanted to add that the food scene in the smaller towns was pretty bad for organic/natural food in the winter. We were able to join a CSA in the summer where they also sold milk and cheese and eggs, so the summer food scene was a lot better. And, the summer is short. We eventually moved back to the West Coast because it was a difficult adjustment. I do miss the cross country skiing though. Make sure you pick a place that really resonates with you all. Still think Brattleboro is the place to go...

[ToddO]

Excellent posts! We are planning on moving from Florida to Brattleboro this summer. My wife grew up outside of Springfield MA and we used to live in Chicopee for a year and a half. We used to love going to the farmers market and the co-op. You will find Vermont is an excellent state to homeschool your children. My son is in first grade and we homeschool him ourselves. (I should probably start a new thread) This forum is an excellent source of information.

Thank you all for your time and info.

[Mustard]

nomadrn,

What didn't you like about the Upper Valley?

I have heard so many positive thing about Hanover and Norwich.

[Dwatted Wabbit]

What's Rutland like?

[phyllisnorth]

A bit about Montpelier: it does have a lot of good restaurants, two movie theaters (including a great "alternative" theater, the Savoy), and a fair number of cultural events. There is also a good food co-op, which is expanding, and Montpelier is only 40 minutes on the highway to Burlington and Lake Champlain. Great countryside northeast of town, too, and four ski areas within one hour.

My only advice: wherever you move in Vermont, find a winter sport. You will get cabin fever if you don't get outside in the winter.

[spunky1]

Originally Posted by phyllisnorth

A bit about Montpelier: it does have a lot of good restaurants, two movie theaters (including a great "alternative" theater, the Savoy), and a fair number of cultural events. There is also a good food co-op, which is expanding, and Montpelier is only 40 minutes on the highway to Burlington and Lake Champlain. Great countryside northeast of town, too, and four ski areas within one hour.

My only advice: wherever you move in Vermont, find a winter sport. You will get cabin fever if you don't get outside in the winter.

I agree, unfortunately, many resident's "winter sport" involves a bottle!