[chaz longue]

Perhaps this will give you some perspective kiram:

I always idealized NYC for it's vibrancy and culture. I still love to visit and know my way around fairly well. But as Burlington has grown, and as I've become more and more familiar with Montreal, I don't find myself fantasizing about living in NYC any more. There's just so much to do in Burlington now, and it's so accessible to people of ordinary means, that I can't keep up with it all. And when I need to visit a big city - I drive Montreal. I take the scenic back roads and in an hour and 3/4 I'm in "the second largest French speaking city" on the planet. Boston's 3.5 hours away - close enough to take the kids to see MLB baseball games and drive back the same day if you have 2 good drivers!

And people are friendlier here. It'll actually take you some time to get used to people aggressively yielding the right of way in traffic

Perhaps if you can tell us more about your specific interests, we can help you decide if you'd really like Burlington or not. It's one of the few places in the country which works this well for me (loads of arts and culture, a real downtown, 5 major ski areas within a short drive, lots of bikepaths, quick drive to Montreal, a major Jazz Festival, a major folk and traditional music festival, a great symphony orchestra, The Vermont Lake Monsters, etc etc etc) but it might not work for you...

How else can we help?

[JimmyLane]

Originally Posted by arel

Montpelier is tiny, though. About 7500 people, I read. I haven't been there yet, but I'm looking forward to visiting.

Why don't you consider Brattleboro? Small town, lots of urban amenities and lots of things to do. And you can choose to live in the country, downtown where it is very urban-like, or anywhere in between.

And it is just as liberal as Chittenden County.

I'm considering moving there, and I'm getting to know it better each time I visit.

I really don't know Burlington. I have only been there a few times, but briefly. I have never really explored it. It is a city, but I have heard it is more like a big town.

Some questions I have about Burlington? Does UVM dominate the town? Do the students overwhelm the town? Do they get roudy and cause problems? Or is UVM just there, without dominating Butlington's ambience?

Brattleboro, wonderful place to live!!! i'm familiar with the area because they hold a writers conference there annually which draws on writers from around the world. i am always fascinated by the small town charm of the area. wilmington is another great spot not too far from brattleboro. good luck!

[arel]

Wilmington has a wonderful lake, Lake Raponda. I learned of it last time I was in Vermont, in late July. Wonderful, peaceful lake. A town lake beach, too, but only for Wilmington residents. And lots of private beaches and lake houses.

I haven't seen other lakes in the area, and I only know of Lake Whitingham from the map. I look forward to finding new places to see and to play in.