[vermont08]

I would like to hear the good the bad and the ugly(if there is any) about Winooski. We are looking very much forward to our move to the Burlington area in the spring. We plan to rent first and from what it looks like based on ads we have seen so far we can afford to rent just about anywhere in the area. Our goal however is to buy a home within 2 years or so of moving up. Prices seem to vary a good bit and we have seen that Winooski is cheaper then most areas to buy a small single family home. Which for us being first time home buyers that looks really good on paper. But since we have two young girls however hearing that the school is not the good is a major factor. Do people say this just because it is the smallest school district in Vermont? I would think a smaller school would be better since class size would be less. Or is there something else we should know. Can anyone give us some first hand info about the Winooski area and its lower level school (our oldest will due to start K after the move and her younger sister would be ready for K 2 years after)

When we took our trip up to Vermont in June we only focused on Burlington and South Burlington since we could only stay in town for 3 days. We are planning to come up again in the winter and are trying to pin down some more areas to look. We are also looking into the Essex Junction area and maybe even the more rural Hinesburg. Any and all info would be helpful. Thanks!

[vter]

Winooski is a blue collar town with a recently revitalized downtown area. It is also very diverse for Vermont standards. The school is small, but it's not the smallest in the state.
Hopefully someone with a more intimate knowledge of the town will answer with more specifics!

[chaz longue]

But let me start by reiterating this
CRS - Education Projects

[vermont08]

Originally Posted by chaz longue

But let me start by reiterating this
CRS - Education Projects

I have looked at the numbers but I know test scores are not everything. Any personal opinion(s) are welcome.

[VTeratheart]

Personal opinion, do NOT move to Winooski, especially with two young girls going into their schools. I have been in and around the education field for quite a few years, as well as having graduated from UVM over 10 years ago, so am familiar with the area. There are many immigrants in Winooski, and you have to wonder what kind of attention your "average" child would get with probably around 1/2 the class barely speaking the language. I mean NO ill feelings toward immigrants (legal) but am trying to shed some light. A friend is a coach in Winooski and says that practices are very difficult, due to the lack of communication. There are a lot of drugs and people living off the system, lots of apartments. There have been quite a few changes in the school administration as of late, but I'm not sure that there will be positive enough changes to draw people there. Yes, it's less expensive, but there's a reason why. Personally, I'd never move to Winooski. But, take a visit, stop in to the elementary school and check it out!

There are quite a few "old timers" there, who have lived there all their lives, and are probably great people. And, there are a few streets that look charming. And, vter is right, the downtown has gone through major revitalization and it looks very different (better) than it did 5-10 years ago. Oh, and there is one of the best little italian eateries located in Winooski~ Papa Frank's.

[JimmyLane]

i agree with vter and vteratheart. winooski is a blue collar town. while it's true that the downtown area has gentrified some, the town as a whole has a gritty feel, a bit low class in some parts. it's big attraction is proximity to burlington at a slightly lower cost, but that wasn't enough for me to live there.

[68vette]

My personal opinion would be to stay away from Winooski right now. As stated the downtown has been revitalized, but most of the rest of the town is rough. There are a few nicer parts, but nothing is far enough away from the trouble in any of the other areas. Winooski is the smallest city in the country at a little over 1 square mile.

If you have enough money to rent anywhere then I would suggest Burlington, South Burlington, Colchester or Essex if you need to be close to Burlington. There are other towns a little further out as well that are very nice, safe and with good school systems.

[girlandpup]

Originally Posted by 68vette

My personal opinion would be to stay away from Winooski right now. As stated the downtown has been revitalized, but most of the rest of the town is rough. There are a few nicer parts, but nothing is far enough away from the trouble in any of the other areas. Winooski is the smallest city in the country at a little over 1 square mile.

If you have enough money to rent anywhere then I would suggest Burlington, South Burlington, Colchester or Essex if you need to be close to Burlington. There are other towns a little further out as well that are very nice, safe and with good school systems.

What if you want to be near Burlington but do NOT have enough money to rent anywhere? Any suggestions? Also, what about Montpelier compared to Burlington area? Thanks!!

[chaz longue]

Originally Posted by girlandpup

What if you want to be near Burlington but do NOT have enough money to rent anywhere? Any suggestions? Also, what about Montpelier compared to Burlington area? Thanks!!

I think most folks in this circumstance look for roomate situations...

I like Montpelier, but it's 45 minutes from Burlington and a very different sort of town.

I do frequently wish there was a common database for rentals, (analagous to the MLS) which has all the property on the market in one place. But there isn't...

You may want to start with Seven Days (the local news and arts weekly) and The Burlington Free Press - (a "local" [Gannett] daily).

I have a list of rental resources - property managers and so on, which I'd be happy to share with you, girlandpup, if you'd care to contact me.

David Beckett

[girlandpup]

Originally Posted by chaz longue

I think most folks in this circumstance look for roomate situations...

I like Montpelier, but it's 45 minutes from Burlington and a very different sort of town.

I do frequently wish there was a common database for rentals, (analagous to the MLS) which has all the property on the market in one place. But there isn't...

You may want to start with Seven Days (the local news and arts weekly) and The Burlington Free Press - (a "local" [Gannett] daily).

I have a list of rental resources - property managers and so on, which I'd be happy to share with you, girlandpup, if you'd care to contact me.

David Beckett

Thank you very much. I will contact you when I get closer to actually moving and thus more seriously looking for an apartment! I have lived with roommates, including my ex-husband (while we were married and before he became my "ex," obviously), and don't think I could do it anymore. I would rather live in a smaller place, or outside the exact location I would like, to live on my own vs. find a random roommate at this point in my life. Good suggestion in general, though. That is why I was looking at Winooski or parts of South Burlington, as well as wondering about Montpelier (if it had nearly as much to offer as Burlington but was significantly less expensive an area to live). Thanks, again.