Upper Valley Questions

[Sporin]

I;ve lived in the UV since I was 13 and the changes in the years since I came are pretty astounding.

WRJ is a very up and coming area with a cool, artsy feel now. Like any town it has a few rougher spots but is primarily nice.

Hanover is nice but insanely expensive because of the college. Great shops and restaurants though, great to walk around town, very safe, the Hopkins Center at Dartmouth has all kinds of shows and cultural events open to the public.

Lebanon has a more blue collar feel but is s much nicer then when I first moved there. The schools throughout the area are good to very good.

Cost of living in Leb, Hanover & Norwich is ridiculous and the salaries do NOT cover it. Most "regular joe's" like me live in the surrounding towns (I'm in Windsor VT and love it here).

I don't think the weather is any more rough then in Bratt, Bratt is only an hour away so the climate is very similar. If you are really worried about steep roads then no where in NH or VT is probably going to be flat enough for you. You'll get used to it though.

[arel]

When I lived in WRJ, I brought my clunker of a car from Rhode Island. It had an oil leak. In Rhode Island Iwas able to police the leak, add oil when necessary and I was OK. Once I lived in Vermont, the inclines caused the oil to flood the clutch plate. The car was ruined. I got a Subaru at a sleazy dealership in WRJ. I could not sell my old car. No interest. I left it with someone to sell it for me. Eventually he had to have it towed away.

That was annoying, but what really scard me in WRJ was the roads on very steep inclines, and also the potential to skid of a road and fall down a hill. You could be stopped by trees but I don't think there is any guarantee of that. That is what scared me.

There are inclines and drop offs in Brattleboro, too, but I think the ones in WRJ are worse simply because the mountains are higher. More beautiful, but also maybe more dangerous for someone who is used to flat roads.

What are some nice towns in the UV that would appeal to someone who would move to Bratt? That is, friendly, artsy, educated, with a lower cost of living and access to higher paying jobs? Does such a place exist?

You say you love Windsor. What are the qualities of Windsor that make you love it?

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by arel

I basically am a psychotherapist in general practice. I work with children, adolescents, adults and the elderly.

When I was up there 20 years ago, I checked out Dartmouth Hitchcock. I also interviewed at the VA hoapital, but at that time I didn't have my social work degree, only a masters in general psychology. The guy interviewing me, who seemed calm and down to earth, said that I didn't have the clinical credentials they needed.

There is someone who uses this forum - to protect her privacy I will not give her name - who has told me that therapists were very much needed in Windsor County. She said Brattleboro has plenty of therapists, which is true.

Of course, I could live in Brattleboro and work in Windsor County, but I really don't want to do that much commuting, no matter how pretty the commute is.

Good bagels in Vermont....I still can't get over that. Maybe the owner can open another store down in Brattleboro. I'd be there pretty often, but only if he sells whole wheat bagels.

The woman from whom I purchased my house in VT was some sort of psychologist (I can't recall her exact degree, sorry.) She was affiliated with the VA somewhere in the WRJ area? but commuted to Keane, NH, too, for another position there.

Her/my house is located in the vicinity of rte 11 in Andover.

It's certainly more quiet here than in Brattleboro. We can be in to Manchester in a short drive, to Weston for the playhouse and there are many artists studio's in the vicinity. But it is out in the country. No ifs ands or buts about it.

I've been in Lebanon, W Lebanon and found the way that it is becoming built up and congested parallels the mess going on here on LI where I live full time. Box stores, national chains and lots of traffic -- I thought I was Hempstead Tpke. in Levittown. In sort, the area looked like suburban sprawl gone bad -- the very thing that I am trying to escape in my gradual move to VT.

[Sporin]

Windsor is affordable, you can still buy a NICE house for under $200k. The taxes are relatively low, the schools are decent, and it's an easy 20 minute commute to Hanover. People here are friendly and there are nice public open spaces (Paradise par, the Green, Kennedy pond, lake Runemede). We have a lot of history, churches and a good sense of community. Windsor Vermont

When we moved here the town was very downtrodden, in a long recession since Goodyear and Cone-Blanchard factories shut down. Lots of empty, ill kept houses. Everyone told us not to move here, but we bought a wonderful house in a wonderful neighborhood for $70k.... yes really. At the time (9 years ago) houses in Leb were close to $200k and the taxes there are double what they are in Windsor. People now wish they'd bought down here when we did.

The problem with Windsor is small but visible The Armory Square Apartments ("The Block") But it's well isolated and really doesn't effect the rest of town much. Valley News ~ Another Day at The Block

Since then the town is completely revitalized, my property value has tripled, the main street is all redone and pretty, Young families like mine have bought up the old run down houses and redone them. We have multiple festivals and events during the year. Free concerts on the park all summer. It's a nice town.... not perfect, but really a nice place to live.

All the big box shopping you need in West Lebanon (15-20 min. or Keene NH (45 min).

[GypsySoul22]

OhBee--you are from LI too? Yes, I agree about that road in W. Leb. I told my folks back in NY it's like Sunrise Hwy...all the stores (and traffic) you want.
It's good to shop there and then retreat back to VT.

[cleobarker]

Re: bagels

The bagel shop near the train station in Brattleboro, are you talking about Bruggers? I've lived in the Brattleboro area for 10 years and have never tried the place, lol. I moved here from the Boston area and figured that there was NO WAY Vermont could have authentic bagels. I imagined it would be similar to the pizza situation here, not good.

Given your enthusiastic recommendation, I think I'll give Bruggers a try. Thanks.

cb

[arel]

I'm a New Yorker and I have eaten Brugger's. They are not New York caliber bagels by any means.

[GypsySoul22]

If you are talking to me (about bagels) I am talking about the place in White River Junction near the train station.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by GypsySoul22

OhBee--you are from LI too? Yes, I agree about that road in W. Leb. I told my folks back in NY it's like Sunrise Hwy...all the stores (and traffic) you want.
It's good to shop there and then retreat back to VT.

I've one foot in VT and the other on LI. It's been a very slow process as my husband is self-employed on LI and would need to completely reestablish himself up there. We have 'ski homeowners' from LI who hire him to work on their places up there, but it isn't enough to make the full transition.


And you are so right -- shop in WLeb and retreat to VT! Claremont is closer to me, so we usually hit the Walmart there and save the trip to WLeb when the 'needs' list gets reallllllly long.