[brattpowered]

As much as I've loved spending time in Bratt, the Verdes, Dragonflys and Melanges (high end stores) around town, and the brand new Volvo wagons with NY plates are getting to me. As down and out as it was, I miss the old Bratt.

When I go to the square in Bellows Falls, it feels like going Brattleboro's Main Street back in the day when Sam's Outdoor Outfitters was "Sam's Army and Navy." Does anyone else think that BF can become a new, affordable hippie-new agey center where working-class old time Vermonters and working-class artists and hippies comingle, like Bratt was before it was "discovered" by the bobos? It's near Bratt, surrounded by artists in the woods, and has a fairly underutilized downtown with relatively cheap rents.

I need somewhere else in VT to move to because Brattleboro is really becoming Boboboro!

[Sporin]

I like BF. It's a bit south of me but we go down there for Ice Cream a the Dairy Joy in the summer... Fat Franks and the Miss Bellows Falls diner are good. I agree, the downtown is adorable.

[arel]

Haven't seen BF yet, but I can't wait.

I looked up what bobo means. Hmm, is Brattleboro becoming more like Greenwich Village in New York?

I like Bratt but I have read it has the highest property taxes in Vermont. What are the poperty taxes like in BF? What about the Upper Valley towns?

Next time I come up, I want to visit BF. I believe a bookshop owner there has posted on this forum.

Brattpowered, are you getting tired of Austin? Austin is supposed to be a great place, but I wouldn't want to be so far inland, or somewhere where it is oppressively hot or somewhere where I had to deal with scorpions. I like the northeast!!! New York City will be underwater in a hundred years or so, but I will have permanently moved by that time.

Are you planning to return to Vermont?

[brattpowered]

Yeah, I'd like to return to Vermont some day. Maybe when I settle down with somebody and/or find a marketable trade. Vermont's physical beauty (including its towns) and political climate keep calling me back, but there are not enough people my age, jobs, or culturally diverse neighborhoods/eateries. I too love the Northeast and miss it a whole lot. I think my next stop will be Philly, though, as it is cheaper than NY and has the diversity and social atmosphere I am looking for at this point in my life.

As for Austin, yes I am getting tired of it. It is a pretty cool place, but it is very hot several months out of the year, and there is no easy escape available to any other fun places, except if you want to drive 8 hours to what's left of New Orleans. It also feels way too suburban for my taste. But I actually haven't seen any scorpions since moving here 2 years ago, fyi....

As for Bellows Falls-- check it out, but it will be much more of a culture shock to you than Bratt!

[Sporin]

Originally Posted by arel

I like Bratt but I have read it has the highest property taxes in Vermont. What are the poperty taxes like in BF? What about the Upper Valley towns?

I can't believe Bratt's taxes are higher then Norwich, Stowe and the various other fancy-pants-gentrified-full-of-retired-CEO towns.

[tkln]

That makes two of us.

(though I must say I am most definitely NOT a fancy pants retired CEO!)

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by brattpowered

As much as I've loved spending time in Bratt, the Verdes, Dragonflys and Melanges (high end stores) around town, and the brand new Volvo wagons with NY plates are getting to me. As down and out as it was, I miss the old Bratt.

When I go to the square in Bellows Falls, it feels like going Brattleboro's Main Street back in the day when Sam's Outdoor Outfitters was "Sam's Army and Navy." Does anyone else think that BF can become a new, affordable hippie-new agey center where working-class old time Vermonters and working-class artists and hippies comingle, like Bratt was before it was "discovered" by the bobos? It's near Bratt, surrounded by artists in the woods, and has a fairly underutilized downtown with relatively cheap rents.

I need somewhere else in VT to move to because Brattleboro is really becoming Boboboro!

I love Bellows Falls and have been watching her gradual turn around. It's a shame that Oona's burned down and the building (now entered into it's 2nd year being boarded up) hasn't been rebuilt or in the very least some progress made on it all. The old hotel on the corner has been sold after sitting empty a while -- I wonder what will go into there?

There's the side street which runs behind the former Oona's and it houses some gallery and antique shops. I also enjoy spending time at the used bookseller's shop. It's a given that I will drop some coin in there.

The downtown is completely walkable which is a very good thing!

There is a very large cross section of people and most of them are friendly. I don't see any NY Volvos, but have to admit that I have been known to drive a pick up with NY tags in town.

Fridays are almost always my BF day. The farmer's market is a real treat -- listening to live music while visiting all of the vendors who will come to know you on a first name basis as well as recalling your likes and dislikes.

The Opera House was lovingly restored and is a real treat to head to on movie night. The price is reasonable $4 tickets and $3.50 triple up (a soda, popcorn & candy) Our family of 4 goes to the movies for a total of $23.50 -- 4 tix, 2 triple ups and 2 cups of water (free).

Miss BF diner is OK, went in there once after the new owners took over and they were overwhelmed or unprepared for the business Miss BF does. Fat Frank's is awesome (always go to Fat Frank's before the movies) and we head there everytime we are in BF.

Joy Wah has some reasonably priced and delicious (going by a LIer's standards) Chinese food and has quite an ornate, beautiful interior in the older section. The newer addition has a stunning CT river view. They even offer a discount on take out because the don't deliver -- they printed that policy on their menu.

We used to like Dairy Joy -- until August of 2006. We stopped one night for ice cream and as we sat there eating it, my 6 year-old stated that the ice cream was 'tingly'. I tasted it and sure enough it had a fizz and odd fermented taste. The owner said, "There's nothing wrong with the ice cream." He would not replace the bad ice cream that was purchased. Another patron leaned over and stated her ice cream was bad, too. The owner would not make good. I have not gone back and have warned others.

[MRVphotog]

We used to call it "Fellows Balls" and I never heard anyone describe the downtown as "adorable" before.

It's way strange to go into Sam's now. Army & Navy store meets LL Bean/Eddie Bauer. The Shedburger up on Rt 5 is now McDonalds and Friendly's used to be HoJos. The really nice restaurant just past West Bratt village is now a carpet store(I think). At least the Royal is still there. I remember when they put a late night Dunkin Donut right in the middle of Bratt now that's gone too.

[brattpowered]

Originally Posted by MRVphotog

We used to call it "Fellows Balls" and I never heard anyone describe the downtown as "adorable" before.

It's way strange to go into Sam's now. Army & Navy store meets LL Bean/Eddie Bauer. The Shedburger up on Rt 5 is now McDonalds and Friendly's used to be HoJos. The really nice restaurant just past West Bratt village is now a carpet store(I think). At least the Royal is still there. I remember when they put a late night Dunkin Donut right in the middle of Bratt now that's gone too.

Wow, Shedburger? That was a little before my time in Bratt-- It's been a McDonald's as long as I can remember. And isn't the Bickford's the former HoJo?

And yes, I remember the Dunkin Donuts too, but I don't miss it. That place was uuuugly... I also don't miss the traffic light where the roundabout is.

I do miss the old food-sharing Common Ground, though. And Fulflex Field, Ames, Maple Valley, the old Fireside Hardware building and the Paramount. I caught one of the last showings there before it burned down.

Let's hope the 99 doesn't drive the Steak Out out of business!

[MRVphotog]

Originally Posted by brattpowered

Wow, Shedburger? That was a little before my time in Bratt-- It's been a McDonald's as long as I can remember. And isn't the Bickford's the former HoJo?

And yes, I remember the Dunkin Donuts too, but I don't miss it. That place was uuuugly... I also don't miss the traffic light where the roundabout is.

I do miss the old food-sharing Common Ground, though. And Fulflex Field, Ames, Maple Valley, the old Fireside Hardware building and the Paramount. I caught one of the last showings there before it burned down.

Let's hope the 99 doesn't drive the Steak Out out of business!

Whoops...your right, Friendly's is just before Bickford's. I went to Dunkin Donuts when it was brand new, circa 1972 to 1974. I know alot of them in the downtown areas, like Barre, have turned into not so great places. Maple Valley is still for sale, for 2m it's all yours...