[Jeffinthecity]

Indeed, Arel, I moved back to New York a month ago. Eva Sollberger with Seven Days in Burlington was on the train, interviewing the passengers for this Stuck in Vermont video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s28FYbtHIQo
It was a nice final taste of Vermont.
I totally hear you about missing Greenwich Village, Park Slope, etc. Despite being a born and raised New Yorker, there are still streets and parts of the city I've never heard of/barely if at all been to - always something new to discover!

[arel]

It's true that there is always something new to discover in New York. I've heard the same thing about London. I guess it is true about major cities, especially global cities.

But I can't imagine moving back to NYC. There is no place in the city I'd want to live in. And I don't like the suburbs.

I don't even want to visit. It will feel strange, and it will feel strange to leave.

I've wanted to move to New England since I was a child. And now I'm here. I feel more at home here than in New York City, believe it or not. At the same time, I occasionally miss New York, because it is New York and because it was my home for almost all of my life.

[GypsySoul22]

Not to beat a dead horse, but the only thing I miss is being able to earn a living. In NY you could always get a job doing something. Here, not so much. A person can go very stale sitting around here.

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by Jeffinthecity

Indeed, Arel, I moved back to New York a month ago. Eva Sollberger with Seven Days in Burlington was on the train, interviewing the passengers for this Stuck in Vermont video:

Thanks, that was a hoot! I love taking the train. It's so pleasant and convenient to get from Rutland to NYC. However, it annoys me no end that I can't hop on a train to Boston except by way of NYC. Grrrr.

[arel]

Jeffinthecity, what brought you back to NYC?

[Jeffinthecity]

Arel, sorry it took me this long to respond - NYC has a way of eating up all your time, as you recall! As for why I returned to New York, it was a mixed bag of things. I moved up there last February after the bottom fell out of the economy, and really liked a lot of things about it. I loved the friendliness of the people (some of the baristas at a certain corporate coffee shop we all know and love were some of the nicest I'd EVER seen), but I didn't really realize the gap between wages and cost of living in Burlington until I'd spent some time on the ground (the Burlington rental market influenced me a little, too. I'd already decided to come back by the time the 7 Days article came out, but it did push me little more in that direction).
Plus, I don't drive - born and raised in Manhattan, never had anything more than a learner's permit. The CCTA works great most of the day (as long as you're not going to Colchester), but if you're trying to get somewhere in the evening, at night or on Sunday, you have to make do with a bus that runs hourly or less often, or start walking. And some places, you either will need to get a ride home from, or not go at all. I understand that a rural state won't have the public transit options of a major city, but not having a car can really mess up your quality of life. Lots and lots of "You can't get there from here," and "You can't do that."
Funny thing is, I've been back in NYC for almost two months, and haven't complained about the subway once.

[John C. H.]

I will always be a New Yorker, no matter where I live. Currently I'm in Houston. I miss those carts on the corner where I would grab a tall cup of coffee and a sugar donut. I miss the Sabrette Hot dog cart on the streets. I miss the endless pizzerias around town. I miss walking from Bryant park to Chelsea and just be entertained by the streets and people around me. I miss the diversity. I miss the trendy, hip, unique, ethnic and different historic neighborhoods around town. Each neighborhood had it's own unique vibe. I miss walking is Central Park on a nice summer afternoon. Lord...I can go on and on. I miss New York...PERIOD!

[arel]

Ouch. You're making me homesick.

And I do have an issue with the economy up here.

But I basically like it here. I like the human scale, the sense of community, the nearness of just about everything I want to go to. I like the open spaces, he mountains (well, they're small, but they're still mountains), and the brooks and rivers. I like not having to worry about evacuating during hurricane season, although we would have to evacuate here if Vermont Yankee had a radiation accident.

Vermont seems to be focused on New York. There are lots of New Yorkers up here, and people often make reference to New York. I hear very little mention of Boston, although it is only about half as far away.

I have decided, as I've posted elsewhere, that southeastern Vermont is the seventh borough of New York City.

The sixth borough, of course, is South Florida.

[Aville239]

Originally Posted by arel

I have decided, as I've posted elsewhere, that southeastern Vermont is the seventh borough of New York City.

I don't think your native born neighbors will find that statment very amusing.

[Jeffinthecity]

I don't mind it. It might be a long, long, long subway ride from Times Square, though.