[arel]

Which Vermont towns or cities are considered the most cosmopolitan? Which are the least cosmopolitan/most provincial?

My guesses for most cosmpolitan towns are Burlington, Brattleboro, Montpelier and Middlebury. Maybe Woodstock?

I have no clue which are the least cosmopolitan and most provincial.

Also, which places are the most liberal and which are the most conservative?

Finally, does cosmopolitan coincide with liberal and provincial coincide with conservative? Or are the two axes independent of each other?

[vter]

Most "cosmopolitan"? Any ski/resort town (Stowe, Warren, Manchester, Woodstock). Burlington, Montpelier, & Middlebury. I use the term cosmopolitan loosely though. If I want cosmopolitan, I go to Montreal.

[arel]

I hear you.

[Phish Head]

.....I would say Barre, Springfield, and St. Johnsbury.

[arel]

Where does Brattleboro figure in?

[vter]

Least cosmopolitan...I agree with the above although St. Johnsbury is getting better. I'd add Hardwick, White River Junction, and St. Albans to the mix.
Not sure about Brattleboro. It does have a vibrant downtown. I'd put it somewhere in the middle.

[arel]

Wow, Middlebury is considered more cosmopolitan than Brattleboro? Good to know. I used to want to go to Middlebury College. I had visited and had been dazzled by the beauty of the setting. I got accepted, but I ended up going somewhere else.

I was also dazzled by the beauty around White River Junction. I considered moving there. But I was not comfortable with many of the people I met there. I liked visiting Norwich and Lebanon. I also liked visiting Hanover and Dartmouth College. But, again, I was not comfortable with many of the people in the area. Cold, unfriendly, insular, sometimes genuinely difficult. I could not relate to them. But I did find a local restaurant very friendly.

I didn't consider the area provincial, but I must admit I wasn't thinking in those terms. I just felt uncomfortable and left.

[giselle]

It's funny how some little towns, i.e. St. Johnsbury, are considered major areas in VT. I grew up in a dinky town in CT, and while it was a nice place to grow up, I couldn't wait to get the heck outta there.

I have a feeling that although we may enjoy many of the other "cities" in VT, the Burlington area will be the only one that is a good fit.

We'll see. We are going up to visit next week. Plan to check out Shelburne, Essex, Hinesburg, and Montpelier and Middlebury. The last 2 aren't practical, since my husband will be probably working in the Burlington area, but I want to see them anyway. Now let's see if he gets a job there....

I'm grateful to this forum for all the info about economy, quality of life, and schools. Gotta go back and check the old posts about restaurant recommendations and Vermont staples that we just gotta try.

[elevenhounds]

Burlington, Middlebury and Brattleboro are definitely liberal towns.

I live in Ludlow which is a ski town and not at all cosmopolitan...although I dunno what they have up there on the mountain.

In my area, Springfield and Bellows Falls are pretty backwater but not what I would consider provincial (full of charm) but instead are long past their prime.

Chester is a nice little town. It's pretty, and has a decent school system.

[arel]

By "provincial", I meant the opposite of cosmopolitan. I was not referring to charm. I was referring to backwardness, a lack of culture and an uneducated population. I actually meant it in a negative sense.