[MRVphotog]

I lived in Montpelier for a couple of years before I moved to the MRV and even tho I don't like cities I found Montpelier to be an awesome place to live.

Some people do commute to and from each place everyday, personally I couldn't do that. It's about 35 miles all interstate.

[leb1180]

We recently moved to Vermont and we are going through the same dilemma as you are- which one should we call home?- Montpelier or Burlington? We have fallen in love with both towns. Burlington is a tiny fabulous town and Montpelier is an even tinier (and less yuppie) fabulous town.

Montpelier seems like a much quieter place. There are at least 4 independent book stores and three coffee shops that aren't Starbucks within a two block radius. One of them is the New England Culinary Institute... it will spoil you with their pastries. There is a great thrift store- it sells awesome clothes and has a friendly staff that will make you try on knee high vinyl boots if you aren't careful. There is a great food co-op, a great yoga studio, a full scale gym, two little movie theaters and some delicious food.

Burlington has many more shops, both local places and chains- but most of the chain sores are hidden underground! The theater and music scene is better in Burlington- Neko Case, Ani DiFranco, and Arlo Guthrie all just played shows. It has great festivals, a great art scene- including a First Friday art walk, lots of studio classes at the Burlington Arts Center, a good movie theater, and lots of young people because of the million colleges/universities in town. There are lots of young families and it seems like a great place for kids. Yoga studios, gyms, bakeries and coffee are all over. There is a tea shop that serves amazing tea from all over the world, and a bar that has Duff hour so you can watch the Simpsons and drink the beer that they brew right there. It is perhaps a little less Vermont-y than Montpelier. But still very small town, independent and local minded.

[arel]

Brattleboro has lots of parking, if you know where to look. There are several large lots off Main Street. there's one on High Street (that has it's other entrance/exit on Grove Street, there's the Harmony parking lot off Elliot Street, there's a lot on Flat Street and there's the municipal parking center that is a multi-story parking building.

I usually get parking on Main Street, but sometimes when there is an important event downtown, sometimes I have to park off Main Street, and/or further away from where I want to go than I would like.

But this is a thread about Montpelier vs Burlington, not about Brattleboro.

But if your priority is parking, then move to Brattleboro!

[frogcreekwoods]

Which towns surrounding Burlington have the best middle and high schools?