Why Do People Leave Vermont? (Burlington, Brattleboro: trip , house, university)

[KoZmiC NinJa]

I need music and art and to be surrounded by people who appreciate it, too.
In VT. it was fishin, shootin' kritters , gittin' drunk 'n four wheelin'.
If you were a little 'hoodchuck in Rutland, it was hanging out at WAL*MART
and setting a dumpster on fire. I really dont know how I lasted there as long
as I did

[arel]

Originally Posted by KoZmiC NinJa

I need music and art and to be surrounded by people who appreciate it, too.
In VT. it was fishin, shootin' kritters , gittin' drunk 'n four wheelin'.
If you were a little 'hoodchuck in Rutland, it was hanging out at WAL*MART
and setting a dumpster on fire. I really dont know how I lasted there as long
as I did

You were in Rutland. As you once wrote on another post, you might have felt differently if you were in Burlington.

I don't know Burlington, but I have some experience with Brattleboro. There are arts all over the place. The town is known for its arts scene. I think nearby Putney is, too, and I also think that Bellows Falls is up and coming for artists. And then, 45 minutes south in I-91, is Northampton, MA, and also the whole Pioneer Valley, with major colleges and the University of Massachusetts. Go north in I-95 and in an hour you are in Hanover, New Hampshire, where Dartmouth College is.

One thing that people have praised about Brattleboro is that, if you live in town, you are 5 minutes away from the arts venues. Here in Brooklyn, I need to budget about 90 minutes to get to Lincoln Center. It takes only slightly less time to get to points downtown. If I want to go to the Cloisters, way uptown in northern Manhattan, I need to budget two hours! And this is within the limits of my own city! I can take a little less time if I use the car instead of the subway, but then I have to find parking and, if necessary, park in a garage and pay through the nose.

I think this is one reason why I am sitting home in front of my computer right now and am not somewhere in Manhattan. Although major arts venues cost a lot of money, money is not really the major issue. You can do tons of stuff for free, or at very low cost. I do plan on going to Manhattan tomorrow afternoon, though.

Brattleboro? Maybe next weekend, but I'm not yet sure. I'd like to get to Gallery Walk.

Right now I'm adjusting to a heavier work schedule, so I want to take it easy on the weekends for a while. But I still want to get away.

[KoZmiC NinJa]

Yeah, Arel...Burlington would have been different for sure !
We were focusing on Montpelier and Im sure that would have been
different, too.
You should try a bicycle in the city and Brooklyn You'll get around
four times as fast !! Really . Fun o' plenty too ! I have a little, tiny
folding bike and its great !

[luv80s]

Kozmic, what's a hoodchuck? I saw that word and it made me laugh. Never heard it before. Is it equivelant to a redneck? Back home we'd call people "hoodrats". Basically ghetto thugs or wannabe thugs.

[KoZmiC NinJa]

Originally Posted by luv80s

Kozmic, what's a hoodchuck? I saw that word and it made me laugh. Never heard it before. Is it equivelant to a redneck? Back home we'd call people "hoodrats". Basically ghetto thugs or wannabe thugs.

Ok...VT lore time

Old, lifelong, 3rd generation Vermonters, the ones who
still wish for the daze of outhouses and think electricity
wrecked Vermont are called 'Woodchucks'. To some
it is an endearing term, to others its not so nice.
The new generation offspring of the woodchucks in Rutland
who lite dumpsters on fire, naturally should be called..........
Well, you get it ! ha ha

[luv80s]

Yeah! I learned a new word today What other Vermont slang or words should I add to my vocabulary? hehe

[MRVphotog]

Vermont has an incredible arts community. In Rutland, the Chaffee Center is one of the focal points. An incredible place and worth a visit. The Arts in the Park Arts/Crafts shows in Rutland(one in the summer and one in the fall) have over 50 Vermont artists with another 50 from other NE states. Lots of incredible work.

Chaffee Art Center - Art Gallery and Art Classes

Vermont Art Galleries & Art Centers in Vermont Artists VT Artisans Vermontfine art gallery info

Vermont Arts Council Home

For it's size I think Vermont has alot of high quality art, art galleries and artists.

KN..if your world when you lived in Rutland was "fishin, shootin' kritters , gittin' drunk 'n four wheelin' " that's fine. To label the whole area as such is simply pathetic. Be a Rutland hater if you want but it's too bad cause the folks in the Rutland area are so much more than that. It's home to Killington, a place with lots of skiing heritage and many Olympians. One of Vermont's best filmmakers is from Rutland and his film production company there does incredible things. I could go on and on.

Here is a few places to hear some great music in the Rutland area
South Central Vermont Vermont bars nightclubs Killington bars Rutland Bars Ludlow VT nightclubs live music

The Vermont Youth Orchestra had a concert about a year ago at Carnegie Hall and received standing ovations and high acclaim.
"From collaborations with Midori and Trey Anastasio to concerts in places as varied as Carnegie Hall and Hong Kong City Hall, this is no ordinary youth orchestra". The wife and I saw then on New Years Eve at the Flynn....took your breath away how talented these kids from little old Vermont are. Tons of music in just about every town. Granted, not many of the big name acts come to Vermont but still lots of great music offered from Bratt to Coventry in the NEK.

If you are considering living in Vermont but feel you might not survive in a state that does not have the famous museums and galleries like New York has then obviously Vermont is not for you. Your welcome to visit anytime tho.

During the annual statewide open studio weekend, Putney, for example, has over 100 artists who open their studios to visitors.

The idea that Vermont does not have alot of art is not supported by the facts and basically a whole lots of BS.

[Stiner]

Originally Posted by luv80s

Yeah! I learned a new word today What other Vermont slang or words should I add to my vocabulary? hehe

Jeezum Crow! The VT state bird! It means Jeez Louis and must be said with an accent which can't accurately be described- you have to just hear it. Go anywhere in Lamoille County and ask a farmer or hunter or any random person. I'm a teacher moving back home to VT from a couple of years in the city in MA, but I still can say it well to get under my husband's skin!
And one more thing (which I hate, by the way!) is when people say someone is up "to" the store rather than up "at" the store! "Where's Dad? Oh, he's up to the farm." Uggghhhh!!!!!! I specifically heard it in the Bakersfield/Enosburg area, and had not heard it before even though I was born and mostly raised in VT.

[KoZmiC NinJa]

Originally Posted by MRVphotog

V
The idea that Vermont does not have alot of art is not supported by the facts and basically a whole lots of BS.

The name of the thread is "Why do people leave Vermont" so this is one of my many reasons why....
You and I have differed on this before. We spent alot of time seeking culture and visited many of
the places you mentioned. My idea is a little different than yours in that I look for a district or arts community. Rutland had some singular shops, events etc, but nothing that I would call a 'community', relatively speaking. We spent two years chasing culture in S. Vermont and it became quite a hardship.
Here in Fl, for all its bad points, there is waaaay more to do culturally, close by. Probably the only reason Ive been able to tolerate the vacationers and angry bourgeois .

[ontheroad]

I absolutely love Vermont, but I wouldn't consider it resplendently cultural (museums, art venues, etc). And definitely not strong art communities. Shattered art shoppes, and centres but no real central hub or hub(s).

And the reason I left VT was its high cost of living.