[librasunlibrarising]

Hi All!


I'm currently a DE resident/longtime tri-state (Mid-Atlantic) resident that is looking to move to Northern VT with my longtime partner and my longtime best friend. We are all in our early to mid thirties with no children.



I'd like to preface this by saying that whatever preferences/feelings/opinions I have below are my own and I am not the person that would expect anyone else to fall in line with how I may feel about something. Quite frankly, I just want to be left in peace.


My partner and I have been homeowning in DE for the past 4 years and currently live in a city with rather nosy neighbors who don't park particularly well and who are not great with property maintenance and the like. We end up feeling like we have no privacy or space. We are looking to rent out our property and go rent up in VT for the next couple of years or so.


Part of this motivation definitely stems from the current pandemic. We both work remotely and have been fortunate enough to not have to go out too often but the rates (again, I know there are many opinions on this lately but just going off of independent data that we have researched ourselves) are very concerning for us in this country and VT happens to have lower rates of cases/mortality.



The main motivation for the three of us is VT's proximity to the Canadian border. We are aware that the border is currently closed for the time being but the three of us have wanted to move abroad permanently since childhood for our own personal reasons. Canada seems like the best option for all of us as we have similar backgrounds and needs. I don't have any delusions of the border opening within the foreseeable future (the next year if we are lucky, two years or more if not) unless some strange turn of events happens but we figured that we could get as close as possible for the time being.



All three of us are Black and part of the LGBT community. I am not expecting a miracle, zero incidents or any sort of welcoming committee but we would love to be left alone as that is how we treat everyone regardless of background, opinions etc.


We are all very enthusiastic about potentially living somewhere a little more rural as we would love some outdoor space, peace and quiet. We would love a situation where we would be free to garden and walk around etc. and be at peace with nature. My partner and I work remotely as I described above; however, my best friend currently is a student and while online studies may work, there is a need for some proximity to some sort of metropolitan area and/or university. I believe that living directly in Burlington is out of the running due to the pricing of rentals and how urban it is but we wouldn't mind the greater Burlington area. We also wouldn't mind areas that are a half hour to an hour away from a metropolitan area or potentially have some semblance of public transportation (have done some research and do know that this time would be extended with winter weather).


We have considered southern VT but a good majority of it seems to be catered to ski resorts and the like and is thus pricier in a lot of places depending. Also, we prefer the nature and scenery in northern VT to southern VT.



My partner and I have visited VT recently and loved it. Our plan is to visit VT in November with my best friend and to take a week or two to drive around to places of interest and see what would work best for us and what wouldn't, view potential rentals etc. and then come back to the tri-state area while we get the house rented out and go from there. In my heart of hearts (and my partner's as well) a rural home rental up near the border with plenty of outdoor space would be ideal but I do recognize that my best friend may have different needs so we'll be accommodating that. We also know that it gets super cold/snowy in VT but we can deal with that and adjust accordingly.



My question for all of you is can anyone recommend areas in Northern VT that would work best based upon the situation above? Thank you all for taking the time to read this and for your recommendations!

[Gemini1963]

I don't have particular suggestions but when you zero in on a place (or a few places), it's very important that you check out the internet situation. If you'll be working from home (or in the case of your friend, maybe taking classes remotely) you will need good internet, and that's hard to come by in some areas around Vermont. And it can vary quite a lot even within the same rather small region - so (again) check on this for the particular HOUSE that you are considering renting (when you find it).

Good luck!

[jdhpa]

If your eventual goal is to move to Canada, you should contact an immigration attorney and find out how you can qualify. If you can get a job in Canada it's easy, or if you have a significant amount of money to start a business. Having relatives there can also make it easy. But in general it can be difficult.


Good luck!

[Champ le monstre du lac]

If you want to be both near the border and within a 1/2 hour to an hour from Burlington, then Franklin County is the obvious choice. Plenty of rural and agricultural land near the border, but as mentioned it's important to get good internet and some rural areas won't have access to it. I also work remotely and have a business account with Comcast (about $200 a month) to get suitable internet for my workday.

St. Albans is the commercial center of the county, and is a pretty charming town (it's a city by Vermont standards but I still can't call it a city, it's a town). My partner and I moved here in 2019 and we made several trips up to Montreal, even for the day or to go shopping as its only an hour & 15 minutes away. I love the location, NY state is just over the bridge and there's good access to the Adirondacks which is an exceptionally awesome area for outdoor activities (as are the nearby Green Mountains). The border closure does suck, disappointed that I wasn't able to get up there at all this summer. Part of our decision to move here was due to its proximity to Quebec, but not for immigration purposes. I'm content with being in Vermont.

St. Albans has local bus service around town and a commuter bus that goes to Burlington twice daily. The Amtrak Vermonter is out of service currently but there is a station in St. Albans which offers service to NYC (a long slow journey) and points south along the Connecticut River valley. I wouldn't rely on public transportation and you should still have a good vehicle, but there's some PT here too.

[librasunlibrarising]

Hello everyone,

Thank you so much for your advice. I really appreciate your responses! I will make sure that I am able to get good internet before renting and will definitely make sure to visit Franklin County/St. Albans.