[StaceyB]

Hi my family and I (husband and baby) have decided to move back east from Colorado next fall. My husband is an acupuncturist and we are looking for a community to move to. Currently we are thinking more of southern Vermont to be closer to my family in New York City. Does anyone have any suggestions about locations and possible attitudes towards alternative medicine?

Stacey

[Dragondog]

Southern VT around Brattleboro might be a perfect fit for you.
It has been recommended here by many. Very charming town of 12500 people.
Lots of Arts, recreation, great bars, places to eat.

Alternative medicine YES- plus less then an hour from another 'alternative' center of ideas and thinking in Northampton Mass.

[vter]

Yes, look into Brattleboro, but also Bennington. Bennington has about 15ish thousand people and is home to 2 (small) colleges. Bennington is an hour east of Albany.
Most, if not all areas of Vermont have folks who are very accepting of alternative medicine.

[Colomonter]

Originally Posted by StaceyB

Hi my family and I (husband and baby) have decided to move back east from Colorado next fall. My husband is an acupuncturist and we are looking for a community to move to. Currently we are thinking more of southern Vermont to be closer to my family in New York City. Does anyone have any suggestions about locations and possible attitudes towards alternative medicine?

Stacey

I would suggest Brattleboro or Bennington. What town in Colorado are you moving from and did you like it? I may be able to give you other suggestions based on where you are coming from.

[chionactis]

I lived in Bennington for about 6 months. I grew up south of the border in Lee, MA for all my life until moving away at age 28 (I am not 37).
I lived in Bennington for 6 months in 2000. We moved away because my husband's job as an MD there, well, it just didn't work out. Would we have stayed there if it had worked out? Probably, but if I had the choice to go back to Bennington to live, I'd say no thanks. Since you like alternative medicine, you will find yourself at home there, maybe even more so in Brattleboro, though I do not know much else about that place. I like Vermont, but I like places in north central Vermont. I think they are MUCH prettier.
In all honestly, though, I would not live in VT again. Visit, YES, but not reside there. Just a personal choice. Good luck.

[arel]

I agree. North and Central Vermont are prettier than southern Vermont. The mountains are bigger.

I once lived, briefly, in White River Junction. I found the setting very beautiful. One day, I had to drive down to Brattleboro on I-91. I remember thinking how small and paltry the mountains got as I approached Brattleboro.

[mackymoo]

It may be prettier up north from down here in Brattleboro, but it's a lot colder and more rural. It's only a 2-3 hour drive if you wanted to visit the bigger mountains. Brattleboro is the perfect spot being right in the corner of the state. NH is only a bridge away and MA is 5 min. on the highway south. You are close to lots of things yet you still feel like you're away from city life.
Outside towns are the way to go if you want to live in the Brattleboro area. Guilford, Vernon, Dummerston and Puntey are all my favorite in terms of schools, costs, town recreation, etc...
When it comes to alternative medicine you couldn't find a more welcoming enviroment in New England. We definitly could use more people advocating your beliefs in alternative medicine. People also travel to VT for alternative medicinal purposes.
We're also a very child friendly town.
Good luck. Let me know if you have any more questions.

[arel]

I can see you love Brattleboro. I agree with your comments about its location. I'm thinking seriously of moving up there.

I was planning to drive up today but I didn't get enough sleep last night and I didn't feel up to the 5 hour drive from Brooklyn, NY. I'm going up tomorrow morning, unless I get spooked by the predicted snow. I plan to come home Monday, or, if there is too much snow, Tuesday.

Yes, I'm a flatlander. Can't help it. Was born that way.

[sbohandley]

Yes Brattleboro is artsy and alternative medicine is big here. Some things to bear in mind is that the area has a shortage of housing (due to people from CT, Mass and NY buying second homes for the weekend) and that is the main reason my wife and I are looking to leave Vermont. If you want reasonable housing costs you may be better off looking around the Springfield mass area. Bennington is also has cheaper housing. If you want to live in the Brattleboro area I would choose the surrounding towns first.
There are not a lot of young people here and the place hasn't grown since the early 70's. Make sure you spend a couple of days here and get out on the town to see if you fit with this place.
Yes there are some great places to eat, however the "Great Bars' quote is a big stretch. McNeils smells like Armpit, the Morts, the sports bar and beacon are dive's. The Metropolitan is a nice bar, but small and expensive. The mole's eye is good if you are into the alternative lifestyle scene.
To be honest I think your biggest consideration should be the cost of living here. I would do my homework again before moving here.

[arel]

If you want to be close to New York, and you do not need to be in Vermont, you may want to consider northern Connecticut or the Pioneer Valley in Massachusetts. Northampton, Amherst and some other towns in the Pioneer Valley are very progressive, semi-rural, almost certainly open to alternative medicine, and about an hour closer to NYC than Brattleboro is.

Massachusetts, though, has a different "feel" from Vermont.

I do not know how expensive it is to live there, relative to Vermont, but maybe someone else can give you that information.