[lunarose]

My husband and I live in Philadelphia, PA and are looking to relocate. He is an emergency room RN and I am a massage therapist/esthetician at a luxury hotel. No children & no pets. Both of us are in our 50's but young in body and mind. We are working middle-class and need to get away from all the crime, shootings, noisy disrespectful neighbors and live in an affordable place where we don't have to learn Spanish to communicate with our neighbors (no disrespect to those who speak Spanish). My husband could more than likely get a job at Fletcher-Allen Medical Center. Since he usually works 12hour shifts, we would need to live close to the Hospital and near transportation. Are there any good apartments near there? I saw a couple online but they were high priced and looked run down. We would definitely rent before we would buy again.Depending on his salary, we might be able to afford $1000/mo.The only day spa where I think I could make a living is at Stowe Mountain Resort which is too far away. Are there any other day spas, chiropractor offices or skincare salons anyone knows of that are in the area? We are having a toss-up deciding between Palm Beach Florida where the weather and beaches are great but the crime and drugs are out of hand, or Burlington Vermont where the quality of life is wonderful but the cost of living is high,availability of jobs is low, and winter is constant. Any advice or suggestions?

[68vette]

I work at FAHC and your husband shouldn't have an issue getting a job there, but don't be shocked at the pay. One of my co-workers just moved up from Philadelpia(CHOP) and said the pay was much lower here. As far as apartments go it's going to be tough. Burlington has a shortage when it comes to apartments. When school starts up again it's slim pickings and school just started. If you decide Burlington is the place for you, come up and do some apartment searching and grab the one you like. There are many, many dumps out there at high prices. I'm not renting, but many of my co-workers are paying $1000-$1500 per month. As far as working in a day spa I can't answer that question for you, but there are not a large number in Burlington. Here is a link that includes spas in Burlington and within 15-20 min.Day Spas in Burlington, VT on Yahoo! Local
You will get around fine with the public transportation in Burlington, but once you get outside of Burlington it's not as convenient. If you need to travel outside of Burlington life is much easier with a car. The public transportation is not as good as larger metro areas. This is a great area if you can afford to live here, but come and spend as much time in the different seasons to see if it's a good fit. For many the long winters are a deal breaker. It's cold or very cool for 6 plus months out of the year. Most love summer, spring and fall so focus on the winter.

[vter]

Regarding spas, there are a few day spas around. Stephen & Burns in Downtown Burlington and the Oasis Day Spa in Williston come to mind. I believe the Inn at Essex in Essex has a spa.
As said above, housing is expensive and salaries are generally lower here than in the more urban areas to our south.
Come up and visit and see if it would be a good fit for you!

[lunarose]

Thanks you guys for your input. I knew that the cost of living was a little higher, but I thought RN salaries would be similar all over. Are they a lot lower? Like, how low? Since apartments are at a premium and maybe not so good, are there any rental houses in the area? We were hoping to get away from lots of stress, but if you don't already have money and can't make a living, a beautiful, safe city starts to get less points on the pros and cons list. It shouldn't be this hard.

[vter]

For ideas on housing costs, check out Seven Days | Vermont's Independent Voice or burlingtonfreepress.com | The Burlington Free Press | Burlington news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Burlington, Vermont . There are quite a few condos in South Burlington that get rented out. Not sure if they'd be any more expensive or cheaper than apartments though. I'm guessing they'd be more $$$.

[Julie*]

You might consider living in Waterbury. Rents would most likely be cheaper there and it's a nice community from what I hear. There are more opportunities for you in Stowe rather than Burlington as a massage therapist. Your husband could work at FAHC and take the commuter bus right to the hospital instead of driving.

[flu189]

Just beware that the commuter busses from outlying areas that are referred to via CCTA have very basic service and if you are a shift worker and/or work in an occupation where overtime issues arise you WILL absolutely need a vehicle. Overall, while it is possible to live in Burlington without a car you will quiclky feel very isolated and as already mentioned winter here is long and cold and really needs to be factored into decisions where you will live and how you plan on getting around for work, shopping, entertainment, etc.