[Pidgett]

I have lived in rural Maine (Skowhegan) and rural West Virginia (Mingo Falls) for all my life. That is, almost 50% of my life in Maine, and the rest of it presently in W. Va. While I love living in these rural areas, and love all the benefits one can enjoy from a country life, I have to admit that there has always been a negative side (in my opinion) to being in the "boonies/small towns." That downside I am refering to is rednecks. I am refering to those denizens of rural America who live in broken-down trailers or homes with old junker cars sitting on blocks on the lawn for all to see, old fridges rotting and rusting out back, and all manner of litter and old tires strewn about. These folks take no pride in their communities and are the first ones to complain about where they live as they do not appreciate the unsung benefits of rural living in today's America. They have a most conservative mindset too. They believe painting one's house and tidying up their yards will only make their taxes go up, so they chose to live in squallor as this is better on their wallets. They usually drive the biggest pick-up possible, even if they never haul anything in the back payload. They usually smoke and are often-times big drinkers. They favor NASCAR and monster truck pulls. I won't go on. You know the type.

Does Vermont harbor this species of country dweller as does interior Maine and rural West Virginia? Are they perhaps less noticeable than in my two states? My wife and I are seriously considering Vermont, New Hampshire or perhaps upstate New York to move to due to business reasons primarily, and, secondarily, to get away from the rednecks I have been living near for all my life. BTW, I am expressing an opinion that is mine. It is in no way meant to be a slam on a lifestyle that many endorse and love to live. I am saying, however, that I do not choose to live this way, and wish to live in a part of the country (pun intended) that has less or none of it.

[harry chickpea]

Yeah, Vermont has rednecks. What you would probably like is a planned neighborhood with a neighborhood association and deed restrictions. They are available, and a lot of them are gated. Some people love 'em. To me, they represent high-class prisons for a culture that is too caught up with itself to recognize that it is built on the backs of poorer people.

Some of the most interesting and independent people I've ever met had messy yards, and some of the neatest people I've met had nothing to say that wasn't the cultural "party line."

FWIW, If you ever decide to move south, consider Coral Gables in Florida. High property values and gorgeous, but you have to get everything approved.

[carolinajack]

perhaps russia, where there is no diversity. sounds like prejudice to me. I am a black american and if someone talked about poor blacks like this person talks about rednecks-poor whites, they would be labeled close-minded, bigoted racists.

many hispanics, blacks, and whites all over the country live like this person describes. i guess we should round up all undesirables, who dont live the way she/he does and put them in camps like they did with the japanese.

wow, theres your liberal racism for ya

[harry chickpea]

Nah carolinajack, some folks are just "over-the-top" with messing up the yard. I had a friend who bought a house and an acre of riverfront land in Vermont for $6,000 back in the 1970s. The first thing he had to do was get garbage bags and collect all the beer bottles the previous owner had tossed out of his kitchen window whenever he was drunk. My friend ended up with a truckload and a half of them, which made a tidy sum with Vermont's bottle deposit law.

The house that the previous owner had built, and my friend bought, had studs made of used telephone pole crossarms. I discovered that after my friend abandoned it and it had fallen down in a snowstorm.

To each his own, and I can understand someone not wanting to be around folks like that. There is a difference between being discriminating and discriminatory. Me, I just have too much fun with folks who are willing to explore life in odd ways rather than follow the "correct" path to the grave.
I realize that not everyone wants to "waste" their time on that.

[spunky1]

Originally Posted by carolinajack

perhaps russia, where there is no diversity. sounds like prejudice to me. I am a black american and if someone talked about poor blacks like this person talks about rednecks-poor whites, they would be labeled close-minded, bigoted racists.

many hispanics, blacks, and whites all over the country live like this person describes. i guess we should round up all undesirables, who dont live the way she/he does and put them in camps like they did with the japanese.

wow, theres your liberal racism for ya

Maybe you should try and go back and reread his post. He was NOT targeting "poor whites". There are MANY "poor whites" (and many other groups) that do not have a lot of money who have immaculate yards and homes and have pride in ownership regardless of how humble. There is a difference between not having a lot of capital and not having any pride in your own space. I for one appreciate beauty and understand what the poster was getting at. He certainly has a right to his own opinion and if wants to live in an area where people take care of their land and property then others should not criticize. And there is a huge difference than wanting to live in a planned cookie-cutter community than just wanting to live next door to a trailer with rusting apliances and cars on bricks etc.

[Dwatted Wabbit]

Originally Posted by carolinajack

perhaps russia, where there is no diversity. sounds like prejudice to me. I am a black american and if someone talked about poor blacks like this person talks about rednecks-poor whites, they would be labeled close-minded, bigoted racists.

many hispanics, blacks, and whites all over the country live like this person describes. i guess we should round up all undesirables, who dont live the way she/he does and put them in camps like they did with the japanese.

wow, theres your liberal racism for ya

Thank you.
It seems rednecks are the only group it's PC-acceptable to beat up on nowadays.
Some of the finest and most patriotic Americans I've ever know would surely be labeled rednecks. But they would give all for God and country.

[Pidgett]

Spunky 1 is right-on!!! Thank you for clarifying my intensions. He understood my post, which is something that others DID NOT! To clarify, and not be misunderstood/misidentified as a "racist" or a snob, (which I am the 180 degree opposite of) I said in my post that I did not mean to "slam a lifestyle," in this case the "redneck" style, that many endorse and love to live. I was saying for me and ME ALONE, (actually my wife included) I choose not to live in a community where the residents take no pride in it! Many people, be they black, white or chartreuse--(BTW I made no reference to color in the first place; that was CarolinaJack's false assumption)--middle class or poor--(I made no reference to income, fellow posters!)--choose to have neat properties or choose to have sloppy ones with litter trashed about and choose to follow, or not to follow, a way of life that I termed as "redneck." How one chooses to live, oftentimes, is just that: a choice. As Spunky 1 pointed out one can be poor and have pride in one's place and care about their comunity.

I was simply asking if Vermont has the same frequency of occurence with residents who choose to have junk on their lawns and have the redneck mindset. In America, we have the right to be discriminate w/o being an advocate for intolerance or hate. This is not a paradox or anachronistic, if you read my words and their meanings correctly.

Thanks for all your input so far. And sorry for any misunderstandings.

[ontheroad]

Whatever a redneck is, or isn't, folks everywhere have different life-styles and yes, you'll find folks who collect cars, old appliances, tires, etc---in Vermont.

Frankly, I don't equate "redneck" with collecting, but rather with rural, sometimes poor, sometimes just plum collectors.

I got a real good, ole wooden toolbox, hand-made and hew'd to a fine ole patina for a buck in ME--where it was considered a prized antique. If that fella didn't save it, I wouldn't have it!

[chaz longue]

Pidgett -

There's an old joke that goes something like this:
What's the difference between a wealthy Vermonter and the rest of us?
He's the guy with TWO cars up on blocks... (drumroll/rimshot).

But this is a very old joke and a misleading one, because rural as VT is, different parts of VT are extremely different, one from another. I myself live in Burlington, which is in Chittenden County. That's the urban, urbane Northwest corner of VT, sometimes known as The West Coast of New England. Think Portland Maine. Burlington is a mecca for students, retired people, the artsy/craftsy and those who value a really human scale liveable city. The joke about Burlington is that it's charming as heck - and you can drive to Vermont from it!

The sort of scene you paint is possible to find in VT. Heck - geologically we're in the Northern Appalachians after all.
But I'm thinking you'll conclude we're long on charm and short on squalour in VT. Come have a look. You may well put us at the top of your list!

[LoopyLou]

Pidgett,
I'm looking to relocate to VT or NH also and understand what you were asking. We've been driving all around VT, looking in rural areas as we need acreage for our horse & donkey. Compared to Colorado where I am currently, VT seemed very pretty and tidy. My fiance especially liked Ludlow - I haven't seen it yet but it sounds like it might be a town that may suit your needs. Good luck to you! We've decided to rent before we buy - probably in Brownsville, VT.