[US-Traveller]

My family and I have been looking to relocate out of Chicago for about a year now. We have been exploring our options. Right now we are really leaning towards Salt Lake City or Phoenix. But, due to the demand for my position I have plenty of flexibility and can look at a variety of areas. I have been offered an interview in Randolph. I am pretty familiar with Vermont's geography eventhough I haven't been there in nearly 20 years.

We are a small family. I have a high-school-aged son, two active adults, and a large dog. We really enjoy the outdoors and one thing we hate about Chicago is that during the winter there is little to do in terms of outdoor activities and during the summer the beaches really fill up and get crowded even in the suburbs. We are LDS and enjoy are church and one thing that concerns us about Vermont is the radical-leftism and prevalence of agnostic culture.

We are looking for an area that is within 40 minutes of Randolph, that can offer us top-tier public schools, lots of hiking and posibly cross-country skiing. We also enjoy fishing and would love to take up boating. We have a decent housing budget. We are able to spend up to around $2 million, but we are concerned about the stagnant Vermont economy and housing prices. Are there any areas that might fit our criteria? We have heard about Woodstock as being a good area, but I think that it might be a bit too far from Randolph.

[vter]

I gotta ask...where in Randolph can you get a job that will afford you buy a $2 million dollar home??!!! Sign me up!
Randolph is a small town in Central Vermont. It's downtown area is nestled in a pretty valley and the outlying parts of town are at higher elevation. Interstate 89 runs through the outskirts of town. I believe the population is around 5000. Vermont Technical College is in Randolph Center.
Regarding being LDS, there is a small LDS population here. Heck, Josoph Smith is from Vermont, very near Randolph (Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial). People here don't care about things like what religion you are, so I would not worry about feeling out of place because of your religious and/or political beliefs. The majority of people here have a "live and let live attiude", meaning that people tend to mind their own business. The media plays Vermont up as being this super-duper liberal place, but most people here are what I would consider moderate, but leaning left. People are reserved, yet friendly when you get to know them.
You may have to travel a bit to go to church..not sure where the closest LDS Church is to Randolph. I know there is one in South Burlington and also in Lyndonville - I'd be willing to bet there is a church in the Barre/Montpelier area or the White River Juct area which Randolph lies in between.
Schools....can't really help there.
One thing to keep in mind would be your winter commute. The section of I-89 between White River Junction and Barre/Montpelier is at a high elevation and can get very dicey in the winter during bad weather. You mentioned Woodstock....Woodstock is a high-end resort town with lots of tourists and fancy inns/restaurants and high priced real estate (lots of second homes too). Very touristy. Not a place I'd personally want to live in, but you may.
Outdoor activities are everywhere here. No need to worry about that!
Is there any way you can come visit to scout out the area?

[US-Traveller]

I was able to find out that there are three LDS wards near Randolph. The closest one being in South Royalton, the others in Middlebury and Berlin. It would a be a ways to visit a temple as the only one in New England is in Belmont, MA (Mitt Romney's hometown). I am not sure how seminary works there, I'll assume they have home meetings in Vermont because the wards are so spread apart. It is interesting that Sharon, Vermont just off I-89 is where Joseph Smith was born, I've never been able to see the memorial.

I am going to have to talk to my potential employer, but we'll probably be able to visit and scout the area in late February or early March.

Are there any specific towns that you might recommend we look at? Are there any specific activities that might be fun to try out during those months?

[Lilybeans]

South Royalton has the Joseph Smith homesite and memorial. It's a nice place.

[US-Traveller]

Is there anyone on this forum familiar with Central Vermont?

[vter]

I don't think there are any regular posters who post here that are in the Randolph area unfortunately. Hopefully someone will see your inquiry and post some more detailed info for you.
As for towns to check out, I'd check out the towns in the immediate area: Randolph, South Royalton, Sharon. Google The Sharon Academy-it's a small private high school that kids in Sharon can attend tuition free. Northfield may be worth a look but don't know anything about the schools. Berlin kids go to U-32 High School in East Montpelier which has a good reputation. Berlin is a rural "suburb" (I use that term very loosly) of Barre/Montpelier and not far from Randolph. Norwich, VT is a "high-end" town and the high school kids go to Hanover NH HS which is a good school. Not sure that a commute from Norwich to Randolph would be any fun though.

[68vette]

I lived and worked in Randolph for several years and then moved to Brookfield(the next town north of Randolph). The area around Randolph is very nice, but very rural. I am an outdoors person myself, but the area has very little to offer outside of outdoor activities. Coming from an area like Chicago that has conveniences to a rural area that offers few conveniences may be tough. The section of town in the valley is the village area and is where most of the population lives. There is a small strip of stores in the center of town that has the typical New England feel to it. you will be able to get your basic needs in the town itself, but will need to travel to Barre/Montpelier or West Lebanon, NH for the rest. As stated in another post, travel is a pain in the winter due to the elevation. There are days when Burlington will get 3-4 inchs of snow and the area around Randolph will get over a foot. The schools are ok in town. Not the best school system, but not the worst. It's not a wealthy part of the state and in this economy I would imagine that it most likely is depressed, but I haven't lived in the area for a few years now so I'm not sure. I enjoyed living in the area and have some fond memories, but I don't know if I could ever live there again. The reason I say this is because you could live anywhere in the state and have access to outdoor activities. I have the best of both worlds now. I live in the greater Burlington area and have all the conveniences of a small city, but I can also walk out the door and do every outdoor activity I could ever dream of. Good luck.

[US-Traveller]

How long would it take to get from the in-town area of Woodstock to Randolph? I know Woodstock has a relatively good public educational system and a good selection of housing.

[68vette]

Originally Posted by US-Traveller

How long would it take to get from the in-town area of Woodstock to Randolph? I know Woodstock has a relatively good public educational system and a good selection of housing.

The drive from the center of Woodstock to the center of Randolph is a little over 40 miles. You would have to take route 4 to 89 N. During the summer months with clear roads it takes about 45-50 minutes. You could also take route 12 all the way into Randolph, but it's all back road driving. The problem with this part of the state is due to it's elevation it gets more snow than many other parts of the state. The state does a good job with the roads, but having lived there and driving on 89 every day to work, I wouldn't want to do it again. Some days a normally 20 minute drive to Barre would take over an hour.
If you want to work in Randolph, then I would try to find a place closer if you don't want to live in Randolph. Many or most of the towns in that section of the state are small, including Woodstock. Another option you may want to look into is Montpelier. The commute is about 30 minutes at most and I feel it has much more to offer. The winter drive is still a little tough at times, but I think it's a much easier ride.

[flu189]

I know three people in my reserve unit who are from Randolph. As mentioned before, it's rural and especially in winter rural can affect people differently. None of them have ever said anything either great or horrible about the area, but they are working stiffs with little free time. You will need to research the area in person to see if it is a fit for your desires. With a two million budget to spend on a home this exceeds the lifetime income of a majority of Vermonters, hence, you can essentially buy yourself a town, but you will tax yourself to death. Since the mention of politics and religion appeared it is fact that Vermont leans very left and we are dead last in the nation in terms of folks who consider religion an important part of their lives. Even though virtually all faiths are represented to some degree, you may find the groups to be very small and perhaps this is something to consider depending on experience and preference. We also at this time rank in the bottom five states in terms of both employment and consumer confidence while being one of the most highly taxed states. I too came to Vermont four years ago with a much lower budget than $2 million, but adequate to buy a comfortable home with land, yet I will be leaving with much less then I came with and not because of the crash in retirement investments. Income and cost of living factors can really take a toll on a nest egg. Finally, regarding travel. I travel several times a month from Hinesburg through Waitsfield to Northfield which is where Routes 12 and 12A are (lead south to Randolph along with I89). I use the back roads and it can be slow going and also pretty tough during storms. I plan accordingly and budget the travel time. If speed and time are essential then you will want to be closer to the Interstate, however, this season the average speed and time saved there has been not so great either. My advice is to start a pro and con list, gathers facts, then visit to get a firsthand boots on the ground perspective.