[mmwm]

Hi there,

We're moving from Maine to the Upper Valley. Spouse is already working at Dartmouth and has been househunting for the last month, in Lebanon, Eastman, Hartford, Enfield, and similar. We've seen low house prices in Windsor, so spouse drove there and walked around. Said it has coffee shop, pub, library, train station, etc., all within walking distance of houses. I know the jail is nearby (so inmate families living in town?) and that the town saw better days when it was a factory town - but what's it really like now? Good place to live or not? By good, I mean friendly, safe, not too loud, community feeling, things to do, good coffee shop, good bookstore, good pub, good gathering places in general, decent selection of non-chain restaurants, drive to Hanover/Lebanon not too onerous. And is it a good real estate investment or not? By which I mean, what are the schools like, and the taxes, and are we likely to lose money on the house if we sell in 5-10 yrs?

I read the threads from March 2007 and am looking for current info -- thanks much!

[MRVphotog]

It has the Harpoon Brewery, kinda count for something.

[sugarmaple]

Windsor also has the The Windsor Station restaurant, former train station...good food and the train still stops here too.

[Windsorian]

Hi mmwm,

I thought it would be good to register to reply. We live in Windsor and find it a wonderful place. It is large enough that it meets the basic needs (good restaurants: Is Windsor the BEST kept food secret in the Upper Valley? - New England - Chowhound , etc) and it retains that small town feel (unlike west lebanon, for instance).

We also like to ski and its extremely convenient for skiing. Prices are relatively low and it is extremely easy to commute to Dartmouth. The CR transit is excellent (particularly in the summer when you can bike to the park and ride).
Connecticut River Transit :: Bus Schedules

As a side benefit to gardeners, its place in the CR valley means that when most places experience frost in mid to late May, Windsor stays just above freezing so you can get your garden started a bit earlier than other places in the area. The covered bridge is very nice, the precision museum is worth seeing, and the town is extremely walk-able. We've never had a problem with the jail or crime of any kind. There is a gym in the municipal building open to town residents that has fitness programs and the like. Taxes seem relatively low to us (compared to co-workers living in New Hampshire and elsewhere in VT) but I'm not sure what taxes are like in Maine.

If you're particularly interested in having an investment 5-10 years down the road Windsor is probably a good place to look. The town has had some issues in the past, but the Armory apartments on Union Street are being remodeled to nice town-homes. This means prices, particularly in that area, have been historically low but are now improving. Furthermore NL Wilson and the owners of the Juniper Hill Inn have shown a serious interest in furthering growth in the downtown so it seems like a place where there are nice opportunities for a growth in value as well.

Hopefully this is helpful. Let me know if you have any questions about the area that I can answer.

[chrismpv]

I just visited Windsor last April. I hadn't been there for 9 years and I really enjoyed the town and the community which really wants to promote their town but still keep it small. Great art in Windsor tour!

[chrismpv]

I forgot to add that they have a train station where the Amtrak's Vermonter stops on their way to and from DC. In 2009, you can take the train in Windsor and go to Burlington for only $12. one way. It's also one of Vermont designated downtowns which means that they are a community working on revitalizing their downtown through different project. Vermont Division For Historic Preservation - Programs - Downtown Program

[Sporin]

I agree with Windsorian's assessment. We bought our home in Windsor about 10 years ago and have very happily watched the town "blossom" since then. Things were a bit dour when we first came here but over the last decade the downtown has basically been rebuilt, and lots of young families have moved into town and fixed up a lot of the older houses. Now, just like 10 years ago, Windsor represents a real bargain for Upper Valley housing.

The Windsor Rec program is great, tball, little league, soccer, pretty much any youth sport you can imagine. Tons of opportunities for the kids.

My wife works at Dartmouth and I work just across the bridge in Wilder. The commute is an easy 20-30 minutes with very little traffic or hassle.

I regularly walk my dog at night after dark, all around town and while there is the bad egg here and there I've never felt unsafe or hassled. People are generally very friendly.

Windsor offers the necessities, a good sized Price Chopper, nice Hardware store, multiple eateries and the wonderful Windsor Mercantile Windsor Vermont Mercantile Offical Home Page. Anything else you need is 20 minutes north or west in West Lebanon or Claremont NH.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by chrismpv

I forgot to add that they have a train station where the Amtrak's Vermonter stops on their way to and from DC. In 2009, you can take the train in Windsor and go to Burlington for only $12. one way. It's also one of Vermont designated downtowns which means that they are a community working on revitalizing their downtown through different project. Vermont Division For Historic Preservation - Programs - Downtown Program

Would you know whether that train make same day round trips?

[quickdraw]

I stumbled into Windsor one day and was pleasantly surprised. Nice neat little Main Street New England feeling town. We don't have enough towns like that in Vermont. If I was working in that area, I'd definitely check out Windsor.

[porter-hanshi]

What I don't get is a town like Windsor and the Mc?Donalds goes out of business????????