[vter]

luv80s, If I moved to VT in the spring, I'd be a little discouraged too! Give us time, you'll find the summers awesome and winters fun too - take up skiing, snowshoeing, etc. Springtime is a mixed bag. Raining, Snowing, Gray,damp & 40 degrees, or sunny and 75.

[vter]

cheshire - never been to Houston, but have heard about the heat! I think you'll especially love the summer & fall here, but winter, well, you'll have to get used to it! Don't hibernate though - get out and enjoy it!
Good luck with your move.

[cheshire]

Hi luv80s -- We live in the Montrose area. If we didn't have our son we would be satisfied with our living arrangement. We love our neighbors and our house. The Montrose/Midtown area is an oasis of sorts in a sea of dehumanizing suburban sprawl.

That being said, we've always contemplated moving elsewhere, someplace with four seasons and preferably a cooler climate; however, it was the birth of our son that accelerated our desire to move. Houston is horribly polluted (see Toxic Pollution and Health - Environment Texas). There are few healthy alternatives once we are driven indoors by week long red ozone warnings. (Wednesday I made the mistake of jogging without realizing that one ongoing and it will take me a week or more to get rid of the itchy throat and smoker's cough.) Given the environmental conditions, and the fact that one can't get anywhere without driving it is no surprise that Houston is one of the fattest cities in the US. We were number one for a while, I am not sure where we fall this year. I am sure it is in the top ten.

Have you ever seen the Houston Ship Channel on fire? It is like a scene out of Dante's Inferno. Anyhow, I don't mean to be so pessimistic about Houston, it does have its pluses: strong economy, cheap housing, and low taxes. Though raising children here is problematic.

Anyhow, as you can tell, I am looking forward to getting out of here. I am hopping to arrive in Burlington at the end of June. I am still trying to figure out the housing arrangement. The internet has been helpful.

I hope you change your mind about Vermont. Give it some time. If you need to be dissuaded about Houston, visit in late August or in the middle of hurricane season :-)

[cheshire]

How is Winooski compared to Burlington? We've been looking at the area and it seems to have reasonably priced houses for our budget and tastes. We like old houses, Victorians are our favorites. We are also kind of handy, so fixer-uppers are a plus if the price is right. Any comments, suggestions, would be appreciated. How about schools?

[VTeratheart]

There's a reason Winooski is less expensive than other areas you might be considering. It is a historic city (yes, it's only approximately one square mile of city, but it's considered a city anyway!) and does have a few nice neighborhoods that reflect this history. However, and I don't know the exact data, but, Winooski has a lot of low-income, rental housing, much of which is either government subsidized or elderly. Also, there's a fair amount of drugs and crime there, too. Having been a teacher in this county, I would never put my children in the public schools in Winooski.

The city is trying to make improvements~they have just completed a rotary, and built a huge, new building which houses the state's student loan and resource center, Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC), as well as a couple other computer and software companies. They are slowly making improvements to this once thriving mill and factory town. You asked for honest opinions....right?

[cheshire]

VTeratheart -- thank you for your honest opinion. I came across a few documents put out by the Winooski school system that support what you are saying. They seem to be somewhat behind the curve in many areas compared to the county and state. It is nice to hear the same from someone who's been there. My son won't be in school for another four years, but this is something to keep in mind.

Do you know anything about the railroad tracks that run on the south of Winooski? Is it freight or passenger or both? I am not familiar with the train system in Vermont, but in Houston we have laws regarding how and when they need to sound their whistle.

[VTeratheart]

I'm glad you are finding supporting information to my personal accounts/input! As far as the train, it is a freight train that passes through around 9:30 am, 3:30 pm, and 11:30 pm. We live about 200 yards from the tracks (NOT in Winooski ) and don't hear a blasting horn right near us. I think they primarily blow it at major junctions or crossings...it's not anything that bothers us too much. Maybe it'd be different if we lived closer to it...? Hope that helps!

[cheshire]

VTeratheart -- thank you for your help. We'll keep exploring our options. Right now we are trying to find a short term lease (it is a bit hard to do it online), so we can buy ourself a few months to find something more permanent. As a teacher, what are your thoughts on local schools? Which do you think are worth checking out?

[chaz longue]

Cheshire -

I just pulled up the residential properties on the market in Winooski and Burlington. While I believe a look at the comparable sale prices in the two towns would reveal that Winooski is in fact less expensive - there are 8 residential properties in Burlington presently offered for less than the least expensive in Winooski. The Burlington ones start at $130,000, and the ones in Winooski don't appear on the list until 155,000. The MLS software I use even allows me to sort properties by school district, for what it's worth...

I live in Burlington myself, but have always liked Winooski. Many years ago it was of course a mill town, and the old Mills have been used in interesting ways over the years. It's a long but manageable walk from one downtown to the other, (this came in handy in the days of cheap booze (THE MILL "internationally famous" [a bar], and then in the days of The Sneakers Jazz Band live every Tuesday). I have mixed feelings about the recent urban renewal phase that's been undertaken, but parts of it seem to me to be very well conceived (the new river walk's an example, as is the roundabout, imho.

btw I may well have a short term rental for you starting in July, possibly earlier.

pm me if yo'd like details of any of this (above)...

[MRVphotog]

I think Vermont is one of the most pedestrian friendly places in the country, people here, unless they are from out of town , will actually stop to let you cross safely.

One thing that has not been mentioned is the how close Montreal is from the Burlington area. Awesome place for concerts and pro sporting events or just to experience the big city if you have a craving for that.