Burlington? or other similar places? (Brattleboro, Middlebury: health insurance, houses, find a job)

[4rings]

Hello all,
I am currently residing in the metro Atlanta, Ga area, and frankly I'm sick of this place. To make a long story short, I want to relocate to somewhere cleaner, better looking, and more open minded. For what it's worth, most people I meet have no idea I'm actually from here...I'm definitely not a typical southerner! ha

I'm a male in my 20's with a very open mind. I love the outdoors. I would much rather be in a cooler climate, and I'm not opposed to snow or cold temperatures. I'm not interested in huge cities or small towns, but would like something in between, specifically with an actual town center that actually caters to its residents, not just tourists. I'm very interested in historic home preservation, so places with some history are a huge plus.

A few months ago, I took a short trip to Vermont with a friend and absolutely loved it. Burlington seemed like a place I would like, but the more I read about it, the more I realize housing is limited, and the cost of living is rather high. Also, it seems as though there aren't many jobs anywhere in Vermont that I can find.

Based on the somewhat vague info I've provided, would Burlington seem like a decent place for me? Or, what about other towns in Vermont? Or even places in other states perhaps? I'm looking for suggestions and I'm interested to hear opinions....some food for thought. Thanks!

[Evan_Lanctot]

You've hit the nail on the head.

High cost of living + very few decent paying jobs = Tough living environment.

A LOT of people want to live in Burlington. Still, if you want to make the plunge, good luck. Find a job FIRST.

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by 4rings

Based on the somewhat vague info I've provided, would Burlington seem like a decent place for me? Or, what about other towns in Vermont? Or even places in other states perhaps? I'm looking for suggestions and I'm interested to hear opinions....some food for thought. Thanks!

In 1988 I moved to New Hampshire from South Florida, of which I'm a native. In 1996, I met the person I would later marry and moved to Vermont to be with him. I've never looked back. Like you, I appreciate older historical structures and smaller-town culture. Even after owning a 200+ year old house for 10 years, I'm still charmed by older homes and prefer them to newer places.

I love cold weather. Vermont summers are actually much harder for me than winters.

Burlington's great but after living away from big cities for so long I prefer smaller towns. I like to live in town and walk to everything. My very favorite Vermont town is Montpelier. If I was moving to Vermont, that's where I'd look first. My second choice would be Brattleboro. I also like Norwich, Middlebury, and Bristol.

But to live in any of these places you'd need to know you have enough money/income to hold you until you found a job, which is difficult here. The cost of living is high.

Still, depending on your skills, Vermont has a lively barter culture. I know people bartering for (nice) housing, food, car repair, and other products & services. It's unlikely you'd be able to barter for heating fuel or health insurance so income or savings is very important.

[RunawayJim]

How big is too big? It sounds like you might enjoy Providence. While it's a bigger city than Burlington at about 180k, it has several neighborhoods that all have their own feel and history and it has more of a small town feel with the big city amenities. If you get involved here (which is easy to do), you'll find out you see a lot of the same people. It's an extremely historic city with lots of old houses and buildings. It's a very open minded and artsy city like you would find in VT. While I'm looking to leave, I still love it very much here and will likely miss it greatly. The cost of living is lower than Burlington and there are more jobs here.