Burlington: Anything not to like?? (Montpelier, Shelburne: real estate, neighborhoods, university)

[TheSecondHalf]

Aside from high property taxes and long winters, is there anything not to like about Burlington, VT? I'm seriously thinking of moving there, so your honest feedback is valuable to me. THANKS.

[Djuna]

The endless grey skies and the extremely long winters make people depressed. I have never lived in an area with such a lack of sunlight and I have been quite affected by it.

[RunawayJim]

It probably depends on your own personal likes and dislikes. You'll get different answers from different people. I love the feel of the city and the size. I love the lake on one side and the mountains on the other. I love the music scene.

I don't live there now, but hope to one day (if not Burlington, somewhere not too far). The grey skies and long winters can get to people. My answer to that (at least for me) is to just ski more, and probably take up snowshoeing and/or cross country skiing. As long as I have something to do with myself, I tend not to get too caught up in the weather.

Another downside is probably the students. I live in a college town now and have lived in student neighborhoods and that can be tough. It is a bit sprawled out in parts, but what city doesn't have some sprawl nearby?

[jackmccullough]

It very much depends on what you're looking for. If you're thinking of living anyplace in Vermont I assume you're prepared for long, cold winters and you're interested in outdoor winter recreation.

Burlington is a good city with a lot going for it. There are great cultural advantages, there's a lot going on in town, it has most of the advantages of a university town. It also tends to be warmer than the rest of Vermont because of the lake effect.

On the other hand, it also has the disadvantages of a university town, including high real estate prices; a cultural and downtown life dominated by university students; and periods of congestion, and noise and other lifestyle complaints.

When I moved to Vermont in 1983 I was really wishing I could have had a job in Burlington, but it didn't take me long to be glad to be living in Montpelier.

[MRVphotog]

If I remember Vermont is the 5th cloudiest state in the country. November is the cloudiest, July is the sunniest. Vermont is green cause of the rain, it's white in the winter cause of the snow. I lived out west for 23 years and it's sunny alot and in severe drought.

The traffic is really the only neg I have for Burlington but for people that live and work in the area they deal with it and compared to larger urban/suburban places it's not as bad.

[RunawayJim]

Originally Posted by MRVphotog

If I remember Vermont is the 5th cloudiest state in the country. November is the cloudiest, July is the sunniest. Vermont is green cause of the rain, it's white in the winter cause of the snow. I lived out west for 23 years and it's sunny alot and in severe drought.

The traffic is really the only neg I have for Burlington but for people that live and work in the area they deal with it and compared to larger urban/suburban places it's not as bad.

FWIW, I experienced worse traffic getting into Hanover from VT at rush hour than in Burlington at rush hour.

I do, however, live in southern New England where rush hour in both of those places looks like driving through here in the middle of the night.

[Why_Am_I_Here]

1) HIGH taxes (I know you said aside from that..but that is a big thing..)
2) Extreme liberal views
3) No entertainment venues to get bigger artists.
4) Weather...long winters, short summers...only good? The late summer early fall.
5) Limited shopping locations....no Target...one Walmart..

I could go on..but this is what popped into my head...

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by Why_Am_I_Here

5) Limited shopping locations....no Target...one Walmart..

and there you go

[Vermonr]

The winter has never bothered me, as I grew up in VT and love being outside in the wintertime. Winter here is so much better than it was in Rochester, NY, where it was rainy, dark, and damp. May I ask how old you are, and if you are moving with a family or just by yourself? Do you have a job lined up? It can be difficult to find work up here. It sounds like you already know about the property situation. A lack of urban sprawl + lots of college students means housing is incredibly expensive and you don't get much for your money.

I think shopping is fairly good for Burlington's size, though a Target would be wonderful. Because of all the college students weekends and holidays can get VERY rowdy if you are living right downtown. Also, we frequently have people walking through our backyard.

Traffic is better than most cities but certain roads can really back up during rush hour. One frustrating thing about traffic here is that many tourists + young drivers + VTers from rural areas visiting for the day means a lot of unpredictable drivers. I've seen people stop in the middle of Shelburne Road and do an illegal turnaround, see people all the time not know what to do at four-way stops, etc. Drivers are polite and not overly fast but you must always keep your guard up.

All that being said Burlington is an amazing, vibrant city with lovely parks, the lake, great night life, etc. I wouldn't let these little things discourage you from considering it.

[RunawayJim]

The only shopping I wish anywhere in VT had was a Target. That'd be one of the biggest downsides for me moving there. I'm surprised there's not even one in West Lebanon.