Hello Burlington...you sound great, but would I belong? (Chittenden: apartments, rent)

[djohanna]

Looking into the statistics on Sperling's Best Places, Burlington sounds like it might be a good fit for me.
Here's criteria I've been looking for in a city:
-not too Republican; mostly Democrat (check)
-not too religious (looks like half the people there are)
-more sexually conservative...I don't like to be around sleazy stip clubs, prostitution, and definitely am a LTR kind of girl
-vegetarian-friendly, and at least some progressiveness in terms of environmental sustainability (I am majoring in that)
-a fair amount of art galleries, etc. because I am a painter and enjoy it
-not much crime
-physically beautiful setting; mountains and greenery, good places to hike
-doesn't get too hot in summer

I'm 21 and am graduating with my BA next year, from Vancouver, Canada but am a U.S. citizen from California.

Some other questions about Burlington:
1. Is the population growing? Does the city appear to have a fruitful future? From the pics it looks like a very sleepy town.
2. What is the art scene like?

[BickleTravis]

Originally Posted by djohanna

Looking into the statistics on Sperling's Best Places, Burlington sounds like it might be a good fit for me.
Here's criteria I've been looking for in a city:
-not too Republican; mostly Democrat (check)
-not too religious (looks like half the people there are)
-more sexually conservative...I don't like to be around sleazy stip clubs, prostitution, and definitely am a LTR kind of girl
-vegetarian-friendly, and at least some progressiveness in terms of environmental sustainability (I am majoring in that)
-a fair amount of art galleries, etc. because I am a painter and enjoy it
-not much crime
-physically beautiful setting; mountains and greenery, good places to hike
-doesn't get too hot in summer

I'm 21 and am graduating with my BA next year, from Vancouver, Canada but am a U.S. citizen from California.

Some other questions about Burlington:
1. Is the population growing? Does the city appear to have a fruitful future? From the pics it looks like a very sleepy town.
2. What is the art scene like?

Its a college town with mostly service jobs. The population of the state is declining as people move away for jobs and social lives.
As far as arts, not really. Yes in a college/hippie town sense. Otherwise, no.

[arctichomesteader]

Good paying jobs are scarce, housing is very high on those low wages, crime is on the rise in Burlington itself, the city itself has been getting hit with lower credit ratings because of the Burlington Telecom fiasco...in short, I can't say Burlington has a bright future at all unless you are bringing wealth with you to live off of. As far as being environmentally friendly, they still on occasion dump untreated sewage into the Lake, and the sprawl around the city has destroyed wildlife habitat, etc., in Chittenden County.

Environment related jobs are tough to get and very competitive.

[djohanna]

Oh really? ...Bummer!
Yes, I noticed they don't receive a good rating on superfund sites on Sperling's Best Places.
Guess my never-ending search must continue

[ItalVT]

Don't give up on Burlington so fast!
I happen to think that it is an amazing small city. Definitely not a sleepy town, very vibrant, lots of arts and music. Job-wise - probably not the best, but in the healthcare field you will be better off than most. It's true that Vermont's population is shrinking, but despite this, Burlington's population is growing steadily.
Best thing about Burlington - of course the beautiful lake! You can't beat the setting - with HUGE Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks in the distance.
Summer weather - probably much hotter than what you're used to in Vancouver, especially with the humidity, but definetely not unbearable - actually just about perfect.
Winter can be cold, but if you're into winter sports that helps a lot.
Good luck with your search!

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by djohanna

-doesn't get too hot in summer

the lack of sun can get to you though - one of the cloudiest cities in the country.

i woke up this morning feeling particularly energized and I was trying to figure out why. i had a big spaghetti dinner before bed so that wasn't it. i then figured it's because we finally have a nice sunny day. our summers don't get too hot, but they are surprisingly humid and often cloud covered.

Burlington is one of the nicest cities in the country, but imo there are three glaring concerns.

lack of sun
TERRIBLE quality housing stock
insanely high rents (if you can find one)

[djohanna]

I hate sun. So that would be OK.
Insanely high rents? Haha..yeah right. It's typical to pay 1500 for a 1 br here in Vancouver. Looks like it's half that price there.
Terrible quality housing stock as in, the apt's/homes are crummy? Built bad, infested with insects, etc.? Yeah, that's important to consider.

[Vermonr]

I don't mind the lack of sun, but then again the only other places I've lived in are Rochester NY and London, so Burlington is sunny in comparison!
You may be able to find a 1 bedroom under 800, but most are over 1000. And those are the crummy ones.
You need to see the apartment in person, no exception. Most apartments in downtown are owned by slum lords who rent to college students and make no renovations to their buildings. You need to go in person to check for mold, leaks, animals (especially look in the cabinets), warped floors, ceiling damage, cracked windows, drafts, neighbor noise, and location. It's very unusual to find an apartment in new condition downtown, and most of those are over 1500 for a one bedroom. You will probably have to sacrifice on at least one front. For example, my apartment gets very loud college student activity on the weekend and the other tenants are noisy, but the apartment is in excellent condition with no warped floors/mold and incredibly close to downtown.
Also, remember that the housing market in Burlington is one of the tightest in the country, so if you find a place you like you need to be able to fill out the forms and jump on it IMMEDIATELY. I cannot stress that enough. You seriously need be able to put a payment down that very day, because if you wait even one day chances are good that somebody else will have taken the apartment.

[djohanna]

Eek, sounds bad.

[vtallison]

My daughter graduated from UVM in Enviromental Science. She had seen the writing on the wall and so she applied to teach English in S Korea and loves it! Not what she was expecting jobwise with her degree, but the pickings are slim in the Burlington area. So she thought out of the box and is very happy. She has signed up for a 3rd year. Do a lot of research on the cost of living and the tax situation. Apparently we are the 4th highest in tax burden behind, CA, NY and NJ. It is not a business friendly state and for those of us who make next to nothing, it is forcing us out of the state my husband was born in.