Hinesburg, VT (Burlington, Colchester, Williston: low crime, high school, college)

[ThinkingThinking]

What is Hinesburg like? I intend to visit beforehand (if and when) we move, but I have seen several properties in the area that I like and keep coming back to.

How are the schools? Is the drive in to Burlington long? I am from Houston, so hour long or more commutes are a part of life here.

Is there anything we should know about the general lifestyle of the area?

Thanks!

[flu189]

Originally Posted by ThinkingThinking

What is Hinesburg like? I intend to visit beforehand (if and when) we move, but I have seen several properties in the area that I like and keep coming back to.

How are the schools? Is the drive in to Burlington long? I am from Houston, so hour long or more commutes are a part of life here.

Is there anything we should know about the general lifestyle of the area?

Thanks!

I have been in Hinesburg since the summer of 2005 so here goes. Even though my kids are grown I do know the schools here enjoy a good reputation from what I hear. We also have the regional high school here (Champlain Valley Regional). The town center is small on Vt Rte 116, but offers a good medium sized supermarket (Lantman's). I work just northeast of Burlington near the airport and St Michael's College and my commute is 35 minutes to go 19 miles all of which I use back roads for out choice. Traffic is not an issue and the roads so far have been plowed well after storms. The population is slightly below 5,000 and there is some newer tract housing in the center of town. Geographically the town consists of nice rolling pasture on the west and the eastern side to the Huntington town line is mostly foothills to the Green Mountain range and forested. I live almost on the town line on a dirt road and enjoy the area. I have access to the preserved 800+ acre town forest as well as the 800+ acres to Sleepy Hollow Mt Bike/X-cty ski area land. The Audubon Center with it's land and trails is 2.5 miles away. The Huntington River is also here and provides excellent swimming holes. I like the central location of the town with the convenience of having shopping like in Williston/S. Burlington only 15 to 20 minutes away. I am 15 to 20 miles from Mad River and Sugarbush ski areas, 12 from Bolton, and 34 from Stowe. Just by looking at the map you can see how we are situated so let's say if I found work to the south in Bristol it would just as far as going to Burlington, the same applies if I found work in let's say Waterbury. Anyway, if you can find property that you like and can afford then I would highly recommend Hinesburg. Close enough to everything, yet a nice rural atmosphere, and very, very low crime. Another aspect I really like about traveling here is you have the option to use the network of back roads to get just about anywhere, so traffic is not an issue. In fact, I find the back roads to be better in the winter as they do not muck it up with the salt that creates the slushy brine mix.

[vter]

I live in a town abutting Hinesburg and can say that I really like Hinesburg. It's been feeling a lot of growth pressure, but IMO, the town has done a good job with managing the growth, trying to concentrate it in the town center area. There are a couple new cookie cutter subdivisions that have sprung up over the past year or so which are located in the town center area. The rest of the town is rural.
The town has a small police force (don't think its 24-hour though) and a volunteer fire dept. The ambulance comes out of St. Michael's College in Colchester which is quite a distance, but there is a first response team in town that will come to an emergency call to stabilize things until the ambulance gets there.
Hinesburg has a nice small grocery store, a coffee shop, a hardware store, a vet, a new bookstore, a couple gas stations, and a couple restaurants (awesome pizza at Good Times Cafe!). The one thing Hinesburg needs badly, IMO, is a pharmacy, but it is my understanding that a Kinney Drug is in the permitting process or getting ready to start the process.
I have not heard anything bad about the schools. K-8 is at the Hinesburg Community School and high school is a regional school which is located in town (Champlain Valley Union High School).
Burlington is about a 20 minute drive if you are leaving from the "downtown" area. It could be more or less depending on where in town you live.
One of our regular posters lives in HInesburg, so hopefully he'll chime in with some more intimate details! EDIT - looks like flu and I were typing at the same time!

[flu189]

We do have a police department which is not 24 hour just as the town to the north, Richmond. To be honest, we really don't need 24 hour coverage. In a real emergency VSP troopers out Williston barracks could cover and by being near enough to I89 they would probably be in proximity. The crime report for the entire month in town encompasses a call volume load which I handled solo in a week at my former PD. I understand the comfort factor of having a PD well staffed, but like I said we have more than ample resources for the demands placed on them. The Vol Fire seems to be also adequate in handling what comes up and when a larger incident like the Sa**** Cheese fire occurs then mutual aid from the surrounding towns gets the personnel and apparatus on scene. I have seen trucks from four towns for a chimney fire so there is plenty of help. If you have a chronic medical condition which might require unexpected transport then as Vter stated it should be kept in mind that the actual medic rig is a bit far out, but then again imagine what it must be like in the rest of the state. Basic services and conveniences do exist here, but as I mentioned it is only seven miles north to Williston from town center. While there has been growth in town it really to an outsider would be very minimal. In the last eight years the population has only grown by a few hundred and with the exception of the few small developments (the most recent Thistle Hill I believe) the town has a very rural atmosphere to it. It's a good town in a good location and well worth a look. When we arrived our criteria was rural with land, but in proximity to work/shopping and we found it here. Cost more than I would have wanted to budget, but the tradeoff would have a much farther commute for two people.

[picante]

It also has a long-standing pick-up soccer game on Sunday afternoon's which I've played in for about the last 18 years. Its a good town with a real sense of community.

[Summerz]

It seems like a nice town.
We have been taking our Dog to the Animal Hospital there, she has had cancer twice and they were recommended.
Great results so far knock on wood.
After her Spring check up hope we won't have to go back, no offense.

[ThinkingThinking]

I work at a computer repair shop, while our regulars are wonderful people, it's always a good thing when we dont see them often, if you know what I mean?

Hinesburg sounds like a place we'd enjoy. I will keep it near the top of my shortlist if we decide to take this job.