Burlington, VT vs. Glens Falls, NY (Albany: rental market, crime rate, neighborhoods)

[michael11747]

Wife and I are moving to one of these two locations next fall from south west Montana, yet we cannot choose. They both seem pretty equal, with similar climates to what we are used to (ours is MUCH drier, and a little colder). We are having problems deciding on where to choose... They both seems beautiful, and affordable, with plenty of outdoor activities. So what are your opinions of these places?

-We are not really concerned about jobs, although we would like access to services for small business development.

-We need the outdoors, and must live within a 15 minute drive of the mountains. Perhaps millions of acres of it, if that is to much to ask?

-We are excited to have an opportunity to be near the water, as we could definitely get into boating.

-We would like to be near a large international airport since we do a lot of traveling.

-How is the rental market in both places? We will most likely be purchasing a multi-family.

-About access to Lake Champlain: How does one access the lake? If you have a lot on the water, can you build a dock? Or must you pay a dock fee for a boat?

-We would rather live in an extremely liberal community. I don't really mind if it is a conservative area as long as people don't force religion and politics down our throats.

-What about schools?

-What about family oriented activities? We will start our family in one of these two places, and would like a fun place with a lot to do for kids.

-Crime doesn't seem to be a factor here, but does anyone have any experiences with it in any neighborhoods in these cities?

-What about cost of living? Utilities? Taxes? Food prices?

And if you guys can think of any misc. pros and cons I would love to hear them!!! Thanks, Mike.

[mustmove]

Affordable and Burlington don't go together. In general I'd go for Glens Falls. The Adirondacks are nicer than the Greens. Nicer lakes and a lot more of them. Not sure of economic opportunity in Glens Falls but Albany is close enough to have superior opportunities to anything in VT. Albany airport has far more flights than Burlington(although Montreal might be an option from Burlington.) Burlington wins hands down in the extremely liberal department but you won't run into 'in your face conservatism' in either place.

[michael11747]

That's kind of what we were thinking, but the Lake is a huge draw for us. We don't have anything like that here... Glens Falls does seem a tad bit more affordable. Not too concerned about politics, I am more concerned about the lack thereof instead, with the less politics the better IMO. How far would Lake Champlain be from Glens Falls? Would we be able to boat from Glens Falls to Montreal via the locks? This would be a totally new experience for us, and we are all about new experiences. As for jobs, we will get part time jobs to help with the food costs, but we hope to start a small business within a few years. We do have experience with small businesses, and Glens Falls seems to have a substantial amount of resources devoted to the development of small businesses. Our business does not rely on the local economy, except for maybe shipping, so we aren't too concerned about that. Burlington sure is affordable compared to south west Montana. We are moving from here for a few reasons, that being one of them. What are taxes like in Burlington for a multi-family? I am having a hard time finding info on this. Thanks again!

[quickdraw]

Two completely different kind of towns. Comparing Burlington to Glenns Falls
is like comparing San Francisco to Fresno. IMO, you'll get what you pay for.

[mustmove]

Don't get fixated on L. Champlain. L. George is much nicer albeit smaller. There are a ton of nice lakes in the Adirondacks real close to Glens Falls. VT has half of Champlain and lots of small kinda weedy/dumpy lakes. If lakes are your thing Glens Falls wins by a longshot.

[momnh]

Depends how outdoorsy you are too, and what your preference is for activities. I grew up around Glens Falls. People there like to hunt and snowmobile. In VT, you'll see some of that but I think there is more cycling, skiing and other such sports. And a greater population participates in outdoor activities. That may be because more people may have conciously chosen VT for that kind of lifestyle. I prefer Burlington because it has more going on than Glens Falls and because people seem to be more active as well as more involved in the community, but really, either are nice places to be! I agree the Adirondacks rock. I missed them for a while after I moved out of NY but now enjoy being able to take a boat ride over to them.

[jackmccullough]

I've spent a lot of time in Burlington, and I've only spent a little time in Glens Falls, mainly driving through it on the way to and from Albany.

It's my impression that there's a lot more going on in Burlington, and the city is right on the lake. Lake Champlain is beautiful and there are lots of outdoor activities in very close proximity, including skiing, cycling, mountain climbing, hiking, roller blading, and the like.

If you're looking for a place that is extremely liberal, Burlington definitely meets your standards.

For a sense of what's going on in Burlington and its environs you might start reading Seven Days online.

[michael11747]

Hey guys, thanks for the advice. I read something about not being able to evict a tenant during the winter months in Vermont (which is 6 months long according to the law). Is this true? What does one do when, let's say, a tenant were to quit paying rent in September? This seems a little ridiculous? Getting a judgment in your favor means nothing, especially when said tenant loses a job.


I am liking Glens Falls a little more when I look at the cost of living index. What is with the crime rate in Burlington? It seems pretty high? We do like hiking and biking, but with kids and dogs, we might get into more snowmobiling, and put the extreme bushwacking and mountaineering to rest for awhile.


Thanks again for the advice, I would love to hear more of your opinions.

[jackmccullough]

The idea that tenants cannot be evicted in the winter is a common myth. It has never been true.
I've represented tenants in Vermont since 1983 and the two constants are that from 1987 to the present there have been steady changes to the legislation to make it easier to evict tenants, and the landlords whine nonstop about how hard it is to evict tenants.
If you know what you're doing, and run your landlord business like a business, you can make money at it without screwing your customers. Unfortunately, that last bit is the thing that landlords are least concerned about.