Moving to Burlington, VT... New North End vs. S. Burlington? (Rutland: houses, neighborhoods)

[LilMaria]

My man and I are relocating to Burlington from Brooklyn, NY. We are both 34 and plan on starting a family within the next year. I lived in Burlington from when I was 26 to 32, so I already know the area and love it, have a ton of friends there, am involved with Lyric theater, and YES, I know how cold it is. As far as other negatives people mention on here, I find there is plenty to do there if you are involved and have lots of friends. And traffic? Seriously? Try driving on the BQE sometime... at ANY time of day or night. Traffic in Burlington is a joke to us.

ANYWAY During the time I lived in Burlington, I rented. I lived on Dorset Street in S. Burlington, St. Paul St. in the South End, corner of N. Willard and North St., and Shelburne. I definitely preferred living in the two downtown locations. That being said, we don't really want to buy downtown since we're looking for more of a neighborhood feel to raise our kids. We saw a house on Case Pkwy by centennial field, which was amazing, but it was already under contract.

At this point, we've mostly been seeing houses in the New North End and S. Burlington that fit our criteria and price range. We are looking for a 4 bedroom, preferably with a 2-car garage (definitely at least 1 car), decent yard, and nice quiet street where kids play outside, etc. We are actually leaning toward the New North End - have felt more of a homey vibe there.

I'm wondering if people have opinions on these two areas and why one might be considerably better than the other? As someone who rented there mostly downtown, I would love some advice on some of the more "adult" options

Thanks!

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by LilMaria

MWe are actually leaning toward the New North End - have felt more of a homey vibe there.

I'm wondering if people have opinions on these two areas and why one might be considerably better than the other? As someone who rented there mostly downtown, I would love some advice on some of the more "adult" options

I live in Rutland but have friends who live around Burlington. A couple I know with very young children, a dog, and a cat bought a house in the North End. They love it there. They also have lots of friends and are very active in the outdoors, volunteering, etc. For them, the North End is very homey, just as you say, and a great neighborhood for their lifestyle.

My husband and I hang out with friends in South Burlington. Frankly, I wouldn't live there. The area reminds me too much of the cookie-cutter gated communities and strip malls I couldn't wait to leave behind when I escaped S. Florida. That said, many families (including our S. Burlington friends) really like those planned communities and there are regular neighborhoods, too.

[LilMaria]

Thank you, I appreciate your thoughts. I tend to get that same feeling.

[MRVphotog]

As far as S. Burlington I would think it would depend on which part. It's very spread out both east and south of the city center. There are some very nice older neighborhoods which I think would be a great place to live and some places too close to Rt 2 or Rt 7 to be good iMHO.

[vter]

Both are good choices. The only thing I don't like about the New North End is that it takes a while to get to the highway-it seems a little isolating to me.

[VermontLori]

Another consideration is what are you looking for in a school system. In general, the public schools in S. Burlington are extremely highly regarded; not so much the city schools in Burlington. But there are definitely exceptions. And then again, public schools don't matter if you are going to send your kids to private school.
We moved up here in 1992 from Manhattan....lived everywhere from North Street in Burlington to 20 acres in Waterbury. We currently live in a family community in Charlotte, but our last home was in South Burlington.
If I were you, I would take my sweet time! The market is saturated now (I know because we are trying to sell our home and buy in Shelburne for the school system), and it's an excellent time to buy.
I would highly recommend driving around different neighborhoods and checking out the vibe there.
Definitely check out the Five Sisters neighborhood in the South End of Burlington. Very funky, down to earth, super family-friendly and very neighborhood-y. That's where we go every year for trick-or-treating!
And, you may not stay in one place for more than a few years. That's a lesson I've learned the hard way. Once you're here, you'll inevitably find other neighborhoods you're drawn to.

[68vette]

South Burlington is very large and the town has many, many different types of neighborhoods. You do have the strip mall areas like Shelburne Rd and Williston Rd, but the majority of it is residential. Hands down the school system is much better in South Burlington. You could expand your search to include the Malletts Bay section of Colchester if you are considering the New North End. About equal distance to Burlington and your lot size will be larger for the same price or even less. The New North End is isolated as mentioned. Between the New North End and South Burlington, the most adult options would be in South Burlington. Most people who go out for entertainment in the New North End drive to downtown Burlington.

[LilMaria]

Thanks everyone! Lots to think about. Will take all of your considerations into mind

[BickleTravis]

Originally Posted by 68vette

South Burlington is very large and the town has many, many different types of neighborhoods. You do have the strip mall areas like Shelburne Rd and Williston Rd, but the majority of it is residential. Hands down the school system is much better in South Burlington. You could expand your search to include the Malletts Bay section of Colchester if you are considering the New North End. About equal distance to Burlington and your lot size will be larger for the same price or even less. The New North End is isolated as mentioned. Between the New North End and South Burlington, the most adult options would be in South Burlington. Most people who go out for entertainment in the New North End drive to downtown Burlington.

Which takes roughly 7 minutes.
Now that we have Norm's Grill in the shopping center, there's no reason to deal with downtown Burlington.