Most beautiful, mountainous place to live in New England? (living, cost, crime rate)

[berrycurious]

i'm trying to pick a place to buy a house.

right now i live in Los Angeles and am not that fond of it.

i like foggy/overcast days.

new-agey/not that conservative people is a plus

i'm a painter...

any ideas? reply, por favor!

[TANaples]

Burlington, Vermont. Very pretty with the mountains, especially for an artist. Snowy mountains in the winters, and a green in the summers that almost rivals Ireland.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by TANaples

Burlington, Vermont. Very pretty with the mountains, especially for an artist. Snowy mountains in the winters, and a green in the summers that almost rivals Ireland.

Sounds about right. Maybe Rochester or Portsmouth NH. Rockingham County NH is where both are located.

[Verseau]

I have to agree with Vermont. Burlington is the cultural hub but there is a plethora of small towns and villages to choose from if that's more your style. The Green Mountains are just a few minutes' drive east of Burlington. I would begin your search in this area.

Nowhere in New England is particularly conservative (at least socially), but Vermont and western Massachusetts are probably considered the more "New Agey" strongholds. The Berkshires in Massachusetts are also full of towns with lively art scenes like North Adams. You might also consider Northampton, MA, which is located on flatter terrain in the Connecticut River Valley but which is probably right up your alley.

Other suggestions are Brattleboro, VT, Peterborough, NH, Keene, NH, and Hanover, NH. You would probably love Portsmouth too but it's on the ocean, not in the mountains.

Anywhere in New England is going to have a lot more overcast / foggy days than in LA, although areas closer to the seacoast tend to get a bit more sunshine overall.

[berrycurious]

Burlington looks like... the most attractive city I've looked into so far -- beautiful, LOW crime rate (not many murders!), and LOW cost of living!

I hope this place is a bit of a secret so it's not overflooded if I try moving there in a couple years.

Thanks guys =)