[esugi001]

Hi, everyone. I am living in NY right now, and I recently got a job in stowe. I've been looking for an apartment in Vermont, and found out living in Stowe is very expensive.
Since I really like burlington, I start considering living in there. I know it will be 45 min driving from Burlington to stowe.....I don't really mind 45 min drive though, my only concern is during the winter. Since I have to use interstate going to Stowe, and I have no idea about how's the road like during the winter....do you think living in Burlington and working in Stowe will be a good idea? do you think it will work?

If you had any advice, please let me know.

Thank you!

[tkln]

It's a long drive, and definitely will be longer in winter. 89 can get real nasty in the snow. You'll also need to factor in the tourist traffic, 100 can get backed up real good and that will add time as well. Another thing to consider is where in Stowe you will be working - if you're on the mountain, you can add another 10-15 minutes to the commute.

Would you consider Waterbury as a compromise? It's not as expensive as Stowe and only 30 minutes to Burlington...

[LisaMc46]

It wouldn't be a good idea. I work in stowe and one of my coworkers used to live in Burlington. It was ok in the summer, but it was a nightmare in the winter, especially when he had to work at night and go home on snow-covered roads. What you'd save in rent, you'd spend it gas.

One of my young coworkers now lives in Johnson (about 15 minutes north of Stowe). He likes the college vibe of the town and his rent is cheaper than it would be in Stowe or Burlington.

[68vette]

The interstate is what I would consider the easy part of the drive. Once off 89 you have to deal with tourist traffic (fall time is by far the worst). Rent in Burlington is just as expensive as Stowe. On top of that the fuel expense will make it more expensive to live in Burlington even if you found an inexpensive place. I agree with the Waterbury idea.

[nitalala]

Originally Posted by 68vette

The interstate is what I would consider the easy part of the drive.

I agree! I don't think you'll be able to find housing that will help you save too much money. One of my friends worked in Stowe and lived in Burlington, but it was pretty short-lived because it became a pain in the fall and winter. I third the Waterbury idea, have you considered that?

[harry chickpea]

No way would Burlington work. Waterbury Center, Waterbury, Morrisville, and Johnson would be the choices - in roughly that order.

[momnh]

Hmmm...I don't know...I work with two people in downtown Burlington who live in Stowe and they say it is fine. They've done it for a couple years.

Waterburt is nice though!

[68vette]

Originally Posted by momnh

Hmmm...I don't know...I work with two people in downtown Burlington who live in Stowe and they say it is fine. They've done it for a couple years.

Waterburt is nice though!

I work with several people who do the same commute. Several things work in your favor living in Waturbury or Stowe. One is the direction of traffic flow. The flow of traffic can be heavy going into Stowe or my wife likes to call them Sunday drivers because they drive so darn slow and have their eyes on the side of the road more than the road itself. The other factor is early commute times. Our shifts at the hospital begin at 0700 and most of the commuters at the hospital in that area are on the road by 0530. The main reason people travel from Waterbury to Burlington for example, is because it is more affordable than Chittenden county, not really the opposite. Also, as stated already the cost of fuel, wear and tear on your car, increased maintenance and higher insurance premium for a longer commute time would far make living in Burlington more expensive.

[Julie*]

My husband used to work at Trapp Family Lodge and we live in Colchester. It was awful especially since he sometimes would be driving home at 11pm. Rt. 108 from Stowe to Waterbury took forever and the interstate was hazardous alot as well especially in the Richmond area.

I think Waterbury is a great choice- there are a lot of young people in town and it's got a good vibe to it. Plus, it's close enough to Burlington to make it very accessible on your days off.
I went to Johnson State College and grew up in that area. Johnson could be a good choice in terms of rent but I wouldn't want to live there as an adult. I think it's really isolated and there's not alot (IMO) to do around there.

[JRSully76]

In Winter, that can be one of the nastiest commutes in the state. have you thought about Montpelier, Middlesex, etc?