[happeemommee]

Hi everyone! Sorry about another redundant thread, I'm just hoping my questions will be a little different than everyone else's. Of course, some will be the usual. But what my family and I are looking for is a smaller town, with decent schools and low crime. Snow doesn't scare us, in fact, we love it! I would like to be within 45 minutes or so of a larger town with good medical care. We will be renting at first, so that has to be a consideration. But here's where our story might get a little different than the usual thread. ( Lol, if not, sorry for boring you! )

But from the research I have done, it appears that holistic doctors are included on most insurance plans, so we would like access to a naturopath and possibly an acupuncturist. I've also read that Vermont has or is enacting some sort of food bill to limit GMO's or at least make sure they are clearly labeled. We would like to be fairly close to a good lake for swimming, and a town that is walkable. In my head, I picture festivals / town movies at the gazebo, but not sure how possible that is. My husband will need to finish college, but may do that online, so we need a place that has good internet access. We'll want to have a garden and some goats and chickens, and tend to lean to the left, poltically speaking.

I have also read on city data about earthquake and tornado probability, how accurate do you think those are? To be quite honest, they both scare the heck outta me, but at least with a tornado you can get in a basement / storm cellar, right? And just fo

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this book, that I have written. Do you have any advice or towns that come to mind?

[Why_Am_I_Here]

Chittenden (Milton, Colchester, Essex) Franklin (St. Albans, Fairfax, Gerogia), Washington (Waterbury, Barre/Montepelier) or Addison County (Ferrisburg, Vergennes) are probably the best places to start looking.

Earth quakes are rare and register fairly low on the richter scale. Tornadoes are even more rare and do not get about EF1....

[vter]

Bristol sounds like what you are looking for. 45 minutes from Greater Burlington. Weekly movies and farmers markets on the green in the summer, a huge 4th of July celebration and Pocock Rocks music festival. Bartlett Falls for swimming. Bobcat Cafe for yummy food and house brewed beer.
I'd also check in to Middlebury, 15 minutes south of Bristol. Home of Middlebury College. Lots of great events on yes, the town green. Large farmer's market. Good shops/restaurants. ABout an hour to Burlington.

[joe moving]

the "localvore" scene is big in the mad river valley but the mad river valley is not a walkable downtown per se, the mad river path is working on connecting all different parts of the valley. Mad

Bus is free and runs throughout the winter.

internet is fine and reliable- waitsfield telecom.

we do have our own movie theatre but i don't know about any outside moving showing and there are all sorts of community events happening all the time, at the movie theatre and all over the valley. August is art festival month.
Vermont Festival of the Arts | August is Art in the Mad River Valley
Vermont's Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce
Vermont Localvore - The Localvore Website for the Mad River Valley
Mad River Path Home Page

there are lots of people with chix and gardens
we have a few farms with farm stands or stores and CSA shares available and the farmers market is pretty good too . You can get organic raw cows milk pretty easily here also.

In the winter we will hit up Montpelier every once in a while to go to the co-op and the winter farmer market.

what are you doing for work?

[happeemommee]

Thanks so much for all the replies! I will research and look into them all. It will be about 18 months before we can move, but we can't wait! As far as work goes, I can work from anywhere. Every once in awhile I do need to pick up something part time, but can do anything from office work to waiting on tables, etc. But we live very simply, so work isn't really an issue. Joe, thanks for the info on the CSA and farm stands, I haven't really looked into Mad River Valley yet, but you made it sound wonderful!

Thanks again, everyone!

[joe moving]

jobs are tough in this area and cost of living is high (i guess you could say the sme for most of VT). I saw a full time baking job for 20k a year (its on craigslist now) although I think it was 4 day work weeks and some benefits. where are you coming from?

[vter]

Just keep in mind that while the Mad River Valley is nice, its a resort/tourist community. Lots of second home owners and lots of tourists/visitors. Some people would like that and some not. The skiing sure is good there!

[happeemommee]

We're in a ski resort / mountain town of NC right now. Jobs really aren't a consideration, I can work from anywhere, but 20K for 4 days a week sounds like pay might be a bit better than it is here. There's a university here and not much pays over 8 or 9 bucks an hour, and because of the school, housing is astronomical!

Vter - thanks for pointing that out. Sounds a lot like where we are now, I'm not sure if that's what we want again or not. there are definitely pros / cons to that.

Do any of you have any links to the local newspapers?

[vter]

Bristol/Vergennes/Middlebury: Addison County Independent | Covering the 23 towns of Addison County, Vermont
Greater Burlington: Burlington Free Press | Burlington news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Burlington, Vermont | burlingtonfreepress.com AND Seven Days | Vermont's Independent Voice
Mad River Valley: The Valley Reporter - News and views from the Mad River Valley

[happeemommee]

Great links! Thank you very much! You rock, lol.