Considering Vermont (Brattleboro: day care, house, to buy)
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I live in south Florida. We moved here from VT 25 years ago, and now our focus is on getting back. South Florida has become a cesspool.
Vermont is much nicer than Florida. I'll take it any day of the year. It does get cold in the winter, but if you like winter, it's great. One thing to contend with in the winter is the fact it gets dark at 4pm and light at 8am. On the other hand, in the summer it's light at 4:30 and dark at 10pm.
Shoveling snow sucks; so does fixing frozen pipes. Standing in a cold basement with a torch and copper pipe is a drag. Driving in blizzards bites. Being inside during a blizzard is great.
Summers are nice. Springs are muddy as hell. Fall is great. My favorite time of the year is from November 1 through Christmas. I like it when it is gray, and blustery, spittin snow.
Be prepared for a long winter. It's not unusual to see snow on the ground through April and even in May.
I never skied. I did cross country ski, which is nice. If you like fishing, hunting or shooting, Vermont is great.
The people are very nice, once you get to know them. Don't be too "south Florida" oor you won't like it.
It's great watching the news on TV. Once you see what the rest of the country watches, you'll realize how bad it is here. Florida news is murder, murder, robbery, rape, muder, weather, sports. Vermont is a cow loose in a cornfield, and volunteers fixing a conservation project. I know, that is an oversimplification, but the difference is night and day.
Some people cannot make the transition. They just can't cope with the lack of shopping and amenities. There aren't malls on every corner, or Starbucks or whatever is in Miami. Life is different. I think it's better.
Don't go in with the idea that people are "rubes" or unsophisticated or uneducated though. That is most certainly not the case.
I love Vermont. It's the only place I ever felt at home. Even after being in Florida for all these years, the only place I feel comfortable is in Vermont. Strange, eh?
Thanks for your reply....
Lack of shopping? BRING IT ON! I can't stand malls, or the hundreds of strip malls, gas stations, fast food restaurants and other crap that there is here in Miami. Drive everywhere and it looks the same.....gas station, condo, ghetto, Target, gas station, cookie-cutter neighborhood, gas station, palm tree, strip mall....you get the picture! In other words, trust me when I say that I look forward to NOT seeing a Starbux or a Burger King or a Publix on every corner.
I truly hate it here, but my wife hates it more (she's lived here all of her life). I am done with the rudeness, discrimination for not speaking Spanish, horrible drivers and traffic, god-awful customer service and a generally uneducated population...whose hobbies include listening to loud reggaeton, clubbing, drinking, maxing out credit cards, driving overly expensive cars and generally being selfish pricks.
Hey...I'll take the cold in VT, I don't care. At least they don't get hurricanes there....hurricanes (or even a mere tropical storm, or the threat of one sends this place into total chaos).
. At least they don't get hurricanes there....hurricanes (or even a mere tropical storm, or the threat of one sends this place into total chaos).
Once in a great while they have effects from hurricanes. I was in two earthquakes in my life-both time in Vermont. One time we thought our roof was collapsing from the weight of all the snow. We were relieved to learn it was an earthquake.
You will get ice storms, which can wipe out the power for days or weeks. Not fun in the winter.
But there is no doubt that Vermont is much a much nicer place to live than south Florida.
god south florida sounds just like NJ!!! I just left the rat race in NJ to move pretty close to vt, I am across the lake in the ADK's of NY. I read the VT forum a lot and have taken quite a few trips over the ferries to VT. I think you will really like it, but it is an adjustment. I have adjusted really better than my husband, however I picked myself up and landed a pretty good job. I think just having a job gets you out into the community and with people so it helps. You see you are coming from a place with so much stimulation and you are in a bad routine. We were in a bad routine and hated NJ sound just like SO. Fla however you do get used to a bad routine even though you hate it. The adjustment comes from not hating anything which sounds funny but true. There is not much to complain about here. Not being as angry, my husband in a funny sort of way after all the excitement of the move and fixing up the house now at time just seem kinda borded. So I told the guy get out and start looking for any little job. He is an auto mechanic, so he has a few things lined up but the bottom line is you need some kinda stimulation after that crazy show off lifestyle so you will find it. ITs different here, but the PEOPLE ARE GREAT!!!!!! I have had better neighbors here than my whole 41 years in NJ. Jobs its they want you to do well not like NJ where any illegal is waiting or the next idiot if you dont slave!!! The people alone make all the difference. COme on up!!!!! By the way saw Motor head many times and poor lemmy is getting old. DOes not seem as into it.
Based on your posts, I'd wager you'd enjoy it here. You'd have to get used to aggressive yielding of the right-of-way in traffic though ;-)
One poster above mentioned Vermonters not being friendly - that's not my experience.
There are so many places in the country I'd love to visit, or have enjoyed when visiting - but only one I'd be happy living: Burlington VT. But as I've written here many times, that's probably due to the fact that my particular needs are well met here... your mileage may vary.
You might want to look through the thread called "what's so great about VT". I'll move it up for you...
Our experience in Vermont was very pleasant. We only stayed for three days while my husband was doing his job interview, but we tried to drive around as much as we could and talk to as many locals as we could. We visited the Rutland area, and I had expected something much different than what we found. According to many people on this site, Rutland is supposedly a backward, uncivilized, trashy place. Our experience showed this was not the case at all. We purposely visited locally owned restaurants and the farmers market outside the walmart, and the people were all so friendly and kind. Much different than my own home town, actually. Granted, it's not like we were residents, but we will be soon. And we're not in-town people, so we'll be looking to buy a home out in the country when we move up this winter. But I really think it's all in your perspective. I'm coming from a rural area in PA and grew up here, so strip malls and urban sprawl drive me crazy. I'm just not used to it. I don't need clubs and chain restaurants to feel at home. Cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC, and New York are only a few hours from me, but I can't stand to visit them for more than a few days at a time because things are so fast-paced and hectic.
It's all about what you want out of life. I agree that Vermont isn't for everyone, but neither is any place, really.
Hey...I'll take the cold in VT, I don't care. At least they don't get hurricanes there....hurricanes (or even a mere tropical storm, or the threat of one sends this place into total chaos).
As much as Miami is hot, Vermont is probably that much colder. Although the winters have been more kind to us recently, we're still talking 5-6 months of cold, cloudy, snowy days. Before I moved here, I thought NYC was cold. It only took the first winter to change my opinion on that. I still remember my first experience of -20F temperatures, with wind chills about -50F. I thought to myself, no human should have to go through such bone chilling temperatures. And not only that, the sound of my car's engine did not give me confidence that I would make the next traffic light. After a few winters though, I am just starting to embrace the cold. Since you are a Miami resident, the first winter may be a gut-wrenching experience. Just be prepared to battle the worst (not to mention learning to drive in the snow/ice).
The thing I noticed (as far as recreation) is that we have about the same options (movies, shopping, eating out) as anyone else has but you have to travel further or to another town to do those.
But like someone told me...you drive here while others spend their time in traffic.
That's actually not the 'worst thing' in the world. If you want to recreational shop (which WE don't) then I suggest going to live where I used to live (Long Island, NY). People spend the whole day 'doing the mall' or driving around from supermarket to supermarket to save 4 cents on some bananas.
I can't speak for 'the middle of VT' because I live on the border of NH and we spend most of our time over there. However, last weekend I did suggest to my husband we do a few things over here (we went to a lecture at a local high school in a town west of us because my son was interested in the topic), and we went to Sugarbush Farms on Sunday. (yes, and bought a little, little yummy maple syrup.)
The best aspect of Vermont for me, so far, is the access to walking or biking & nature. No one beeps at you if you walk. They actually yield for you. Where I am from if you walk you either get 1) beeped at out of spite or just because the drivers don't want to share the road, 2) have to be afraid of being 'bothered' by others hanging around.
I'm still wary but I do enjoy a walk nearly every day.
How are the locals in Burlington, for instance? I find people in South Florida beyond rude (never mind the drivers, many of whom are downright dangerous/reckless). Both my wife and I want to find somewhere peaceful, friendly and scenic to live. The cost of living in South Florida is crazy, considering you don't get your money's worth, IMO. They pay you in sunshine dollars down here, to live in a place that is overly expensive, overcrowded and filled with some of the worst lowlifes imaginable.
Hi Motorhead! I grew up off and on in the countryside of VT- in Lamoille Valley to the east of Burlington, and in the Champlain Valley in the Middlebury area. I taught right up on the Canadian border, and my parents live north of White River Junction on the NH border. It's fair to say that I've experienced different parts of VT- and I love Burlington. It is like an oasis of civilization available whenever you need a dose. I love living in the country with the option of Burlington within an hour. It's the best of both worlds. HOwever, it has become very expensive because so many people are moving in from other states, and in the past 3 years, real estate prices have really risen and are no longer the great deal that they recently were. They are comparable to costs outside the state. While there are locals in Burlington, it is hugely made up of transplants and college students. I like that, though. I love the fact that VT kids are meeting more of a variety of people from different backgrounds and learning that there is a world outside of VT! So many of my students thought that St. Albans was a big city! I went to college in Boston, and I think that the whole Church Street area has that European/college town feel to it. It's so much fun in the summer and fall- get a slice of pizza, sit on a rock and people watch!
One thing that I noticed immediately after moving to MA was the fact that it is so/too easy to spend money here- you are constantly surrounded by every store imaginable. In VT, you get used to gradually making up a list of things you "need" and eventually making it to Burlington for some reason or another. My purchases were much more intentional there.
I also love going to shows at UVM and concerts and events in the Church Street area. The Jazz festival is great. Stowe isn't far away, and while it is an idealistic and "money" version of VT- not reality- it is still a lot of fun with neat restaurants and pubs to take advantage of. Go to the top of Mt. Road and go over Smuggler's Notch. Get out and walk around. Bring your camera- it's gorgeous! Vermonters live in vacationland, and while real life isn't a vacation, there are many free daytrips just a Sunday drive away!
My wife and I are considering relocating to Vermont in the next couple of years. We are currently living in Miami, she hates it (has lived here all her life) and I'm no fan of the place either (awful traffic, rude people, terrible customer service, nothing to do in terms of scenery/culture, climate too hot, too expensive, etc, etc).
I would like to hear some opinions from those of you who currently live in Vermont. How's life there? Do you enjoy living in Vermont? What are the pros and cons? Are the locals friendly and do you consider them to be welcoming towards those from other states/other countries? Also, what is there to do in Vermont? I'd imagine that it'd be a good place for outdoor activities, unlike South Florida.
House prices in Vermont seem extremely cheap (compared to Miami, at least). Is there any reason for this?
I know it's a far cry from Miami, but that's exactly what we want. I have seen pictures of Vermont and it looks like an insanely beautiful state.
Many thanks!
You really need to get up here for a few weeks to check it out. And not in September or October. I moved here from Chicago and love it. I chose Vermont because I had to be a few hours from Albany, NY for family reasons. From Miami to Vermont, now that's a serious change!
But you know, it is expensive here. Especially near Burlington. A lot of people want to live here, mainly east cost urban and suburban escapees who sell their house for half a million to a million, driving prices up.
There are a lot of towns between here and Florida that might fit the bill.
North Carolina mountains. Chatanooga,TN. Chalottesville,VA. All cheaper.
Of course they're not Vermont, and maybe Vermont is what you need. But we can't tell you, and you can't know until you get here.
Maybe you're like me. I can go anywhere and adjust pretty well, although
places with humidity like Florida or Texas might put me over the edge. Some people can't though. When my wife moved from Wisconsin to Chicago and we were on the el train, she just started crying.
I love it here. I'm willing to live in a smaller house with older cars. I'm still awestruck by the beauty. Oddly enough, the guy who fixed my furnace told me he can't wait to get out of here because it's too expensive, liberal etc.
Depends what floats your boat.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm expecting a delivery of $1,500 dollars worth of heating oil.
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I moved here from Chicago and love it. I chose Vermont because I had to be a few hours from Albany, NY for family reasons. From Miami to Vermont, now that's a serious change! 
