[arel]

Haven't heard of him, but I'll look him up.

Yes, I love New York, too, and I realized that being from New York is a big part of my identity. Also, I'm so used to the superlatives around here that I fear I will compare any other place to it.

I'm ruminating my head off about moving, but I really do not want to discover that I have made a mistake in moving. But, as a friend said, if I don't like it there, I can move somewhere else.

I didn't go up today because of concerns about the weather (big storm, possible wind damage). I plan to go up tomorrow.

Back to the thread topic: I got a private messsage today warning me about the extremely high cost of living and, also the very frequent overcast, depressing weather. Can you (or any other reader) give any feedback about that?

Good luck with your book!

[Nomoresubways]

Well I don't think there's an extremely high cost of living at all. I think it's higher than you might think at first, given that it is a rural area. But compared to NY, and adjusted for cost of living differences, I'd say it's not bad. I worked for many years in retail and was fine. I didn't live in a palace mind you, but I was happy enough. I found happiness more in the places and people around me and didn't need a lot of money to keep myself content. But later on, after college, I found myself doing quite well there. There are a lot of really cool and interesting people around there. Just hearing their stories, and the history of the town is really fascinating.

Whoever told you there was frequent overcast and depressing weather was totally wrong. Sometimes in the winter, when snow is on the horizon, sure it's grey and depressing. But you can have some fantastic, sunny weather there. The weather there in general is no different than NY. Yeah, it gets colder and more snow in the winter. But summers are very comparable, though a tad cooler typically.

Thanks about the book, it should be an interesting read!

[arel]

I would not mind cooler summers at all. The summers in NY can be miserable, with the intense heat and humidity.

The winters are cold, and the humidity makes it worse, When there is snow, it is beautiful for a day or so, then it becomes filthy and ugly.

The thing about Vermont winters that scares me is not the snow, and not the cold. What scares me are the inclined roads and their slipperiness in the winter snow and ice. And even the flat rural roads scare me if they do not have good traction.I've seen roads that incline at severe angles, and I've seen roads run next to severe inclines. So if you skid off, you fly, or, more likely, tumble. That is what frightens me. If you skid on an inclined road, how do you regain control of the car?

Even in New York, where it is mostly flat, I will not drive in ice, although I am not overly anxious about snow. But in New York, between the ploughs, salting and sheer volume of traffic, even the terciary streets become easily navigable pretty quickly.

If I move up, one of the first things I will do is buy a Subaru.

Hopefully, I will learn to drive in Vermont winters without undue anxiety. I hope so, because I enjoy working in the field, and, in Vermont, I want to be nourished by the natural beauty.

How treacherous is Vemont driving in the winter? And how soon does I-91 become navagable? And the other roads?

[Nomoresubways]

Believe it or not I always found that Vermont was better about clearing roads (at least the main ones) faster than I've found NY to be. But that may be a reflection of the area I live in (eastern LI).

I never really had a problem driving up there. You just learn pretty quick how to handle the car in the slick conditions. Slow down, steer TOWARDS the skid, and get snow tires or studs for the really bad weather if you are paranoid.

[arel]

You live in eastern Long Island? That area is beautiful. But I can really understand how you are getting sick of the commute.

I live in Brooklyn, and I hate commuting to Manhattan. I only do it when I have to. Right now, I work in the field in southern Brooklyn. And it can get very congested even there.

[Nomoresubways]

Yes, you are correct, Eastern Long Island is beautiful. If I could, I'd buy a place on Shelter Island or somewhere far out on the north fork. However, salaries out that way don't seem to match up with house prices, and there is no possible way to commute to NYC from there. It's a shame because I grew up on LI and I've always felt it was home but it just isn't affordable anymore, without a killer commute.

My old man came from Brooklyn, very much different than when he lived there though...

[arel]

Brooklyn has indeed changed since I was little. I remember we used to keep the doors unlocked. No more. Now doors are double locked and there are security dooors. Homes are alarmed and even windows in certain areas have bars.

One huge change is the influx of Russians. Now, in southern Brooklyn, you see Russian writing on storefronts. The diversity is tremendous here. I know or have met people from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Yemen, Egypt, Albania, Poland and, of course Russia. My vet, plumber and dentist are all from Russia.

I have a love/hate relationship with Brooklyn. I have described what I like and dislike about Brooklyn on other posts and I won't bore anyone with repetition. Suffice it to say that Brooklyn is special, but congested and, in some areas, dangerous. It can be both cosmopolitan and provincial. It is New York, but, like all the outer boroughs, very much itself.

Sometimes I fear leaving because it is home. Other times I get concerned because I'm the only kid on the block who didn't leave.

If I don't move to Vermont, or if I move and then want to come back, I may want to buy one of those new condos that are sprouting up like wild mushrooms here. But if I move to Vermont and then want to leave, I'll probably want to go somewhere else. Maybe I'll even move to Rhode Island, where I know people. Or I'll move from Brattleboro to Burlington. Or maybe somewhere warmer. Maybe Austin, Texas. But not Florida. Too hot and too many alligators.

[vter]

Honestly, I think you'll have much less culture shock if you come to Burlington first. Fly up on Jet Blue and check it out.

[arel]

That's another thing about Burlington: there's the option of flying. It's 3 hours driving time from Brattleboro, and Brattleboro is 5 hours away from New York. That means approximately an 8 hour trip between New York and Burlington, give or take. I remember it took me 6 hours to drive to Brooklyn from White River Junction.

Maybe I will move to Burlington some day. But right now there are several reasons why I would choose Brattleboro specifically.

Regarding culture shock, much of what I do in New York I can do in Brattleboro, and more affordably. Galleries, concerts, plays, etc., are there. There are decent restaurants. I can kayak in both places, but the water in Brattleboro is much cleaner. I'm not into too much nightlife. I do not go to bars or clubs. The things I can think of that I would miss, culturally, are the museums, but I do not go to museums too often. If I need a big city I can go to Boston. And if I need to go to NYC I can drive down or take the train from downtown Brattleboro.

But Brattleboro does feel a little alien to me at times. Yet, if I live there, it will become home. And if I need to, I suppose I can always move somewhere else, for example to Burlington, or to New Hampshire, or to Rhode Island. Or even to New York.

[vter]

I hope this works out for you! You are certainly doing your research which is a great thing. Vermont is a great place to live.