[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by vter

My co-worker lives in a rural part of Chittenden County and cannot get high-speed internet access. They signed up for satellite internet which they say is better than dial-up, but still not great. Don't assume that you can get cable or DSL everywhere, as others have noted.

VTel, which serves Chester and surrounding communities offers dial up, and DSL. We do not have access to cable for high speed (too far down the road and way too costly to have it brought in.)
VTel Internet

Since I am based in NY, I keep a high speed service here, with an AOL account for dial up backup in case cable goes out. It costs me $9.95/month for the dial up back up. When in VT I use my AOL dial up back up account as opposed to paying Vtel $21.95/mon for dial up and $34.95/mon for dsl. If I were up there full time, I would spring for Vtel dsl or look into satellite for high speed.

[vter]

My mom has VTel down in the Rutland area....she likes it.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by vter

My mom has VTel down in the Rutland area....she likes it.

Good to know, thanks!

[KNOTTE]

We've got Verizon DSL here in Rutland. We've had no problems whatsoever. Fairpoint Communications is attempting to purchase the Verizon service here in VT and NH and their plan is to expand broadband service, so hopefully outlying areas will soon have service. (Hopefully it's not just lip service. But I know NH has it written into their approval that they have 18 months to make substantial gains.)

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by KNOTTE

We've got Verizon DSL here in Rutland. We've had no problems whatsoever.

Same here for all three: Verizon DSL, Rutland, no problems.

[courtneyk82]

What part of Vermont are you planning on moving to? I lived there for a few years and I think if I *had* to go back it would be in the Burlington area only because of the following:

It's nice being away from crowds but having to travel an hour to do your shopping is a tad annoying. Even then all I had to choose from was Walmart and Kmart.

The lack of high-speed internet was annoying for awhile (I'm in the web field) but luckily Verizon decided to give us a mediocre DSL service a few months after moving in. If this is important to you definitely check and see if it's available in the area you want to move to.

Lack of jobs is a serious serious issue. I lucked out and found a company within 30 minutes, but even then I had to take a HUGE pay cut. It wasn't as if I had a choice!

Heating costs. 'nough said.

I had a problem with being so far from the ocean, but that is just my personal preference and most people wouldn't mind.

Other then that, I have nothing but good things to say. It's gorgeous and the people are wonderful. If those few things were different I would have stayed!

[MysticJoy]

I'm from the Rutland County area. I have a choice of Verizon, cable (umm, cannot remember the name, home something I think, used to be Adelphia), and I use Sovernet. I am a huge fan of Sovernet as they are hardly ever down and when they are, they are back within an hour or so at most.

Unfortunately, I do spend $50 a month on that service, but to me who works at home, it is worth every penny.

MJ

[takagi1901]

Why not look at small towns of Rhode Island? Yes, taxes are not that great as well, they have their share of all kinds of problems as well.
Climate is not that bad, you won't see always "white Christmas" on the coast, but see it at Northwest corner of RI for sure; but no "mud"season, hardly any bugs -ocean breeze blows them away, 4 nice seasons, could be gray or cold on occasion, but mostly sunny even in winter; some people still hate winters here too. Westerly, Charlestown, Newport, Wickford by the coast. More rural and "NH"-like towns in the Northwest corner, not too high though, but pleasant "hills" and lakes, some defense and high tech industry present, or have your own business- high speed Internet almost everywhere!
In some areas schools are excellent- with high taxes to pay for that, others- not so much and tax as not that bad either! Examples: East Greenwich vs Newport. You are an hour or so drive from Boston's museums and attractions- good day trip! 3-4 hours drive (or take an inexpensive bus or expensive train) to NYC Several family farms offer "harvest share", Asian community, Latino community, all kinds of religions, some international flavors of people too. Beautiful coast line!!!

[loveeveryone]

Vermonts a wonderful place to live cause we are one of the states that have the best air in the US.The crime rate in vermont is low and we are also very friendly people who are made up mostly of farmers,Hippies and rednecks.We are also pretty understanding people and cause of that we don't have alot of rasism in vermont.The housing can be a little pricey like 800+ a month but it wouldnt be too bad to live in vermont if you had room mates cause u could split the costs and we do have stores that sell organic stuff and like i said we have lots of farms and farm stands that during the summer sell fresh vegtables

Originally Posted by Murrquan

Hello! I have been lurking for a few days now, after finding these forums. A lot of interesting discussions going on!

Overview

I am currently living in northwestern Georgia. I am not "from" Georgia, and have lived all around the country (and outside the United States). I have not lived anywhere for more than five or six years. I am a male in my twenties, I have no wife or children, and I am considering moving cross-country sometime around the start of the next decade. I want to choose the place where I am most likely to be happy, and that would be the best place to raise a family.

Why I am Considering Vermont

A lot of states in the US seem ... boring. Everyone's concerned with the same things ... good schools, good jobs, proximity to work and/or college. And they have all the same fast-food restaurants and chain stores.

Vermont seems different. It seems like exactly the opposite -- a high cost of living, in exchange for intangibles like "quality of life." It sounds like there's a strong emphasis on local, organic agriculture. It also sounds like people are kind, and tolerant of those who are different (like vegetarians, in my case). I may be over-romanticizing the place, but there seem to be a lot of people who really like it for reasons that I can sympathize with, and the people who don't either don't like the winters or aren't making enough money. Please correct me if I am mistaken.

Personally, I am self-employed via the Internet, and am hoping to marry someone whom I can help to homeschool our kids. Schooling and employment are not very big considerations for me, but I do worry about expenses. I am planning to rent a small but liveable house, and possibly buy sometime in the future.

My Experience with Vermont

I have been to Vermont exactly once that I can recall, for a family reunion near Leicester. It was in summer, and I vaguely remember large golden fields and lots of pollen and bees. I'm not too fond of either, but I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. ^.^; The relatives I have living there are more or less unknown to me, even after the reunion. But I do have family there. (And in Michigan, Texas, and Georgia ... )

My Experience with Other Places

I'm currently living in Georgia, in a semi-rural area northwest of Atlanta. I do not like it very much here. Our house is poorly insulated, and is freezing cold in the winter and very hot in the summer. There is a lot of pollen, and there are a lot of bees and wasps. I am told that the local government is corrupt, and have heard it suggested that our town is a center of operations for the KKK as well. I am not black, but the locals' attitudes are foreign to me, and I've never feared for my safety as much as I have here. It seems very uncivilized. The place is also not very scenic and feels rather run-down, at least where I'm living.

Before here I lived in West Virginia for 5 or 6 years, near Clarksburg and Morgantown. I loved it. I took frequent walks through the tree-covered hills, and I loved how they looked from a distance, and how wisps of mist would wrap around them when it was overcast. I liked how pretty it was in autumn, and especially winter -- how it was just warm enough that a blanket of moist snow clung to everything, and the sky and the ground were both silvery-white.

At the same time, though, outside of its natural beauty it seemed kind of run-down and uncivilized, sort of like this part of GA. I thought the locals seemed friendly, but I saw/heard a lot of TV/radio commercials going on about how great West Virginia and the West Virginia worker were, and being suspicious of anything from out-of-state. It made me feel kind of unwelcome. But I liked the people in our church group, and I loved the Bridgeport public library -- #1 in the nation for cities of under 10,000!

Before that I lived in Utah for a couple of years. I liked how the mountains looked from a distance, and (at the time) I liked the shopping. I also liked Temple Square, especially when it was decorated for Christmas. I did not like the culture as much ... I am a Latter-Day Saint (Mormon) myself, but the congregations I've been in outside of Utah were smaller and friendlier. In Utah there were hundreds and hundreds of members, and I was just lost in the crowd. Plus they seem kind of superficial and driven to be outwardly perfect, there in the Beehive State. I could "bee" mistaken though.

Okay, last one ... perhaps my favorite place has been New Hampshire, where I lived for about five years. I lived in a city of about 20,000 called Rochester (The Lilac City!) in the southeast, in a house on the commons. I liked being able to walk to different places in town, and I loved how pretty and "New England-y" the place was. I became very proud of our city.

I got along fairly well with the people there. I went on frequent outdoor activities with our Boy Scout troop at the time, around New Hampshire and up into Maine. I often visited York beach in Maine, in the off-season, and went to fairs like the Somersworth Children's Festival. I also went down to Boston sometimes.

What I'd Like

The winters of WV, the autumns of New England, the small-town feel of New Hampshire and the public library from Bridgeport. And a partridge in a pear tree!

I want to live close to a city, but I don't want to live inside one. And I'd like to be able to go for a walk in the forests and hills outside my own house.

What I Understand is a Problem

I'm told it is freezing cold there in winter, and that it costs a lot to buy a house. I also worry that some places may be a little too tolerant for my tastes -- I don't want to be subject to public nudity!

What I Hope to Contribute

I'd like to buy organic food locally, and perhaps even raise some of my own. I'd like to participate in local and state government, being informed of the issues and maybe attending a town meeting, if there's no reason to fear for my safety like there is here. ^.^;

I try to be helpful wherever I am, and have participated in service projects as part of my Church / Scouting groups before. And I don't mind how reserved people say New Englanders are ... New Hampshire seemed normal to me, Georgia / West Virginia are kind of creepy!

I do not have a criminal record, and I'm not planning to get one anytime soon.

In Closing

Is there anything I'm not considering? Are there any places across the United States that I should be considering, but I'm not? What should I do in order to find out if the state is right for me? And what distinguishes different parts of Vermont, in terms of culture and living conditions? If you could point me to other threads that describe things, that might be helpful too, although I've done some reading already.

If anyone's still reading, many thanks in advance!

[Alt Dach]

Most people see what they want to see in any place they go-its called selective perception.The time VT was different is long gone-most watch American Idol same as GA.