[BonsoirLittleLuna]

Hi everyone,

I have read through all the Rutland forums and seen the many complaints about there being a drug problem, a dearth of culture, lack of employment, etc. But I have to assume that there are some people who live there who genuinely enjoy the town/surrounding area, right? If you're out there and reading this post, what do you enjoy most about living in Rutland? What makes Rutland special in a positive way?

(If it helps, my husband has an opportunity to transfer to Rutland, and I would be able to move my career there as well, so luckily employment is not as much of an issue for us.)

Thanks for any thoughts!

[cgregor]

Whiners complain. Doers make Rutland (or anyplace else) a great place to live.

[flyfishr]

Rut-vegas isn't thaaat bad. Really depends on where you're moving from/what you value/what your hobbies are. If you're coming from an urban/metropolitan area and enjoy art, clubs, museums...you'll probably be disappointed. If you're outdoorsy, Rutland's a pretty decent home base.


Winter time there's great skiing at Killington and Okemo's right there too. Tons of music, people, and fun to be had at the Wobbly Barn, Pickle Barrel and other Killington access road establishments.


Summer time you're 20 min from Lake Bomoseen. Great boating, public beach/state park and awesome fishing.
https://vtstateparks.com/bomoseen.html


You're close to the spine of the Green Mtns for hiking/camping to the north, and the Green Mtn National Forest to the south.


If you want to go shopping, you're only 45 min from Manchester, VT that has tons of outlets.


If you want to stay local and go out, the Hop'n Moose is a fun bar in town and the Paramount theater has concerts.


I'd personally get a place in one of the smaller satellite towns with a bunch of land than live right in Rutland. There is some shady stuff that happens in Rutland, but really no different than any other blue collar town of it's size. I think a lot of the issues stem from unemployment. But if you're in the position of having 2 steady jobs, I think Rutland's pretty appealing. My 2 cents...

[Biker53]

Originally Posted by flyfishr

Rut-vegas isn't thaaat bad. Really depends on where you're moving from/what you value/what your hobbies are. If you're coming from an urban/metropolitan area and enjoy art, clubs, museums...you'll probably be disappointed. If you're outdoorsy, Rutland's a pretty decent home base.


Winter time there's great skiing at Killington and Okemo's right there too. Tons of music, people, and fun to be had at the Wobbly Barn, Pickle Barrel and other Killington access road establishments.


Summer time you're 20 min from Lake Bomoseen. Great boating, public beach/state park and awesome fishing.
https://vtstateparks.com/bomoseen.html


You're close to the spine of the Green Mtns for hiking/camping to the north, and the Green Mtn National Forest to the south.


If you want to go shopping, you're only 45 min from Manchester, VT that has tons of outlets.


If you want to stay local and go out, the Hop'n Moose is a fun bar in town and the Paramount theater has concerts.


I'd personally get a place in one of the smaller satellite towns with a bunch of land than live right in Rutland. There is some shady stuff that happens in Rutland, but really no different than any other blue collar town of it's size. I think a lot of the issues stem from unemployment. But if you're in the position of having 2 steady jobs, I think Rutland's pretty appealing. My 2 cents...

I live near Rutland and go into town just about every day. I more or less agree with what you said. There is some good stuff going on downtown. I love the Hop'n Moose. The Paramount has good shows coming on a regular basis. For little kids the WonderFeet Kids Museum is nice. The new Phoenix Book Store is small but nice, I go to the Vermont Sports and Fitness Club on a regular basis. Lots there and the folks are real nice.

All that said, Rutland has suffered in the way that all former industrial communities has, and like many of them it is slowly re-inventing itself. Housing is relatively inexpensive, though I personally prefer living in a more rural setting.

My wife loves shopping in Manchester, but you've got the basics covered in Rutland including two major grocery stores, a multiplex cinema, Dicks', Staples, Bed & Bath, K-Mart, Walmart, Michael's, Hobby Lobby, and so forth. Also all of the various chain restaurants. Personally I love Panera's and the Vermont Tap House.

[jackmccullough]

I agree. When I came to Vermont in 1983 I had a chance to move to Rutland and I'm glad I chose Montpelier instead. Still, I know people who live in Brandon or other nearby communities and those are worth considering. Plus, even with the challenges the city itself has, you're still in Vermont.

[timberline742]

It is in Vermont.

[Sierrajeff]

Originally Posted by Biker53

My wife loves shopping in Manchester, but you've got the basics covered in Rutland including two major grocery stores, a multiplex cinema, Dicks', Staples, Bed & Bath, K-Mart, Walmart, Michael's, Hobby Lobby, and so forth. Also all of the various chain restaurants. Personally I love Panera's and the Vermont Tap House.

You're even closer to a smaller hub of outlets in Whitehall.


And that leads to a more general point - the answers here have been focused on Vermont (understandably), but in Rutland you're also pretty close to Lake George, Saratoga Springs, and other points of interest in NY State, including the Adirondacks.

[squarpeg]

Rutland is kind of a crappy as far as towns go. As others say it will have all your daily needs. If you have your sites set on living right down town I'd say look elsewhere. On the other hand if you are willing to commute a bit, maybe something in the range of no more then 15 miles you open up great possibilities. Plenty of beautiful spots, small towns etc... but you have to like living a rural lifestyle

[sovertennis]

Having traveled to Rutland for business, some tennis and mt biking, and some socializing I can say with confidence that it would be a very poor place in which to reside (and I lived in Bennington at the time, so...)

[cgregor]

"History is the sound of gilded slippers going downstairs and the thunder of boots going up." -- Arnold Toynbee.

There's some big-time excavation going on on my street, so parked past my house are some massive machines. A passer-by complimented me on my house and then said, "except for all that," and pointed at them.

I told him it is machines like those that build America and that I considered them beautiful. They remind me of Sandburg's poem, "Chicago."

So, what do you want from Rutland? A scene from a Disney movie or someplace where you can sink your teeth into a community challenge? Answer that question and others like it, and you'll find your answer.