[bolehboleh]

I'm a Mass native who currently lives overseas, but I've always loved Vermont.

I lived in Burlington in the early 2000s and it was a great place to be, but I have been thinking about some of the other cities in your beautiful state. Which one would you consider to be the best?

Here is a list of some of the bigger and/or well-known cities that I would think about one day moving to the future (I've purposely left out some of the larger suburbs because I tend to attach them to the larger city)

Burlington
Rutland
Bennington
Brattleboro
Montpelier
St. Johnsbury
Newport
St. Albans

If I've left any out, do tell me.

Which one is your favorite and why?

[Riley.]

Do you plan on returning from overseas to live in Vermont? Alot has changed since the early 2000s. I'd come take another look around if I were you.

[vter]

Of the ones you listed, Burlington and Montpelier are my favorites.
You'll hear a lot of "Burlington is not Vermont" sentiment on this forum. Burlington and it's 'burbs are certainly not representative of rural Vermont, however, as it's largest City, Burlington is the State's economic engine. It's got a great vibe, lots of independently owned businesses. A good arts and music scene for a City it's size. A wonderful farmer's market and food-coop. I love it. Yes, the suburbs are pretty bland like you find everywhere in America.
Montpelier is a like a smaller Burlington in terms of vibe. It's a small city of 8K, but the presence of the State offices makes it feel busier, especially when the legislature is in session.
The others on your list are just "meh" IMO. Rutland gets a bad rap I think, but it doesn't feel "special" to me. St. Johnsbury and Newport are economically depressed. St. Albans seems to be on an upswing.
Brattleboro and Bennington are in Southern VT and it feels like a different plant to me (lol). Bennington "feels" more like upstate NY to me whereas Brattleboro feels more MA to me. But we are all different and have different reads on places, so I'm sure some won't agree.
i would suggest adding Middlebury to your list which rounds out my top 3 in Vermont.

[bolehboleh]

Originally Posted by vter

Of the ones you listed, Burlington and Montpelier are my favorites.
You'll hear a lot of "Burlington is not Vermont" sentiment on this forum. Burlington and it's 'burbs are certainly not representative of rural Vermont, however, as it's largest City, Burlington is the State's economic engine. It's got a great vibe, lots of independently owned businesses. A good arts and music scene for a City it's size. A wonderful farmer's market and food-coop. I love it. Yes, the suburbs are pretty bland like you find everywhere in America.
Montpelier is a like a smaller Burlington in terms of vibe. It's a small city of 8K, but the presence of the State offices makes it feel busier, especially when the legislature is in session.
The others on your list are just "meh" IMO. Rutland gets a bad rap I think, but it doesn't feel "special" to me. St. Johnsbury and Newport are economically depressed. St. Albans seems to be on an upswing.
Brattleboro and Bennington are in Southern VT and it feels like a different plant to me (lol). Bennington "feels" more like upstate NY to me whereas Brattleboro feels more MA to me. But we are all different and have different reads on places, so I'm sure some won't agree.
i would suggest adding Middlebury to your list which rounds out my top 3 in Vermont.

I was never a fan of Rutland. It always seemed to sprawling and an example of what I was trying to avoid.

I liked Burlington when I lived there, but I had a hard time making friends in the 14 months I lived. there. I rented an apartment in a large house and the woman who lived across the hall from me (only two apartments on the floor) would not even make eye contact with me the entire time I was there. Plus, I met a lot of "flighty" people who often showed signs of wanting friendship, but they would always flake out at the last minute when we had plans. Maybe it was just the circles I was hanging around in.

I still love Montpelier, and I'm really intrigued by Bennington and Brattleboro. I don't know - this could just be a pipe dream right now because I don't know when/if I'm coming back.

I'd still like to hear more locals give their opinions about these cities.

[jackmccullough]

I've lived in Montpelier since 1983 and I truly think it is the best place to live in Vermont.

As a town of 8,000 (actually a little under) Montpelier has the kind of small town feel that people appreciate. It doesn't take long living in town before the faces on the street are familiar to you, you develop affection for some of the bars, restaurants, and other small businesses, and they get to know you. (I still remember fondly the time, when I'd lived here a few years, when the guy at the hardware store remembered how I usually paid for my purchases; it was a sign of being a regular there.)

Since it's the capital city of the state some of those faces you see on the street might be the governor, the members of the Supreme Court on their way out to eat lunch together, or Senator Leahy doing his grocery shopping, not to mention our mayor, who also teaches science at the high school and was the founder of the first recognized varsity high school Ultimate team in the state (maybe the nation).

The fact that we are the state capital also means there's a lot more going on than you would expect in a city our size, including professional theater, multiple bookstores, and other cultural advantages. We have excellent schools, a walkable downtown, an educated populace who are happy to volunteer for the many public boards and commissions we rely on to support our public institutions.

When we moved here I had a brief period when I thought it would have been nicer to live in Burlington, but I concluded rapidly that we really have it all here in Montpelier.

[Sand&Salt]

I wanted to experience New England so I spent over a year in Bennington. I really loved it---college town and even a highly regarded middle school for recalcitrant young-un's, if you got 'em.

It typified New England for me. SOOO beautiful, the spooky old graveyards with tilting headstones from the 1700s, the white-painted clapboard houses with black shutters, the stunning leaf-changing....
affordable acreage (at least in 2002).

Terrific experience. LOTSA snow, at least that winter. Skiing not too far away.

[Riley.]

Originally Posted by bolehboleh

I was never a fan of Rutland. It always seemed to sprawling and an example of what I was trying to avoid.

I liked Burlington when I lived there, but I had a hard time making friends in the 14 months I lived. there. I rented an apartment in a large house and the woman who lived across the hall from me (only two apartments on the floor) would not even make eye contact with me the entire time I was there. Plus, I met a lot of "flighty" people who often showed signs of wanting friendship, but they would always flake out at the last minute when we had plans. Maybe it was just the circles I was hanging around in.

I still love Montpelier, and I'm really intrigued by Bennington and Brattleboro. I don't know - this could just be a pipe dream right now because I don't know when/if I'm coming back.

I'd still like to hear more locals give their opinions about these cities.

What do you do for a living? that might drive your choice, assuming you will not want to travel 'far' in the winter months. How long have you been gone?

I live closer to St Albans but am within easy driving distance to Burlington. IMO Burlington is not the "Queen City" it used to be. For me, Church St used to be the draw, and I would go down there regularly, but that has changed significantly. Many shops are gone and of course, there's City Hole....an issue I doubt the city is going to resolve any time soon (like many problems we face here). There is more graffiti than I've ever seen here, it is not as clean as it used to be, and certain areas (like the bus stop near the courthouse) seem to attract the fringe element. (not intending to be 'insulting' but let's be real). Parking is at a premium, housing is expensive (from what I understand) as are other forms of entertainment. Battery Park, as I'm sure you know, is currently populated by the anti-police coalition and looks like a campground. Nothing's being done about that, even though you are not supposed to camp there. City government has swung very far left and I suppose if you support that philosophy, then B'ton might be the place for you.

St Albans is more blue collar and less populated. Working families with kids in school. It has a nice little downtown, but of course, that can be expensive, too. That said, it is quieter than B'ton and the city has really revitalized itself in the last 5-6 years. There's shopping for essentials, a few restaurants, and in the surrounding area, things to do outside. We have a Rail Trail up this way, a couple of gyms ($), a old movie theater (I have never been to this one since I like stadium seats LOL), a branch of CCV, etc. Check the Chamber of Commerce. People are generally civil. I try to do anything I need to do in St A. We have a good medical center, too. No complaints in the 17 yrs I've lived here with them although I did have to go to UVM for cancer treatment and they were wonderful as well.

We have an opioid problem here as well - it's all over VT - not always 'visible' but here nonetheless, in St A and B'ton and I'm sure every other city you've listed here, which I don't know much about. Used to go to Montpelier, too, but less so unless I'm travelling by it.....Nothing to draw me that distance from where I am. Hope some of this helps, and of course, these are just my opinions and observations. You should know the negative AND the positive.

[Boston_Burbs]

Add White River Junction to your list (Hartford, VT). For affordability/arts/restaurants/proximity to jobs it is #1 on my list. The upper valley is the second best economy in VT with lower housing prices than Burlington.

[in_newengland]

Originally Posted by Boston_Burbs

Add White River Junction to your list (Hartford, VT). For affordability/arts/restaurants/proximity to jobs it is #1 on my list. The upper valley is the second best economy in VT with lower housing prices than Burlington.

Yep. Shopping, pleasant area, and if you want tax free shopping you just hop over the river to NH. I could live near Hartford.

[Sporin]

Originally Posted by Boston_Burbs

Add White River Junction to your list (Hartford, VT). For affordability/arts/restaurants/proximity to jobs it is #1 on my list. The upper valley is the second best economy in VT with lower housing prices than Burlington.

Agreed, we've been in Windsor VT for the last 20 years, and I was in Lebanon NH for the 20 before that. This area, which straddles the Connecticut River, really has it all spread across its many small towns. The College and Hospital are the big economic drivers.

If I was picking a city in Vermont, I'd go with Montpelier, I've really enjoyed every visit there.