[overleaf]

Hey All,
My husband and I are from the NW specifially outside of Seattle, WA and outside of Portland, OR. While we love so many things about those 2 areas the clouds, rain and extreme political climate are making us want to stay in the NE. We live in Boston right now. And so far have seriously thought about living in Maine we have only ventured to central VT once. I was reading about Burlington and people said that it is cloudy a lot and doesnt get a lot of sun, is it as bad as the NW?

I hear that the Burlington area in really liberal? Liberal is great but I dont like how liberal the NW is. In my home town there are have been riots where people through rocks and smash the windows of large chain banks because they want to show thier distaste for corporations etc. I feel like in the NW people jump on the anti-government band wagon with little knowledge about the bigger picture. My husband and i liked Maine so much because it had a nice slow paced liberal vibe to it BUT I felt people were overall less judgemental of others choices and had a live and let live additude. How does VT differ in the its mindset from Maine anything?

A friend of mine born in Hinesburg suggested that my husband and I Shelburne Falls, VT. Any opinions about this area?

Any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks!

[arctichomesteader]

You haven't seen liberal until you've lived in VT a while. Burlington is quite liberal. One other thought: VT'ers sometimes can be pretty negative (with good reason) about outsiders ("flatlanders") but Maine is much more extreme in that regard. Except for certain urban areas Maine has struck me as more conservative than VT (excepting certain areas of VT, such as in a lot of the Northeast Kingdom, which are much different politically from places like Burlington in general).

[68vette]

Vermont from fall to early spring is one of if not the most cloud covered states in the country(about five to six months).

Politics are taken very serious here and sometimes in bad taste. I was at the Montpelier 4th July parade last evening and witnessed something in poor taste. The Gov. Douglas was hit with with food and other objects from people standing along the road. Voice your opinions verbally and take action on election day if you don't like his political actions.

[radioclown]

Burlington is very liberal, about as liberal as it gets to be on the west coast. People here have been very outspoken about the war, the economy and things like global warming. It is not surprising to see a protest or three, and gay rights are big in Burlington.

The weather can simply be awful. When winter hits get out the sun lamps along with a Jack Daniels and Prozac cocktail. Those are about the only things that will get you through the hellacious Vermont winters.

Personally I need sun so that is why my wife and I are headed to Florida in.........27 days, 14 hours and about 31 minutes.

[MRVphotog]

I pretty much disagree...sure Burlington leans on the liberal side but I think the rest of the state is a nice mix of polititical views. Half the economy in the Vermont is still the dairy industry and for the most part they are a pretty conservative lot.

Most town decisions like budgets and other issues are done on Town Meeting Day by the whole town. Every town in Vermont has done it this way for many, many years, even before the 60's.

BTW the govornor of Vermont is a moderate Republican, not liberal. I think people. like a few comments above, make it sound like Vermont is one big Woodstock festival. Nothing could be further from reality. Go to your selectboard meetings, attend town meeting day and I think you'll see a better balanced view of which side of the aisle people are from.

[tyeebeacon]

I live right across lake champlain from Vermont in New York state. I love Burlington. Sure it gets cold in the winter, but the Summer, Spring, Fall are awesome. Yes, Burlington is quite liberal but, they are very committed to green efforts and due to this they support their community moreso than big business which I like and are really into supporting local causes, taking care of their own. I personally like this attitude. I do think that much of the opposition to the war is valid though due to the fact that more soldiers from VT have been sent and killed in Iraq than any other state.
Overall, though I think it is a great city and you would find the quality of life great in comparison to most places.

[Alt Dach]

Vermont is rather yuppy/gentrified pretty much all over as is southern Maine
esp. around the Portland area. Nothern Maine is More "old timey" like people think
VT is but isn't really.

[Lilybeans]

Originally Posted by Alt Dach

Vermont is rather yuppy/gentrified pretty much all over as is southern Maine
esp. around the Portland area. Nothern Maine is More "old timey" like people think
VT is but isn't really.

What would you identify as a "yuppy" or "Gentry." I don't see it.

[NYLIER]

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

One other thought: VT'ers sometimes can be pretty negative (with good reason) about outsiders ("flatlanders") but Maine is much more extreme in that regard.

There is absolutely no good reason for VTer's to be negative about outsiders. Why do Vters make excuses for being rude to people they don't even know? I watched people from Manhattan move to my Township and build huge homes on every half acre lot available. The Town is destroyed with overdevelopment. I never heard one local resident blame the newcomers. It is your government officials that are to blame. Why would I dislike a person because they chose to work hard and built a bigger home then I can afford in my hometown. I live in a huge home built by a Vermonter. I'm not happy with the size of it but the price was right. I am sure this house would still have a "For Sale" sign in front of it if I didn't buy it. We moved in and started farming. We don't bother anyone, nor do we try to change Vermont in any way. Locals have made it perfectly clear that you hate us outsiders. I'm sorry you feel that way but put the blame where it is due.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by NYLIER

There is absolutely no good reason for VTer's to be negative about outsiders. Why do Vters make excuses for being rude to people they don't even know? I watched people from Manhattan move to my Township and build huge homes on every half acre lot available. The Town is destroyed with overdevelopment. I never heard one local resident blame the newcomers. It is your government officials that are to blame. Why would I dislike a person because they chose to work hard and built a bigger home then I can afford in my hometown. I live in a huge home built by a Vermonter. I'm not happy with the size of it but the price was right. I am sure this house would still have a "For Sale" sign in front of it if I didn't buy it. We moved in and started farming. We don't bother anyone, nor do we try to change Vermont in any way. Locals have made it perfectly clear that you hate us outsiders. I'm sorry you feel that way but put the blame where it is due.

Thank you for writing that. The finger ultimately points at those who made the overdevelopment possible. The zoning & planning boards, the building departments, are the ones to be held accountable. A simple "NO" to subdividing a platt, a simple "NO" to allowing X # of homes on a small parcel, some consideration as to what the new development would demand of the existing infrastructure, and some deeper research into the tax implications would keep things in harmony.

You bought an existing home built by a VTer. I bought existing housing stock, built by a VTer. We didn't add to the overdevelopment, yet in some respect we are resented.

Conversely, I can understand the dismay of long time residents who find their town being permanently altered by development. I'm watching it here in Crookhaven, seeing the wheels starting to turn in Chester.

In Brookhaven, if I stand against something, I am a NIMBY. In Chester, if I stand against something, I am an interloping flatlander who is interfering with the native's rights. Brookhaven is destroyed. I have stood up, spoken out. Chester is not. I can merely relate what has transpired in Brookhaven in the name of 'progress' and 'growth' -- the very same catchphrases being bandied about in Chester now.

I do not profess to have the wisdom of the elders. I do not wish to tell anyone how to do anything. But to stand by in silence, bearing witness once more to the gradual destruction of a place I love? To allow the same mistakes to occur again? I can't vote for or against the issues in VT, but I can relate my sad tale over and over.