[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by vter

I love Vermont with all my heart, but Barre...ugh.....it's just well, not that nice, so it pains me to say that. Barre has an amazingly fascinating history (granite industry), but, sadly, the granite industry is not in it's hey day anymore and the City has gone down hill.

This makes me sad, too, as Barre has some of the most beautiful (and affordable) homes in the state and historic charm galore. People are trying to make it a better place to live but it's an uphill battle right now. Perhaps the community's efforts will eventually help Barre thrive once again.

[mustmove]

Originally Posted by MRVphotog

It's comments like this that makes this forum a waste of time. How do you come up with this crapola? Please move already and bash your next locale.

Truth sting a bit? Montpelier has a higher than usual proportion of young people with unkept hair and free time. How's that? I don't have a problem with the dirty hippies in Montpelier, they are harmless. But they are there, whether that is a plus or minus or no factor doesn't change reality. You'd think foliage season was canceled the way you ladies react.

[Asta]

Originally Posted by vter

.................Barre Town (not to be confused with the City of Barre) is actually fairly nice-more suburban/rural. It has a seperate school system for K-8, and then in high school kids go to Spaulding which is shared with Barre City..........

I lived in East Barre and went to Barre Town School for two years in the 7th and 8th grade, and I really liked it. Back then East Barre had a small town feel to it. I lived at the top of a long street, and further up the hill there was a large pasture and "Old Man Perley's" farm. We did all the things kids do at that age, like ride our bikes, go fishing, go sledding in the winter, and trick or treating at Halloween and caroling at Christmas. We never went into Barre City, except to shop on the Barre-Montpelier road and to skate at the BOR. To me, Barre City seemed rough, crowded, and a bit dangerous. My brother went to Spaulding High School during his freshman year. I heard horror stories about the stuff that went on there. My mom moved us away from East Barre so that us kids would not have to continue on in high school in Barre City.

[MRVphotog]

Originally Posted by Sherylcatmom

This makes me sad, too, as Barre has some of the most beautiful (and affordable) homes in the state and historic charm galore. People are trying to make it a better place to live but it's an uphill battle right now. Perhaps the community's efforts will eventually help Barre thrive once again.

Perfect assessment of where Barre is right now. Big meeting the other night regarding all the vandalism. Barre Town has some nice areas.

[stephp4]

I have to agree with the others! I grew up in Barre VT. I am now 39 I have seen alot of changes and none of them are good! I have 4 kids of my own and I am entertaining the idea of moving back to vt I currently live in CT. Barre would not be an option and most of my family lives there! There is nothing for kids to do unless of course you'd like them to be hanging out on street corners, doing drugs, and underage drinking. If my family knew I was posting a blog like this they'd disagree, however, all their kids are grown. If you can afford it, Burlington and its surrounding areas are nice, but are costly. I would not go to the North East Kingdom area either, thats boredom at its best. My opinion I dont want my kids anywhere where they are bored enough to find trouble!
Hope this helps.

[68vette]

I agree as well. My children lived part time and went to school in Barre up until this year. My ex-wife and I came to an agreement that the children were not going to Spaulding High. I know that many fine people went to school there and turned out to be fine upstanding people, but we had options of much better school systems to have the kids in. My ex got to the point where she didn't want to live there anymore and moved this past year. The issue is not that you take your life in your hands when you walk down the street. It's all the little things that add up to big things. My son had issues with several older boys bullying him. We contacted the boys parents to let them know what was going on and two of the boys parents either didn't see what the problem was or thought it was a joke. We later found out the one boys father rewarded his sons behavior. Not everyone in town is like this and I'm sure it's only a small percentage.

[TMTMVT]

Originally Posted by mustmove

Truth sting a bit? Montpelier has a higher than usual proportion of young people with unkept hair and free time. How's that? I don't have a problem with the dirty hippies in Montpelier, they are harmless. But they are there, whether that is a plus or minus or no factor doesn't change reality. You'd think foliage season was canceled the way you ladies react.

Think it has anything to do with the co-op?

[TMTMVT]

Originally Posted by stephp4

I have to agree with the others! I grew up in Barre VT. I am now 39 I have seen alot of changes and none of them are good! I have 4 kids of my own and I am entertaining the idea of moving back to vt I currently live in CT. Barre would not be an option and most of my family lives there! There is nothing for kids to do unless of course you'd like them to be hanging out on street corners, doing drugs, and underage drinking. If my family knew I was posting a blog like this they'd disagree, however, all their kids are grown. If you can afford it, Burlington and its surrounding areas are nice, but are costly. I would not go to the North East Kingdom area either, thats boredom at its best. My opinion I dont want my kids anywhere where they are bored enough to find trouble!
Hope this helps.

I live in the North East Kingdom, and I couldn't disagree more. The crime is extremely low, the school's are generally small, and with the town I live in having 800 residents, I feel pretty safe. My kids don't get bored. They ride bikes, play, hunt, fish, etc...I'd be more nervous about them living in the "big" city of Burlington and being exposed to different lifestyles I'm not comfortable with. (i.e. drugs, alcohol abuse, etc.) I can shelter them pretty well in Groton.

On a side note for PP...There are lots of small surrounding towns that you could look into. Williamstown, Middlesex, Northfield, etc.

[Banj]

Barre is all that you've read plus more. Fact of the matter is, if you are a responsible parent and have a strong faith in how you want your children raised then you can live anywhere. I've not long been a resident but from where I came, this is a positive change. The influence you have with your kids just needs to be stronger than with their peers. I've been through it in a much more populated area. It is a little more costly to live here but there are bargains to be had.

[jackmccullough]

When I moved to Vermont in 1983 I had the choice of working in Montpelier, Rutland, or St. Johnsbury. I had the best feeling about Montpelier, and I've never regretted the choice. It's been a great place to raise kids, the schools are good, and there is a good community feeling.

Housing prices are probably a bit higher in Montpelier than in Barre, but from spending time with friends who have been looking to buy, Barre also isn't a bargain. Other costs are similar if not identical--both cities are served by Green Mountain Power, and I think our electric rates are about $0.14/kwh; the same oil and propane companies cover both cities; taxes are similar, and we have income sensitivity for property taxes, so if you buy a house your property taxes will be based on your income.

Read the local papers:
Timesargus.com | Barre-Montpelier Times Argus | Vermont news, Vermont jobs, Montpelier real estate, Barre real estate
The Bridge

And the local education sites:
Montpelier Public Schools (http://www.mpsvt.org/MPS_district/index.htm - broken link)
BCEMS-Barre City Elementary and Middle School
Spaulding High School* Barre Tec

And if you're interested in Central Vermont you might also look at the towns in the U-32 district:
U-32 one of the best Vermont middle and high schools