[hobiejess]

I'm applying for a job at Rutland Regional Medical Center and was wondering, is downtown Rutland livable? What about the area around the hospital? I've been checking out the real estate on trulia.com and I like the houses a little east of the hospital since they seem to have larger lots, but I would also consider downtown to be within walking distance of restaurants, shops etc. I'd like to be within biking distance of the hospital.

I'll probably be visiting for an interview in the next couple of months with my husband and dog. What's a good, central hotel/motel/B&B that would give us the best sense of the place and also allows dogs (11 yr-old 50-lb mutt, very well behaved).

Can anyone also comment on the hospital-- is it a place you'd want your sick family member treated? Your broken bone repaired? Your baby delivered? Anecdotes welcome!

We are excited about the prospect of finally having a house and garden, and we love Killington, x-country skiing, road biking (would love to get into mtb!), hiking, camping, the organic/sustainable lifestyle...

Lastly, thanks to Sherylcatmom-- her posts about things Rutland have been most informative so far.

Thanks!

[Sherylcatmom]

Thank you for your kind words! I was getting ready to reply even before I noticed your lovely compliment. :-)

RRMC's reputation is decent and improving from what I hear. The husband of a friend of mine recently died of cancer. My friend is a physician so she knows whereof she speaks when she gives highest recommendations to the RRMC Cancer Center for excellent medical care, compassionate staff, and good patient services.

My husband has used RRMC three times since June. Nothing serious, but during all three experiences, the hospital experience was as good as we can imagine it being. Let's see, we used the ER, surgery, and outpatient internal & surgical services.

As far as where to live, Rutland City is fairly compact. You can choose from among many neighborhoods that are relatively close to downtown and to RRMC. You've mentioned areas that are all walkable/bikeable to RRMC and downtown Rutland. We live about a mile due north of downtown and we walk to everything, including RRMC (except when, for example, hubby's first kidney stone made walking impossible ).

Rutland County real estate for sale by owner: Picket Fence Properties in RUTLAND County Vermont (http://picketfencepreview.com/RutlandCty.htm - broken link)
We're familiar with the one house listed for sale in Rutland City and it's a beautiful place in a great neighborhood. It is a bit farther from RRMC but I woudn't hesitate to bike that distance regularly, or walk it when I have lots of time.

This is also a good site for searching homes for sale because it mostly displays the addresses, which you can then Mapquest to see where the houses are in relation to other stuff: Rutland Real Estate & Rutland Homes For Sale — Trulia.com (Oh, duh, you already found Tulia! :-))

Places to stay: This is not central, but it's within a couple minutes drive of downtown and it's the dog-friendliest place to stay in the area: The PAW House - Dog friendly hotel, DOG VACATION, dog travel, dog friendly getaway

Most of the regular motels in the city (Holiday Inn, etc.) are in the far south end where it's more strip malls and car dealerships.

Don't know if they take pets, but this place is closer to downtown and literally next door to Ben & Jerry's, which also houses the wonderful Annie's Book Stop: Rutland Vermont hotels, Comfort Inn hotel near Pico Mountain, Rutland VT 05701

Also close to downtown, more expensive, quite lovely, and no clue about pet-friendly (though I believe they have a cat in residence): The Inn at Rutland in Vermont voted best B&B lodging in Killington and Rutland Vermont.

Good luck with big changes!

[Sherylcatmom]

Yelp.com reviews of Rutland lodgings

Rutland Hotels: Read Rutland Hotel Reviews and Compare Prices - TripAdvisor

Oh, I just thought of this place: Harvest Moon Bed & Breakfast, Organic Getaway in Rutland Vermont: Ski Killington and Pico It's not downtown, but it's in a lovely area, looks cute & reasonable, and the owners sell delicious homemade soups at the Rutland Winter Farmers Market.

[hobiejess]

OMG- the PAW house looks amazing! I'd love to support that kind of dog-centric place, and I wonder how their business is doing, being such a niche market. We used to stay at the EconoLodge in Mendon- their dog room was a little smokey but the people were nice and it was cheap (this is when I was a poor student). This time though, I'd like to avoid the chains. I emailed Harvest Moon to ask about their pet policy-- the photos on the website are beautiful. I hope to visit the Winter FM and taste all of the VT goodies when we're in town.

Thanks for the link to Picket Fence. The house in Rutland City looks really nice (the bathroom looks about the size of our bedroom and I am especially intrigued by their solar heating system), but our budget would probably be somewhere in the 200-250k range.

Thanks, Sherylcatmom, for your lightning fast reply! You didn't disappoint!

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by hobiejess

The house in Rutland City looks really nice (the bathroom looks about the size of our bedroom and I am especially intrigued by their solar heating system)

OMG, I forgot what it's like living in NYC! My entire West Village (Sheridan Sq) studio apartment was the size of the kitchen I have now. And my rent for that studio in the mid-1980s was way more than my current mortgage payment is now. :-)

Your budget should still allow you to get a nice place in or near Rutland City. When considering that house on Picket Fence, though, it's possible that the savings in heating starting with the very first winter could possibly make up for the higher price of the home.

[MRVphotog]

My wife grew up in the neighborhood between the hospital and Rt 4. Looks like a nice place to live.