[laniduke]

The West Rutland theater closed recently. I think it's still empty.
Rent is high for the pay scale and the taxes are horrid. The best schools are private and pricey.
That said, there is great free music in the summer including Friday Night Live, a street festival in downtown Rutland. The Paramount theater has some great shows in a "Victorian jewelbox" setting; the best so far has been John Hiatt and a scaled back version of Hamlet.

[sugarmaple]

Well, if you are booing Rutland, why not entertain Mt. Holly or Wallingford; granted Mt HOlly/Belmont is little. Or, consider Mendon? One thing around here is that driving to different areas is far more common than one thinks...when I initially moved to Vermont, all I ever heard was "it is just down the road" and a Vermonters "just down the road" and a down-country person's definition of "just down the road" were two very different things...since being here, it is nothing to live in one area, work in another, pop over the interstate to get to another area for shopping or schools or movies, etc....

Different way of life for sure and frankly, I would not have it any other way now.

I drive 30 mins to get to Rutland for some things; 20 mins to Claremont NH for other things; 15 mins to Springfield, etc. and 15 mins to Ludlow for dinner. Now, that driving is simply a "piece of cake" ...so if there are concerns about a school system, live in a town that has a choice, like Weathersfield, Reading, and then you can have Woodstock as a school system...

[arctichomesteader]

I wouldn't choose to live in Rutland City voluntarily. Though you don't have to go too far out for it to be fairly nice. But still too expensive and more people than I have a taste for. I'm a bit biased since I don't like cities to begin with...

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by Sandblast

Here is another little tidbit I forgot. The movie theater, Movieplex 9. More like Lameoplex 9. The screens are tiny. The employees are mentaly incapible to operate a cash register, let alone a projector. Oh and if you want to see a movie in the winter, better bring your coat, or hope that the theater is packed, its cold in there.

Couldn't be worse than a theater in Chicago that, thankfully, I never visited.
The manager's method of inventory for soda was based purely on the number of soda cups. The number of cups missing at the end of the night determined how much soda money needed to be in the cash register. Sure enough, the little geniuses working for him picked soda cups off the floor and re-used them, pocketing the money.

[mustmove]

Typical of VT, lininig up outside in the cold is thirty years out of date for movie theaters. If any VTers haven't seen how modern movie theaters operate they need to visit civilization and have a look.

[THEFASTLANE]

Grew up in Rutland, Moved to Florida to survive and Prosper. Vermont is Beautiful but a tough place to live. I visit 1-2 per year and have noticed the deteration of Rutland as a whole and it's infrastructer.
Everyplace has it's negatives. (South)Florida has alot of culture but not always possitive, and it is harder to cordinate activities due to the distances we have to drive IE dance, Tae Wan do ect. But am making a great living and am basting in satifaction when I visit and only have to watch and listen to the same old crappy economy crap. I do agree that the Movie PLex was a mess and poorly managed. Have not been back since New Ownership. But after experiencing true therater experience AMC and others. Rutland charges the same money and is far fro the experience.

[arctichomesteader]

Center Rutland is the real dump of Rutland County. I've heard the same person owns all those dumpy buildings there...

But in any case I'd take Rutland over Florida as much as I'd rather be in the NEK...

[68vette]

Rutland is the typical old railroad or GE type of town. It's a little rough around the edges and people either love it or hate it. If you watch the local news, Rutland and St Albans are hammered day after day between drug problems, stabbings, murders and major issues with the police department. Every time the town tries to rebound from the negatives, there is always something that brings the town down. This has gone on from when I first moved to Vermont in the early to mid ninties when the "Latin Kings" were causing huge issues.
When I first interviewed for a job in Vermont, I had an interview at RRMC. The hospital seemed ok from what I remember, but the town is not what most people dream of or consider as the typical Vermont/New England town. A good friend of mine lived in Pittsfield and went to Rutland for any shopping. I can't comment on the schools, but he and his family decided to live Pittsfield for the cheaper taxes and better schools.

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by 68vette

If you watch the local news, Rutland and St Albans are hammered day after day between drug problems, stabbings, murders and major issues with the police department.

Hmm, we don't watch the local news (or any news) so we miss all that "hammering." We know about the problems at the p.d. (RutlandHerald.com & talk amongst neighbors) but mostly it's congenial small city living with lovely mountain views in most directions, including behind the silly Walmart. I don't know that I love it, but I like it fine and feel at home in the community. Maybe because my expectations were so incredibly low before moving to Rutland everything has been pleasantly surprising.

[MRVphotog]

Interesting....the fact that the Walmart in Rutland is the only downtown store in the country, it has been touted by many as part of the answer to community sprawl by recharging the core downtown area that for some cities have become depressed due to sprawl.

I think Rutland has alot more going for it than the casual observer will be aware of. Conversly, the downtown parking garage the state built a few years ago has been a well know fiasco from day one.

Rutland has definately gone some rough times like many Vermont/NE cities with major emplyoyers leaving town the last 20 years. Barre is in a similar situation. Lots of cities, many mill related as mentioned, have gone thru a similar process. Some have turned things around, some have not.

Rutland is in such a beautiful location. In a down economy and Vermont's restrictive developement permit process I don't see alot of improvement in the near future for Rutland or Barre. People tho are trying. I hear on the nightly Vermont news and read in the newspaper positive things happening.