Vermont—What’s it like there?

[Harriet Vane]

The title says it all. What’s it like to live in Vermont? Tell me all about it.

[Starr]

What part of Vermont are you interested in? Theres the bigger towns and there’s the cabins in the woods. 

[I talk to the trees]

Bumping this, because I’m kind of curious myself. 

[AmandaVT]

I'm here! I live in Central VT and have lived in Burlington as well. Happy to answer any questions. 

One of the things I like is a little thing - no highway billboards. It's jarring when I go to other states now, and the roads have advertising everywhere. 

I had to get used to life being slightly less convenient than when I lived in southern New England. Depending on where you live, there may not be a Starbucks or most of the chain restaurants/stores. I know the "right" answer is: "I love shopping local for everything," but honestly, sometimes I just want to go to Target, get a Starbucks, and shop while drinking a darn coffee. 

VT is an interesting mix of very liberal and very conservative - often in the same town/neighborhood. I think we're probably known for Bernie Sanders and Ben and Jerry's, but our governor is a moderate Republican, and there are many who think he's a radical leftist. I'm not a person who likes to strike up random political conversations, but if I were, I'd be navigating a minefield because I'd have a 50/50 chance of someone wanting to argue with me here. 

Weather is getting more temperate - we've been here 20 years, and in the past few years, winters are ending earlier, which is nice. But summer is hotter and more humid - less nice for me. The main natural disaster to worry about is flooding and VT got hit hard this summer. 

Let me know if I can answer any specifics!

[Frances]

Here’s a blog about a family who ended up making an unplanned move to Vermont from Texas when their triplets were high school juniors and seem incredibly happy with the decision. They had previously also lived in CA and Virginia. Two of their four children started college at University of Vermont this fall.

http://theamazingtrips.blogspot.com

[purpleowl]

Vermont should be beautiful this time of year, with all that snow.

#ifthismakesnosensejustignoreme 

[AmandaVT]

Here's our forecast - no snow for a week at least!! 🤣 The best part is no humidity!

 

[MEmama]

DS has a friend who went to university in Burlington, the largest city. He found it isolating and very difficult to meet people. As a college kid in a college town. From small town Maine. He was very depressed there and ended up dropping out due to the isolation. 
 

Northern New England is a pretty unique part of the country. I'd suggest spending a lot of time wherever you're dreaming of before packing up and moving. 

[Pam in CT]

I've only ever visited, and it's a marvelous place to visit.

We have cousins who retired to a little farm town, very beautiful, an hour or so beyond Burlington, maybe 10? years ago after decades in NYC.  They love their rambling farmhouse and their garden and the pace and etc, and everyone is pleasant; but they have found it a bit tough to make truly deep friendships. Ten years in and they're still the newcomers from NY, ifykwim.  (They are nice normal not-whackadoodle regular folks, so I do think it's more a local culture thing rather than anything particular to them.)

Burlington itself is a great New England town, and I imagine there's more turnover there so the making-new-friends vibe is prolly different there.

[Harriet Vane]

6 hours ago, Starr said:

What part of Vermont are you interested in? Theres the bigger towns and there’s the cabins in the woods. 

Possibly Montpelier?

Also curious because it’s near Quebec—is there any French influence in the area?

@AmandaVT

Edited September 29, 2023 by Harriet Vane

[Lilaclady]

3 hours ago, purpleowl said:

Vermont should be beautiful this time of year, with all that snow.

#ifthismakesnosensejustignoreme 

That’s the first thought that came to me lol 😂 

[knitgrl]

ETA: I forgot to add, FYI he drops a number of F-bombs here.

 

Edited September 29, 2023 by knitgrl

[jen3kids]

9 hours ago, Harriet Vane said:

Possibly Montpelier?

Also curious because it’s near Quebec—is there any French influence in the area?

@AmandaVT

I don't think so - they don't even pronounce it properly 🤣

[Starr]

The French influence is cross the border in Canada. 

[Acadie]

My sister lives in VT and I love visiting her. To me it's one of the most beautiful places in the world! Lots of folks of French Canadian descent, French taught in schools, easy trips to Quebec. 

Her neighborhood didn't flood with the recent 100-year events, but she said it was really surreal driving around because certain pockets of homes and bridges were totally washed out. I'd definitely ask a realtor or folks around town about recent flooding and prioritize living in an elevated area that didn't flood, ideally with multiple access roads. BIL couldn't get to work for a while due to road closures. Montpelier is a wonderful town--nice residential areas on the hill above the business district that was severely impacted by flooding. 

Winter is really cold, so for all those hills and mountains you need the best winter vehicle and tires you can afford, and wear a hat! My sis actually developed partial hearing loss in one ear that her doc attributed to not wearing a hat enough. 

From what I hear, there's great funding for social services, home health, etc--at least better than my swing state. Lots of funky small businesses, farmers and artists, very human scale. She got better care giving birth at the tiny birth center attached to her local hospital than I got at a major university hospital in my city. She definitely makes trips to Boston for cultural events and shops when she travels for things she can't find locally. 

[Kalmia]

I went to grad school right across the border from Bellows Falls, VT and live in Maine (Maine is like Vermont and also unlike Vermont). Vermont has all the natural beauty you'd ever want and lots of local businesses that are truly local. But for states like Maine and Vermont where the people are naturally reserved and cautious, you have to prove to the locals that you are respectful of their ways and useful by truly becoming part of the community. Help people when you can. Make an effort to learn people's names and use them, go to town meeting and be quiet and listen, actually always listen and learn before giving your opinion, volunteer for something, show up at the town and school events, recognize that probably Vermont, like Maine, is more egalitarian and politically diverse in terms of where people live, with people of lower means living right beside those with more means and republicans living right next to democrats. If you are used to an us/them on the political front you are going to have to change that thought process to "neighbor first". If you are one of those of greater means, it will not do you well in the community for you to complain about someone's clothesline or that they fix old cars in their yard or get heaps of logs delivered which take many hours with a chainsaw to cut up into firewood. Know that there is a backstory to everyone, the locals know it, and act accordingly. They know that Mrs. Jones' husband left her a month ago and she still hasn't recovered enough to mow her lawn. Some might even send their kid over there to do it for her, no thank you necessary, just being neighborly. Your neighbors will help you if they see you in extremis, pull you out of the ditch in winter, shake their head as they see you standing on the top of a stepladder trying to chop an ice dam on your roof which is going to fall on your head if you are successful and then come back with a couple of guys, real tools, and tall ladders to fix it (happened to me in Maine). 

Here are two videos I think are eye-opening and seemingly kind of harsh to the newcomer, but filled with ways to become a Vermonter or Country Person, slowly over time, rather than remaining that flatlander from away. The first one is a family that moved to Vermont to homestead, so their lifestyle fits in, but they've still had some trouble. It is a harsher video. The second video is excellent, Carolyn is (a homeschooler) from the west, but her advice is gentle and excellent.

 

 

Edited September 29, 2023 by Kalmia

[Carol in Cal.]

I have hesitated to reply because my experience there is from decades ago, but I lived in Vermont for 2 1/2 years.  I was in the greater Burlington area.

First, they have the seasons just like in children’s books—something that being from CA I had read about but never actually experienced.  The seasonal changes are fairly sharp, too, which is interesting to me.  Like, all of the sudden, in a week’s time or less, the ground everywhere turns green in the early spring, or the leaves turn red and gold in the fall.  

I had a coop engineering job there first, and I was very lonely despite joining a church as soon as I arrived.  The guys in my area at work were old Vermonters who had worked their way into engineering without degrees, and as a woman engineering student from CA I was basically a complete alien to them.  We tried to be nice to each other but it was hard to find common ground.  

Then my full time job later on was in a department with several others who were new to the area, and that made it a lot easier to make friends (among other expats especially).  Most of the locals were of French or English descent.  

I found, though, that while it took a long time to get to know Vermonters, once I did the friendships were deep and long lasting.

Everyone heats with wood.  Natural gas is not available, and electricity and oil are very expensive.  They even put wood stove spots into condos.

The landscape is rolling hills, and at the time there were a lot of valleys that were almost empty except for classic New England towns, the kind with a ‘green’ in the middle and a tall white church next to it.  It was a mix of very liberal and very conservative, and kind of a ‘live and let live’ attitude was dominant.  The winters were really long.  

Culinary highlights were apple cider, pressed fresh in the fall, Cabot sharp cheddar and cream cheeses, and of course maple syrup (the darker, the tastier).  And the original Ben and Jerry’s ice cream store!  The only local Chinese restaurant put pineapple in everything.  For good Chinese food you had to drive 2 hours to Montreal or 4 hours to Boston.  The produce selection in stores was awful.  One year I never saw a fresh apricot.  

The Trapp Family Lodge and cross country ski area were in nearby Stowe, an hour’s drive away, and I actually met Maria Von Trapp, since deceased (of ‘The Sound Of Music’ fame.).  Plays and the local Shakespeare festival were fairly amateurish, outdone by my high school actually.  The University of Vermont is known for its medical school, but I don’t know how the medical scene is there.

I loved it but would not want to get old there.  Too much ice and cold for that.

Edited September 29, 2023 by Carol in Cal.

[Ditto]

Outside of moving to another country (which is absolutely what I would do if there were any way possible),  moving to either Vermont or Maine is top on my list.   Maine number one with Vermont super close behind at number 2.   I dream about it.

[Kalmia]

8 minutes ago, Ditto said:

Outside of moving to another country (which is absolutely what I would do if there were any way possible),  moving to either Vermont or Maine is top on my list.   Maine number one with Vermont super close behind at number 2.   I dream about it.

Not to derail the thread, but Maine is quite welcoming to newcomers, especially within 30 miles of the coast. 

[MEmama]

5 minutes ago, Ditto said:

Outside of moving to another country (which is absolutely what I would do if there were any way possible),  moving to either Vermont or Maine is top on my list.   Maine number one with Vermont super close behind at number 2.   I dream about it.

C'mon up! 🙂 

Just don't be like guy in a nearby town who moved there from away, rented an apartment right next to the historic church downtown, and tried to get the town to "turn off the church bells" because he couldn't sleep. 🤣. You might imagine stunts like that do NOT go over well. Unsurprisingly he was told no, the bells have rung since 1855 and if he doesn't like it he's welcome to leave, lol. 

[MEmama]

Just now, Kalmia said:

Not to derail the thread, but Maine is quite welcoming to newcomers, especially within 30 miles of the coast. 

Yes, agreed. Do your homework though. There are reasons the southern, Portland, and mid coast regions are the most populous.

[AmandaVT]

@knitgrl's video is spot on. 🤦‍♀️ Vermont is way too white - I think we're slowly seeing an increase in diversity, but it's really slow. 

@Carol in Cal.'s comment about the seasons changing suddenly is so spot on. We're living it now. On Tuesday, we woke up and suddenly the leaves are changing. Monday- everything green. Tuesday - leaves changing. Next week we are going to be closing in on 80 some days and I wouldn't be surprised if we get a frost the following week. 

Wood stoves are a bit less common - I mean, they're everywhere but for most people I know, they're not the main source of heat. We have oil here, there is natural gas now up near Burlington and lots of people use propane for heat. 

Highway signs are often in French and English: "Bienvenue a Montpelier" greets you as you're driving to Montpelier. Some restaurants have poutine on the menu, especially newer, craft beer types of places. That's about it for French influences. (although poutine is not a bad one!) As @jen3kids put it, Vermont people are terrible at pronouncing French words and names. If you meet someone with the last name, DuBois, they will most likely pronounce it "du boyz." The town, Barre is pronounced "Barry." 

 

[Faith-manor]

I have a former colleague who lives in Vermont and posted this question to her.

She loves Vermont, loves the very stark four seasons, and enjoys a rural, quiet lifestyle, loves the landscape. She enjoys outdoor activities like skiing in winter and hiking the summer. She also HATES being hot, and the summers are pretty mild which is a plus for her.

Interestingly, 1/3 of students attend schools heated with wood/biomass, and 38% of the population uses wood as primary or secondary heat. This is much higher than Michigan, and probably ranks them up with Maine for biomass heating.

She says she would be concerned for folks who cannot stand humidity and mold/mildew because it seems like there is high relative humidity. Vermont ranks number one for infant mortality and is highly rated for general healthcare.

Her grandkids are in public school, and she feels that they are getting a good education.

It is one of the states that is in a decent position to weather climate change.

Taxes are stout so she says make sure you have thoroughly calculated if you can afford to live there.

[Ditto]

6 hours ago, MEmama said:

C'mon up! 🙂 

Just don't be like guy in a nearby town who moved there from away, rented an apartment right next to the historic church downtown, and tried to get the town to "turn off the church bells" because he couldn't sleep. 🤣. You might imagine stunts like that do NOT go over well. Unsurprisingly he was told no, the bells have rung since 1855 and if he doesn't like it he's welcome to leave, lol. 

You really have no idea how much I want to.   Gosh I just can't figure out a way to make it happen.  Feel free if you have some wonderful idea on how I can, I will entertain all options.  And those church bells would lull me to sleep smiling every night.  Heaven, just heaven.  

 

6 hours ago, Kalmia said:

Not to derail the thread, but Maine is quite welcoming to newcomers, especially within 30 miles of the coast. 

Within 30 miles of the coast would be perfect!   It just makes me homesick (even though I have never lived there) to hear how welcoming you are to newcomers.  Sigh...

[MEmama]

17 minutes ago, Ditto said:

You really have no idea how much I want to.   Gosh I just can't figure out a way to make it happen.  Feel free if you have some wonderful idea on how I can, I will entertain all options.  And those church bells would lull me to sleep smiling every night.  Heaven, just heaven.  

 

Within 30 miles of the coast would be perfect!   It just makes me homesick (even though I have never lived there) to hear how welcoming you are to newcomers.  Sigh...

Is it a retirement dream or would you be looking to work too? Believe it or not TONS of people move up here to retire, I can’t even count how many retirement communities there just in my small town. Yeah, the winters…whatever. People just embrace it, for the most part. There’s tons and tons to do for all ages. It’s really outdoorsy, as you might figure.

Portland is really booming and the area is growing. Still, rural is easy to find if that’s what you prefer, even in the Portland area. 

Lobstering is kinda dying out and hard to get into, so I don’t advise taking it up to make your Maine dreams come true, lol. I kid—we have all the jobs more populous states have.

I feel like I’m derailing this thread, but feel free to message me if you have questions or want to know more. We’ve lived here for almost 15 years and had no trouble fitting in. I can’t think of anywhere better. 🙂 

[-----]

nm

Edited September 1 by kathyl

[Shoeless]

On 9/28/2023 at 6:37 PM, Frances said:

Here’s a blog about a family who ended up making an unplanned move to Vermont from Texas when their triplets were high school juniors and seem incredibly happy with the decision. They had previously also lived in CA and Virginia. Two of their four children started college at University of Vermont this fall.

http://theamazingtrips.blogspot.com

Wow, thank you for this link. I'm only a few months into the story of them leaving Texas for Vermont, but WOW. I'm off to binge-read about this lady's life for the last ten years.