Tell me about VERMONT!

[woolldog]

Never been, always wanted to go, maybe spend a year or two there writing.

Tell me what I need to know!

[OriginalGeek]

1. Look for Larry, Darryl and Darryl

they look like they'd be fun to hang out with...

[elleng]

2. Beautiful,

relatively poor, liberal, smart, gets cold.

[woolldog]

17. Had no idea Vermont was considered a poor state.

I figured the opposite. But I've never been!

[elleng]

20. As I recall over the years,

Vermont has been economically challenged due to changes in industries. Education doesn't pay very well, dairy farming is challenged, and Vermont's industries have had ups and downs.

http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/us/A0861780.html

[Mopar151]

42. Well, you don't move to Vermont to show off your money......

But broke is a better description than poor. Social services are pretty good, and most natives have been through a spell of being "between money".

[NotThisTime]

51. It's not a poor state, look at Median incomes and millionaires per thousand, both are competive

[ohiosmith]

3. Good ice cream!

[woolldog]

18. mmmmm

and maple syrup too

[graywarrior]

4. Live in Lincoln.

or Wakefield.

[woolldog]

5. ok, why?

[graywarrior]

6. Lotsa liberals, beautiful views, cool places.

[woolldog]

7. oooh nice call

[graywarrior]

8. Just as I remembered.

Drive route 2 from NH to VT. Stunning!

[woolldog]

14. Noted.

Thanks.

[sarge43]

9. Vermont: 300,000 cows can't be wrong. (unofficial state motto)

1. Drop dead beautiful landscape

2. One of the most progressive states in the Union

3. High percentage per capita of nice people

4. Vermont drivers have one speed: Warp Nine

5. If you're driving, bring a state of the art GPS. Off the freeways, there are very few road signs and they're usually placed one foot away from the turn/place in question.

You can do much, much worse than Vermont

[woolldog]

16. Thanks for the warning about the GPS

[Mopar151]

43. Don't trust the maps in the GPS implicitly

Especially in mud season.

[sarge43]

47. True that

Messing with flatlanders' heads is New England's second favorite sport.

[handmade34]

10. you can buy my house... :-)

or come and work at my new homestead ask me anything

[woolldog]

12. Oh my!

Last edited Thu Sep 6, 2012, 01:39 PM - Edit history (1)

Those are some fantastic pictures. You have a lovely homestead.

If you don't mind my asking (and feel free to not answer if it's too personal) what does a nice property like that go for in Vermont? What are the property taxes like?

What are taxes like in general?

Do you actually raise any livestock or crops?

Are SUV's pretty much required to get around?

Do you have horses?

I've always been a city person so it'd be a big change.

edit: Oh and I forgot to ask about cost of living

[handmade34]

31. don't believe half

of what people say... Vermont is no longer the least diverse state, SUV's are not necessary (the state does a great job keeping the roads clean! just a decent front wheel drive is fine), cows no longer have a larger population than humans, if you have land, crops, gardens, livestock are fun, taxes are higher than many states but the state uses the money wisely - excellent health care, there are relatively good size towns/cities (Burlington and Rutland, etc...), not everyone is liberal, the cost of living is comparative (not extreme)...

the photos are my surrounding area but do not show my house (modest house and 4 acres in the Northeast Kingdom)... I am selling my house and I will be buying a new property in Southern Vermont (?)

[woolldog]

33. Thanks for the response. One more question:

Is flooding a regular issue? Someone mentioned climate change is making an impact?

[handmade34]

38. no

flooding is not a common concern...

[woolldog]

40. ok thanks

for putting up with alll my questions

[Marrah_G]

25. You are living my dream :)

I'm hoping to get there permanently in the next decade or so

We are looking at the Northern Kingdom.

[Burma Jones]

11. Vermont is one of the least diverse states in the USA

It's sparsely populated

It's also very scenic

You can get cheap booze over in New Hampshire

[woolldog]

13. Thanks.

Is the booze that expensive people need to go to NH?

The lack of diversity is a little troubling because I've always been surrounded by diversity. But wow the scenery is amazing.

[sarge43]

22. NH has no sales (mostly) or income tax.

Last edited Thu Sep 6, 2012, 02:49 PM - Edit history (1)

So weekends a fair share of New England shows up in NH to take advantage.

(NH has a 8% sale tax on prepared food and hotel/motel/car rentals -- skinning flatlanders. It's the NH way.)

There are pockets of diversity at the colleges and universities. Dartmouth looks like the UN on vacation.

[woolldog]

27. Ah ok

any blue laws there?

[sarge43]

29. None that I know about. n/t

[antigone382]

32. In Vermont? Hell no.

If you want to skip church and drink whiskey, that's your choice, man.

My experience of Vermont (which basically includes Montpelier, Burlington, and the Mad River Valley, with a quick stop or two in Middlebury):

Upsides: it's gorgeous (both the scenery and the architecture--even the gas stations are cute), full of people who are very progressive AND very rugged, lots of good local food/beer options, and the chance to integrate into a kind of community structure that has been missing from America for a long time. Find a good swimming hole and all bets are off.

Downsides: a lot of areas will be more at risk of flooding due to climate change. It can be hard to make it if you don't have an "in"--especially in Burlington where rents are ridiculous. The dominance of progressivism and the sense of solidarity allows the state to do some powerful things, but as a Southerner there are times when I feel a little defensive and I get kind of tired of being around people who have very similar beliefs, tastes, and hobbies to me...I terribly missed late night diners and low-brow tex-mex restaurants while I was there.

Note that I do not live in Vermont...I merely love the place, have many friends there, and have visited repeatedly since last summer.

[woolldog]

34. Thanks for that perspective.

What do you mean "integrate into a kind of community structure that's been missing from America for a long time?"

Aslo since you brought it up are the dining options real limited? What time do most things close there?

[antigone382]

35. No, there's a lot of really delicious local food there.

There's just a shortage of trashy 24-hour Waffle-house-esque establishments.

Basically there is a lot of community solidarity in Vermont--you can look a the example of how people pulled together after Irene to understand what I mean. People have an attitude that together they build a beautiful, sustainable, socially just society. I'm not saying that it's a utopia or that everyone thinks that way, but it's definitely a predominant aspect of politics and social interaction there.

Closing times depend on where you are, but there isn't much of a night life, especially during the week, unless you're in one of the "big" cities. Bonfires are a big plus (although in my rather snobby opinion, the quality of the music is much more variable than at a bonfire in my southern mountain region, where there's gonna be some pro bluegrass musicians pickin' up a storm, almost guaranteed).

[woolldog]

36. Let's say I felt like eating Indian food or Chinese

easy to find?

ok that's interesting about the solidarity thing.

[antigone382]

37. It would depend on where you are...

I was in a pretty small town (largely tourism-dependent) and they had a Chinese restaurant, a vegan place that had a lot of Indian influences, and a really good taco stand--though they were kind of "gourmet" tacos and not like what you'd find at a typical Mexican place...in Burlington you can probably find most cuisines, and in Montpelier there are places that are inspired by ethnic cuisine, but not necessarily the real deal like you might find in New York.

One good thing is that there are a whole lot of local businesses, and far fewer chains than you see pretty much anywhere else, so you almost always get a pretty unique, high quality experience.

[woolldog]

39. sounds good to me....one last question

Why is it called southern kingdom and northern kingom? What exactly is that and what are the differences?

[antigone382]

45. I don't really know the answer to that...

I've only ever heard of the Northeast Kingdom, honestly...and I may have been told the reason/history behind the term, but I've since forgotten it. My guess is that a quick google search would reveal the origin, however. And if you find out before I do, please let me know.

[Mopar151]

44. VT booze is fairly cheap - just not as cheap as NH

Beer and wine are pretty much treated like staple groceries, as in NH - but VT has a 5 cent bottle deposit, so discount, no deposit beer is sold within feet of any border crossing into NH.
VT may not be that diverse in color - but culturally and ethnically, it's very accepting.

[Bucky]

15. Being a successful, famous writer in Vermont is trite.

If you must move there, I suggest actively pursuing failure and professional obscurity

[woolldog]

19. Are there a lot of writers there? Not surprised

it looks like a beautiful place to work.

[sarge43]

21. No Bucky, that's what NH or Maine are for. n/t

[woolldog]

26. ....

hopefully no one from NH or Maine reads this.

[sarge43]

28. I am a Granitehead by adoption

There are people around here who haven't come into town since the Hoover administration

[Mopar151]

46. NH native here

True that - I'm related to some of 'em.

[sarge43]

23. New England's landscape, one of nature's masterpieces

[Marrah_G]

24. It's the most beautiful place on the planet

Mountains and meadows, farms, rocky bubbling rivers, amazing lakes, views to die for, fantastic, warm, friendly people......

And of course, wicked good cheese and syrup

Yes, I love Vermont!

[KatyaR]

30. Amen to that!

I haven't been able to go in years, but it's my favorite place in the world.

Best EVER advice is to get off the highways and drive the back roads--you'll love the scenery.

[aikoaiko]

41. Best homegrown weed east of Mississippi

And quite the generous ounce.

[sarge43]

48. True that

Weed growing at the local dump aka recycling center. Can't imagine how it got there.

[marzipanni]

49. You could get a taste for it by doing something like this

http://www.vermontstudiocenter.org/

The 'apply' section tells about fellowships, grants, and work exchange.

[DFW]

50. If you can handle the winters, you'll love it there.

One of my wife's friends moved up to near the Canadian border. She's originally from Long Island, but she loves it in Vermont, and won't move anywhere else.

One of my friends was even governor of the state. He runs around the world during the week, but still flies home to Burlington every weekend if he can. He's originally from Long Island, too.

[WillParkinson]

52. Amazing place!

We got married there and had a great trip.