Moving to Vermont

[Huck_It_Baby]

I'm moving to Vermont in a month or two and looking for houses or apartments to rent. My GF needs to be in commuting distance to UVM prob a max of 45 minutes away but preferably a little closer.

Can anyone chime in on what the towns and neighborhoods around Burlington are like? Looking at Essex, Jericho, Monkton, Mallet's bay, Vergennes, Winooski....even waterbury/Stowe.

Any places or areas to avoid?

Any tips on the area?

Thanks! Excited to get a green VT license plate =)

 

[riverc0il]

I can't comment on any of those towns, I lived in StJ when we were in VT. But I've long considered Waterbury the ideal place to live in that area. Far enough from Burlington that you don't deal with traffic but close enough to get there and do stuff without needing to worry about distance. Right off 100 so you can easily get to areas north or south from Killington to Jay and everything in between, even Burke isn't too bad and much closer to Mount Washington than Burlington proper. Stowe and MRG are both very close and good BC options nearby at Camel's Hump, Bolton, etc. Not too far from Montpelier either. I can't comment on living there but from a location perspective, it is probably hard to beat for a skier unless you want to focus on one mountain specifically.

 

[thetrailboss]

Waterbury is a decent location, but the commute to Burlington sucks in winter. That stretch of 89 can be nasty.

Depends on your budget as well. Places like Shelburne and sections of Burlington will be pricier.

 

[jaja111]

Hey congrats man. Looks like everyone is leaving Rochester for better skiing. My family and I are moving this coming October for Bellingham, Wa.

I've actually known two people that lived in Waterbury while going to school in Burlington for his wife and working in Montpelier for him. I heard the commutes could be rough, but very comparable to a Rochester winter commute but with the elevation changes (icy hills). He got decent snow tires for his wife and they acclimated to the issue. For everything they described of living there it seemed they had quite the ideal location to live being centered between work and some great skiing / hiking. The only complaints were the getting used to not having the convenience of consumer-opolises (i.e. Ridge Rd, West Henrietta Rd, Monroe Ave, etc.), but after a year they were sold on never seeing a one stop shopping 6 lane road ever again.

I'd say I'm excited to get a Washington plate, but in reality am more excited to not pay state income tax and have much lower property taxes. I am NOT excited about finding a job.

 

[BackLoafRiver]

Congrats on the move. I grew up in Vermont and not a day goes by when I don't dream of moving back.

The Waterbury / Burlington commute is awful in the winter. The stretches of 89 that are flat (Bolton flats is one) are just scary. That being said, I'd love to position myself that close to so many ski options.

If you are interested in more close-to-Burlington options, Colchester is a great spot. Small community but very New England feel. Fairly reasonable housing for the area and Mallets Bay has a few nice beaches. There is also a ton of biking in the area if you're into that. It is just close enough to downtown so you can grab a cab ride into town with no problems. There is no bar scene to speak of in Colchester. Shelburne is also nice but pricey. Winooski I would avoid any almost all costs. (But go get brunch at Sneakers....its fantastic). Essex has a few nice neighborhoods. Burlington proper (the downtown area) feels just like a college town so you get rent that reflects it. The housing market is just bad enough that some condo developments are seeing units go up for rent. (and the prices are reasonable)

Williston is a nice area but nightlife is nonexistent. Its also just far enough from Burlington that a cab ride would be cost prohibitive.

My entire family lives in Burlington and I visit regularly. Feel free to shoot me a message with any more questions.

 

[Geoff]

I recommend a condo in South Burlington. It will feel just like New Jersey.

 

[deadheadskier]

Waterbury is a decent location, but the commute to Burlington sucks in winter. That stretch of 89 can be nasty.

As someone who lived in Stowe and commuted to Burlington/UVM 3-5 days a week for two years, I had zero issues with the commute in a 1982 Honda Accord with snow tires. It's northern VT; it snows often. You deal with it and just take a bit of extra time for the commute.

 

[riverc0il]

As someone who lived in Stowe and commuted to Burlington/UVM 3-5 days a week for two years, I had zero issues with the commute in a 1982 Honda Accord with snow tires. It's northern VT; it snows often. You deal with it and just take a bit of extra time for the commute.

Not to mention, if you live in Burlington proper or its immediate burbs, you still have to drive that stretch to go skiing on the weekend for many areas. Some might say that you'll have more snowy commutes to work than to the mountains... but not if you are doing it right.

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

Hey congrats man. Looks like everyone is leaving Rochester for better skiing. My family and I are moving this coming October for Bellingham, Wa.

I've actually known two people that lived in Waterbury while going to school in Burlington for his wife and working in Montpelier for him. I heard the commutes could be rough, but very comparable to a Rochester winter commute but with the elevation changes (icy hills). He got decent snow tires for his wife and they acclimated to the issue. For everything they described of living there it seemed they had quite the ideal location to live being centered between work and some great skiing / hiking. The only complaints were the getting used to not having the convenience of consumer-opolises (i.e. Ridge Rd, West Henrietta Rd, Monroe Ave, etc.), but after a year they were sold on never seeing a one stop shopping 6 lane road ever again.

I'd say I'm excited to get a Washington plate, but in reality am more excited to not pay state income tax and have much lower property taxes. I am NOT excited about finding a job.

Nice glad to hear you're moving out too! I'm sure Washington will be awesome! I might miss Wegmans but I'm looking forward to getting away from consumeropolies!

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

Congrats on the move. I grew up in Vermont and not a day goes by when I don't dream of moving back.

The Waterbury / Burlington commute is awful in the winter. The stretches of 89 that are flat (Bolton flats is one) are just scary. That being said, I'd love to position myself that close to so many ski options.

If you are interested in more close-to-Burlington options, Colchester is a great spot. Small community but very New England feel. Fairly reasonable housing for the area and Mallets Bay has a few nice beaches. There is also a ton of biking in the area if you're into that. It is just close enough to downtown so you can grab a cab ride into town with no problems. There is no bar scene to speak of in Colchester. Shelburne is also nice but pricey. Winooski I would avoid any almost all costs. (But go get brunch at Sneakers....its fantastic). Essex has a few nice neighborhoods. Burlington proper (the downtown area) feels just like a college town so you get rent that reflects it. The housing market is just bad enough that some condo developments are seeing units go up for rent. (and the prices are reasonable)

Williston is a nice area but nightlife is nonexistent. Its also just far enough from Burlington that a cab ride would be cost prohibitive.

My entire family lives in Burlington and I visit regularly. Feel free to shoot me a message with any more questions.

Thanks for the info! Why avoid Winooski? run down, crime?

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

I can't comment on any of those towns, I lived in StJ when we were in VT. But I've long considered Waterbury the ideal place to live in that area. Far enough from Burlington that you don't deal with traffic but close enough to get there and do stuff without needing to worry about distance. Right off 100 so you can easily get to areas north or south from Killington to Jay and everything in between, even Burke isn't too bad and much closer to Mount Washington than Burlington proper. Stowe and MRG are both very close and good BC options nearby at Camel's Hump, Bolton, etc. Not too far from Montpelier either. I can't comment on living there but from a location perspective, it is probably hard to beat for a skier unless you want to focus on one mountain specifically.

Waterbury really does sound like a perfect option. I don't think my GF is big on making that commute everyday though. I might look at a house there this weekend anyway.

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

As someone who lived in Stowe and commuted to Burlington/UVM 3-5 days a week for two years, I had zero issues with the commute in a 1982 Honda Accord with snow tires. It's northern VT; it snows often. You deal with it and just take a bit of extra time for the commute.

What was your average commute time? Over an hour?

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

Not to mention, if you live in Burlington proper or its immediate burbs, you still have to drive that stretch to go skiing on the weekend for many areas. Some might say that you'll have more snowy commutes to work than to the mountains... but not if you are doing it right.

Fortunately for me I get to work from home. So any snowy commutes will be me commuting to powder =)

 

[deadheadskier]

Waterbury really does sound like a perfect option. I don't think my GF is big on making that commute everyday though. I might look at a house there this weekend anyway.

It's only 26 miles from the Waterbury exit to the Burlington exit. Really easy

What was your average commute time? Over an hour?

45 minutes door to door from downtown Stowe to the UVM commuter lot. Probably closer to an hour now though as there's been a fair amount of development on route 100 in the past 12 years. Seems like more traffic these days as well.

 

[riverc0il]

Burlington traffic seems like it would be crazy. I've never been there one a weekday while the University is in session. Can't even imagine... I'd fear that part of the commute more than I-89 in the winter. But if you are going to live in the Burlington area and commute there, you'll need to deal with it regardless of where you live.

 

[thetrailboss]

My wife graduated from UVM Med School last year so I traveled a lot in BTV up until then and yes the traffic from 89 to UVM is crazy b VT standards and would get old real fast.

 

[deadheadskier]

The reality is that unless you live in downtown Burlington, you are screwed no matter what. Personally, I think trying to get into or leave town via Shelburne Road / Route 7 to the South or Route 15 to the east are WAY worse than dealing with 89 to Williston Road. It's certainly easier coming down from the North on 89 into town, but if you live up that way, unless you ski Jay or Smuggs, your commute to skiing is significantly longer than living in Richmond or Waterbury. And at the end of the day, anyone who has had to commute to a Boston, a NYC or really any mid to large size city in the Northeast is going to laugh at what people in Chittenden County call traffic. Hell even rush hour traffic in a small city like Portland, ME is worse than Burlington IMO.

If it were me moving back to that area, I'd either live right in the heart of Burlington and enjoy all that a great small walkable city has to offer or I'd live in Waterbury. The burbs for Btown do nothing for me. One other thing to consider about Waterbury is depending on what your girlfriend is looking to do for work, there may be opportunities for her in the Montpelier/Barre area which is an extremely easy commute from Waterbury.

 

[nelsapbm]

I see you mention Monkton. Great town . Its rural and quiet if that is what you are looking for. 30-35 minutes to UVM via Hinesburg. I did that commute for 6 years (worked near there). Really easy commute. No traffic until you hit Williston Road .
30 minutes to MRG. 40 minutes to 'Bush. Bolton is an easy drive.
If you want suburbia and easy access to shops/restaurants/movies etc then you want Burlington, South Burlington, Essex, Williston. If you want quiet and don't mind a drive then consider Monkton/Vergennes/Charlotte/Ferrisburg.

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

Hell even rush hour traffic in a small city like Portland, ME is worse than Burlington IMO.

This is what I was thinking. Traffic might not really seem too bad to me. It's relative.

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

I see you mention Monkton. Great town . Its rural and quiet if that is what you are looking for. 30-35 minutes to UVM via Hinesburg. I did that commute for 6 years (worked near there). Really easy commute. No traffic until you hit Williston Road .
30 minutes to MRG. 40 minutes to 'Bush. Bolton is an easy drive.
If you want suburbia and easy access to shops/restaurants/movies etc then you want Burlington, South Burlington, Essex, Williston. If you want quiet and don't mind a drive then consider Monkton/Vergennes/Charlotte/Ferrisburg.

Thanks for your thoughts on this. I was looking at a rental house on Monkton. Very cool place and I liked the location in regards to distance to UVM and ski areas.

Heading up to the area this weekend to look at places. Hopefully I can figure something out!