Best skiing place to live in N.E.

[expat]

If you weren't tied down to any particular area in N.E., where would you move to be close to the best skiing, but still be able to get a decent job? I lived out there for 27 years and have lived in Wash. state for 3. I don't wanna leave (the skiing is killer, even this year), but my wife is making all kinds of 'miss-my-family' rumblings :roll: so I at least want to have a good idea of what my options are and want some opinions not biased by my jaundiced attitude (I HATED Maine). I'm looking for something w/in an hour of Mt. Wash. or some other central location allowing trips to Jay, access to good BC skiing, etc. Good MTB is a plus, flat water stuff is irrelevant.
If this has been covered elsewhere, slap me to the spot. Thanx in advance! :beer:

 

[deadheadskier]

I live in Burlington, Vermont and there are plenty of good jobs to be had in the area. What field do you work in? It is probably the best place in New England to live if you want diverse skiing options nearby. It is a good three hours to Mt. Washington from here, then again the best skiing / snow in New England is in Northern Vermont

Nearby skiing

Bolton Valley: 40 mins
Smuggler's Notch: 45 mins
Stowe: 45 mins
Sugarbush: 45 mins
Mad River: 50 mins
Jay Peak: 90 mins
Whiteface, NY: 2 hours
Killington: 1 hour 45 mins mins
Burke: 1 hour 45 mins

 

[skidbump]

dump wife

 

[Vortex]

I'm bias, that is why I moved to Nashua NH to be close to the mountains and be able to make a resonable living. Nice technical base I work in Boston, tough, but manageable commute. Takes 2.5 to North Conway. Loon and Waterville side of the Kanc are 1.5hrs fairly easy. Maybe just a little longer away than you might want. No income tax if you work in Nh good school systems. Property tax is tough.

In Nh concord would probably be the furthest North that has a decent tech base with some industry. www.nh.com is a good linc. My 2 cents

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Unfortunately in Vermont it's a catch-22. The job center is Chittenden County(Burlington) but housing is very expensive compared to the rest of the state except being near a ski resort is also expensive.

Here in the Mad River Valley housing is still reasonable when compared to Stowe. Lots of people in the MRV, Montpelier areas commute to Burlington due to the housing costs. Several resorts to choose from within an hour.

 

[blacknblue]

Depending on your field of work, of course, I think Montpelier/Barre would be a great area. You're close to Stowe, Smuggs, Mad River, Sugarbush, and not far from Burke, Jay, and Cannon. Plymouth, NH wouldn't be bad, either. I grew up in the Upper Valley (White River/Hanover area), and there's decent industry there b/t Dartmouth, the Med Center, and the VA. It's also pretty centrally located--within 2-2.5 hours of everything in VT and NH.
This is an interesting question as I'm looking to get back to New England, too, with my brother. He's less flexible as far as economy goes, though.

 

[ChileMass]

My opinion:

Montpelier VT is a cool little town. It's right in the middle of all the NE skiing you could want and only 40 mi from Burlington where the jobs are. However, that could be a miserable 40 mile commute in a blizzard. 2 hrs to Mt. Wash Valley. Housing much less expensive than Burlington or points south. I always thought this would be a great place to raise a family.

Manchester, NH area - close to Boston and the coast, only 1.5 hours to Cannon or Loon. Mt. Wash is 2 hours. Not as nice as Montpelier (IMHO), but lots more job possibilities in much more reasonable commuting distance. Housing much more expensive than northern VT due to proximity to Boston.

Portland ME - I realize you said you hated Maine in a previous lifetime, but as a 15-year resident of the Pine Tree State, I'm here to tell you that Portland has changed (read: improved) more in the last 10 years than any other city in the region. Yeah, housing prices have gone up since now you can reasonably commute down to the northern Boston suburbs, but they're not at NH/MA levels. Technology manufacturing and software dev have finally found this area, although it has cooled somewhat in the past 3 years like everywhere else. Mt. Wash is 2 hrs up US 302, and the major ski hills closest to Portland (Sunday River, Loon, Wildcat are under 2 hours, Saddleback and Sugarloaf are 3) have the longest seasons and the most reliable snow in the East. Plus there are smaller, local hills like Shawnee Peak that are excellent local options. Check out Portland. And - if you aren't interested in the "olde-style" Maine that a lot of locals jealously preserve, don't consider anything north of Cumberland County, and even then stay close to Portland proper.

Good luck - !!

 

[KingM]

I'm also in the Mad River Valley, but better still would be Waterbury. Twenty minutes to your job in Burlington, and only twenty to either MRG, Sugarbush, or Stowe.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

My opinion:


Portland ME - I realize you said you hated Maine in a previous lifetime, but as a 15-year resident of the Pine Tree State, I'm here to tell you that Portland has changed (read: improved) more in the last 10 years than any other city in the region. Yeah, housing prices have gone up since now you can reasonably commute down to the northern Boston suburbs, but they're not at NH/MA levels. Technology manufacturing and software dev have finally found this area, although it has cooled somewhat in the past 3 years like everywhere else. Mt. Wash is 2 hrs up US 302, and the major ski hills closest to Portland (Sunday River, Loon, Wildcat are under 2 hours, Saddleback and Sugarloaf are 3) have the longest seasons and the most reliable snow in the East. Plus there are smaller, local hills like Shawnee Peak that are excellent local options. Check out Portland. And - if you aren't interested in the "olde-style" Maine that a lot of locals jealously preserve, don't consider anything north of Cumberland County, and even then stay close to Portland proper.

Good luck - !!

I agree with Chile about the Portland area. I'm a "hick" , don't like cities but Portland is OK. I have a home in Cumberland Center which is pretty rural, 20 minutes and your in downtown Portland. It's alot like Burlington, maybe twice the pop and on the ocean.

It also has American Flatbread pizza, right on the water, no lines, but not as good as the original in Vermont.

On the neg it is a drive to skiing and it is so dang flat. :lol:

 

[expat]

And skidbump takes the lead ... :lol:

Thanks for the excellent input! I would consider Portland too far from good backcountry/lift skiing. I lived in Freeport/Yarmouth for 3 years and the drive to Mt. Wash, etc. from there is awful: Get behind one dump truck, kiss you plans goodbye. If you love the town/area, I'm sure it's fine, but that's not these case here. Also, there is nothing in your 'back yard' there (no, Mt. A and Bradbury DO NOT count).
No votes for N. Conway and environs? Don't know much about it other than the outlets and summer traffic. Maybe that's all there is to know. Concord/Manchester are interesting. I'll take a look at that.
I work in the 'media,' but I don't like saying that because people (with the best intentions, of course)inevitably say 'you could work at (insert dreadful, podunk weekly newspaper).' Yeah, and someone with a master's in engineering could work at the dump. :angry: Anywhere that has some economic mass is somewhere I could find an OK job, with any luck.
Anyone do a lap on the Sherburne before/after work? Grab some nightskiing for pow turns? Have a killer tree stash near their back yard and live above the poverty line? Thanks again for the input! I'm jealous of your snow, but then again I'm going to ski about 4,500 vf of corn on Rainier tomorrow. :beer:

 

[TroutBum]

Not selling it too hard, but Portsmouth, NH, is great. Just an hour from Boston (for jobs, or more to the point, Fenway Park). 1.5 to 3.0 Hours covers all of NH, plus Sunday River and up to Burke, VT (and another half hour will get you to Sugarloaf or Jay). It is further to many VT areas, but we've got the ocean in the summer time.

As a former NYC resident, it's just plain unreal to have so much recreation at ones fingertips... For a hiker/skier/fisherman (salt and fresh), it's perfect. Plus good restaurants, good bars, and the cozy nature of the town makes it fit just right.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

In rereading your basic preferences, Concord, NH area popped up. The Whites are just up the road.

 

[ChileMass]

Not selling it too hard, but Portsmouth, NH, is great. Just an hour from Boston (for jobs, or more to the point, Fenway Park). 1.5 to 3.0 Hours covers all of NH, plus Sunday River and up to Burke, VT (and another half hour will get you to Sugarloaf or Jay). It is further to many VT areas, but we've got the ocean in the summer time.

As a former NYC resident, it's just plain unreal to have so much recreation at ones fingertips... For a hiker/skier/fisherman (salt and fresh), it's perfect. Plus good restaurants, good bars, and the cozy nature of the town makes it fit just right.

Can't believe I spaced out on mentioning Portsmouth. A great town with excellent cultural and recreational stuff to do. And I have to say every time I go to Portsmouth, I am continually impressed with the good-looking young crowd there. UNH is close by, and the ocean, mountains, Boston, cool little towns - it's all good. Newburyport, MA is a mini-Portsmouth if you want to be over the border and pay state income taxes. It'll cost you a LOT more to live in either of these towns than in Portland, Montpelier or Manchester, though.....

 

[deadheadskier]

I think people really over state things when they say Burlington is an expensive housing market. It all depends on what you are looking for. There are still reasonably priced homes in Chittenden county if you're not right on the lake. I live right downtown and my rent isn't that outrageous. Sure living down in Montpelier is cheaper, but then again you're looking at a pretty hefty gasoline expense with the commute so it washes out. The prices in Waterbury have sky rocketed the past few years as well

 

[ALLSKIING]

I think people really over state things when they say Burlington is an expensive housing market. It all depends on what you are looking for. There are still reasonably priced homes in Chittenden county if you're not right on the lake. I live right downtown and my rent isn't that outrageous. Sure living down in Montpelier is cheaper, but then again you're looking at a pretty hefty gasoline expense with the commute so it washes out. The prices in Waterbury have sky rocketed the past few years as well

What is the average price of a house in Burlington?

 

[skintowin]

I think people really over state things when they say Burlington is an expensive housing market. It all depends on what you are looking for. There are still reasonably priced homes in Chittenden county if you're not right on the lake. I live right downtown and my rent isn't that outrageous. Sure living down in Montpelier is cheaper, but then again you're looking at a pretty hefty gasoline expense with the commute so it washes out. The prices in Waterbury have sky rocketed the past few years as well

What is the average price of a house in Burlington?

Housing is indeed ridiculous in Chittenden county. I've seen double wides in Williston going for 200 grand. A friend of mine recently bought a condo in Jericho. It's made out of cardboard, 30 minutes from Burlington, and cost $125,000. Another bought a really nice ranch on 8 acres in Underhill for 215. But he's now 40 min. from burlington and Stowe and MRG are a long way away. I would say average in Burlington for a modest house would be at least 200 grand.

 

[Rushski]

Agree w/Bob R. as Manchester/Concord areas would be conducive to decent tech jobs and Whites are fairly close. Across 89 from Concord also gets you a good chunk of Vermont as well.

Like Bob R, I am in Nashua and just drove to Attitash last Friday in just over two hours. Coming home in the snow was a tad slower.
Some of the smaller-mid size places are within an hour to hour and a half like: Ragged, Sunapee, Gunstock, Waterville, Loon. Vermont is definitely a little more work from this area, but jobs are here for the qualified and they pay pretty well here too...

 

[JD]

Killington VT. No reason to go elsewhere!

 

[deadheadskier]

I think people really over state things when they say Burlington is an expensive housing market. It all depends on what you are looking for. There are still reasonably priced homes in Chittenden county if you're not right on the lake. I live right downtown and my rent isn't that outrageous. Sure living down in Montpelier is cheaper, but then again you're looking at a pretty hefty gasoline expense with the commute so it washes out. The prices in Waterbury have sky rocketed the past few years as well

What is the average price of a house in Burlington?

I have a freind who just bought a nice 3 bedroom ranch on a half acre in essex for 150K

I'm not saying Chittenden County is cheap, but it is compared to Boston and well you are a lot closer to skiing obviously
Housing is indeed ridiculous in Chittenden county. I've seen double wides in Williston going for 200 grand. A friend of mine recently bought a condo in Jericho. It's made out of cardboard, 30 minutes from Burlington, and cost $125,000. Another bought a really nice ranch on 8 acres in Underhill for 215. But he's now 40 min. from burlington and Stowe and MRG are a long way away. I would say average in Burlington for a modest house would be at least 200 grand.

 

[mergs]

JD is onto something here.