[pauldorell]

Originally Posted by MRVphotog

Based on your preferences I would say Middlbury might be a place you should check out. For a small town it has alot of cultural things going on plus Burlington is only a 45 minute drive up the road.

Yes, Middlebury looks pretty good. We'll have to take a road trip to look around. I haven't been to Vermont since 1974, but am ready to go. The problem is my girlfriend's too chicken to retire. It may take a while.

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by pauldorell

I'm retired and waiting for my girlfriend to retire. We live in Evanston, IL, and I'm investigating various retirement locations. It's way too crowded and expensive around Chicago, and I've had it with the entire Midwest anyway. I grew up in England and New York, and my girlfriend is also an English transplant. At the moment I'm looking at the Burlington, VT area and the Northampton, MA area. We would like a house in a region that's sparsely populated and scenic, with a relatively well-educated population that isn't religious, and some culture. I’m not a great fan of cold weather, but think it serves as a filter to keep the population down. Actually, a weak local economy helps for that too, so I don’t mind the fact that Vermont is unindustrialized. Most of my life I've been politically neutral, and have found it difficult to care about politics at all. But with the financial crisis and dysfunction in Washington, it's hard not to take a position. Basically, I don't think the American capitalist system works, and it's going to have to be modified despite lots of squealing from the rich. I think most Republicans, who aren’t rich and never will be, have been voting against their best interests since Reagan. I find the American public shockingly uninformed, which is not to say that the Howard Deans of the country have everything figured out or are even articulate enough to be effective. The Democrats are a far cry from saviors.

Anyway, I thought this thread was informative: Vermont vs. New Hampshire. What do you think about people like us moving to Vermont? We would be bringing new money to the state that wouldn’t have been there otherwise. I would also be interested to hear what people think about the pros and cons of various parts of the state, and in comparison to other parts of New England. I’ve moved around all my life, so local acceptance is not a high priority, but we don’t want to move into a swarm of angry natives.

what kind of housing are you looking at? as someone who lived in the Chicago area for twenty years, I can safely say that you'll probably be shocked by the dumpy apartments and unattractive single unattached homes in Burlington.

the stone and brick buildings you are used to are somewhat rare here. instead, the apartment buildings are like 100 year old large wooden rooming house buildings now covered in vinyl siding. Except for perhaps the hill section in Burlington, big bucks, the city neighborhoods are very unattractive. Especially compared to Evanston/chicago.

[pauldorell]

Originally Posted by quickdraw

what kind of housing are you looking at?

We would eventually buy a stand-alone house. From the sounds of it, living right in Burlington may not be the best option. Based on vter's comments above, I'm thinking we'd be happier in somewhere like Middlebury, or perhaps another small town a little closer to Burlington. We don't want to get too far from Burlington, because the cultural options there probably don't exist elsewhere in the state. Our house in Evanston, where real estate is still ridiculously priced compared to Vermont, is paid for. We should be able to afford a suitable house in Vermont at less than 80% of the value of the house we're in now.

[Senior Moves]

We live on the north shore of Chicago and are moving to Burlington in 2012. Chicago, the State of IL and Wisconsin are in big financial trouble. The cost of living in the Burlington area is lower than the north shore of Chicago - housing is cheaper. I imagine utility bills to be about the same. Heating costs, while lower here in some respects than Burlington (cost per killowat hour, gas prices) our daughter and family in VT have low heating prices using a pellet stove in the fireplace in the living room and keeping the heat on the second floor of their home turned down.

Burlington is close to not only Montreal, but also to various colleges and universities with all of their cultural offerings. Middlebury College is a short drive from Burlington, Univ. of Vermont, is, of course in Burlington. I went to the Burlington Book Festival this year, had a great time. One can drive to many cultural offerings in a few hours. Here in the Midwest, while Chicago is a vibrant town with gazillions of offerings, it has become densely populated and ticket prices are not cheap.

We considered moving to Wisconsin - but that state is having serious fiscal problems. While home prices are modest compared to other places - the political climate has become so rabidly red and the evangelical Christians so hostile (if you aren't one, you are the enemy) and the tax situation so high, the whole state has become unaffordable.

So, Burlington, here we come. I have two TV shows here, work teaching creative writing and poetry and am a professional speaker. This will be a change for sure - but I believe it will be a change for the better. I love the gorgeous countryside and there is a lot to be said for seeing beauty every day of your life...and having family nearby.

[pauldorell]

Originally Posted by Senior Moves

So, Burlington, here we come.

Sounds good to me. It's probably financially easier to move there after living in a high-income area like the Chicago North Shore for many years. But note from other posters and threads that Vermont isn't exactly trouble-free. Heating bills depend on several factors such as how well-insulated your house is, how large it is, and what type of fuel you use. It's colder there (hardiness zone 4 vs. zone 5).

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by pauldorell

As I said earlier, I'm not that political. But New Hampshire has developed somewhat of an anti-liberal reputation in the last few years, which I don't find appealing. Maybe I could come heavily armed to New Hampshire or the NEK and have a shootout with the New Green Mountain Boys if they violate my rights. I do own a SIG Sauer pistol (from Exeter). Live free or die!

LOL

The New Green Mountain Boys is a group I'm working on getting going through some friends and some militias around the state. It'll be annoying to the targets and well armed but entirely within the law so best not shoot...

NH has that anti-liberal reputation because they've seen and experienced the damage liberal politics has done. Eventually I foresee a similar backlash in much of Vermont when people are finally sick of the problems the lefties have caused here regarding jobs, housing, regulations, taxes, and just generally making the state a laughingstock, and the ex-hippies die off leaving behind a state full of rather resentful younger people who can't afford to live here...

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by pauldorell

Sounds good to me. It's probably financially easier to move there after living in a high-income area like the Chicago North Shore for many years. But note from other posters and threads that Vermont isn't exactly trouble-free. Heating bills depend on several factors such as how well-insulated your house is, how large it is, and what type of fuel you use. It's colder there (hardiness zone 4 vs. zone 5).

Evanston has some similarities to Burlington, and UVM is comparable to Northwestern in size, but Burlington is older, and rather expensive for a small city in VT; if you do, in fact, want VT, then this area is really the only one that would satisfy you...

In an earlier post, you mentioned Hanover, NH, on the VT border; not a bad town at all, but quite small, and a bit isolated ( 2+ hrs to Boston, etc). I would pass on this; even Burlington is only 1.5 hrs to Montreal..

[pauldorell]

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

It'll be annoying to the targets and well armed but entirely within the law so best not shoot...

Just kidding about the shootout. I thought the idea of a militia of old ex-hippies was pretty funny myself. They'd probably shoot themselves in the foot.

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

...leaving behind a state full of rather resentful younger people who can't afford to live here...

I can see how you came to look at things this way. Even so, for an outsider like me, Vermont is attractive. Vermont could have turned out a lot worse if there had been no regulations and businesses had free reign. If it looked like parts of New Jersey, everyone might be well off, but no one would want to live there. Be thankful that it's still a beautiful state that hasn't been trashed.

[pauldorell]

Originally Posted by MassVt

Evanston has some similarities to Burlington, and UVM is comparable to Northwestern in size, but Burlington is older, and rather expensive for a small city in VT; if you do, in fact, want VT, then this area is really the only one that would satisfy you...

In an earlier post, you mentioned Hanover, NH, on the VT border; not a bad town at all, but quite small, and a bit isolated ( 2+ hrs to Boston, etc). I would pass on this; even Burlington is only 1.5 hrs to Montreal..

Thanks - I agree.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by pauldorell

Just kidding about the shootout. I thought the idea of a militia of old ex-hippies was pretty funny myself. They'd probably shoot themselves in the foot.


I can see how you came to look at things this way. Even so, for an outsider like me, Vermont is attractive. Vermont could have turned out a lot worse if there had been no regulations and businesses had free reign. If it looked like parts of New Jersey, everyone might be well off, but no one would want to live there. Be thankful that it's still a beautiful state that hasn't been trashed.

Not many ex-hippies in the NEK though that's a funny image in my mind now. lol

I don't want NJ but NH has done well enough with less regulation and less taxes. Even 10 to 15 years ago VT was fairly affordable. Howard Dean "fixed" that.