[arel]

Thanks for your post.

Yes, I do read the Brattleboro Reformer, and also the iBrattleboro web site.

I plan to visit Brattleboro next weekend. Maybe I can talk to a realtor or two when I am there.

I stayed in the White River Junction area for part of a summer about 20 years ago. I absolutely loved the scenery, but I was daunted by the steep hills. I imagined what it would be like in the winter to lose traction on those steep roads. I still remember leaving a supermarket, I think in Lebanon, NH and being overwhelmed by the natural beauty around me. Same for the VA hospital in White River Junction, after a visit there.

[Nomoresubways]

Arel-
Well I kind of sandwiched Vermont in between living in New York twice. I grew up on Long Island and moved up to Vermont just before high school. Went to BUHS, graduated and went to Keene State. We moved back to Long Island about 6 years when I took a job in NYC. Been doing the commute now ever since.

I'd have to say making the transition from NY to Vermont is tough if you like the bustle of the city, and like to go out a lot. Brattleboro is a cool town, but if you like to out and do a lot of stuff, it does get a little limiting sometimes. But once you get past that, there's plenty to do if you like to get out and enjoy nature. I personally enjoyed hiking Mount Wantastiquet (spelling?), hiking around the resevoir, fishing on the Connecticut River, etc. There's so much to do along those lines. You just have to look for it.

You will most likely never make a killing in Vermont. You will most likely make enough to get by, buy the things you want the most and do the things you like to do. If you are happy with that, you'll do well.

All towns have their issues. I won't lie to you and tell you Brattleboro was perfect. But all the people I knew were great people and I can honestly tell you that I miss that the most. Most of the people I knew up there were genuine, and the same can't be said for a lot of the people I know in NYC. And yes, if you can get yourself a niche where you concentrate on customer service, you will do well. I worked for a shoe store in Brattleboro for 6 years and even though we weren't the cheapest place in town, we were 100% about customer service. We had so many loyal customers that came back all the time, even flatlanders who only came up for ski season.

[arel]

Thank you for your reply.

I love the hustle and bustle of NYC, but only in small doses. I'm tired of the crowds, the dirt, the pollution and the dishonesty. Yes, there is lots of stuff to do, but the choices are overwhelming and often prohibitively expensive.

There is lots of stuff to do in Brattleboro, both in terms of outdoor activities and the arts. Also, as a mental health professional, I would take advantage of the educational offerings at the Retreat. And in Brattleboro, there are contra dances, which I have never been to in New York. Exercise, fun, socializing and entertainment - great synergy.

As a flatlander, I would want the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Brattleboro, Burlington, or the Upper Valley. I don't think I would fit in with the hard core "real Vermonters".

If I move up, I'll be spending a lot of time fixing up my living space, getting established professionally, getting involved with the community and meeting people. I enjoy eating out, but I am not into the bar/club scene.

Some of my friends are neutral-to-encouraging about my possible move. Others, I suspect, think I'm nuts.

I understand your comment about the people in New York. I find that New Yorkers are generally good people, but they often prioritize so that activities trump friendship. And I have found, since I was a child, that people here often do not take truthfulness or honesty very seriously. Is that the case in Vermont as well? I kind of assume it's pretty universal, but I could be wrong.

I plan to visit Brattleboro this weekend, in time for Gallery Walk. I went to one in June, but it was in the pouring rain. Then, the next day, again in the rain, I attended the Strolling of the Heiffers and visited the kiosks by the Retreat. I had fun and ate a ton of ice cream. During the parade, I saw Bernie. People were calling out to him. I didn't know who he was and asked someone. When I was told, I commented that I didn't know the local politics because I was from New York. The response: "So is he".

[Nomoresubways]

I find that honesty is a problem pretty much everywhere I've been. I have always found that people in NY speak their mind truthfully more than any place I've ever been. Vermonters in general tend to keep some things to themselves. Some might call that tact.

The summer is definitely the best time to be around Brattleboro I think, but winter is certainly no slouch around there. They usually decorate downtown very nicely for the holiday. The winter carnival is usually very cool. If you're into hockey at all, there's some very competitive hockey going on at the rink at Memorial Park. The ski jump at Harris Hill is pretty cool. Ice fishing on the pond by the retreat is always a favorite past time.

I wouldn't sweat the job scene. Sounds like you have plenty of ambition. If you have ambition, and the desire to succeed, you'll do it. That's all there is to it. Doesn't matter if it's Brattleboro, Burlington or Wilmington. Anyone with desire and ambition has a tendency to make it happen.

Good luck, if I can be of any help just let me know.

[arel]

Thank you for your reply.

I know I am going to miss New York. As my veterinarian said, there is no place like it.

But it will only be a partial-day's drive away, not an expensive plane ride across the country. There is also a train that stops in downtown Brattleboro and goes straight to Penn Station in Manhattan.

[Nomoresubways]

Exactly Arel, you will be close enough where you can still visit very frequently. When I moved to Vermont, I used to come back almost once a month to visit family and friends. I'm a huge Mets fan so I used to make the trek down for about 3-6 games a year. I only moved back to NY because the job scene was much better and I wanted to expand my career. I would have been ok up in Brattleboro but I don't think I would have advanced very far and I just wanted to go as far as I could. NYC gave me that opportunity...

[arel]

I can understand what you are saying about career opportunities in NYC.

It depends on the nature of your work. If you need a corporate environment, or other large organizational structure, and cannot work from home or in the field, etc., you need to be in New York, or at least in another major city.

If, like me, you have the flexibility to work in an organization and/or independently, there may be opportunities in a place like Brattleboro. If you are a telecommuter, or a health professional you can probably do ok. If you can build a business or invest in real estate, I would guess you can do very well.

I could be wrong, of course. Salaries are much lower, I think, than in New York, and even in New York, salaries for people in my field are often an insult.

Assuming a level playing field, would you prefer to be in Vermont or in New York City? From your words "I only moved back", I suspect you would want to be in Vermont.

[Nomoresubways]

Honestly I'm moving away from NYC and not going back to Vermont. It's partly career related and partly just because there are reasons I won't divulge why I don't want to be back in the Brattleboro area. I am a networking engineer and there are tons of opportunities in the nyc area in my field, but I'm just sick of the commute (I commute from LI), the stress, the rude people (in general) and the whole "keeping up with the Joneses" mentality. Brattleboro was great because I didn't have the commute, the rude people, the stress or any concerns whatsover about keeping up with the Joneses. But I didnt have a lot of job opportunities before and now that I've advanced along in my career, there's really only a few places that I could probably work there now. That in addition to the aforementioned "other reasons" and I just don't think I could go back and live there. We're actually thinking about heading south, to warmer climates...

[arel]

I can relate to the stresses of NYC. I work in the field, mostly, and I don't have to commute during rush hours, so I don't have the commuting headaches many people have. But I remember having to commute on the subways during rush hours, for about an hour each way, and I remember sometimes feeling I had actively suffered by the time I got to work in the morning. I have also driven during rush hours and I do not like that either.

I can also relate to the stress, the mentality and the having to deal with the rude people. The rudeness, especially, is something I have been looking forward to leaving behind.

I will not pry into your undisclosed issues about returning to Brattleboro. I would, however, appreciate knowing if they are purely personal or if they are cultural issues that could affect other New Yorkers who move there.

[Nomoresubways]

Any issues I have regarding Brattleboro are 100% personal. Nothing to do with the culture there, the area or anything like that. When I finish my book, you'll find out the reasons Arel

Don't get me wrong though. I love NY. I'm a huge NY sports fan. My heart fell when Carlos Beltran looked at strike this in Game 7 against the Cardinals. I was able to go to about a dozen Mets games this year. THAT I will miss. I also love when everyone gets into things around here. Like St. Patties day, the holidays, New Years Eve. NY is definitely a unique "town" if you will, and I will miss that. But it's just not worth the stress and time away from home anymore. I feel like I can now say "been there, done that".

Have you had a chance to read any of Archer Mayor’s books? If not, look into some of them. He wrote many books that centered around Brattleboro. Mostly fictional, but he used real residents as inspiration for some of his characters. I personally know one person who played a prominent role in one of his books....