[MontanaJim74]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

If the other job offer is also low $40s, at least St Albans would be lower cost of living than Seattle.

it seems that in general Vermont has a lower cost of living than Seattle but there are other factors in play: in Seattle its possible i could get by without a car (depending on where my housing is), I wouldnt have to pay as much for heating in winter, theres no state income tax (though high sales taxes) etc. I would make slightly more in in Seattle based on the government COLA they give people who live in what the deem expensive places, and Seattle is one of those.

[harpoonalt]

If you're working in St. Albans, I'd live there. I'm sure rents will be cheaper there as well. Burlington is a great place to visit for shopping and things to do but expensive to live near.

Vermont gets snow, but our road crews are pretty damn good at keeping up with things. A decent front wheel drive car with SNOW tires will get you most anywhere.

A lot of apartments include heat because multiple units share one heat source. My friends daughter lives there and does just fine on a salary similar to yours.

Seattle and ST. Albans are as about as far apart in lifestyle as you can get. I'd pick Vermont for the general peace and quiet. Burlington has all the fun stuff and isn't far away so there is stuff to do.

I know a few people with government jobs. They seem to move every few years. Why not give it a try? As a kicker, Vermont has some of the best craft beer in the country.

Cheers!

[jackmccullough]

Things are happening in St. Albans. They've invested in the downtown so it seems to be a more vital community than it was even five or ten years ago. Therefore, I would at least try finding a place in or around St. Albans to live before you go to Burlington.

Vermont does a good job with the roads, and coming from Montana you know about winter driving. It's worth keeping in mind that the policy of the highway department during storms is not dry roads, but "safe roads at safe speeds". They will not necessarily try to get down to dry pavement while the snow is still falling, but the times when conditions are so bad that the roads are actually closed are almost nonexistent.

If you're interested in outdoor pursuits living in St. Albans will put you in easy reach of lots of outdoor activities, and you can travel easily to Burlington or even Montreal for city activities.

[MontanaJim74]

Originally Posted by harpoonalt

If you're working in St. Albans, I'd live there. I'm sure rents will be cheaper there as well. Burlington is a great place to visit for shopping and things to do but expensive to live near.

Vermont gets snow, but our road crews are pretty damn good at keeping up with things. A decent front wheel drive car with SNOW tires will get you most anywhere.

A lot of apartments include heat because multiple units share one heat source. My friends daughter lives there and does just fine on a salary similar to yours.

Seattle and ST. Albans are as about as far apart in lifestyle as you can get. I'd pick Vermont for the general peace and quiet. Burlington has all the fun stuff and isn't far away so there is stuff to do.

I know a few people with government jobs. They seem to move every few years. Why not give it a try? As a kicker, Vermont has some of the best craft beer in the country.

Cheers!

thanks, sounds like a great place to live. Just need to make sure to get a decent car with snow tires in winter it sounds like. Yes in general i like smaller towns because of the peace and quite, though dont want to be too isolated but sounds like Montreal isnt too far so I can get my big city fill there if needed. I love craft beer--that would definitely be a highlight!

[MontanaJim74]

Originally Posted by jackmccullough

Things are happening in St. Albans. They've invested in the downtown so it seems to be a more vital community than it was even five or ten years ago. Therefore, I would at least try finding a place in or around St. Albans to live before you go to Burlington.

Vermont does a good job with the roads, and coming from Montana you know about winter driving. It's worth keeping in mind that the policy of the highway department during storms is not dry roads, but "safe roads at safe speeds". They will not necessarily try to get down to dry pavement while the snow is still falling, but the times when conditions are so bad that the roads are actually closed are almost nonexistent.

If you're interested in outdoor pursuits living in St. Albans will put you in easy reach of lots of outdoor activities, and you can travel easily to Burlington or even Montreal for city activities.

thanks i will definitely look at living in St Albans or very nearby. Ideally id like to even walk to work if possible...I love small towns, grew up in one in Montana.

[MontanaJim]

I just wanted to post here again as after many months, it I was finally fully hired for a job in St Albans, and at this time, am expected to start next month. However, we all know these are crazy times with the virus and such, so who knows if I will actually start work next month or not. My new employer could push the start date back and even if it does not, I have to travel to Vermont from Montana, which could be tricky given current situation. Who knows, by the time I attempt travel, travel may be impossible or near impossible due to travel restrictions.

As of now, however, i plan need to start making plans to move, even if my travel is delayed. The job is in downtown St Albans. Even though I am originally from Montana, I have lived much of my life in large metropolitan areas and as such, have not owned a car for decades. I know living in St Albans without a car could be problematic, but I may attempt it at first. I would probably have the means to buy a car if necessary, I just in general prefer living without one to save car-related expenses. Will see how long that can last in a place like St. Albans. As I plan to not have a car at least in the beginning, I hope to find a place to live that is downtown and within walking distance of work. I can always rent a car once in awhile for leisurely trips out of town.

Can anyone tell me if im completely out of my mind? From a little bit of searching online, there appears to be a bus service in St Albans, though maybe on a limited schedule and to a limited area. Would I be better off living in Burlington and commuting from there? There also appear to be commuter buses from Burlington to St Albans. I dont know if my employer would cover the cost of that transportation however, good chance it would not. As such, I prefer to live in St Albans to avoid a commute altogether.

Thoughts from anyone on this board would be greatly appreciated! Also if anyone has any leads/advice on housing, I would appreciate that. Im a single guy, dont need a big place, I live rather frugally (thus no car lol!). Though I may be taking my cat with me on the move. Thank you.

[EckyX]

As long as you're ok with not being able to travel some days, and having a majority of things to do simply out of your reach, you can absolutely live without a car. I've known quite a few people who have. It saves a lot of money. I just ended up with a third vehicle for the cost of a tow to my house, and it took about 2 hours to get it running and reliable again, but there's also gas, insurance, registration, and on-going maintenance to content with.

I find it hard to live here without a vehicle, personally, and would probably only attempt it if I lived and worked near downtown in Burlington - and I'd hardly be saving any money compared with access to more/better jobs and the lower cost of living - Burlington is a good deal more expensive to live in. However, there is a LOT more you can walk to, and you'd probably find yourself not setting foot in a car outside of your commute. There's always a ton going on in town, and I consider it to be a much more diverse and interesting community.

I lived in Burlington for a while and liked it. My wife works around St. Albans, and I work in South Burlington. We settled on splitting the difference in our commute and bought a house in Milton. Some of the reasons would not apply to a renter.

Housing is tight here, and somewhat expensive. A lot of the cheaper places for singles will be apartments in old partitioned Victorian houses.

[Champ le monstre du lac]

I live in Saint Albans City, and anywhere within SAC is very walkable. Though its a small downtown (2-3 blocks), all of SAC is a very compact area. There are grocery stores like Food City and Rail City Market to walk to, there's also an Amtrak Station (goes to points south in VT, Western MA, CT, & NYC) and an Enterprise Rent a Car here in town. When my husband and I first moved here, we had just one car between us for a while and living here without one for part of the time didn't seem to be a big hindrance. Not something I'd want to do long term, but it's doable. We stayed in an AirBnb here in St. Albans for three months while we made our transitions and then landed an apartment here. Been living here one year now, and I really love the town and its location. Feels like home!

[MontanaJim]

Thanks EckyX and Desert SW. I have decided I will almost certainly live in St Albans as opposed to Burlington in my attempt to live without a car (at least initially). I thought if my new employer offered commuter benefits I could try to take one of the buses that run to and from Burlington-St Albans, but Im told their schedules do not work very well with the employer's work schedule. And there appears to not be much of a transit subsidy as well.

Im looking for housing in or near downtown St Albans, and have a few leads from scouring the net. Anyone have any advice on specific websites that are better than others (ive tried apartments.com, trulia, zillow, craigslist). Airbnb--thats a thought I didnt think of. I guess I could try to do like Desert SW and stay in an airbnb for awhile while looking for permanent housing if i cant find it before I arrive in St Albans next month (fingers crossed, who knows what the travel situation will look like by next month with the virus situation).

[EckyX]

I have the impression that Craigslist is where most housing goes up here.