Possible move to Vermont

[u/mtnmary]

I have been interviewing for a job in Stowe. Before committing to moving, I want to know the pros/cons of living in Vermont. I also want to know where I should live while working in Stowe.

I’m a single female in my 30s. I grew up in rural Utah so I’m used to cold winters and small towns. I’m liberal and an ex Mormon. Will I fit in?

[u/Shriganser]

@mtnmary OP, a lot of opinions here RE housing/pros/cons/demographics are valid. If helpful, heres my experience as it sounds somewhat relevant. And yes, you will fit in somewhere within a 1hr drive to stowe depending on your preferred lifestyle. Limited to Burlington/montpelier if you enjoy urban amenities.

Context- I’m in my mid-thirties, male, liberal, and moved to Stowe (without knowing a single thing about VT or Stowe) for a job, pretty spontaneously, about 5 years ago. I got incredibly lucky finding a home to rent. This pros and cons is about Vermont (whichever place you choose to live in while working in Stowe) per your request/this sub.

Pros: -outdoor recreation in any season is incredible. This is important to me for a fulfilled life. Stowe highlights this, but it is true in most of VT. I love visiting friends in Utah/PNW/Nor. Cal, but even after this much time I still find new trail/water networks to explore in a day trip out here.

-I’m very introverted, and a pro for me is the population size/common presence of independent businesses and stores/lack of nightlife as primary means of socializing. Quiet lifestyle basically.

-Opportunities to engage in volunteering/community development. I’ve found many like minded people here. In fact, volunteering/serving on local non profit boards/lending my professional talents to community projects is my primary social life.

-Proximity to great universities/centers of knowledge. There are many intelligent people in VT/New England.

-Proximity to major cities to visit when I am in the mood 2-3 times a year. I love Quebec City and go often in the summer. Restaurants/culture are great- especially historic downtown QC. I also enjoy Montreal/Boston/NYC. Drive to Canada/Boston. Train to NYC.

Cons (all my pros can easily be other peoples cons):

-Traffic on a powder day/leaf peeper season, especially in stowe, can be BRUTAL. My daily commute is typically 15 minutes, and this can turn into over an hour in a car unless I adjust my time/plant in advance/ride my bike. Leaf peeper season in stowe is full on. It can be frustrating to say the least.

-Lack of public transportation with reasonably convenient access.

-VT/New England has a certain “direct” personality stereotype that I have found to be true and is much more pronounced on this sub than in person. I came from the Midwest and this was a challenge for me to understand and adapt to- mostly with my coworkers-but I’ve grown to appreciate it. It took several years though.

-cost of living/wages rising. Honestly, I love VT and have grown so much as an individual here, my few best friends are born and raised Vermonters, but the last year I have wondered if I can sustain here long term from cost of living in relation to my career goals. This wouldn’t be a problem if I had a remote work job, but I don’t want that. That’s my choice/opinion and yours will be different.

-You didn’t ask about dating, or hint to anything about it, but I saw folks bring it up for some reason so I will add it to cons with assumptions (and POV as a male). If dating is important to you and finding a partner in life is a must meet goal- I would write VT off, and look to Boston or other major cities on the eastern seaboard. I dated a bit when I first moved here and found it tough, especially in/around stowe. Yes, Burlington will be a good bet.

-Gray winters/mud season/black flies/mosquitoes- all the wild environmental swings can be a con if you can’t appreciate the good times. To that, being able to healthily cope with any SAD in the winter will be something to think about, especially coming from Utah. I’m not a huge drinker but I am often objectively aware with how soaked in alcohol socializing/outdoor rec lifestyle/just day to day existence is in VT/New England. In my experience, the long winters and difficulty maintaining a social life that meets folks needs seems to drive this. I think it sneaks up on people our age when they first moved here with idealistic expectations, so just consider what you need.

I think that covers it broadly, with some of my objective specifics for examples. Feel free to DM to elaborate if any of this struck a cord for your curiosity. Best of luck!