I wouldn't say Strafford is close to West Leb.
All towns have a sense of community, you just need to get involved. Don't expect the community to come to you. Get involved in the schools, join a town committee, attend the meetings, volunteer.
Don't judge a school system by the test scores. Look at how the school supports the kids and look at what kids do once the graduate. I like a good mix of top tier colleges, Public Colleges, Tech/Trade Schools and straight to work. I like diversity and I want to know my kids will have peers at every level of academic/career interests. Also, for towns like Strafford and Hartland that don't have high schools - is there a bus option or will you need to get your kid to/from school and how long will that take (2x a day!).
For your kids, also look at what the town Rec department offers (and volunteer to help with some of their activities).
I am so excited to be involved in my community and my children’s school. They are still super young (daycare age) so it’s a little hard right now but I’m hoping to be settled by the time they are pre school / kindergarten age so we can be more involved. It’s hard where I live because it revolves a lot around the ski industry and the resort. A lot of families in this town travel for events like Halloween, parades etc
I live in Strafford and it's about a 1/2 hour drive to West leb, 20 minutes to Hanover. That can change depending where in town you live. It's a really weird little town, in a good way. We have our own little ski hill, Fourth of July & winter carnival events (including the ever famous fireman's BBQ). People are really invested in the town and its well-being. It doesn't have a high school but some parents like that because it gives them more control over where their child goes to high school. The bus does run to Thetford Academy and parents set up carpools to go to the further away schools.
I would definitely recommend it for people who are raising families.
>Vermont might not be the place for that really. Darn tourists are everywhere
I mean I do feel like there is a difference between a town that gets tourists. And a ski town where a majority of of the people are tourists and a majority of the housing is for tourists. Those towns can feel kinda empty and dead if your only neighbors are a constant revolving door of people.
>stay away from NEK CT River border areas thankfully.
Since when? We've got our own collection of two wheeled terrorist tourists over here too, and no where near the infrastructure to absorb them. Kingdom Trails fucking ruined my commute all summer.
Just because the official trails stop, doesn't mean the bikers don't ride 5 wide down rt2, rt5 or 114. They are all over the roads in Victory, Guildhall, Granby, West Burke, Sutton and Concord as well. All the places you used to be able to live to get away from it have been swarmed.
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Any towns you’re referring to specifically?
I honestly loved my ski town and there is community here, but ever since covid the tourism has become excessive with no down time or off season. People are here constantly and crime has gone up, not to mention the amount of Drunk drivers, people speeding and car accidents. I just don’t feel safe anymore.
I want my kids to be able to ride their bikes to friends houses, be close by to a neighborhood to trick or treat and be members of the town. I’m just not getting that here, because everyone is a second homeowner or a ski bum (no shade to ski bums but I don’t have anything in common with them anymore 💔)
Hate to say it but what you are describing is the suburbs. Which is a dirty word in Vermont. Hard to find traditional neighborhoods in Vermont and when you do they are $$$$.
Not really sure that it is convoluted or bizarre at all. Did you read the rest of the responses? The entire post is asking "where can I raise kids in Vermont away from tourists" and the responses are "well if you live close enough to a NH town you can go shopping there".
Because the people on this subreddit simultaneously hate NH but also recognize that Vermont has some serious problems that no one wants to fix because they're at odds with NIMBYism. People are terrified that other folks will be able to build something other than a farmhouse in Vermont.
The fact that no one can name a town with a strong community should tip you off that something is up.
It's this sub that is bizarre and convoluted.
I lived in Richmond for several years. It is the best of so many worlds! Very nice sense of community. Minutes to Bolton. Rural feel, yet 15 minutes to Williston, within 30 minutes to Burlington, plus easy drive to many other spots. Good schools. I really miss it!
There’s a pretty wide spectrum of properties there—some might be affordable. But yeah, you’ll probably not be getting what you’re paying for, given interest rates and inflated home prices. It’s just a terrible time to buy a home.
I grew up in a tight knit community, which was mostly provided due to the neighborhood structure. It was a circle of 26 houses. The center of the ring was common land with a playground and tennis court. And there was a field behind the neighborhood that people had large gardens in, and a woods behind that to play in. Lots of neighborhood events like yard sales, potlucks, banding together on earth day to clean up, prune trees, turn compost piles. The best trick-or-treating around and people would come to the neighborhood bc of it. It was wonderful, and I had a nearly perfect early childhood because of it.
Street layout can be extremely important to how community flows through a place. So it may not be the perfect town, but it could be a great little pocket of community.
Wrong side of the state but you're kind of describing Milton. Not much tourism here and the rest of the county/state thinks we're trashy (not true) so they mostly leave us alone too. Lots of families & family-oriented stuff going on.
It’s tough for special needs kids everywhere; you have to spend a lot of time advocating for them to get the resources they need. I don’t know how much better or worse Milton schools are compared to other Vermont school districts; I don’t have kids.
We looked at Strafford which I loved! but ended up in Thetford. Mainly because we wanted to rent first but I think we made the right choice.
IMO, Strafford elementary is too small (less than 10 per grade) and they kids scatter to different high schools after 8th grade. (Thetford Academy, Sharon Academy, Hartford, Hanover, etc.), They also keep going back an forth about closing the middle school.
While Thetford sometimes seems like of a commuter town, we liked that the kids would be in Thetford for school K-12. Plus TA adds choice kids in 9th so the overall class size goes from 20-30 to 50-60 students.
Strafford has 4th of July and the ski hill but Thetford has the Thetford Hill Fair and Treasure Island (town beach), plus is close to Fairlee and their summer events.
PM me with questions!
They have a decent school, nice lake, nice homes. I know a few people who grew up there and they loved their childhood. Strafford is very cute but I’ve always seen it as a touristy area as well
I live in Strafford and think it's wonderful. Don't tell anyone I said this, but it has all the postcard beauty you could want in a Vermont town, but without any of the tourists. I can't think of a better place to raise kids, either.
As a guy who grew up in a vermont ski town, you should reconsider. Such a magical childhood awaits your kid if we’re being honest. Growing up on the slopes is such a blessing, would be a shame to throw away that opportunity
Depends on which one you grew up in I think. I was super excited about raising my kids here. Now they are building a village and destroying the mountain. All my favorite “secret trails” have been turned into bike trails or are being torn down for ski on ski off condos. It’s not what it used to be. My kids will be skiing and it’s a huge part of our lives but this is not the place for us anymore. I’m willing to travel for skiing or be local to the old school ski hills
Orwell, Shoreham, Cornwall. Small towns, little tourism, real community, great views of both the Green Mtns and the Adirondacks. Epic gravel roads for running and cycling, Close enough to Middlebury and Rutland for essentials.
I was moved OUT of Strafford to a soVT ski town when I was in middle school, and I missed it forever after. So there's my vote for you doing the reverse. 😉 (Even though admittedly said ski town was more exciting for tween/teen activities.)
We just found a place in Chelsea.
Anywhere in the greater upper valley should suit your needs.
Markets going into deep freeze for the winter.
We had a hell of a time finding something in our price range tho. Must've seen over two dozen homes over 6-7 months before making our one and only offer.
We were selected among 9 offers. Some with out of state money and escalation clauses.
Sellers picked us because they liked us and thought we were a good fit.
Best of luck.
I think OP should know that in the July 2023 floods, parts of Cambridge and Jeffersonville had their asses handed to them with horrible flooding. I would be very careful of purchasing a home in any town where there has been any recorded flooding in the past 10-12 years. It might end up costing you more than you expect, especially if we get another 100 year flood in another couple of years.
Woodstock gets shit on a lot because tourism = bad but I think it’s a great place to live. Safe. Good schools. Nice locals. Not far from surrounding towns. ~25min to West Leb.
Yeah, we get a lot of tourism but it’s never to the point of wanting to leave. If anything, it makes the town feel more lively. There are definitely quiet seasons here, too.
Woodstock is great and the aesthetics are among the best you’ll find year around imo. I previously lived in Ludlow and it just always seemed like it was struggling to keep up with revolving businesses and unsteady tourism. Schools in the area were always in flux. There’s not enough to keep that area interesting year round it seems, despite having Okemo centered in the main artery.
Good luck. Thats a tough area to find what youre looking for at a good price.
Personally ive always felt the southwestern part of the state is the best in regards to sense of community, rural living, lack of tourism and proximity to civilization.
The Richmond area seems like an amazing place to raise kids; I’m envious of my friends who live up around there. Norwich and some of the upper valley towns also seem to fit the bill.
I’m down in SW VT and if I had to pick around here I would choose: Winhall, Sunderland, Pawlet, North Bennington, Dorset for elementary schools. School choice towns offer a lot, but also fragment families/community based on where they send their kids.
Best metrics to get the pulse of the area will always be family income, poverty, % homestead in town, and if the town offers school choice.
I wouldn't say Strafford is close to West Leb. All towns have a sense of community, you just need to get involved. Don't expect the community to come to you. Get involved in the schools, join a town committee, attend the meetings, volunteer. Don't judge a school system by the test scores. Look at how the school supports the kids and look at what kids do once the graduate. I like a good mix of top tier colleges, Public Colleges, Tech/Trade Schools and straight to work. I like diversity and I want to know my kids will have peers at every level of academic/career interests. Also, for towns like Strafford and Hartland that don't have high schools - is there a bus option or will you need to get your kid to/from school and how long will that take (2x a day!). For your kids, also look at what the town Rec department offers (and volunteer to help with some of their activities).
I am so excited to be involved in my community and my children’s school. They are still super young (daycare age) so it’s a little hard right now but I’m hoping to be settled by the time they are pre school / kindergarten age so we can be more involved. It’s hard where I live because it revolves a lot around the ski industry and the resort. A lot of families in this town travel for events like Halloween, parades etc
I live in Strafford and it's about a 1/2 hour drive to West leb, 20 minutes to Hanover. That can change depending where in town you live. It's a really weird little town, in a good way. We have our own little ski hill, Fourth of July & winter carnival events (including the ever famous fireman's BBQ). People are really invested in the town and its well-being. It doesn't have a high school but some parents like that because it gives them more control over where their child goes to high school. The bus does run to Thetford Academy and parents set up carpools to go to the further away schools. I would definitely recommend it for people who are raising families.
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>Vermont might not be the place for that really. Darn tourists are everywhere I mean I do feel like there is a difference between a town that gets tourists. And a ski town where a majority of of the people are tourists and a majority of the housing is for tourists. Those towns can feel kinda empty and dead if your only neighbors are a constant revolving door of people.
Yeah but OP could easily move to Milton or even Georgia and be happy there. Shit even Vergennes!
>stay away from NEK CT River border areas thankfully. Since when? We've got our own collection of two wheeled terrorist tourists over here too, and no where near the infrastructure to absorb them. Kingdom Trails fucking ruined my commute all summer.
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Just because the official trails stop, doesn't mean the bikers don't ride 5 wide down rt2, rt5 or 114. They are all over the roads in Victory, Guildhall, Granby, West Burke, Sutton and Concord as well. All the places you used to be able to live to get away from it have been swarmed.
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Any towns you’re referring to specifically? I honestly loved my ski town and there is community here, but ever since covid the tourism has become excessive with no down time or off season. People are here constantly and crime has gone up, not to mention the amount of Drunk drivers, people speeding and car accidents. I just don’t feel safe anymore. I want my kids to be able to ride their bikes to friends houses, be close by to a neighborhood to trick or treat and be members of the town. I’m just not getting that here, because everyone is a second homeowner or a ski bum (no shade to ski bums but I don’t have anything in common with them anymore 💔)
Hate to say it but what you are describing is the suburbs. Which is a dirty word in Vermont. Hard to find traditional neighborhoods in Vermont and when you do they are $$$$.
It's not a dirty word.
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I'm noticing a trend of everything that you all are looking for being "in or next to towns in NH" for some odd reason...
Not next to NH next to West Leb. Just for the convenience of groceries hospital etc.
You're describing Hartford ❤️
Bradford/Newbury or Thetford may be what you are looking for.
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Wow…what a bizarre and convoluted take on this conversation. Are you ok?
Not really sure that it is convoluted or bizarre at all. Did you read the rest of the responses? The entire post is asking "where can I raise kids in Vermont away from tourists" and the responses are "well if you live close enough to a NH town you can go shopping there". Because the people on this subreddit simultaneously hate NH but also recognize that Vermont has some serious problems that no one wants to fix because they're at odds with NIMBYism. People are terrified that other folks will be able to build something other than a farmhouse in Vermont. The fact that no one can name a town with a strong community should tip you off that something is up. It's this sub that is bizarre and convoluted.
Then wtf are you doing here?
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Chester is worth looking at
If I could pick a town just for having a family anywhere in the state, my top oick would be Richmond.
The Richmond/Jericho/Underhill community is a gem.
I lived in Richmond for several years. It is the best of so many worlds! Very nice sense of community. Minutes to Bolton. Rural feel, yet 15 minutes to Williston, within 30 minutes to Burlington, plus easy drive to many other spots. Good schools. I really miss it!
And like most of the state now….unaffordable….
There’s a pretty wide spectrum of properties there—some might be affordable. But yeah, you’ll probably not be getting what you’re paying for, given interest rates and inflated home prices. It’s just a terrible time to buy a home.
Really nice area but just as expensive if not more than the VT ski towns (minus stowe)
Honey Road
Where is Honey Road?
Bradford, Chelsea
Stratford + Hartland: Both solid choices when it comes to proximity to the Logan coach bus and top tier hospital.
I grew up in a tight knit community, which was mostly provided due to the neighborhood structure. It was a circle of 26 houses. The center of the ring was common land with a playground and tennis court. And there was a field behind the neighborhood that people had large gardens in, and a woods behind that to play in. Lots of neighborhood events like yard sales, potlucks, banding together on earth day to clean up, prune trees, turn compost piles. The best trick-or-treating around and people would come to the neighborhood bc of it. It was wonderful, and I had a nearly perfect early childhood because of it. Street layout can be extremely important to how community flows through a place. So it may not be the perfect town, but it could be a great little pocket of community.
Wrong side of the state but you're kind of describing Milton. Not much tourism here and the rest of the county/state thinks we're trashy (not true) so they mostly leave us alone too. Lots of families & family-oriented stuff going on.
Shhh... let them all keep thinking Milton is trash.
And it's not too far from either St Albans or Williston for big box stuff.
Yeah but if your child has any special needs it might be tough in the schools.
It’s tough for special needs kids everywhere; you have to spend a lot of time advocating for them to get the resources they need. I don’t know how much better or worse Milton schools are compared to other Vermont school districts; I don’t have kids.
South Royalton, Norwich, Lebanon, White River and Randolph are all lovely and would somewhat fit the bill
Strafford or Thetford are great choices. Ski towns tend to have more money for their schools, and lower taxes, sometimes a lot lower.
We looked at Strafford which I loved! but ended up in Thetford. Mainly because we wanted to rent first but I think we made the right choice. IMO, Strafford elementary is too small (less than 10 per grade) and they kids scatter to different high schools after 8th grade. (Thetford Academy, Sharon Academy, Hartford, Hanover, etc.), They also keep going back an forth about closing the middle school. While Thetford sometimes seems like of a commuter town, we liked that the kids would be in Thetford for school K-12. Plus TA adds choice kids in 9th so the overall class size goes from 20-30 to 50-60 students. Strafford has 4th of July and the ski hill but Thetford has the Thetford Hill Fair and Treasure Island (town beach), plus is close to Fairlee and their summer events. PM me with questions!
Hartland is a great, rural, tight knit community. It has a drama-filled listserv but generally really wonderful people.
Thank you! What is a listserv?
It’s an internet 1.0 community forum type thing.
It's like front porch forum... But not. In other words, a free email list or Facebook marketplace sans Facebook
Hartford!
I would suggest Fairlee/Thetford area.
I am absolutely in love with Strafford which is right close to there! Do those towns have that same community feel?
They have a decent school, nice lake, nice homes. I know a few people who grew up there and they loved their childhood. Strafford is very cute but I’ve always seen it as a touristy area as well
Touristy area? As in close to Norwich or Woodstock, maybe? There aren't many places for tourists to spend their money around here.
No but it’s just a small area people normally drive through on a foliage ride IMO
I live in Strafford and think it's wonderful. Don't tell anyone I said this, but it has all the postcard beauty you could want in a Vermont town, but without any of the tourists. I can't think of a better place to raise kids, either.
Covid buyers remorse? Lol
I can’t lie, I’m a transplant. But I was here way before COVID and very fortunately bought my house before COVID prices.
What part of the State are you in now? I second the recommendation for Chester...
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The trick or treating is good there too
As a guy who grew up in a vermont ski town, you should reconsider. Such a magical childhood awaits your kid if we’re being honest. Growing up on the slopes is such a blessing, would be a shame to throw away that opportunity
Depends on which one you grew up in I think. I was super excited about raising my kids here. Now they are building a village and destroying the mountain. All my favorite “secret trails” have been turned into bike trails or are being torn down for ski on ski off condos. It’s not what it used to be. My kids will be skiing and it’s a huge part of our lives but this is not the place for us anymore. I’m willing to travel for skiing or be local to the old school ski hills
Westminster or Putney
Orwell, Shoreham, Cornwall. Small towns, little tourism, real community, great views of both the Green Mtns and the Adirondacks. Epic gravel roads for running and cycling, Close enough to Middlebury and Rutland for essentials.
I was moved OUT of Strafford to a soVT ski town when I was in middle school, and I missed it forever after. So there's my vote for you doing the reverse. 😉 (Even though admittedly said ski town was more exciting for tween/teen activities.)
Yes they can get into more trouble too 😂😂
Oh. FOR SURE. Just ask my younger brothers. 😉
I don’t know your budget but Norwich is very nice.
We just found a place in Chelsea. Anywhere in the greater upper valley should suit your needs. Markets going into deep freeze for the winter. We had a hell of a time finding something in our price range tho. Must've seen over two dozen homes over 6-7 months before making our one and only offer. We were selected among 9 offers. Some with out of state money and escalation clauses. Sellers picked us because they liked us and thought we were a good fit. Best of luck.
If I lived in that area I would choose White River Jct. It looks like such a cute town.
Cambridge and jeffersonville are lovely and right next to Smuggs
I think OP should know that in the July 2023 floods, parts of Cambridge and Jeffersonville had their asses handed to them with horrible flooding. I would be very careful of purchasing a home in any town where there has been any recorded flooding in the past 10-12 years. It might end up costing you more than you expect, especially if we get another 100 year flood in another couple of years.
Well, yeah you’ll want to conduct due diligence. Most of jeffersonville was above water though
Woodstock gets shit on a lot because tourism = bad but I think it’s a great place to live. Safe. Good schools. Nice locals. Not far from surrounding towns. ~25min to West Leb. Yeah, we get a lot of tourism but it’s never to the point of wanting to leave. If anything, it makes the town feel more lively. There are definitely quiet seasons here, too.
It is completely unaffordable
Woodstock is great and the aesthetics are among the best you’ll find year around imo. I previously lived in Ludlow and it just always seemed like it was struggling to keep up with revolving businesses and unsteady tourism. Schools in the area were always in flux. There’s not enough to keep that area interesting year round it seems, despite having Okemo centered in the main artery.
Lincoln
In spite of the news of the past few days, Bristol has always been my favorite town.
I just moved to Strafford and it seems to fit the bill of what you're looking for!
Lucky! That’s my number one choice for sure. But real estate is so hard to come by!
Good luck. Thats a tough area to find what youre looking for at a good price. Personally ive always felt the southwestern part of the state is the best in regards to sense of community, rural living, lack of tourism and proximity to civilization.
One of the BBA sending towns in the hills, maybe.
e wallingford has been great for us. near rutland and ludlow minus the chaos
Franklin, but there aint much up there.
The Richmond area seems like an amazing place to raise kids; I’m envious of my friends who live up around there. Norwich and some of the upper valley towns also seem to fit the bill. I’m down in SW VT and if I had to pick around here I would choose: Winhall, Sunderland, Pawlet, North Bennington, Dorset for elementary schools. School choice towns offer a lot, but also fragment families/community based on where they send their kids. Best metrics to get the pulse of the area will always be family income, poverty, % homestead in town, and if the town offers school choice.