Looking for info on White River Junction, VT

[PleadTheFirst]

Hello, Folks - I'm a New Jersey guy, born & bred, but my family and I have been considering a move to VT in the future. One town in particular, White River Junction, has caught our eye (mainly because of a school for cartooning that is located there).

Is anyone on the forum from White River, or near it? Any info you can pass along? I have 4 kids (ages 2 to 9) so my wife and I are especially curious about local schools. And of course, info on what the housing market is like would help as well.

Thanks in advance, to anyone who responds!

[monktonman]

1. Please stay home.

we've got enough people from Jersey here and most of them are here to fuck things up.

[PleadTheFirst]

2. Thanks for the response, Monktonman!

Really feeling the love here. Red-carpet welcome wagon, here we go! :sarcasm:

But seriously, man - what would make you think me and my family would head to VT to fuck things up? And in what way do other people who have come to VT from Jersey done to fuck things up? I'm asking this with all sincerity. I'd really like to know.

My family and I are not extras from The Sporanos; we're not typical of any stereotypes you may have about people from NJ. I'm an artist, and I'm bringing my own business with me, so I won't be taking work from people already living there (in fact, I'd probably wind up hiring people eventually).

So honestly - thanks for taking the time to answer me, but I hope your reaction isn't typical of what we'll encounter. I was very excited to see that someone had replied to my post, but I really wasn't expecting the response I got.

[PavePusher]

6. There's an understandable reason for this.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=182x535

Pay special attention to post #6. Also, look up the books by Noel Perrin. Read and heed.

[david_vincent]

8. That response is NOT typical !!

Lots and lots of people here are friendly and welcoming -- of course, there is an absolute wall that's erected between "Vermonters" and "flatlanders" and you do need to be aware of it. A "Vermonter" is someone who enjoys God's special grace, and a flatlander is basically doomed to ignominy, so you have to get used to that right up front.
I've written elsewhere in the Vermont section on what it's really like in VT. There are lots of rednecks here, some of the most virulent I've seen anywhere, and I've been all over the country. For instance, a friend of mine had her cabin burned to the ground because she told some hunters that she didn't want them hunting on her land. She was left with nothing but the land, since the cabin and everything in it was completely incinerated. Also, the sense of entitlement among Vermonters is bottomless -- they fully expect to get away with whatever they want and their response to anyone with an objection is "fuck you."
That said, there are also lots of smart, strong, skilled and friendly people here, both Vermonters and flatlanders. You'll find that the state is very regionalized in terms of backwardness vs. forwardness. For instance, the Northeast Kingdom is a place where people expect to be able to drop out of school and make a living plowing snow. There's tons of abuse among families, mental illness, and so on.
You should check out Steve Bissette's blog, since he works at the school you're interested in. I think it's srbissette.com or something like that. He's a great guy. The bottom line is you can move here and make a good life for yourself and find lots of welcoming faces, depending on where you go in the state. Rutland and the Northeast Kingdom are places to avoid. Burlington (if you like city life), Montpelier, or a college town like Middlebury, Bennington, or Brattleboro are more promising.

[momzno1]

4. not very nice of you...

how does generalizing help the situation. I know that I live in an area where lots of city people relocate and there are problems, but wow, how nasty can you be?

[CPMaz]

3. Don't live there, but I can tell you one thing...

the weather ranges from cold to FREAKIN' COLD! lol

Oh yeah - if you move there soon enough, don't forget to vote for Sanders for Senate.

Oh yeah2 - If you don't get what you are looking for, I do have family in VT. Not sure where they live, but they will help out with answers if I ask.

Later!

[DianeK]

5. Please understand..

The sentiment that monktonman expresses is pretty typical up here. We have bumper stickers up here that say, 'welcome to vermont, now go home'....that being said, you will find people pleasant and polite but fiercely private...on yeah, don't be writing any letters to the local papers complaining about the farm aromas and traffic...that is the very reason why it is so beautiful up here.

[gorbal]

7. It seemed kind of depressing to me.

My brother lived there for a number of years and they were some of the worst of his life. I didn't have a very good impression of the area when I went there either.

I wouldn't rule out Vermont though, I really like the state. I lived near Brattleboro for two years and really liked it, It has a calm fun Bohemian ambience and the people are friendly and can easy to talk to. I heard Burlington is a fun place to live as well.