Expert: David Beckett - 4/15/2007

Question
Happy Spring!

I've made up my mind to move to Burlington Vermont. I've never even visited the place, or any new England town for that matter. But I'm just too curious and thrilled over the adventure of a cross country move (again) to give it a try. I've heard nothing but wonderful things about Burlington.

That said, I'm moving solo with my dog. Can you advise me when the best time to get there would be. I anticipated Early July to beat the rush on students returning to campus.

When does it start to get cold there?

And how hot does it get in the summer?

Many thanks for your suggestions. I'm delighted to have discovered this site!

Answer
Hi Sonya!

I've lived here for decades, but having traveled a fair bit, I can tell you I'd be REALLY excited to be moving here, knowing what I know about the Burlington Area. It's unique, and I think, very special. I have a list of awards it's won, and it's amazing how varied they are.

The question of when to look for housing is just a bit easier than it used to be - there have been some rentals added to the market recently and it's not quite as tight a market for renters as it used to be. June (a very exciting time in Burlington)and July are good times to come I think. I'd suggest looking at The Burlington Free Press online, and calling Preston Property Management at 1 802 658 0218. When you're closer to needing a place, I can also share another resource or two with you - but the appts change often enough so it's probably not worth looking specifically yet...Your biggest challenge will be finding a place which accepts pets. I have two labs myself now, and rented for years with a Golden Retriever, so I'm sympathetic!

The weather question isn't a simple one. It STARTS to get cold in September - but there are often weeks of hot weather after that which you'd easily mistake for June. And to confuse things further, this year we had an extra month (!) of Autumn. The whole Winter (and Spring) season simply moved back a month this year.    

Similarly, the hot weather question isn't a simple one. Truly hot weather is sporadic enough that central air conditioning is very rare in VT. But everyone seems bothered by the 2-3 dozen days of hot and humid weather a  year anyway. I believe the AVERAGE highs in Burlington in July and August are 70 or so. But again - that's an average and it's somewhat misleading. There's an oft repeated quip here - "If you don't like the weather in VT, just wait a minute."

Please feel free to give a holler with other questions - the more I know about your particular interests the more helpful I can be...

Due to my own interests, I wouldn't be happy anywhere else in the country, but I can also tell you what many people don't like about Burlington if you like...

Warmly,
David Beckett
1 802 264 1888 (direct to v-mail)
1 802 578 6361 (cell)   
david@askdavidbeckett.com