Expert: David Beckett - 7/10/2007

Question
We are considering Burlington as a possible place to live (probably in 3-5 years).  

We are a family of skiers who spend a lot of time in mid-Vermont (but live elsewhere). I have been to Burlington once and enjoyed the city.  My husband and I are visiting again with the goal to scout it out a bit as a place to live.  What areas/towns should we hit (probably the more upscale towns/neighborhoods)?  I want to spend some time just getting a feel for the city around the waterfront and drive or walk through some of the neighborhoods where we could walk to shopping, dinner, lake and easy bike path access.  Also, want to look at suburbs within about 15 miles -- perhaps on the lake or with lake access of some sort.  What towns should I hit?  I was thinking Shelburne or Charlotte areas (how far to Sugarbush from there -- how long a commute to burlington from these towns?).  Are there towns I'm missing that I should look at?

Are there any private schools in the area (grades 5-12?).  It seems from earlier posts like you will not recommend the towns with the best schools -- but I'm looking for insight on that too.  

Answer
Hi Kelly -

I'm a skier too, and a Realtor, as you know.
Both Sugarbush and Stowe are almost exactly on hour's drive from Downtown Burlington. Smuggler's Notch is 45 minutes and Bolton Valley is even closer.

There are several towns which would appear to be interesting for you, but which are a bit problematic because the driving routes add significant time. Shelburne and Charlotte are good examples of this. They are both lovely towns, but can be frustrating to get places from, simply because of Route 7/Shelburne Road (or Spear Street/Dorset Street). Colchester is similar, depending upon where in Colchester you are. These are subjective judgements though, and I always suggest to people that they drive the routes themselves to see...I think your scouting trip is a great idea and if you drive to Shelburne and Charlotte and see how long it takes to get to the I-89 interchange in South Burlington, and then go have a look at the Colchester/Mallets Bay area, you'll have a good sense of these issues. Depending on what you're used to, you may be pleasantly surprised!

The Hill Section of Burlington as well as both parts of the town of South Burlington (the part served by Rt 7/Shelburne Road as well as the part served by Rt 2/Williston Road) would seem like places you'd like, based on your questions. You'll want to drive out Spear Street or Dorset Street, stopping at The Shelburne Country Store or Harringtons for refreshments, and exploring the town of Shelburne. Driving from South Burlington to Shelburne and back, using these 3 roads (Spear Street, Dorset Street, and Rt 7) may show you just what you're looking for! I'd think Williston would be worth a hard look too.


And finally, let me respond to your schools question. I do, in fact recommend particular local towns and schools. But I'm reluctant to do this in a public forum like this, mainly because it's so personal and so subjective. I like to sit down with people before I presume to give suggestions about something this important and this far outside my specific expertise. I'd rather rely on the data below, and take it from there once I meet people. Make sense?  

Here's a good start for your search for private schools.
http://www.privateschoolreview.com/nearby_schools.php

...and here's the link to data on public schools I recommend frequently
http://crs.uvm.edu/schlrpt/


Please let me know if at some point (now or 3 years from now) you'd like to see properties for sale, or sold properties, in the towns you decide to consider. I can send you a link to click that will give you MLS data, multiple photos and driving directions, for multiple properties all in one place. People seem to enjoy this - it's easier than scouring the web.

Please let me know how I can help!
David Beckett