Burlington, VT

[vtkrkgrad]

I just stumbled upon some blog posts talking about how Vermont has poor cell coverage, and no 3G coverage. Could someone please clarify what the current situation is, and whether things will improve before this Fall?

Verizon is the only way to go throughout VT. They pretty much have the state locked up.

[Astaroth]

Well.. Verizon and ATT.

[vtkrkgrad]

yes ATT is there, but literally everyone I knew/know has Verizon. You'll save a bundle because you don't get charged for minutes with their "In" calling network

[Astaroth]

Good point.. damn this whole network business. Here in the UK all contracts have lots of "anytime, any network" minutes so the only consideration when choosing a network is purely the contracts on offer. Looks like data is a lot more expensive on Verizon though.. I'll have to see when I get there. If WiFi is fairly abundant then I'll just use that instead of 3G.

[GirlattheHelm]

It's official - I'm going to Burlington, VT! I'm changing my phone over to Verizon, pondering how fast I can pack my apartment up, and generally giddy right now.

However, I still have a nagging few questions for previous UVM students or Burlington Residences, who might be in the 'know':

1.) As far as housing is concerned, should I go for an off campus place or utilize the Graduate Student Housing offered by UVM?

2.) I'll be there roughly two years, I'm single, and I'm tired of coming home to nothing. I'm getting a freakin' dog (or think I am) but my real question is, how 'dog-friendly' is Burlington (and UVM for that matter)? Where I went for my undergraduate, I couldn't get housing if I had a three inch lizard that lived in my pocket. Ironicly, people brought their dogs to campus like it was their job - or that they were attempting to hide from their landlord.

3.) All right, commuting sucks but I have a car, will drive, and am thinking that maybe someplace nice to live slightly outside of Burlington would be feasible. But, then again, I haven't the slightest clue as to whether or not that's true - anybody have any ideas, folks?

4.) How important is it that I reattempt skiing? Where are the best skiing locations?

5.) Anybody do anything with the equestrian life at UVM? Anybody stable a horse or talk to people that do that kind of stuff? I so badly want to take one of my horses to school with me...

6.) How's traffic? Parking?

8.) Best eateries and cafes to hang out, pig out, and study at - name some if yah can.

... I'll think of more.

[whateverneveram3n]

1. I'm not super familiar w/ the graduate housing.

2. You'll have to do some searching to find a place downtown that will allow a dog--there aren't many places that will. If you live even a bit away from the downtown area, though, your chances improve. There is a nice little dog park in the South End somewhere...I forget what it's called. It's over by Kilburn St, I think. But you'll have to live farther away from downtown than the park to find a good dog-friendly place, I think.

3. If I go back to Burlington this fall, this is definitely how I'm doing it...my ideal spot would be out on the southernmost island.

4. I actually went five years in Vermont never going downhill skiing. I do cross-country ski, though, and there are plenty of places to do that, too. As far as downhill, often some of the slopes will offer discount season passes to UVM students.

5. Can't speak from experience, second-hand or otherwise, but I can't imagine you'd have a problem finding a place to stable a horse outside of town somewhere. Probably be at least a 15-20 minute drive, but I'd wager you could find something.

6. Traffic can be a pain, parking is ok.

7. Hey, what happened to seven? =)

8. Ooo, now you're talking. Radio Bean is a must check-out...quirky cafe by day, small bar by night. Near that is New World Tortilla, with burritos as big as your forearm for like, $6...they also opened a second location in the new student center. New Moon Cafe is good study-type place, with salads, sandwiches, quiches, and all sort of coffee drinks and smoothies. If it's still there, Pacific Rim is a great little spot to get good Asian food (read: actually tasty and not uber greasy) for pretty reasonable prices. Also, the Klinger's sandwich kiosk on Church St sells sandwiches for half-price after 3 (or sometime around 3...I forget exactly)...it's not something they actively advertise, but just ask. I was so proud of myself for finding that out. =) You can also find a good quick lunch at City Market; it's a pretty hopping place around dinner times. Sunday brunch at the Indian restaurant on Winooski is a good deal too. (As you can see, most of my suggestions revolve around not spending too much money...) But, if you are looking to splurge on a nice weekend dinner out, my favs were the two Thai places: Parima and Tantra. Note that Parima sometimes has live bands on the weekends, so can be loud depending on when you go; Tantra doesn't. And the best part is, all these places are easily walkable from campus. (yey for walkability!)

[Astaroth]

I've been accepted! Time to re-read this whole thread

[Astaroth]

Can anyone recommend a bank to open an account with? Hopefully one which can get my account up and running with a debit card very quickly.

[GirlattheHelm]

Can anyone recommend a bank to open an account with? Hopefully one which can get my account up and running with a debit card very quickly.

I use Key Bank and was pleasantly surprised that there are about 5 Key Banks within a ten mile radius of Burlington. That's an option.

[khamylak]

1.) As far as housing is concerned, should I go for an off campus place or utilize the Graduate Student Housing offered by UVM?

I did my undergrad at UVM but had to google Grad. housing. It is not on campus. Not even within walking distance (a very long walk if so). I would look into a regular apartment first, unless the price is great for grad housing.

2.) I'll be there roughly two years, I'm single, and I'm tired of coming home to nothing. I'm getting a freakin' dog (or think I am) but my real question is, how 'dog-friendly' is Burlington (and UVM for that matter)? Where I went for my undergraduate, I couldn't get housing if I had a three inch lizard that lived in my pocket. Ironicly, people brought their dogs to campus like it was their job - or that they were attempting to hide from their landlord.

Burlington is super dog friendly. Campus is friendly, but pets can't go IN buildings. But people would play with puppies on the green all the time (trying to pick up girls maybe). But none of the UVM housing that I know of allows any pet except for fish.

3.) All right, commuting sucks but I have a car, will drive, and am thinking that maybe someplace nice to live slightly outside of Burlington would be feasible. But, then again, I haven't the slightest clue as to whether or not that's true - anybody have any ideas, folks?

Try Redrock appartments off of route 7. Here is a link (its 4 bdrms, but it has pics so at least you can get an idea). I think most of the condos have 2+ bedrooms. My best friend lived there senior year and it was 4 bedrooms 2.5 baths, 1 car garage, 1 driveway parking, and then "guest/open" parking just 50 feet down sidewalk.

4.) How important is it that I reattempt skiing? Where are the best skiing locations?

I didn't ski/board once in the 4 years I went to school there.

5.) Anybody do anything with the equestrian life at UVM? Anybody stable a horse or talk to people that do that kind of stuff? I so badly want to take one of my horses to school with me...

Sorry, no idea.

6.) How's traffic? Parking?

Traffic can get congested around rush hour but normally it is fine. Parking is normally fine. But look out for parking tickets on campus!

8.) Best eateries and cafes to hang out, pig out, and study at - name some if yah can.

3 tomoatos for "fancier/more expensive" pasta/Itailan food. Skinny pancake for crepes. There is a chinese place behind McDonalds on route 7, by the movie theater, that looks creepy but is a good sit down Chinese place.

Sorry if this is rambling. My boss is telling me a story. Oye. Let me know if you want more information. Congrats on getting in to UVM!

[ScoutFinch]

I realize that it has been several years since anyone posted on this forum, but I've started apartment hunting. I have a couple schools to hear back from still, but right now it looks like I'll be living in Burlington come August for a couple of years. I was wondering if anyone had any advice or if perhaps anyone knew about the potential to find affordable, furnished apartments.

[Vene]

Bumping this thread because nobody has posted here for a couple of years and I am very likely to head out to UVM. Is there anything special I should know about the area? Such as where to go for finding an apartment, where to go for inexpensive food (google maps doesn't mention an Aldi's or Save-A-Lot, but I assume there has to be something similar), or just miscellaneous things a non-Vermonter should know about the place and people.

[legan]

I don't know what Aldi's or Save A Lot are, but one of the more popular grocery chains in that Vermont/New York area is Price Chopper, and I'm pretty sure there's one in Burlington. It's pretty inexpensive, and it's just your average supermarket.

[Vene]

I don't know what Aldi's or Save A Lot are, but one of the more popular grocery chains in that Vermont/New York area is Price Chopper, and I'm pretty sure there's one in Burlington. It's pretty inexpensive, and it's just your average supermarket.

Okay, thanks. Never heard of that one, but I'm west of the Mississippi River. I'm wanting to get an idea of how much more expensive Vermont will be, the cost of a rental out there is definitely more than I'm used to.

[Henry Hudson]

Closest Aldi's is in Plattsburgh, NY, which is a generally an hour away by car (depending on the ferry schedule. and the ferry doesn't make the trip cost-effective). No Save-A-Lot up there. 

 

Price Chopper is based out of Upstate NY, so I'm not surprised you haven't heard of it. Hannaford/Shop n Save is slightly pricier, but has much better selections. The New England chain Shaw's should be in Burlington, too, as I recall. 

 

There are lots of organic foods and co-ops around.  This may help: http://www.examiner.com/article/top-5-grocery-budget-countdown-for-burlington-vt-city-market

 

Burlington is a vibrant small-medium sized city with lots to offer, and one of the places I would live, all things being equal. I have been there a lot, but never lived there, so there is a limit to what I can advise. 

[neuropanic]

How easy would it be to rent a house there? Would it be affordable? I will most likely have 3 dogs by the time I go, and they are very important to me. I would like to have a yard for a lot of reasons, so I figure a house would be the best bet.

[Sleam]

Montpelier, VT. Any suggestions on housing? Hikes? Neighborhood cafes? I'll be a graduate student with 2 dogs and a cat called Stevie. ?

[mallorytroy]

I'm thinking about going to UVM for grad school. I'm from Chicago, so a big city, but did my undergrad at the University of Iowa. Thoughts on Burlington? Would the move be worth it?

[punctilious]

On 1/6/2018 at 12:52 AM, mallorytroy said:

I'm thinking about going to UVM for grad school. I'm from Chicago, so a big city, but did my undergrad at the University of Iowa. Thoughts on Burlington? Would the move be worth it?

I went to UVM for undergrad. Burlington is quite cute, but it will feel VERY small if you're from Chicago. It depends on if you're into that? It's of course beautiful, and very liberal, but cold (I'm sure you're used to that). Great for outdoorsy types, as there are plenty of winter sport opportunities close by, and the lake/hiking/biking in the summer. It's also decently close to Montreal and Boston if you're looking to visit bigger cities.

Personally, even though I'm from a small Vermont town, I'd never move back. It just feels too small for me.

UVM itself is a great school, though that of course varies by program/department.

[bibliophile222]

On 4/9/2017 at 8:03 PM, Sleam said:

Montpelier, VT. Any suggestions on housing? Hikes? Neighborhood cafes? I'll be a graduate student with 2 dogs and a cat called Stevie. ?

It's been a while since I lived in Montpelier, so I'm sure cafes have changed a bit, but when it comes to hiking, Hubbard Park is fantastic, with a bunch of hilly trails and a really cool stone tower at the summit. Great place to watch fireworks! 

[Dogfish Head]

Is anyone else moving to Burlington in the Fall to start a graduate program?

[bibliophile222]

4 hours ago, Dogfish Head said:

Is anyone else moving to Burlington in the Fall to start a graduate program?

Yes! I'll be starting my Masters in Speech-Language Pathology. The plan is to find an apartment for August 1st and move up around the 15th, so I can keep making money as long as possible. Have you visited? I grew up in Vermont but had not been to the Burlington area in many years. I visited in March and found it so beautiful and welcoming that it definitely influenced my decision, although I'm a bit bummed to be moving back into the (slightly) colder climate. I'm kind of terrified about housing costs and will definitely be taking out loans. I'll be moving with my boyfriend into a one-bedroom apartment, and the goal is to find a somewhat decent place under $1000, but we'll see.

[Dogfish Head]

On 5/5/2018 at 2:45 PM, bibliophile222 said:

Yes! I'll be starting my Masters in Speech-Language Pathology. The plan is to find an apartment for August 1st and move up around the 15th, so I can keep making money as long as possible. Have you visited? I grew up in Vermont but had not been to the Burlington area in many years. I visited in March and found it so beautiful and welcoming that it definitely influenced my decision, although I'm a bit bummed to be moving back into the (slightly) colder climate. I'm kind of terrified about housing costs and will definitely be taking out loans. I'll be moving with my boyfriend into a one-bedroom apartment, and the goal is to find a somewhat decent place under $1000, but we'll see.

Nice! I am also in the process of trying to find an apartment for relatively cheap. My program is funded, but I definitely won't be rolling in dough or anything of that nature so the high housing costs are stressful. I have an account on their off-campus roommate service, but so far I have had no luck with that unfortunately. I have lived in PA for most of my life so moving to VT is a bit weird, but I am really excited to start graduate school.