Burlington, An Introduction

Burlington, An Introduction

One of the most extraordinary values of human life is the ability to communicate and make lasting bonds. Now that we have the internet, with the uncountable versions of social media, many people have lost that practice of making ties with their community. Furthermore, most business have become so involved with making money that they’ve forgotten what it is to be human. They’ve become “a well oiled machine.” Coming from LA, I know this mentality well. Of course, you do have your mom and pop shops in almost every location, but most cities are overwhelmingly packed with less than honest “big business.” Burlington, Vermont is one of those unique places that continues to be untainted and a majority of businesses haven’t lost their sense of propriety. The residents have overwhelming support for “the little guy.” More than 70% of businesses on one of the most popular areas of town, Church Street Marketplace, are local businesses. And that is part of Burlington’s charm. This support leads to a tight-knit community with a friendly demeanor.

First, I want to touch a bit more on the small town aspect of our “big” city. When I lived in Southern California, I had a special chamber in my heart dedicated to the small beach town vibe. The towns are so quaint, and every shop you enter has someone ready to strike up a jovial conversation. My lifestyle in LA was often not so sweet, so I frequently ventured to the small beach towns, where people seemed happy to be alive and genuinely welcoming of visitors. One day, during winter in Vermont, when I was longing for the sunny beaches of SoCal, I researched the population of one town I used to explore quite often in CA, San Clemente, compared to the town I frequent most often in Vermont, Burlington. You can’t fake my surprise when I learned that cute little town in SoCal is larger in number of residents than our largest city here in VT. There are around 42,284 people living in Burlington compared to 65,040 in one of my favorite little towns in CA.

One of the qualities I cherished most is the frequency of small local business and that is also what I appreciate most about Burlington. People like you and me spreading their desires and talents and being successful doing it. The American Dream is still very much alive in Vermont. If you want it enough and you work hard for it, you’ll achieve it! The comfort you feel from the modest business owners throughout the state just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy. Most people I’ve met in the city are transplants, or as they like to call us here, flatlanders. They are just passing thru and love the morals of the people and the natural lifestyle to the extent that they end up making their home here, at least extending their stay a little longer than expected, as I had when I first arrived for a month-and-a-half long stay.

Instead of going on-and-on about all the amazing things there are to do in Burlington, for now, I’ll leave you with a list. And as I continue to expose all the funtastic elements of Vermont’s great city, you can decide which rabbit hole you’d like to venture down.

Community Oriented:

Music and Art Festivals

Breweries – There are 11 in Burlington alone!

Comedy – Flynn and Vermont Comedy Club, Open Mic

Church St – 70% stores and restaurants locally owned

Nature Oriented:

Cheese and Maple syrup!

Playgrounds/parks/trails galore

Lake and beaches

Land still accessible for farming

Best winter resorts in the world

All natural lifestyle: Gardening, fishing, hunting

Fully renewable energy

Historical Town USA, 14th state of the union:

Old England charm, early 1900s architecture preserved

Ethan Allen

Lake Champlain and its development

UVM

 

Author: Tami Lantz