Any Brattleboro Area mamas wanna talk!

[Kaya's Mama]

I made a recent visit to Vermont and moving is always in my future since I am not settled where I am now. We didnt get to see Brattleboro when we went but I do want to visit there and check it out. I remember it was in Mothering's list of the best places to raise a family! we were right near it at one point.

So these are the things I am curious about.....

what are the elementary schools like?
are there mothering circles/playgroups?
what about natural health and childbirthing centers?
what is the sports recreation like for kids?
what is the crime status?

what is the downtown like?

I know housing is MUCH less than NJ but what about the standard of living in B. are jobs easy to come by....such as construction/labor kinda jobs.

thanks in advance if you got any comments! :)

[Elismama]

Hi Kaya's Mama,

I am about 40 minutes outside of Brattleboro. You ask some tough questions. I will try and answer them.

what are the elementary schools like?
Not sure, but VT in general has some of the top schools in the country. Our school funding law requires the state to provide equity- meaning that the same amount is spent on each child no matter if they are in a rich area or a poor area.

are there mothering circles/playgroups?
There is an active LLL group. The county Early Education Services is housed in Brattleboro and it is awesome. There is a toddler/small child play space called Kids Playce that offers weekly playgroups and yearly memberships- great place for young kids.

what about natural health and childbirthing centers?
There is a really terrific food coop in the center of town- it also houses a bulletin board with lots of information about alternative health. I'm not sure about childbirthing centers, but homebirth is covered by insurance here. Brattleboro seems to have a high percentage of massage therapists, acupuncturists, etc.

what is the sports recreation like for kids?
Not sure about this. Skiing, crosscountry and downhill, and snowboarding are not so far away. (I am in the ski belt). There are plenty of wonderful swimming holes and lakes for freshwater swimming in Southern VT.

what is the crime status?
Brattleboro is currently struggling with drugs- particularly heroin. It is in the news a lot- and policymakers are trying to deal with it. That said, it is a pretty safe place to live and I never feel vulnerable there as a woman walking alone at any time. I always feel safe there (and where we live we don't even lock our doors).

what is the downtown like?
Funky and fun. It is a very vital downtown full of boutiques, restaurants (many offering organic food), clothing stores, sporting equipment stores, etc. The coop is right downtown, as is a great movie theatre, a kids drama space, a teen center, and an awesome local brew pub (McNeills- If you visit and you like good beer it is a must), a train station, art galleries, etc.

Housing prices are lower than in the ski zone... it depends on what and where you are looking. I'm not sure about jobs- perhaps you could check out the Brattleboro Reformer-
www.reformer.com

About standard of living- we moved here just over 2 years ago from the DC metro area. Our quantity of life has gone down- we make less money, have less stuff. Our quality of life has gone way way up- we spend more time together, more time outside, and are more relaxed. We wouldn't change a thing.

Best wishes to you,
jeanie

[Kaya's Mama]

yeah! thanks Jeanie! You are such a sweetheart to answer my ?s! I will check out that link!

Drugs are everywhere here! I am more worried about all the real bad stuff that I see out here in NJ. Like car theft, murder, kidnapping, rape .....you get the point! I do want to live in an area where I feel safe walking alone!


:) THANK YOU!

[Elismama]

Great- if/when you get here we will have to get together for a cuppa- I love any excuse for visiting Brattleboro.

-jeanie