Things only people from Brattleboro, VT understand

“Why did you bring your own maple syrup with you to college?”

Growing up in a small town is something city kids will never understand. Despite the vicious cycle of finding one reason to hate it and two more reasons to love it, Brattleboro, Vermont is a town straight out of a postcard. Though small town life can be frustrating, there’s really nowhere else on Earth like it.

For a place no one has every heard of, it’s pretty easy to find

Situated on the border of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Brattleboro is easily accessible from almost anywhere. Despite hearing, “Oh, Vermont! So you live in Burlington?” more times than we can count, Brattleboro is less than two hours from Boston, four hours from NYC and four hours from Montreal. 

After leaving and coming back, you appreciate how beautiful Vermont is

In a small town, it’s often easy to forget you live in such a beautiful place. It’s wonderful to be able to hike the Pinnacle in Putney, walk the retreat trails and even head to New Hampshire’s Mount Wantastiquet to remind us of the beauty of southern Vermont.

Photo courtesy of Putneypics

Home to New England’s only Olympic-sized ski jump, high schoolers complete their required community service and tourists come from all over to watch the Harris Hill Ski Jump two-day competition every February.

You get tired of the eating options…but you love them anyway

Whether it’s standing in line for chicken sticks from Anons at the summer Farmers Market, running by Amy’s Bakery after 6PM to snag the free bread outside or doing a local craft beer tasting at the Hermit Thrush Brewery, you think you get tired of the choices but you know you never will. Downtown Brattleboro is host to some of the most diverse local eating, dining and brewery options in the Northeast, all found within a few blocks of each other. If you crave a funky atmosphere with drinks and live music, there are numerous restaurants and bars overlooking the stunning Connecticut River with events almost every night.

You’re continuously surprised that so many talented people can live in such a small community

Monthly gallery walks are commonplace for this vibrant, artsy community. Many galleries and shops display artwork from local, regional and international artists. Every summer is our Running of the Bulls-inspired Strolling of the Heifers Parade, preceded by a gallery walk filled with local vendors, live music and dancing in the streets. It’s such a lively community that even those not prone to dancing find themselves joining in on the fun.

Photo courtesy of Caleb Kenna

There’s always something to do

To expand on the communal love of performance, Brattleboro is home to the historic Latchis Theater, a circus training center and local youth theater as well as talented local bands and street performers. If that’s not enough for you, Brattleboro also features a number of festivals each year, including the Brattleboro Dawn Dance, the Brattleboro Film Festival and the Southern Vermont Dance Festival.

Photo courtesy of Zachary P. Stephens, Brattleboro Reformer

The feeling of belonging somewhere

Growing up in Brattleboro has its pros and cons. It’s great being able to walk into town and spend hours in the little shops with friends without actually buying anything, although running to the store to pickup tampons is less enjoyable when you bump into your middle school math teacher in the grocery line. Whether it’s seeing your teachers at the Flat Street Pub, or seeing a friend wearing the shirt you just brought to Experienced Goods the week before, it’s nearly impossible to go somewhere without seeing a familiar face.

Photo courtesy of strollingoftheheifers.com

Meaningful contribution

Almost all of the shops in downtown are locally owned–our friends, neighbors and teachers create merchandise that’s nearly impossible to find elsewhere. This community loves to support each other. There are at least four independent bookstores, two record stores, four vintage boutiques, a few coffee shops/bakeries and the award-winning CO-OP.

Photo by Elizabeth Ungerleider

Growing up in Brattleboro, you gain a sense of community that’s difficult to find elsewhere. Just one visit and people see why everyone keeps coming back.

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