# What Northeast Ski Town in the Northeast Would You Move To?



## AdironRider (Jul 19, 2011)

Disregard boring reasons like jobs or what have you, thats a sensible exercise. Im more interested in the town, mountain, terrain, snowfall, community etc. 

If nothign was holding you back, what Northeast ski town would you move to permanently?


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## deadheadskier (Jul 19, 2011)

Stowe


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## Puck it (Jul 19, 2011)

Jackson, NH or Sugar HiIl, NH


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## Grassi21 (Jul 19, 2011)

Warren


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## Nick (Jul 19, 2011)

Argh, I have no idea. Toss up between white mountains and VT somewhere. I would still want to make sure I was in a great summer spot as well for the off season.


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## AdironRider (Jul 19, 2011)

Puck it said:


> Jackson, NH or Sugar HiIl, NH



I always have loved Sugar Hill but is there a downtown type area with shops and restaurants?


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## Puck it (Jul 19, 2011)

AdironRider said:


> I always have loved Sugar Hill but is there a downtown type area with shops and restaurants?


 
No, not really. Franconia is very close.


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## gmcunni (Jul 19, 2011)

Grassi21 said:


> Warren



+1


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## Puck it (Jul 19, 2011)

Nick said:


> Argh, I have no idea. Toss up between white mountains and VT somewhere. I would still want to make sure I was in a great summer spot as well for the off season.


 
That is what Nantucket is for.


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## Nick (Jul 19, 2011)

Puck it said:


> That is what Nantucket is for.



I think I'd end up being near Franconia somewhere.


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## HowieT2 (Jul 19, 2011)

Warren-waitsfield/MRV.  hands down.


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## snoseek (Jul 19, 2011)

Probably Stowe although I actually kind of like Littleton just because its centrally located and not a ski town. What is it here that draws you back? Tired of Jackson? Want to be closer to family? I personally am counting the days to get back west, its nice here but 11 months is too long of a visit for me.....

I mean if your going to actually live in a ski town then obviously skiing is going to be a top priority. wouldn't staying put make more sense?


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## deadheadskier (Jul 19, 2011)

Puck it said:


> That is what Nantucket is for.



.....well, the OP did say 'permanent' move, so it sounds like he's looking for a one home scenario.


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## AdironRider (Jul 19, 2011)

If it were up to me Id stay in Jackson and be done with it. However, the community out here actually kinda blows for more of a family structure type lifestyle opposed to the ski bum lifestyle. Schools are pretty weak sauce as well. 

Better half has a much "closer" family structure. Every single one of them down to like third cousins live within a couple hours of Portland ME. Even with this she is still on the fence. She was also a 4 time national champion wakeboarder, which is not really an activity to enjoy in Jackson. 

Wouldnt be for a couple years, but I told her if we were to move its only to a ski town in the Northeast, and Id be semi-retiring if we did it. She actually seems open to the idea.

Right now my top three in order or preference are Lake Placid, Bethel, and Stowe. If I were to move Id be building our house and starting a custom canoe company so water is pretty important for both of us I suppose. Money, not so much. Stowe isnt the best fit but Champlain isnt to far and VT just kills it on the skiing aspect.


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## 4aprice (Jul 19, 2011)

Always had an affinity for North Conway NH.  I've always wanted to go up during the holiday season but have never made it.  I picture it as very pretty with the snow and the lights.  Jeffersonville Vt is not much but I remember some pleasant times there as a youth.  Not really a ski town but my new favorite might be Castleton Vermont.  Beautiful Main Street and a really nice lake near by.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ


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## deadheadskier (Jul 19, 2011)

AdironRider said:


> Stowe isnt the best fit but Champlain isnt to far and VT just kills it on the skiing aspect.



Stowe would be as good or better than Bethel for a water sports business.  You've got Waterbury Reservoir 5 miles one way (great wakeboarding lake, have friends out there almost everyday in the summer) , Lake Elmore within 10 miles, Green River Reservoir within 15.

Overall Maine kills VT in terms of lakes/rivers, but I think Stowe is a better base for water sports than Bethel.

Sunday River is a good mountain, but doesn't compare to Stowe for the type of riding it would appear you prefer to do.


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## snowmonster (Jul 19, 2011)

Boston is my ski town since it's equidistant to each northern New England state. However, since we're talking about "real" northeast ski towns, there can only be one: Stowe, VT.


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## Geoff (Jul 19, 2011)

If you had to limit it to one place to live for the 4 seasons, I'd pick Portland, Maine.   Burlington, Vt would be #2.


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## AdironRider (Jul 19, 2011)

Geoff said:


> If you had to limit it to one place to live for the 4 seasons, I'd pick Portland, Maine.   Burlington, Vt would be #2.



Ski towns, not cities close to an hour away from skiing (I know Burlington is slightly closer than that, but not by much). I can see why people would want to live there though. 

Deadhead, interesting on the Bethel vs. Stowe thing. I guess I just never explored much more than around Mansfield itself. The wakeboarding thing would be for pure pleasure reasons at this point, I would be more of the leisure business with cedar canvas canoes.

Were going to back in the Northeast in September for two weeks to check all the places out. Weve been gone five years now and I think were both a little rusty on our memory knowledge of these individual ski towns back East.


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## Geoff (Jul 19, 2011)

AdironRider said:


> Ski towns, not cities close to an hour away from skiing (I know Burlington is slightly closer than that, but not by much). I can see why people would want to live there though.
> 
> Deadhead, interesting on the Bethel vs. Stowe thing. I guess I just never explored much more than around Mansfield itself. The wakeboarding thing would be for pure pleasure reasons at this point, I would be more of the leisure business with cedar canvas canoes.



OK, then Aspen.


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## snoseek (Jul 19, 2011)

There's lots of nice little towns outside of Portland along some real nice lakes heading towards the mountains. Between good snowmaking and great snow preservaton Maine skis pretty good IMO. Lets face it, even though northern vt gets the goods, it still rains just like anywhere else. Those storms that track up the Hudson Valley can put a hurtin for everyone. Who can offer a good skiable surface the quickest after it drops back down is Clutch!

Maine taxes are a ridiculous however. I feel like its a poorly run state. If your truly looking to settle down then carefully look at N.H. . I only say carefully because maybe a school system is important in the future and N.H. public is very hit or miss I bet.


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## snoseek (Jul 19, 2011)

AdironRider said:


> Ski towns, not cities close to an hour away from skiing (I know Burlington is slightly closer than that, but not by much). I can see why people would want to live there though.
> 
> Deadhead, interesting on the Bethel vs. Stowe thing. I guess I just never explored much more than around Mansfield itself. The wakeboarding thing would be for pure pleasure reasons at this point, I would be more of the leisure business with cedar canvas canoes.
> 
> Were going to back in the Northeast in September for two weeks to check all the places out. Weve been gone five years now and I think were both a little rusty on our memory knowledge of these individual ski towns back East.



I did a couple years in Bethel. Real low key town with lots of normal people. 
There is a good ski culture. Plenty of lakes in the area! SR is fun despite the fact that snow is sorta low. Probably a little more redneck than Stowe. Definately gonna be cheaper. Tel-Star is the local school, don't know much about that. Overall Bethel to me seems like less of a tourist destination that Stowe but that can be good for some.....


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## Vortex (Jul 19, 2011)

Want to be on a lake near a mountain.  Either the southern whites or West Maine Mtns.  Bethel or Waterville regions.  I like the southern Whites for hiking and the Western Maine Mts for turns. One or the other.  Still up in the air where I will retire.


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## bobbutts (Jul 19, 2011)

Conway area is compelling, for it's variety of activities year round.  If you just want beautiful skiing and lake and don't mind being way out there, how about Rangely?


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## WWF-VT (Jul 19, 2011)

Fayston, VT and the Mad River Valley.  We already own a place at the base of Mt Ellen and enjoy the area in all four seasons.


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## from_the_NEK (Jul 19, 2011)

Littleton, NH - 
Nice downtown.
Moore/Comerford Reservoirs and CT river for water recreation. (45 min to Lake Willoughby, 1 hr to Lake Winnipesaukee). 
Great MTB right in town. 
15 min to Cannon, 35 to Burke.
Centrally located for access to N VT, NH, ME ski areas (1 hr 15 min to Stowe, 1 hr 25 min to Jay, 3 hr to Sugarloaf).
Right on I-93 with easy access to S New England (Boston 2 hr 25 min)
1 hr 40 min to Burlington, VT
2 hr 35 min to Portland, ME


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## Vortex (Jul 19, 2011)

Rangely, have not thought much about going that far. I own in both the southern whites and Newry.  Kind of like what I have seen. toyed with Newry for the winter and The whites for the Summer.


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## skiberg (Jul 19, 2011)

I have been in the process of Moving to Bethlehem NH for a few years. Great little town. Bohemian and artsy. Minutes to Cannon. 45 to Burke  and Wildcat and 1.25 to Stowe. Although we never go anywhere but Cannon anymore. We considered the Stowe, Warren Waitsfield area as well but the Cannon area is just much easier to get to from RI.


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## wa-loaf (Jul 19, 2011)

Bridgeton is a cool little town.


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## lolkl (Jul 19, 2011)

skiberg said:


> I have been in the process of Moving to Bethlehem NH for a few years. Great little town. Bohemian and artsy. Minutes to Cannon. 45 to Burke  and Wildcat and 1.25 to Stowe. Although we never go anywhere but Cannon anymore. We considered the Stowe, Warren Waitsfield area as well but the Cannon area is just much easier to get to from RI.



What about all the enviromental damage? I have been reading that there are piles of concrete, exposed rock and tire tracks. When the word hits the mainstream I figure real estate prices will free fall. There could be deals if you can handle the devestation.


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## jimmywilson69 (Jul 19, 2011)

lolkl said:


> What about all the enviromental damage? I have been reading that there are piles of concrete, exposed rock and tire tracks. When the word hits the mainstream I figure real estate prices will free fall. There could be deals if you can handle the devestation.



:razz::lol::razz::lol::razz::lol::razz::lol::razz::lol::razz::lol::razz::lol::razz::lol::razz::lol:


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## AdironRider (Jul 19, 2011)

Girl is from Standish ME, so Bridgeton is a little to close for me. 

She really likes Conway, I think its a little to strip mallish, but the Mt Washington area is pretty awesome for outdoorsy type stuff. I could be open to Bartlett or Jackson, but while I enjoy Wildcat and Attitash, I dont know if I could like them for years on end. 

@snoseek - Thanks for the tip on Bethel. We are definitely looking for more of a community feel. After 5 years in Jackson were both getting a little tired of transients and trust funder washouts who are in their mid 30's still living off Mom and Dad. Similar to Wildcat/Attitash though, not sure I could like Sunday River as my home hill for years.


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## HD333 (Jul 19, 2011)

Hands down North Conway/Conway.


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## deadheadskier (Jul 19, 2011)

AdironRider said:


> @snoseek - Thanks for the tip on Bethel. We are definitely looking for more of a community feel. After 5 years in Jackson were both getting a little tired of transients and trust funder washouts who are in their mid 30's still living off Mom and Dad. Similar to Wildcat/Attitash though, not sure I could like Sunday River as my home hill for years.



if that's the case, then Waterbury would probably be more to your liking than Stowe.  It's more of a 'real' town than Stowe.


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## Newpylong (Jul 19, 2011)

I would def live in North Conway...


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## Warp Daddy (Jul 19, 2011)

North Conway - sheer variety of skiing plus great town
Placid----------- awesome yr round town and scenery

Sleeper choice  would be Bridgeton Me almost same situation as NC plus nice local hill ; local low density and nice lake  and close to the Coast


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## snoseek (Jul 19, 2011)

Yeah Waterbury would work real nice. Coming from j-hole you probably are going to want to ski some natural snow. sunday River is plenty big with a great variety but is definately all about the manmade snow. Rangely is a great place I would imagine with awesome skiing close but possibly a little remote. The lakes in the rangely area are amongst the finest in the northeast IMO.


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## powhunter (Jul 19, 2011)

Probably New Hartford CT...  Or Killington VT


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## bigbob (Jul 19, 2011)

Adiron Rider said:


> I always have loved Sugar Hill but is there a downtown type area with shops and restaurants?



About the only place to eat in Sugar hill is Polly's Pancake House, with real maple syrup. A friend of mine built a new house about a mile north of the Peabody Lodge at Cannon, just below Mittersill. They have been living there for about a year now and no complaints. Most of the activity is either north in Littleton or south in Lincoln. They roll the sidewalks up in Franconia at about 7 PM! He can see the top of Cannon from his living room window and they like to watch the groomers at night.


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## riverc0il (Jul 19, 2011)

deadheadskier said:


> if that's the case, then Waterbury would probably be more to your liking than Stowe.  It's more of a 'real' town than Stowe.


I think Waterbury is the ideal ski location to live. Kinda a small town, right off the interstate, and route 100 either way gets you to the best skiing in New England. Short drive to Burlington without actually living in Burlington and dealing with the traffic and high cost of property. Straight shot down to Boston or up to Montreal for big cities. 

I really like where we live right now. Sandwiched right between the lakes region and the white mountain region, I get to live where most folks vacation. It is easy to forget and I try to remind myself of that frequently. 

Not much of a fan of North Conway, too built up and too much of a tourist trap and not much great skiing close by excepting Mount Wash.

Mad River Valley... uke:

West Leb and the Upper Valley would be a good place to live. Decent sized towns in that neck of the woods for northern NH and 1-2 hours to pretty much everywhere in NH/VT. No close option for great mountains though.


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## Edd (Jul 19, 2011)

Gotta go with downtown Burlington.  So much skiing close to a fairly substantial town.  I need a decent nightlife, preferably within walking distance of where I live.


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## AdironRider (Jul 19, 2011)

Waterbury huh? Never really gave it much thought as I always drove right past it to the Cabot factory store for some free cheese then onwards to Stowe. Well have to spend a day there. 

I guess I should clarify that while a downtown with shops and restuarants would be nice (Im a foodie), its not the end all be all. Id gladly take skiing over apres any day of the week.


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## deadheadskier (Jul 19, 2011)

Waterbury has both the best brew pub in ski country and best restaurant IMO.

http://www.alchemistbeer.com/

http://www.henofthewood.com/index.html


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## AdironRider (Jul 19, 2011)

deadheadskier said:


> Waterbury has both the best brew pub in ski country and best restaurant IMO.
> 
> http://www.alchemistbeer.com/
> 
> http://www.henofthewood.com/index.html



My man! Thats what Im talking about. Ill try to set up some dinner reservations when we roll through in September.


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## bigbob (Jul 19, 2011)

skiberg said:


> I have been in the process of Moving to Bethlehem NH for a few years. Great little town. Bohemian and artsy. Minutes to Cannon. 45 to Burke  and Wildcat and 1.25 to Stowe. Although we never go anywhere but Cannon anymore. We considered the Stowe, Warren Waitsfield area as well but the Cannon area is just much easier to get to from RI.



You forgot to mention Cassellas landfill in Bethlehem...


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## AdironRider (Jul 19, 2011)

We actually looked at a place in Bethlehem for shits and giggles a few years back. All of the properties were really cool old large homes, only thing was like half of them were in the pits. That is a town with potential though ,thats for sure.


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## mattchuck2 (Jul 19, 2011)

Lake Placid . . . Lakefront on Lake Placid with a boat and walking (or short bike) distance to the village.  That would be the good life.

Only downside is the 15 minute drive to Whiteface . . . Ehhh, I guess no place is perfect.


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## mattchuck2 (Jul 19, 2011)

Also, AdironRider, haven't you been living out west for the past few years?  Why are you moving back (out of curiosity)?


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## WWF-VT (Jul 19, 2011)

AdironRider said:


> My man! Thats what Im talking about. Ill try to set up some dinner reservations when we roll through in September.



No reservations at the Alchemist.  Hen of the Wood is outstanding - be sure to get your reservation well in advance if you plan to go on a weekend night


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## witch hobble (Jul 19, 2011)

Rangeley, North Creek, maybe Davis, WV.

I don't need much in the way of apres anything.


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## andyzee (Jul 19, 2011)

AdironRider said:


> Ski towns, not cities close to an hour away from skiing (I know Burlington is slightly closer than that, but not by much). I can see why people would want to live there though.
> 
> Deadhead, interesting on the Bethel vs. Stowe thing. I guess I just never explored much more than around Mansfield itself. The wakeboarding thing would be for pure pleasure reasons at this point, I would be more of the leisure business with cedar canvas canoes.
> 
> Were going to back in the Northeast in September for two weeks to check all the places out. Weve been gone five years now and I think were both a little rusty on our memory knowledge of these individual ski towns back East.





AdironRider said:


> Right now my top three in order or preference are Lake Placid, Bethel, and Stowe. If I were to move Id be building our house and starting a custom canoe company so water is pretty important for both of us I suppose. Money, not so much. Stowe isnt the best fit but Champlain isnt to far and VT just kills it on the skiing aspect.



Question, how is Lake Placid a ski town, but Burlington not?


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## AdironRider (Jul 19, 2011)

mattchuck2 said:


> Also, AdironRider, haven't you been living out west for the past few years?  Why are you moving back (out of curiosity)?



I kinda went over it a few pages back, but the new wife has a bunch of family back east. I want to stay in Jackson, but could be sold on the idea (more likely easier than not). 

Anyways, if it came down to it Id probably still pull for Lake Placid. I miss 3100 vert 5 minute downhill scrambles and Ubu ales. And I haven't gotten to ride the expansion yet. Little house close to downtown Lake Placid would be enough for me. Thats actually attainable. In Jackson itd be a million bucks just for the lot the place sits on. Thats another reason, unless I want condo living, Im not buying in Jackson.


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## witch hobble (Jul 19, 2011)

andyzee said:


> Question, how is Lake Placid a ski town, but Burlington not?



It is closer to a big hill.  And it is marketed by said big hill as part of the experience.


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## AdironRider (Jul 19, 2011)

andyzee said:


> Question, how is Lake Placid a ski town, but Burlington not?



Really? I wouldnt exactly call Burlington a town per say, and your 45 minutes from Stowe or Smuggs whereas Whiteface is maybe 15. Thats closer than Teton Village is to Jackson. Theres probably 10x the year round population in Burlington as opposed to Lake Placid.  

Burlington is a city near skiing.


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## UVSHTSTRM (Jul 19, 2011)

Being a former Mainer, I would probably pick Rangeley, Me.  Close to Saddleback and Sugarloaf is huge, plus ice fishing and great snowmobiling.  As simple person it has enough for me to do in regards to apres activities....basically if I can buy beer and drink at home I am set.  They also have a new bowling alley with pool tables and bar, along with many other mom and pop bars/eateries.  Then during the summer you have world class fishing right out the front door, and other great summer options such as top notch white water rafting just a couple hours away.  It's also fairly affordable.


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## andyzee (Jul 19, 2011)

AdironRider said:


> Really? I wouldnt exactly call Burlington a town per say, and your 45 minutes from Stowe or Smuggs whereas Whiteface is maybe 15. Thats closer than Teton Village is to Jackson. Theres probably 10x the year round population in Burlington as opposed to Lake Placid.
> 
> Burlington is a city near skiing.



So what is the official proximately of a town to a ski mountain to qualify it as a ski town. Oh by the way, Burlington is 24 miles from Bolton Valley, Lake Placid is 19 miles from Whiteface.


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## Moe Ghoul (Jul 19, 2011)

andyzee said:


> Lake Placid is 19 miles from Whiteface.



9 miles


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## Harvey (Jul 19, 2011)

witch hobble said:


> ..North Creek, ...
> 
> I don't need much in the way of apres anything.



We'll leave the light on for ya.


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## AdironRider (Jul 19, 2011)

North Creek has been a possibility before, and not completely ruled out either.


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## witch hobble (Jul 19, 2011)

AdironRider said:


> North Creek has been a possibility before, and not completely ruled out either.



Are you primarily a boarder?


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## witch hobble (Jul 19, 2011)

harvey44 said:


> We'll leave the light on for ya.



Ha!


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## andyzee (Jul 19, 2011)

Moe Ghoul said:


> 9 miles




I stand corrected. But taking into consideration that Burlington is within an hour of Smugglers Notch, Stowe, Bolton Valley, Sugarbush, and Mad River Glen, I'd consider it more of a ski town than Lake Placid. Don't get me wrong, love Placid, but just don't agree with the statement concerning ski towns.


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## AdironRider (Jul 19, 2011)

witch hobble said:


> Are you primarily a boarder?



I had a Whiteface/Gore pass.


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## AdironRider (Jul 19, 2011)

andyzee said:


> I stand corrected. But taking into consideration that Burlington is within an hour of Smugglers Notch, Stowe, Bolton Valley, Sugarbush, and Mad River Glen, I'd consider it more of a ski town than Lake Placid. Don't get me wrong, love Placid, but just don't agree with the statement concerning ski towns.



Burlington city. Placid town. You cant realistically say the two places are all that comparable.


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## Angus (Jul 20, 2011)

UVSHTSTRM said:


> Being a former Mainer, I would probably pick Rangeley, Me.



agree, plus it has a fairly extensive publicly maintained XC ski network if I'm not mistaken. It is remote though.


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## deadheadskier (Jul 20, 2011)

andyzee said:


> I stand corrected. But taking into consideration that Burlington is within an hour of Smugglers Notch, Stowe, Bolton Valley, Sugarbush, and Mad River Glen, I'd consider it more of a ski town than Lake Placid. Don't get me wrong, love Placid, but just don't agree with the statement concerning ski towns.



The primary driving force of the economy in Lake Placid is tourism, which skiing is a part of in the winter time.

Tourism is not the primary driving force of the economy in Burlington.  Do tourists go there? Sure. But, the economy is based around the Universities, Hospital, Financial Services for N. VT, IBM, etc.  

Would you consider Rutland more of a ski town than Lake Placid?  It's within an hour of Killington/Pico, Okemo, Magic, Bromley and Middlebury Snowbowl.


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## andyzee (Jul 20, 2011)

deadheadskier said:


> The primary driving force of the economy in Lake Placid is tourism, which skiing is a part of in the winter time.
> .



That doesn't make it a ski town, that makes it a tourist town. If you want true ski towns, first that come to mind would be Killington, to a lesser extent, Ludlow and Stowe.

Edit: After thinking about it, you do have a valid point with economy being the deciding factor, but not sure if that would be the only factor. I consider Burlington a ski town if for nothing else, it is so close to so many mountains. I like to use it as a base of operations for skiing, for me, that makes it a ski town.


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## Glenn (Jul 20, 2011)

We're pretty happy with where the weekend place is located. It's not exactly a "ski town"...but maybe it will be when Maple Valley reopens.  :wink:


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## soposkier (Jul 20, 2011)

Rangeley....minutes to Saddleback, about 45 to Sugarloaf.  Arguably the best lakes in the region.  Doesn't get the touristy vibe as much as some other mentioned towns.  Sure its a lot more remote, but isnt that a good thing when looking for a ski/outdoors town?


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## vcunning (Jul 20, 2011)

Anywhere I could afford to be slopeside and wasn't an area that has potential to be NELSAP'd


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## Warp Daddy (Jul 20, 2011)

harvey44 said:


> We'll leave the light on for ya.



Dammit u guys ------ NOW the secret is out   --------------------- NC is "on the verge " Gore's expansion is impressive and the Way Laid Back vibe makes this place a real Dark Horse. Lake George in the summer Islands, Mtns,  Whitewater rafting , lots of golf ,   - cool location


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## Geoff (Jul 20, 2011)

soposkier said:


> Rangeley....minutes to Saddleback, about 45 to Sugarloaf.  Arguably the best lakes in the region.  Doesn't get the touristy vibe as much as some other mentioned towns.  Sure its a lot more remote, but isnt that a good thing when looking for a ski/outdoors town?



Depends on what you do for a living.   Unless you want a low-paying service job, you need to telecommute.   It's damned tough to have frequent business trips from Rangely.   No problem pulling that off from Stowe where you are 45 minutes from a real airport.   You can get to all the eastern hubs:  O'Hare, Detroit, Philly, Dulles, Newark, JFK, LGA.  The down side of the airport at Burlington is that there is no competition so, other than JetBlue, the flights tend to be really expensive.   I use Manchester NH instead of Burlington to get to Philly.   It's an extra 30 minutes of driving but the fares are double in Burlington unless you book weeks in advance.


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## x10003q (Jul 20, 2011)

How come nobody has mentioned Ellicottville, NY? It is home to the "highly ranked" Holiday Valley.  :roll:

Shocking.

I agree with vcunning's slopeside requirement. Walking out the back door for a dose works for me.


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## lolkl (Jul 20, 2011)

andyzee said:


> So what is the official proximately of a town to a ski mountain to qualify it as a ski town. Oh by the way, Burlington is 24 miles from Bolton Valley, Lake Placid is 19 miles from Whiteface.



You can't really compare Bolton and WF as far as ski terrain. LP is much more of a ski town than Burlington, in my opinion. I have spent a lot of time in each.
I think the MRV offers a bit more than either. You can always look at it as Burlington is only an hour away.
Before the Bridge troubles, Schroon Lake would put you in the middle of LP, Gore, MRV, Burlington and Killington. The trouble there is you would be living in Schroon Lake. 
Dude, you're living in JH. Did you ever go back and visit your old grade school or high school? There are places at JH that you havn't bothered to check on yet that are bigger and more fun than some places mentioned in this thread. You better come back and ski some of these places before making a decision in the Fall when everything is so pretty.


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## soposkier (Jul 20, 2011)

Geoff said:


> Depends on what you do for a living.   Unless you want a low-paying service job, you need to telecommute.   It's damned tough to have frequent business trips from Rangely.   No problem pulling that off from Stowe where you are 45 minutes from a real airport.   You can get to all the eastern hubs:  O'Hare, Detroit, Philly, Dulles, Newark, JFK, LGA.  The down side of the airport at Burlington is that there is no competition so, other than JetBlue, the flights tend to be really expensive.   I use Manchester NH instead of Burlington to get to Philly.   It's an extra 30 minutes of driving but the fares are double in Burlington unless you book weeks in advance.



yes, but wasnt the original question posed as to not take a job into consideration?  I think people like to live in places like Rangeley to get away from that sort of life.


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## AdironRider (Jul 20, 2011)

Yeah, not talking jobs here. Im more of the one to make it work regardless. I just want to live in a badass place.


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## drjeff (Jul 20, 2011)

AdironRider said:


> Yeah, not talking jobs here. Im more of the one to make it work regardless. I just want to live in a badass place.



I'd just rather live in "a place" rather than a "badass place" since all too often it seems like "badass" places tend to become just "bad" places after a bunch of folks(often just "asses" not "badasses") seek out the "badass place" lifestyle themselves


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## WWF-VT (Jul 20, 2011)

FWIW - Outside Magazine ranked Waitsfield, VT in the Best Towns 2010

http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/Best-Towns-2010--Waitsfield--Vermont.html


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## AdironRider (Jul 20, 2011)

drjeff said:


> I'd just rather live in "a place" rather than a "badass place" since all too often it seems like "badass" places tend to become just "bad" places after a bunch of folks(often just "asses" not "badasses") seek out the "badass place" lifestyle themselves



Yeah well there are tradeoffs with everything. My point was more along the lines of Im going to live where I want to live and make it work kinda thing.


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## witch hobble (Jul 20, 2011)

Cap-Chat? Oui?


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## bigbog (Jul 20, 2011)

So many towns, outside-of-towns....good reasons for/against = choose one?...that's tough..


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## Abubob (Jul 20, 2011)

Grassi21 said:


> Warren



Could this be the geological center of skiing, climbing and hiking country in VT and NH? I think so. Personally, I might pick Twin Mountain for a better jump off into Maine.


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## SkiFanE (Jul 20, 2011)

Adirondaker - we have a second home in Bethel, right in the village, can walk to everything and grab a free shuttle to SR.  We hope to retire there, bought it for skiing but turns out we love it.  Been up 2x in July, both weekends had big festivals in town, both weekends had fireworks.  This past weekend was parades, races...endless stuff to do.  For a town of ~2500 people, there is so much to do.  Gould brings in some 'culture'.  Our neighbors mow our lawn all summer...just what people do there.  Summer is just as fun as winter.  Lemme know if you have any Qs.  Also a few nice lakes within 10 miles of SR.


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## Geoff (Jul 20, 2011)

AdironRider said:


> Yeah, not talking jobs here. Im more of the one to make it work regardless. I just want to live in a badass place.



Some of us don't like being poor.   I promise I'll tip reasonably when you're waiting on my table at your badass town.


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## Cannonball (Jul 20, 2011)

It's a good, tough question.  I personally choose ocean first, access to mountains second.  So it's hard for me to really say what I'd do in your shoes.  But:

I'll give a +1 to Littleton, NH for all the reasons given

And for the sake of another option I'll throw out Newport, VT.  Good site selection could put you 15 min to Jay Peak and 15 min to Lake Memphremagog.  Out of the way, low key, striking distance to CAN.  Never looked into it but I could imagine it being more affordable than other places mentioned.


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## Geoff (Jul 20, 2011)

Cannonball said:


> It's a good, tough question.  I personally choose ocean first, access to mountains second.  So it's hard for me to really say what I'd do in your shoes.  But:
> 
> .



That's why I picked Portland, ME.   Actually, Falmouth Foreside.


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## AdironRider (Jul 20, 2011)

Geoff said:


> Some of us don't like being poor.   I promise I'll tip reasonably when you're waiting on my table at your badass town.



Ill make sure to have my server spit in your food then laugh all the next day at the hill while you work at your day job, wishing you were skiing.


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## Geoff (Jul 20, 2011)

AdironRider said:


> Ill make sure to have my server spit in your food then laugh all the next day at the hill while you work at your day job, wishing you were skiing.



I own the business.   You're fired.


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## AdironRider (Jul 20, 2011)

Ill see you in court.


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## Magog Fishy (Jul 20, 2011)

Yeah, I know we have had the debate about Burlington being a City and not a ski town but it is the only place in Northern New England I could see myself living in full-time – can’t beat the choice of Smuggs, Stowe, MRG, and the Bush. Plus a good grocery store (City Market) and Church Street. I like Portland, but personally not as much the skiing options.

Stowe/Waterbury would be the only true ski town that I could see myself in. Lake Placid would be my second choice. 

+1 to Newport (City), VT as an option – yeah, another non-skiing town. Nice feel to it. Lake Memphremagog at your door step plus Lake Seymour and Willoughby. Very affordable. 15-20 mins to Jay, 40 mins to Burke, Sutton, and Orford. 1:40ish all highway to Montreal, 3:45ish all highway to Boston. Some quality restaurants, plus w/ Derby feels like a town and not a small village. Jay could very well be the ski area with the most expansion over the next 10-15 years. Great hunting. Shopping (Walmart, Home Depot, etc.) in Magog/Sherbrooke, or you can pretty much buy everything at the Pick and Shovel (a classic). Employment though can be a bit tougher.


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## Geoff (Jul 20, 2011)

Magog Fishy said:


> Yeah, I know we have had the debate about Burlington being a City and not a ski town but it is the only place in Northern New England I could see myself living in full-time – can’t beat the choice of Smuggs, Stowe, MRG, and the Bush. Plus a good grocery store (City Market) and Church Street. I like Portland, but personally not as much the skiing options.
> 
> Stowe/Waterbury would be the only true ski town that I could see myself in. Lake Placid would be my second choice.
> 
> +1 to Newport (City), VT as an option – yeah, another non-skiing town. Nice feel to it. Lake Memphremagog at your door step plus Lake Seymour and Willoughby. Very affordable. 15-20 mins to Jay, 40 mins to Burke, Sutton, and Orford. 1:40ish all highway to Montreal, 3:45ish all highway to Boston. Some quality restaurants, plus w/ Derby feels like a town and not a small village. Jay could very well be the ski area with the most expansion over the next 10-15 years. Great hunting. Shopping (Walmart, Home Depot, etc.) in Magog/Sherbrooke, or you can pretty much buy everything at the Pick and Shovel (a classic). Employment though can be a bit tougher.



I drove down Rue Sherbrooke in Magog last March looking to buy some cheese curds for poutine.   I'd forgotten to pick it up when I was in Sherbrooke.  You'd never confuse it with Williston Road / Dorset Street.    I do a lot of business in Sherbrooke.   Nice place.


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## Razor (Jul 20, 2011)

If Rangeley were located 2 hours closer to civilization, you'd be talking Aspen prices for real estate.


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## Cannonball (Jul 20, 2011)

Razor said:


> If Rangeley were located 2 hours closer to civilization, you'd be talking Aspen prices for real estate.



If Rangley were located 2 hours closer to civilization...it would be Portland.


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## AdironRider (Jul 20, 2011)

Id like Jay, but the wife has already ruled it out completely, like not a chance. Bummer.

Although, personally I like Stowe more if it came down to it. I have never really seen much of a difference snow wise from Stowe in terms of quality. I


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## kingdom-tele (Jul 20, 2011)

AdironRider said:


> Id like Jay, but the wife has already ruled it out completely, like not a chance. Bummer.
> 
> Although, personally I like Stowe more if it came down to it. I have never really seen much of a difference snow wise from Stowe in terms of quality. I




Your not missing much (if town living is your desire)

I live outside of Newport and work there.  While it has a lot of attributes it is far from having amenities like placid, stowe, B-town, etc.  Moving here to live IN Newport City is about the dumbest thing I could imagine.  If people consider Newport a ski town you will be better of with St. J.  Even then though, I would think your looking for land, woods, your own hillside, not a suburb/town setting.  Might as well look for land in areas between resorts. As far as the NEK is concerned, you should plan on making your own fun, the town/ "city" rolls up the sidewalks pretty early

that being said.  could do a lot worse than East Burke.  good food, summer music and an expanding summer activity list, rivers, hike, bike, ski out your door, have some land, easy access to bigger bodies of water,  7 miles from the Interstate.  you should know just about everyone within a year


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## 4RunnerSkier (Jul 20, 2011)

A great town nobody's mentioned is Farmington, Maine. Real estate is very reasonable, you've got one of the top public liberal arts colleges in the country (UMF), 45 minutes to Sugarloaf, 50 minutes to Saddleback, and 1 hour to Sunday River. Plus you're reasonably close to all the big box stores in Augusta. There's also some great lakes nearby (Wilson, Webb, and Clearwater) and you're about 1 hr. 15 minutes from some of the East's best whitewater on the Kennebec and Dead Rivers. I'm a UMF grad and absolutely loved living there.


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## Cannonball (Jul 20, 2011)

4RunnerSkier said:


> A great town nobody's mentioned is Farmington, Maine. Real estate is very reasonable, you've got one of the top public liberal arts colleges in the country (UMF), 45 minutes to Sugarloaf, 50 minutes to Saddleback, and 1 hour to Sunday River. Plus you're reasonably close to all the big box stores in Augusta. There's also some great lakes nearby (Wilson, Webb, and Clearwater) and you're about 1 hr. 15 minutes from some of the East's best whitewater on the Kennebec and Dead Rivers. I'm a UMF grad and absolutely loved living there.



A close friend has been trying to sell his house in Farmington for 6-7(?) years.  Nice place...no takers.  Maybe it's the "very reasonable real estate" that's killing him.  If the OP or anyone else gets inspired by this pitch for Farmington PM me.


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## Edd (Jul 20, 2011)

4RunnerSkier said:


> A great town nobody's mentioned is Farmington, Maine. Real estate is very reasonable, you've got one of the top public liberal arts colleges in the country (UMF), 45 minutes to Sugarloaf, 50 minutes to Saddleback, and 1 hour to Sunday River. Plus you're reasonably close to all the big box stores in Augusta. There's also some great lakes nearby (Wilson, Webb, and Clearwater) and you're about 1 hr. 15 minutes from some of the East's best whitewater on the Kennebec and Dead Rivers. I'm a UMF grad and absolutely loved living there.



Good call.  I've driven through a hundred times and thought about what a fantastic location it's in for skiing.


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## deadheadskier (Jul 20, 2011)

Cannonball said:


> If Rangley were located 2 hours closer to civilization...it would be Portland.



Lewiston, uke:, but yeah, pretty much :lol:


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## Edd (Jul 20, 2011)

deadheadskier said:


> Lewiston, uke:, but yeah, pretty much :lol:



Not an appealing place.  There's an almost mystical crappiness about Lewiston.  Although I haven't been there in years.


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## jarrodski (Jul 21, 2011)

deadheadskier said:


> Stowe



i really miss it up there.  The whole place just reeks of where i'm gonna be when i'm older.  The tree skiing is second to none, and i still day dream of getting a Barn Burger and a Mountain Ale at the Shed everytime we had knee deep or better snow.


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## jarrodski (Jul 21, 2011)

powhunter said:


> Probably New Hartford CT...  Or Killington VT



:flag: Merica  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGSN7JVg1yQ


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## 4RunnerSkier (Jul 21, 2011)

Cannonball said:


> A close friend has been trying to sell his house in Farmington for 6-7(?) years.  Nice place...no takers.  Maybe it's the "very reasonable real estate" that's killing him.  If the OP or anyone else gets inspired by this pitch for Farmington PM me.



Real estate is pretty tough anywhere in Western Maine, especially if you're trying to sell. If anyone is looking to move to the area I would make sure it's for the right reasons. I ended up there because I love the outdoors and small town community. Good luck in your search!:beer:


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