Living a College Town Lifestyle in Middlebury, Vermont

Middlebury, Vermont, located in western Vermont near the New York border, is home to one of America's top liberal arts colleges, Middlebury College. It has to be one of the top settings for a college town of anywhere.

Two of the big attractions of Middlebury are it writers conferences and summer language programs. For example, annual Bread Loaf Writers' Conference is the oldest writer's conference in the U.S. Others would argue that its pretty scenery in the hills of the Champlain Valley and small town setting are tops.

The Middlebury campus is on a hill west of the village of Middlebury. Students at Middlebury refer to it as "Club Midd." There are quads and open spaces along with views of the Green Mountains and the Adirondacks. Old Stone Row is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The postmodern architect Robert Venturi said, "Middlebury looks like what everyone thinks an American campus should be but seldom is."

Where to Retire in Middlebury and Home Prices

Retirees can live in town or in some of the active adult and independent living communities being built here, such as Eastview (a non-profit adult community). According to Zillow, the median home value was $377,925 in early 2023. The small number of homes for sale in this village make it difficult to come up with an exact price. Property tax averages a bit more than $3,000 on a home in that range.

What Is Special about Middlebury

Vibrant downtown in a small college town with recreational, intellectual and cultural amenities, with Burlington nearby. There are also many non-profit volunteer opportunities, a great local hospital and variety of housing types. Middlebury has an excellent local bookstore, the Vermont Book Shop, which has been a fixture in the local scene since 1949. The books are presented thoughtfully in handsome, well-lit cases.

What Is Not Special about Middlebury

Vermont winters, if you don't appreciate cold weather. Middlebury is remote from any large city, although Burlington is not too far.

Climate and Physical Environment

Middlebury is located in west-central Vermont near Otter Creek falls. Middlebury is bordered by the foothills of the Green Mountains to the east. Winters are cold (average low about 10 degrees or less), and summers warm (average high about 80).

Restaurants & Cultural Scene

The Breadloaf School of English and the Breadloaf Writers Conference provide a strong cultural infusion. The latter was the creation of Robert Frost. The summer foreign language schools are world famous. The Mahaney Center for the Arts serves as the college and community visual and performing arts facility. The Center hosts the Middlebury College Museum of Art, the Seeler Studio Theatre, dance theatre, music library, and a 370-seat recital hall.There are film programs in Dana Auditorium.

Crime

The crime rate is low in Middlebury, about a third of the national index.

Medical Facilities

Porter Medical Center

Transportation

Burlington International is 32 miles

Valuable Links

Town of Middlebury

Wikipedia on Middlebury
More community reviews at Topretirements
Mini-guide to retirement in Vermont
Middlebury College

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