Choosing To Live In Vermont Or New York - A Clear Choice

I've heard the suggestion that it’s hard for Vermont to compete with northern New York for new residents who can choose to live in either state. Some people say the cost of living is so much lower on the other side of Lake Champlain, why live in Vermont when you can live over in New York? Based on my personal experiences in both places, I don’t believe Vermont is at any disadvantage with respect to the Plattsburgh area of New York. I practiced law in Plattsburgh for a couple of years in the mid-1990’s, in the Plattsburgh office of the Albany, New York firm where I had worked during and immediately after law school. I moved my practice to Plattsburgh so I could keep my same job and move home to Vermont. I commuted to Plattsburgh on the Grand Isle ferry, which I thoroughly enjoyed. But from Day 1 working in Plattsburgh, it was clear to me that I would not prefer to live there.  The social culture of the Plattsburgh area doesn’t hold a candle to the social culture we enjoy throughout Vermont. Plattsburgh has a state university (SUNY Plattsburgh) and a community college (Clinton Community College) but Plattsburgh is not a college town with a lively economy of restaurants, taverns and interesting shops, like Burlington. Plattsburgh has many lakefront homes and camps but it is not a popular destination with a lively hospitality sector, like Burlington. The Plattsburgh area has many dairy farms but it’s not a community committed to preserving its farms and working landscape, like Vermont. The Plattsburgh area has natural features and receives lots of snow but it’s not a community of outdoor enthusiasts, like Vermont. As for arts and culture, residents in the Plattsburgh area generally need to travel to Albany or Burlington or Montreal. I often was told by residents of the Plattsburgh area that they think of Vermont as that weird place across the lake where we have disproportionately large numbers of college students and tourists, we are independent perhaps to the point of eccentricity, we love snow, we place considerable importance on bringing current cultural entertainment to remote areas, we idolize trees, farms and cows – in other words, they see the Vermont culture for what it is and they just don’t get it. For professionals or entrepreneurs looking for an interesting place to live with cultural opportunities, a vibrant community and a unique social identity, our side of Lake Champlain is far more appealing. In short, the higher cost to live in Vermont is outweighed or at least counter-balanced by the fact that Vermont has more to offer as a place to live, work and grow. I believe this dynamic is evident to people who spend time on both sides of the lake. I believe there is a clear choice for any prospective resident and we can have confidence that people who would enjoy living in Vermont will choose Vermont over northern New York, for all of these reasons.