East Coast - Towns to Live in - Beta Please :)

Just pondering life's options ... My job ends at the end of June. I am hoping to find a job as a math teacher/substitute for the new school year, but don't really know where to start looking. As the world with my options, there is no better place to turn to for advice, then Mountain Project. :)
Here's my deal...
1) I want to stay on the East Coast.
2) Be close to a state school. Once I achieve residency, I would like to attend Grad School.
3) Small towns are my favorite. For example, I lived in Boulder, but would have much rather lived in Nederland. I lived in Amherst, but would have much rather lived in Montague.
4) More mountains and land the better. Local hiking would be great
5) climbing and skiing always need to be taken into consideration.

Right now, I'm thinking VT is the most ideal. With UVM close, the daks, and only a 2 hour drive to Jay Peak. I wouldn't want to be in Burlington though. Anyone know of some good, small, surrounding towns?

Other recommendations?? Advice??

Thanks MP friends.

I'm incredibly biased towards Plymouth NH but here's the run down:
Grad School: Plymouth State College founded as a teachers school. A lot of my teachers in high school got masters degrees there, and now I've ended up there.
Climbing:
-Rumney-->15 minutes
- Cannon/ Franconia Notch Climbs-->30 minutes
- North Conway areas--> 1:10
- Numerous small crags all over the place
- and if you're into ice this place is second only to North Conway
Skiing
- Loon, Waterville --> 30 minutes if you're into that resort crap
- Tanney/ Cannon--> 5/30 respectively for real mountain skiing
- Back country all over the place Mt. Cardigan, Rattlesnake, Stintson, Plymouth...all within 30 minutes

As for hiking, Franconia notch is my favorite place to hike. Plymouth area offers a wealth of mountains and trails for quick trail runs.
It's about 5,000 residents plus a few thousand college kids. The bigger town amenities of Concord and Boston are an easy 30 minute and 1:45 car drive down the interstate.

Again, I just love living here and wanted to share that.

NY state has high cost of living, ranks in the top 5 for most oppressive tax burden and is not close to NH or Maine for long weekends. Having said that, Potsdam / Canton NY in the "North Country" are not bad places to live. I spent 4 years there at school. There are 4 colleges within 15 miles, 2 of them state, SUNY Potsdam has a decent teaching program. The 'dacks are about an hour and twenty to the High Peaks and there is plenty to do locally. Ottawa and Montreal are pretty close and Burlington is 2 hours.

E thatcher wrote:I'm incredibly biased towards Plymouth NH but here's the run down: Grad School: Plymouth State College founded as a teachers school. A lot of my teachers in high school got masters degrees there, and now I've ended up there. Climbing: -Rumney-->15 minutes - Cannon/ Franconia Notch Climbs-->30 minutes - North Conway areas--> 1:10 - Numerous small crags all over the place - and if you're into ice this place is second only to North Conway Skiing - Loon, Waterville --> 30 minutes if you're into that resort crap - Tanney/ Cannon--> 5/30 respectively for real mountain skiing - Back country all over the place Mt. Cardigan, Rattlesnake, Stintson, Plymouth...all within 30 minutes As for hiking, Franconia notch is my favorite place to hike. Plymouth area offers a wealth of mountains and trails for quick trail runs. It's about 5,000 residents plus a few thousand college kids. The bigger town amenities of Concord and Boston are an easy 30 minute and 1:45 car drive down the interstate. Again, I just love living here and wanted to share that.

+1

matthewWallace wrote: +1

+2 (VT/NH)

I place 1 vote for Connecticut. UConn is one of the highest rated state schools and #1 for many grad degrees depending on your field and one of the best bangs for your buck once your a resident. Plenty of other schools if you locate near Hartford like UHart and Eastern. For climbing there is a good deal of single pitch climbing in the state and Farley is pretty close too being just over the border. Also close enough for day trips/weekend trips to dozens of great places like Rumney, Cathedral, and the Gunks. Western CT is about 30 min from the Gunks and full of small towns. The Gunks I believe has some of the best climbing on the east coast. (no offense to Rumney) I agree the climbing and skiing is great in NH, but in CT you can visit those places while avoiding the freezing cold temps during weekday life. Its also nice to have Bradley international ariport nearby and New York City and Boston both just over an hours drive. There are plenty of small towns of under 5000 residents in northern and eastern CT you might like. Just stay away from southwester CT near the city where it is too expensive and conjested. Also be careful talking about bolts in this state to any of the old timers. There is a small war going on about it over the last decade, I recomend not getting involved.

That's my east coast 2 cents.

My friends back East would kill me for suggesting it...Boone, NC.

1) Bouldering anywhere else does not even compare in my opinion. Blowing Rock, Grandmother, 221 Boulders, Lost Cove, Rumbling Bald, and different satellite areas.
2) Trad Climbing, amazing. Shiprock, Liville Gorge, Moore's Wall, Looking Glass, and Whitesides.
3) Sport Climbing is a bit of a drive, but you'll be fairly close to the Obed and the New River Gorge.
4) Appalachian State University is a great school.
5) Skiing/Snowboarding is crap, but you still have access to 4 different resorts within 30 mins.

This place to me is a smaller version of Boulder without the attitude. It's an awesome little town tucked away and surrounded by mountains on all sides.

ohhhh another suggestion if it's allowed. Inspired by the Boone comment. Ashville NC. Holy F!@# I love that place. Disclaimer: If you don't like hippies don't even think about this place, if you do, you'll fit right in.
-Long Climbing season
-Incredible trad destination in the immediate area: Looking Glass, Linville Gorge...
- New River Gorge, Red River Gorge, Seneca, Tennessee wall, all with in short road trip distance.

- UNC Ashville is close to town, like a mile away. I think about 60,000 in the city.

E thatcher wrote:ohhhh another suggestion if it's allowed. Inspired by the Boone comment. Ashville NC. Holy F!@# I love that place. Disclaimer: If you don't like hippies don't even think about this place, if you do, you'll fit right in. -Long Climbing season -Incredible trad destination in the immediate area: Looking Glass, Linville Gorge... - New River Gorge, Red River Gorge, Seneca, Tennessee wall, all with in short road trip distance. - UNC Ashville is close to town, like a mile away. I think about 60,000 in the city.

Asheville is amazing as well(I've always been more partial to Boone since I grew up there, but you could never go wrong with either place). I've got family and friends in both Boone and Asheville. Some of the areas I listed Rumbling Bald, Looking Glass, and Whitesides are closer to Asheville than Boone.

Both of these areas also have amazing trails, waterfalls, and plenty of scenery which was also mentioned as important by the original post. A traveler visiting these places might be put off by the amount of rain, but if you lived here it wouldn't matter.

I live 20 minutes south of Burlington in Hinesburg, VT. Great small town with a killer network of trails to hike/run/mt. bike/xc ski on. 45 minutes to the Dacks, 20 minutes to some pretty good sport climbing/bouldering in Bolton Valley, 30 minutes to Snake Mt. (mixed climbing), 40 minutes to Smuggs for fun bouldering/great ice, and 2 hrs. to Rumney and Cannon Cliff. Skiing/riding is plentiful and is within a 40 minute radius of me(Sugarbush/Mad River/Bolton Valley/Stowe/Smuggs).

Other great small towns close to Burlington with easy access to outdoors are: Underhill, Richmond, Jericho, Bristol, and Bolton to name a few.

Without a doubt, the burlington area has a great outdoors community with a wealth of resources at your fingertips. I won't say jobs are scant, but I will say this: People want to live here, so job competition is high.

Hope that helps.

Sounds like Waterbury, VT is the place for you. UVM is a half hour away(great school, my alma mater). Waterbury is small but has a few restaurants/bars including the Alchemist, one of the best brew pubs in the east. Within a half hour you can get to 4 solid ski areas(Mad River, Bolton, Stowe, Sugarbush). For climbing you have the Bolston area(10-15 minutes) where there's tons of sport, trad, and bouldering. Marshfield and Smuggs notch are also pretty close for climbing. If your into ice then you've got a lifetime of it up there.
-NV

Thanks for the info everyone. Exactly what I needed. North Carolina sounds great, but I love the snow and skiing too much. Ultimately, I will go where I find a job, but it's good to have a handful of ideal towns.

On behalf of Colorado, taking this personally KJ. What could be insufficient about the Rocky Mountain West?

Being from near Boston, I spend weekends driving up North and thinking a lot about this question. I think Plymouth is probably your best bet in the Northeast, as has already been said, considering the proximity to most of the NE's best rock and ice destinations, plus it has a decent rock gym. Vermont is also a good bet (I'd go with close to Burlington), but the rock doesn't compare.

Not sure about the South...

RUMNEY! id be there if i wasn't committed to southern NH...

Since you are familiar with western MA, I'd recommend Greenfield as a super place to live. Here's why:
Cheap rents/real estate
Easy drive to UMass for grad school
20 minutes to Farley and/or Rose Ledge.
2.5 hours to the Gunks
2.5 hours to Rumney
3-4 hours to the Dacks
1 hour to Mt Snow
Night skiing at Berkshire East
I can show you killer bouldering to rival Farley only without the crowds.
The People's Pint Brew Pub and Hope and Olive for one of the best dinners anywhere
Do you paddle? the Deerfield Riveris right here and others are close by
Do you ride bikes? Some of the best road and mountain biking in the state are right here and Bikes Unlimited is one of the best shops

I'll just stop there

Cheers!
Lizz

What about Plattsburg? You've got a state school, it's a small town, the biggest state owned park in the country is there (outside of AK I think). Fantastic climbing without the crowds of NH. You're not that far from most of the places people listed in NH. There's Jay and Whiteface and plenty of backcountry slides. The hop across the pond is not that far away to Burlington and the like. If you want smaller you can always go to Elizabethtown or somewhere in the 'daks. Taxes are a bitch but hell the taxes in Colorado suck too. I think you have to move to Alaska or Texas to get away from that.