Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with newengland

Keep me feets dry and warm!

handabear — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:05:11 -0800

I've read this, and this but I'm looking for something more casual and maybe a low top shoe that I can wear to/from and at work or school. My work dress code is casual but I don't think that walking around in colorful wellies would be appropriate. My go to shoe has always been the Adidas Samba or Dansko professional clog, but I don't think that either can make it through the fall and winter in New England. I saw some waterproof sneakers at LL Bean that were acceptable, but they are discontinued and didn't have my size in stock.

I want:

waterproof
stylish
suitable for everyday wear - indoors for hours on my feet
≤$125
can fit insoles
insulated (not essential)
flat heel

I don't want:

giant man boots
clunky/chunky/some other variation of this word
dress shoes
hiking boots
trail shoes

Does my ideal shoe exist? Suggestions?

Things to Do and See and Eat on the Western Side of the Green Mountains

foxy_hedgehog — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:47:27 -0800

My sister planned a trip for us to Vermont next weekend, and we are driving up from the Boston area on Friday morning. We will be heading to the western side of the Green Mountains (in between Arlington and Manchester), and I'd love your recommendations for everything and anything in the area and along the way. I did a search for Vermont on the sight, but there doesn't seem to be any info on this specific part of the state.

I'd be particularly keen on recommendations for particular hiking trails in the Green Mountains or elsewhere, other potentially fun outdoor antics, and any strong opinions on local restaurants, roadside attractions, alpaca farms etc. in the area or places to stop or eat or sightsee along the way.

Our likely course will be Route 2 through W. Massachusetts, and then Route 9 through Vermont. And it looks like it is going to be cold.

Thank you!

When hippies grow up, they turn into ???

oinopaponton — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:03:33 -0800

What would you call that sweater-loving, Volvo-driving, PBS-donating late 1970s-mid 1980s American culture? They voted for Jimmy Carter, and they didn't participate in Reaganomics. Instead, they were into organic food before Whole ~~Paycheck~~ Foods existed, they wore glasses with huge lenses, the men had mustaches and beards, and the women preferred a natural look. They bought Save the Whales for their kids instead of Tetris. In New England, at least, this way of life continued well into the early 1990s (which explains a lot of my childhood). I think it may still be alive and kicking its clog-clad feet in Vermont.

I'm familiar with yuppies, neo-cons, and weekend warriors, but what do I call these idealistic, sort of crunchy folk? Is there a name for people like this, beside "late 1970s-mid 1980s liberals"? Can it really be called a culture?

My apologies if this comes off as towing the ChatFilter line-- I don't mean it that way. This has actually been driving me insane.

I would make tea at the BBC.

lhude sing cuccu — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:22:36 -0800

What would be the best route to go after finishing an AS degree? Many questions about New England, and the regular England, rolled into one inside. I am starting community college in 2 weeks and, even though school hasn't even started yet, I've started to look ahead. I'm trying to figure out what I should do when I've graduated. I don't want to do anything impulsive; something fun for now but just expensive in the long run.
I live in Virginia, and I'm lucky because financial aid grants are covering me so far, but it's going to take a lot of research to keep myself out of debt when I go on to transfer.
I've started realising that the nagging feeling telling me to move out of the US isn't going away, and although going to an in-state school and just studying abroad would be the most logical option in the minds of most, of course I have to keep on until I uncover my every option.

1. I don't really want to stay in Virginia, but if it comes to paying $8,000 instead of $20,000, I will do it. I would like to find a college in New England to go to, one that has very good financial aid.
I found a place called Williams College in MA, which I just loved as soon as I saw the front page of the website, but they said they only accept about 4 out of the 110 transfer applicants they get each year. (?!) I couldn't compete with that, even if I did get a 4.0 GPA. (They also want a high school transcript, and my 1.5 GPA won't help me there. I am going to community college to start over.)
How can I find colleges in New England (DC to Maine) that have really decent need-based aid?

2. I've wanted to move to the UK for 5 going on 6 years now. I know I should study abroad first to see if I even like it, but I wonder what would really be the best option in case I did like it. If I studied abroad, I'd have to graduate at that US college, and I don't know what kind of visa I would even qualify for after graduating. I heard the best visa to get would be a student visa, and the fact that it can lead to a Tier 1 visa makes it sound even better. Should I just go for a non-study UK visit first? I could plan a trip. And take the train around.

3. More general UK questions. Is England really going "downhill" like I've heard so many times? Am I just so enchanted by the BBC that it's clouded my judgment? I'd consider moving to Wales, maybe Scotland, but I am most attached to England. What are the facts here? I haven't heard anything except for the vague..."You'll never get a job...it's all just immigrants living there now...British people are all trying to move to the US now..." Maybe it was all just said by a bunch of people who lived in and hated London. Isn't the US just as bad, or am I missing something?

4. More importantly, would I even be able to get a job? Or do they give all the jobs to EU students and I could never do anything except answer phones until I die? And what's all this about "No self-employment"? Will I be able to play my guitar in my one-man band anymore?

5. Is there any way to immigrate that is as simple as the Tier 4 Student Visa seems? Immigration, of course, is just speculative. I don't know what I'm planning to become, but I'm sure I won't make enough money to get all the points I would need to be a "highly skilled worker".

6. Would I be able to afford living in the UK? I lived in Chicago for a year just fine; sure I had financial aid and a job though. Are the grants/scholarships available to the average everyday non-handicapped/veteran/singlemom/hispanic/4.5GPA people like me?

If I could only afford to study abroad, I guess I wouldn't die, but that leads back around to question #1 again.
Or maybe...go to college in-state and transfer in? What does a BA count for there? Do I have to complete a whole BA degree in the UK to qualify for the Tier 1 Post-Study Visa?

7. Will they hate me, an American? I don't pick up a lot of enemies easily, but you never know.

Apparently, an AS degree is only equivalent to a Foundation Degree and I'd have to go for the full 3 years to get a BA. Those over-achievers.
Maybe I should call a university and ask, but it always seems like they know as much as I do at their international office, and different schools might have different rules.

I think that's it. Thanks for any and all advice you can give me. I guess I'm just trying to do the all-elusive "do what I want and not lose any money doing it". I've read other questions here about moving, but it seems like they all already had some kind of job lined up, which I am far, far away from having.

And sorry my questions are always so darn long.

Travel in the NewEngland states. A little help please?

filmgeek — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:38:37 -0800

Travel plans through the Northeast (New England States) Looking for the fun/quirky ideas. Myself and my g/f - we know we want to travel in the New England area for about week (from Aug 7th-12th). We're cheap and we like to keep it that way (but don't want to camp in tents.)

We're thinking about going to the Arlington craft sale in VT on sat the 8th and the Mystic Outdoor festival on the 9th...

And beyond that, we don't know. We're mobile, adults (late 30s), I've traveled more than she has; but this is a first (a random cartrip vacation together.) She's never been to a BnB (so kitchy little cheaper ones are good...)

Not so interested in food festivals, but a brewery visit is fine...music festivals aren't our cup of tea either. Also a no-go anything involving the caging of animals (circuses and zoos make the baby jesus cry.)

Maybe a meetup (or crashing at a mefi's place) would be fun too.

C'mon - Give us your best. Feel free to toss in quirky or touristy 'don't miss' things

Cool wedding venue near Boston

semacd — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 05:32:36 -0800

"Cool" wedding venue in New England? My fiance, I learned last night, wants us to get married someplace "cool."

By "cool," I gather, he means something like a vineyard, a lodge in the woods, a big house by the sea, a nice yacht club by the sea. His vision isn't any clearer than that. He doesn't want some big function hall. Our friends are getting married at a lodge in the woods, with a space big enough for 175 people and enough hotel rooms for everyone to stay there. This suddenly sounded very appealing to him. The place needs to accomodate 175 people, and needs to be within 3 hours of Boston, and fairly nice (i.e. I don't want a camp). I suppose we'd consider Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket for something really awesome.

I've tried indiebride kvetch and some other sites. Nothing's jumping out at me. Any suggestions? Ever heard of/been to anyplace "cool"?

New England Car Needed

billtron — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:07:51 -0800

I'm moving to the Upper Valley of New Hampshire in a month and need to buy a car for the first time. Help me choose the right one. We've narrowed it down basically to two general options: something resembling a 2 year old Subaru Outback and something resembling a new Prius. Our choice will depend on the availability of options, incentives at the time of purchase, and the necessity of getting an all-wheel drive vehicle for the harsh winters versus the fuel efficiency of getting a hybrid for our monthly trips to NYC. What, o great metahivemind, do you suggest we do?

Long Weekend Road Trip Leaving from Central NJ

booksherpa — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:14:06 -0800

Help us narrow down our choices for an extended weekend road trip leaving from central NJ. My husband and I are debating where to go away for a long weekend later this month. We'll be driving, and plan to be away Friday to Monday. We can leave on Thursday night if the first night's destination is close enough.

Things we like:
- good food, could be gourmet or brewpub or bakery or farmers market or diner, as long as it's interesting
- used bookstores, the bigger the better (we've done Book Barn in Niantic)
- funky, artsy towns with interesting shopping (if there's lots of cool handcrafted jewelry, even better!)
- minor league baseball
- scenic drives
- state fairs and other quirky local events
- craft fairs
- random wish: I'd like to find a wine store that could sell me a case of Putney Mountain Winery's Maple Apple Wine. Mmmmm, tasty!

Things we don't want for this trip:
- nightlife/nightclubs
- camping/hiking
- bed and breakfasts (we're on the heftier side, and have points to use up as well)
- the beach (both grew up at the Jersey Shore, like water views, not so much with the tourists)
- amusement parks

We adore Vermont, and had considered a Saratoga Springs, NY/Middlebury, VT trip as both are places we've only seen a little of and had earmarked to explore further. We're trying to branch out and explore new places. We'd like to keep each day's driving portion to less than 3 hours total. Monday's drive can be longer.

We've already been extensively to: Bennington, Brattleboro, Manchester, Burlington, Woodstock VT; Northampton MA; Mystic CT. He spent 4 years at college in Boston, and a large city isn't our first choice. On the list of possible destinations, besides Saratoga Springs and Middlebury are Rhinebeck NY, non-Northampton bits of central MA, Providence RI and parts of Southern Vermont. I'll happily listen to discussion of other parts of New England, as well as points south of us - we just tend to have a New England orientation for road trips.

New London NH or Lebanon/West Lebanon NH ?

mmw — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:50:53 -0800

My spouse works at Dartmouth College in Hanover NH, since April. We are therefore going to be moving from coastal Maine to the Upper Valley and we're having a hard time finding affordable housing that's within walking distance of a decent town, one with at least one good coffee shop, a number of useful stores, public library, banks, pub, and ways to meet other people like bookgroups, classes, informal gatherings. Being near good public transit (to Boston, e.g.) would be nice, too. ... ... My question is, should we try to live close to Hanover, close to New London (which is 35 mins south of Hanover but has a good coffee shop and very cheap and interesting classes through the college there!), or perhaps try another town? We've ruled out Claremont, White River Junction, Wilder, Windsor, Eastman, and the rural areas for various reasons after spending time house-hunting in all of them. We've looked for something near the green in Lebanon but nothing has come on the market that matches what we're seeking and is within 3/4 mile of the green.

There are houses in West Leb (1 mile from D'mouth) and New London that we are currently considering but we can't decide on location. Spouse doesn't mind the NL commute (had similar one in Maine) but I might mind the distance to get to Dartmouth for plays, music, restaurants, etc. Would New London offer enough?

Help?

Family New England/New York road trip suggestions?

mjmcport — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:22:59 -0800

I'm taking my 8 year old son and 10 year old daughter on a spontaneous road trip through New York City, Upstate New York and New England next week. Any suggestions?

Where to take a 30th birthday long weekend near NYC?

toomuchkatherine — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 20:47:39 -0800

I'm turning 30 in two weeks. Help me find a great ~4-day trip not too far from New York to celebrate it. My 30th birthday is June 26. I'm hoping to get out of town (NYC) for it; I don't have *too* much angst about turning 30, but I hope not to be sung "Happy Birthday" to in a local dive. And I've been meaning to explore the great Northeast more anyway.

I prefer the mountains to the beach, and am looking for someplace fun to go within a reasonable (6 hour?) train or car ride from New York City. I'd like to stay in a fun funky town, small city, or rural area. Hudson Valley? Vermont? Adirondacks? Lake Placid? Maine (too far?)? I don't have a tent of my own, so no utter backpacking, but I do like to hike etc.

I've been all over Western Massachusetts, because I have family there; it's nice, but I want to try something new. I will probably be on my own for one or two nights, and joined by the bf for the next part.

Would love any suggestions for towns or specific accommodations. I'm not super flush but am willing to spend a bit to make this a nice getaway.

I am looking to make a clean break and move to a New England island

Anonymous — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:17:45 -0800

I am looking to make a clean break and move to a New England island, somewhere suitably remote but suitably -- by my standards -- liveable. I have reached a point at which I need to make a clean break. I am not fleeing prosecution, debts, or anything of the sort; I just need to get lost, at least for a while, to work on my novels, with no forwarding address, no friends, no history. People in my life know my MeFi username but not my plans, so I'm posting anonymously.

I am looking for somewhere accessible only by ferry -- no bridge. A car ferry would be excellent, and one that could accommodate a trailer would be exceptional. I am of modest means and cannot entertain the notion of a ritzy privately-owned paradise -- somewhere reasonable, where normal people can live, is what I am seeking.

I would like:

1) Seclusion
2) Mail service
3) Internet access

I would hope for:

4) A somewhat welcome reception, or, even more ideally, an island where people just keep to themselves.

I would request responders to refrain from excessively discouraging me from doing this at all. I am looking for logistical, not moral, assistance.

I have created an account at fleeing.to.an.island@gmail.com -- if you have a question, something about which I have been unclear or something I haven't thought of, feel free to write to that address and I'll respond, and maybe you will be gracious enough to post my follow-up.

Again, you are not helping someone flee justice -- you are just helping an introvert become a hermit for a while.

Thank you.

Where is there good hiking within a 2 hour drive of Boston?

Kattullus — Sat, 09 May 2009 11:50:44 -0800

My mom is visiting in late June and wants to go hiking somewhere near Boston (no more than 2 hours by car). I was thinking Western Massachusetts might be nice but I'm open to other suggestions. Where is it fun to go hiking within a 2 hour drive from Boston? I'm not looking for multiday hiking, but either dayhikes or ones that would take a few hours.

Seeking dog-friendly fun in New England!

youcancallmeal — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:55:52 -0800

Seeking places in Northern New England to take our puppy! We're picking our English Shepherd puppy up this weekend and are looking forward to a summer of puppy classes, hiking and swimming. The trouble is, we've got classes squared away, but where can we go to play? We're in central Vermont (near Montpelier) and would be willing to drive a couple of hours each way, more if there's a park where we can camp nearby. As far as I can tell, most state parks in VT, NH and ME don't allow dogs out of the campgrounds and hiking trails. We'd love to find a dog-friendly lake or dog beach or similar.

We want to be sure that he gets plenty of experience in the world off of our property, I just haven't got any idea about where to take him!

How Do I Sell My Wife on Moving to Connecticut?

Oso Mocoso — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 14:25:28 -0800

I got a sweet job in a town near New Haven, Connecticut. I'd been looking for work for about six months prior in California and I got nothing promising at all. So, when I got an offer in New England, I took it. The problem is this - my wife does not want to move to the east coast. I'm the bread-winner, so she'll go but I'm trying really hard to sell her on Connecticut as a cool place to live. Can anyone think of things to try to help me talk up Connecticut? Stuff I've already thought of: proximity to New York City and to Boston (where my wife has a few friends), good seafood, and presence of distinct seasonal weather (maybe also kind of a negative).

Wife's Interests: a good Asian grocery store would be something she'd love to hear about, anime/manga stores, a Sanrio outlet, and that sort of thing. She loves art museums. She's a big fan of Food Network. I know all of these things exist in New York City not far away, but that's an hour and a half away on a train, not where we'll be living.

Connecticut MeFi people, what do you think is awesome about this state?

Help Me Make Old New England New.

MasonDixon — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:38:40 -0800

Obscure New England? I've seen the best, what about the rest? What quirky, "second tier," and out of the way places have I missed? My SO and I have been all over New England, we've seen the big stuff, especially the major stuff along the coasts. So . . .

What quirky, unique, oddball, hidden gems or secretly awesome places have we not been to?

What seldom visited state parks, by-way diners, unusual attractions, great picnic spots, attractions from an earlier age and things only-the-locals-would-know can you suggest?

Moving to the Upper Valley

billtron — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 08:23:02 -0800

Mz. Billtron and I are moving from Brooklyn, New York, to Hanover, New Hampshire, this summer. I know nothing about that part of the country and would appreciate any advice or recommendations that will make the transition a great one. We're going to need a car. We'd get a Prius if we were moving elsewhere, so what should we get for the snow?
I am going to miss my Gorilla Coffee. What should I switch to?
Where should I buy beer? Where should I buy beer-making supplies?
What's a reasonable distance to travel to do something interesting, and what's within that radius that I should check out?
My dad really wants to canoe down the Connecticut River. Is that the best place to go canoeing nearby?
What else should I know?

Roadtrip filter: world's largest ball of twine?

inatizzy — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 07:31:33 -0800

Roadtrip Filter: what can I stop and see for fun when I drive from Boston to St. Louis this weekend? I'm moving back to the midwest this weekend, leaving Saturday afternoon and taking two nights to drive from Boston to St. Louis, MO. We'll have a minivan full of stuff (and an unlockable rooftop carrier, too, which will sort of limit our options for where to park the car) but I'm sort of excited to be driving across such a big portion of our country and I'd like to take advantage of the opportunity to see some of it.

Any suggestions for fun things to stop and see along the way? Especially little random things I'd not normally think to look for? We'll have a GPS and so can find our way to and from almost anywhere, as long as it does not add too-too much time to our trip. Extra points for things that will appeal to me (an adventurous and curious mid-20s gal) and my father (a less adventurous 60-year-old who will want to keep the trip moving along but is also a bit of a history buff.)

I expect our drive will look something like this, though we'll probably try to avoid going directly through big cities. (and I'm willing to change our route in order to go see something cool!)

So, where would you recommend I stop?

Kid-Friendly Spaces in MA/CT/RI

cajo — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:34:24 -0800

My husband, my 2 year old, and I are visiting eastern Connecticut and are trying to plan a somewhat central location for a group of friends to meet up that won't be a huge drive for any of us. We have people wanting to meet up from Lawrence, MA; West Hartford, CT; Danbury, CT; and Providence, RI. I am going to be in Norwich, CT. Here are the complications: a) there will be six 2 year olds; and b) the forecast is 70% chance of rain. We thought about Old Sturbridge Village, but we're cheap and don't want to shell out money for that.

Any suggestions? Help!

Amphibian Identification Query

ktoad — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:38:19 -0800

Can anyone identify this little tan frog I found at my grandparents' house in New Hampshire? It was approximately 1"-2" long. Many thanks!

Given that it's a multi-gazillion dollar industry, you'd think some folks would have developed helpful websites along the way...

jasbet07 — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:39:12 -0800

Can any of you help us find unique, casual, interesting wedding venues in Maine, NH, VT, Mass, CT or NY? My partner and I have spent a great deal of time wading through various sites which claim to be the best way to find unique, casual, interesting wedding venues and so far it's been a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. For example, many recommend Indie Bride's chat but I cannot for the life of me figure out a helpful way to search that freaking site to find anything helpful.

We would love it if a site like this existed for the region I mentioned, but I have yet to locate it.

If not sites, then do you happen to know of cool locations? We'd love to hear about the off-the-beaten path places where you or those you know have had your receptions and/or maybe how you went about finding them without having to quit your day jobs.

What we're after:

someplace not too far from a (more or less major) airport (2 or so hours)
gay friendly

we've been considering unique spaces like:
barns/farms
wineries/breweries
lodges/camps
museums
private homes that people might rent for events

We'd like it to be comfortable and FUN - things we've thought about that might make that happen:
an outdoor fire pit
a clam or lobster bake or bbq
definitely much room for dancing
a place that doesn't shut us down at 11pm
maybe a place that would make a Friday-Sunday event possible with things to do nearby, etc.

We are, for the moment, ruling out NYC where we live - but if we wnd up having it here, I think I've discovered most of the interesting locations.

How to get from Newport, RI to JFK without driving?

jeb — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:11:48 -0800

Is there any practical way for an individual to get from Newport, Rhode Island to JFK airport for an 11:30am flight on Monday, September 2nd, 2008 without driving? Something like LimoLiner or a bus or something?

NYC -> BOS: Coastal Route?

AwkwardPause — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:47:49 -0800

NYC -> BOS via coastal route: where to stop on the way? I'll be driving from NYC to Boston this Saturday, and will have time to do some stops along the way. The plan, as of now, is to gun it to New Haven, and then try to take the coastal route to Boston (probably Rte 1 to 138 to 24) -- where are some good, quirky, or beautiful places to stop on the way? We're into seafood (doesn't need to be fancy) and greasy spoons, but non-food suggestions are welcome, too.

Where in Vermont should we go camping?

Andrea2880 — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:34:42 -0800

Where in New England should we go camping? We have a pop-up camper and are looking for decent hiking trails and maybe some area attractions. An alpine slide would be a big plus! I have a few Vermont ideas, (Killington, Gifford Woods, Bromley Mountain) and would like some feedback or new ideas. We are planning a three day midweek camping trip July 28th-31st and have been looking in Vermont.

We would like
-Drive in campsite
-Secluded area (woodsy prefered, not open fields with parking spaces!)
-Hiking trails (we're semi-experienced but up for a challenge)
-Water&Electric Hook ups - although it seems that most state parks only have water or no hook ups at all. Is this a good reason to go to a campground instead, or is a state park a better choice? (cheaper? more secluded?)
-Some area attractions. I have seen a few alpine slides, something I'd love to get to do, and also a couple places have gondolas and rent mountain bikes for a ride down the mountain.

Right now my idea is going to Killington Mountain and camping at Gifford Woods State Park.
I have also looked at White River Valley Campground. It's 15 miles from Killington, but would be nice to have hook ups. Is it worth it? Or is it better to stay in the state park, skip the hook ups and be more in the woods and have more trails to hike?
We have checked out Bromley Mountain also, but don't know where to camp around there.

Any suggestions, or any other areas that I haven't found yet?
I'm open to Central and Southern Vermont, and also Western Mass or New Hampshire.

The water feels better without that damn sweater!

not_on_display — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:55:30 -0800

It's so hot... so, so hot. So I'm looking for the best places in New England (specifically Boston-and-environs and Central Vermont) to go night-swimming and/or skinny-dipping. Natural bodies of water--rivers, ponds, lakes, ocean--preferred.

Please don't answer with places where trespassing would be involved. (I've had one close call, which is one too many; I don't need a record, thank you!) That means no parks or public places that "close" after a certain hour.

Gold star for GoogleMaps links or directions on where to park or walk.

Feel free to answer via MeFiMail if you feel that listing in a public place like this would compromise the sanctity of your favorite secret swimming-hole.