When we stayed in Grafton, VT and Chesterfield, VT, we found ourselves visiting Brattleboro a few times. [clickToTweet tweet=”Brattleboro Vermont is Odd in a Good Way. We went out of our way to visit Brattleboro Vermont when we told that it was different, and particularly when we found out that this town has a standing order that George W. Bush and Dick Cheney will be arrested on site if they enter Brattleboro. This is for “crimes against our Constitution”. It is not that we involved ourselves in anything political, but were more intrigued by a town that makes such a dramatic statement.
We had also been told that the people were weird. Now that is like a magnet to me, so it was an easy decision to make the beautiful trek from Grafton to suss it out. The next times, we were staying in Chesterfield itself and returned to Brattleboro deliberately because it has a great vibe to the place.
Brattleboro is not like the rest of Vermont
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So, what to do in Brattleboro. Who would have thought that a state which is known for its maple syrup, covered romantic bridges, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, stunning outdoors, quaint little villages, picture postcard perfect inns, awesome snow and no billboards, would be home to 12,000 free thinking radicals. Ok, maybe not all of them, but this town is different and in a good way.
Why Brattleboro VT is Different
[clickToTweet tweet=”Brattleboro recognizes hippies have had a lasting influence on the town’s character and values” quote=”Brattleboro recognizes that hippies have had a lasting influence on the town’s character and values” theme=”style3″]. The hippies moved there 40 years ago, with a back-to-the-land movement and the development of communes. Brattleboro may be a lot like Nimbin in Australia. It also has a multicultural learning institute in the town, which adds to its diversity.
Our Impressions of Brattleboro VT
We drove into Brattleboro, and the first thing we saw was a protestor. He was one of many that we saw. There were many people who asked us to sign different political petitions. We saw a farmer driving up the street on his tractor swigging from a flask, and the way he was going, I doubt it was water. It is claimed that while Rudyard Kipling, was staying in Brattleboro, wrote The Jungle Book, Captains Courageous, Mandalay and Gunga Din. Just putting it out there. Vermont is also Bernie Sanders country, and that is possibly irrelevant.
We stopped for coffee because Brattleboro has independent coffee shops, which is not necessarily the norm in the US. We wandered though the market stalls and admired the organic food and vegetables. We then went down to the food co-op where they had all of the gluten-free, vegan and other dietary requirements that are found in an alternate town. Bartering is encouraged in Brattleboro. One thing that stood out in this food co-op and the rest of the town was the amount of alcohol sold. It would appear that eating very healthy food needs alot of wine and beer to wash it down.
We then started our trek to find the five bookstores in downtown Brattleboro, because these people value their literature. Having educated bohemians as well as the students from the School for International Training (SIT) which is located in Brattleboro, VT, there is a need for these bookshops; though in this day and age this is relatively rare to have so many for the population. The School for International Training and the Marlboro College Center for Graduate and Professional Studies are both located in Brattleboro bringing students and teachers from all over the world to this New England town, and giving it a multicultural and eclectic appearance.
There is of course a lot more to Brattleboro than aged hippies and new age persons. There is the local radio station, which plays a lot of 80’s music, and has a lot to say about everything really.
The town of Brattleboro is quirky, and with its hippy origins you find art and culture and free thinking. You will find a lot of art galleries, performances, action meetings, concerts, and public forums. Brattleboro VT is odd in a good way and has that sense of being a little different from the rest. I liked that.
Where is Brattleboro?
It is located in the southeast corner of the state of Vermont, along the state line with New Hampshire.
Brattleboro is a 2 hour drive from Boston, MA, a 3 hour drive from New York City, and a 5 hour drive from Philadelphia, PA.
I grew up in Brattleboro, Vt. My father known as Doc Malloy, died in 1992 at the age of 92. He was a general practitioner. The mean’t he did it all from making house call with his doctor’s black bag to setting a broken bone to delivering babies. During WWII he was assigned as the town doctor by the president of the United States. I remember hearing at his funeral being told he delivered over a third of the town!
I remembering asking him why he set up practice in Brattleboro when he grew up in New Haven, Conn.? He said he had decided he would live where he could do what he loved. Live in a small town where he could practice his trade as a doctor, but do what he loved to do, hunt and fish and play golf. He became an excellent golfer as did my mother. He was an active member of the Brattleboro Elks club. Both were considered “pillars of the community.”
Brattleboro Country Club has one of the most beautiful golf courses in the world. The original course, where I learned how to play golf, was 9 holes. Since I left the town the original nine was expanded into an amazing 18 hole course. Both challenging as well as beautiful, very secluded surrounded mostly by woods.
Dad was one of the founding fathers of Memorial Park. This is where the town swimming pool and ski slope with night skiing was developed for public use.
The town I grew up in had many churches. They were beautiful stone structures. Downtown was Main Street. It was one private business after another. Each year we had an Alumni Parade. It was when the current high school graduating class and the attending alumni paraded through Main Street. This was an annual event. It was truly “Disney like” in that it was band after band, float after float and the sidewalks lining Main Street were filled with the towns family who came out to watch their kids perform.
When mother died in 2000, I purchased the family home she designed And they built in the late 30’s. I planed on retiring in Brattleboro..
That was not to happen. The town had changed. Downtown had changed. Many of the beautiful old churches were turned into commercial business. No more Manns or Dunham shoes e store.
The old buildings on Main Street were falling apart and many stores vacant. But what really made a difference was the astronomical property tax.
Change had robbed this once beautiful town of its original Beauty, value and stability. Main Street was depressing. I sold the family home.
But my heart will always call Vermont, Brattleboro Vermont home.
Dear Honey, thank you so much for this beautiful recount of the town of your parents, and your childhood. This is a really beautiful tribute.
Rudyard wasn’t visiting, he actually had a home – just past SIT. The word “a lot” two, not one. I think you missed a lot with this article. A LOT! We all aren’t hippy dippies, protesting in front of the Post Office. There’s a lot of wine at the co-op because we know good wine. Your photos were less than appealing, but I assume that was on purpose to go with the article. Too bad. You missed your mark with this one.
Wow, I actually know that A LOT is two words, that was a bad slip up. I am pleased you know good wine. It was just incongruous to have so much wine next to so much hippy hippie food.
I thought she was extremely generous describing this dump that I grew up in, lol
If anything, she was overly generous with both her kind words and flattering pictures. I could write and show you pictures of much worse. You have an unjustifiably high opinion of yourself and this sad little town.
Chesterfield is in NH. Not VT.
This is true.
Actually Brattleboro is good and normal, It’s just about everywhere else that is pretty odd.
love it
Try living here?
You should also have mentioned that Brattleboro is the ONLY one in the US. There are not many places that can claim that. Brattleboro has changed over the years. I think it was because of the sales tax. Brattleboro is just over the river from New Hampshire where there is no sales tax so many stores moved out. Back when I was “young” there were three department stores on Main Street – Manns, Houghton Simonds, and Goodnow Pearson and Hunt. These were department stores which sold everything. Anyway, once you have lived in Brattleboro you claim it as your home town. I never knew that Brattleboro claimed Chesterfield has part of Vermont. The kids in Chesterfield go to Keene (NH) High School.
We found Brattleboro fascinating. I can remember as we drove through the New England area wondering how many places were named Springfield in the US, so in that respect Brattleboro is unique.
Went to Brattleboro 2 years ago for a couple of hours and fell in love with the town. It’s so homey. I can’t stop talking about moving there when I retire.
It has that special vibe, that is a little like ‘we are independent and will do what we want’. Met some lovely people there who were free spirited also.
Just a heads up the “Farmer” on the tractor is not a farm at all… he lost his license due to drinking and driving permanently and this is how he gets around it lol. I did like the article it made our little town seem much nicer than it actually is so thank you.
Killing myself laughing at the man on the tractor. We did wonder what was in his thermos.
Once mentioned, but not ‘captioned’; Chesterfield is not in VT, but just across the river in N.H. (where they are also a bit different, in a nice way.
Oh Chris, Brattleboro is in Vermont, but right on the border of New Hampshire. The Brattleboro Chamber of Commerce claims it is in Vermont too. https://www.brattleborochamber.org/
Brattleboro is great! I think you meant to write Chesterfield, NH and Marlboro College is in Marlboro, Vt. Glad you enjoyed your visit.
We did enjoy our visit, and yes Chesterfield is NH, and Brattleboro VT – so confusing, but we loved it.
The graduate school is in Brattleboro.
Marlboro College is in Marlboro, Vt. However, the Marlboro College Center for Graduate Studies IS located in Brattleboro, right on Route #142. 😉
Marlboro College is in Marlboro, Vt. However, the Marlboro College Center for Graduate Studies IS located in Brattleboro, right on Route #142. ?
Actually…..Marlboro College has a Graduate Center right next to the Brattleboro Museum and Art Ctr squarely in central downtown Brattleboro, just offside from “malfunction junction” on Rt. 142, or Vernon Street.
You’re welcome!
Star, there is a branch of Marlboro College in Brattleboro.
No, Brattleboro isn’t different from the rest of Vermont. It’s like the rest of Vermont packed into one little town.
Interesting, and loving this information about Brattleboro.
Nice look at Brattleboro. All of Vermont is quirky, I say!
I think you might be correct, Vermont is different in a good way.