UVM SERIES LOCAL INFO

[802Sioux]

 

Hey I work in Burlington and live in the area. I figure people are planning their trips and I'm happy to offer any info I have.

LODGING: The state houses homeless people and families in some of the cheaper hotels in the area. It may pay to pay a bit more. If money isn't an object I would stay on the water front/downtown area. The Hilton, Hotel Burlington, and the Courtyard Burlington Harbor will put you right down town. Church Street is Burlington's local restaurant/shopping pedestrian area. Those hotels will put you within walking distance. It is also where the night life lives

GETTING AROUND: Pedestrians have no fear of cars. Expect narrow streets, aggressive cyclists, skate boarders and people just walking out into traffic in the core areas of town. Also there is no "going around the block" That being said it's not aggressive like Boston. You just have to go slow and expect surprises. It is a town built on a hill and the crawl from the waterfront to the University is a haul. Monday through Friday the College Street Shuttle runs from Union Station near the waterfront through Church Street and to the campus. It is free. It does not run on Saturday or Sunday after Columbus day. The bus service beyond that goes to places you may want to go but it will likely be full and possibly late.  If you are going down town you will have to pay to park. The area down town has several parking garages. Parking in the main area of town will take credit cards. It is more expensive. Away from the core you will need quarters. Burlington has a lot of commuters. During the week you can expect rush hour from 7:30 to 9ish and 4pm to 6ish. It is slow going but does not extend very far. I’ve never used Uber here but it exists. Cabs can be flagged downtown or called for. I use Green Cab on occasion. Call ahead if you have a firm deadline. You may wait for a bit for them to arrive. Towns touch each other so it is entirely possible to be in a new town without noticing. Street names will change at town borders. For example Main Street in Burlington turns into Williston Rd in South Burlington. That one may well impact you as it is main drag.

FOOD: Burlington and the surrounding areas have A LOT of food options. If you have any questions about a particular restaurant I’m happy to answer if I know. Some of my favorites (many of these are not right down town) Tiny Thai in Winooski. It is a very affordable, popular place. BYOB with no corkage fee. There are also a number of bars and restaurants right in the area. It is on an abomination of a traffic circle. Whoever designed it will surely spend some time some place very warm. That being said; once you cross the bridge and enter the circle take the very first right. There is a garage to the left. Misery Loves Co is in the area as well. The food is good and the beer is varied but the hipster population is high. The Davis Center on Campus has a food court. I can suggest the Thai Chicken wrap at New World Tortilla. I’m sure other things are good but it’s what I eat there. There is also a Pine street location.  Ben and Jerry’s on Church street is a given (although not the original site) Church Tavern serves good bar food. Vermont Pub and Brew is on a side street and is also good. They also brew their own beer.  American Flat Bread Pizza is near there and they serve upscale thin crust Pizza from a wood oven.  If I were going to order Pizza I would order Leonardo’s. Another suggestion would be A Single Pebble. Upscale Chinese served family style. You order as a group and things are brought as they are cooked. If the whole party is willing they do a tasting menu that is fun and delicious. The dry fried green beans and mock eel are local faves.  If you just want a plain old salad bar and steak I would do the Windjammer on Williston RD.  For a quick sandwich and a view Burlington Bay has a glass wall that looks out over the lake. There are also some very high end places. It’s hard to go wrong with most of them. Hen of the Woods is a top suggestion. Khakis and a polo or dress shirt will take you almost anywhere in town. It is a dressed down area.

ALCOHOL: Beer and wine available in grocery stores. Hard liquor is available at state stores only. The nearest one to down town is Pearl Street Beverage. There is also a small location at Burlington Bay near the water.  Vermont doesn’t do happy hour. You can also only have one drink at a time. Don't bother with pitchers of beer. They are required to be about 2.5 pints.  There are so many local beers to make you happy. Many of them offer tours. Switchback is my fave. The Other Place or OP is my favorite dirty bar. Nectar’s was the starting local for Phish if you are into that. They also do a trivia event on Thursdays.

Breweries:

• Zero Gravity Craft Brewery / American Flatbread - 115 Saint Paul St, Burlington
• Switchback Brewing Company - 160 Flynn Ave, Burlington
• The Vermont Pub & Brewery - 144 College St, Burlington
• Magic Hat Brewing Company - 5 Bartlett Bay Rd, South Burlington
• Four Quarters Brewing Co. - 150 W Canal St, Winooski
• The Traveler Beer Co. - 431 Pine St, Burlington
• Queen City Brewery - 703 Pine St, Burlington
• Simple Roots Brewing Company - Not Open To The Public, Burlington
• The Just Beer Project - 209 Battery St, Burlington
• Three Needs Brewery & Taproom - 185 Pearl St, Burlington
• Infinity Brewing Co. - 80 Ethan Allan Dr, South Burlington

 

 

ETC: If the weather is nice (and that could go either way) there is a water front bike path that makes for beautiful walks and  views. Foliage will likely be passed. If any remains I would take a drive through the Champlain Islands. Cider doughnuts at Hackett’s orchard and a meal at the Blue Paddle Bistro would be good. You can park outside the gates of state parks and walk the paths in the off seasons. Grand Isle State park would be good choice. In other directions; a car loop through Smugglers Notch is a good way to see the country side. The Shelburne Museum is world class and full of old buggies, tools, quilts, train cars, guns, etc as well as fancy pants art. It is really worth the trip.  If you are out in Shelburne parking at the base of Mount Philo and walking up the road will net you a panoramic view of the Champlain Valley.  Montreal from Burlington would be about the same as going to Winnipeg from the Forks. They mean the French speaking thing. Don’t expect them to have English road signs. Pont is bridge. That might save you some of my past misery.

Sadly, Burlington is not really a hockey town. Residents aren’t going to know about our program or most likely their own with few exceptions. The Gutterson field house is on the out skirts of the campus. There will be no beer there.

TL:DR  If you have questions about Burlington I’ll be glad to try to answer them.

,

Edited August 14, 2015 by 802Sioux

[802Sioux]

Also Seven Days is the local weekly. They will have a calendar of events and also a section called Seven Nights that offers restaurant ratings. And I forgot to mention Pho Hong  is another good cheap place to eat.

 

[207Sioux]

The OP serves its mixed drinks in pint glasses.  It helps with that you can only have one drink at a time thing.  

[207Sioux]

The Best Western Windjammer Inn has reasonable rates and is fairly close to campus.  Shalamar of India does a nice Sunday buffet if you like Indian food.  

[802Sioux]

I feel like I know you from somewhere. Didn't I see you stumbling into Johnstone/Fulton 25 or 30 years ago.

 

[bigskyvikes]

Are you two the same person? Did you forget what name you started under....lol.

[802Sioux]

Lol nope shes my little sister

[Goon]

Isn't Ben and Jerry's home base there was well? 

[802Sioux]

The original store was here. It has been torn down. There is a marker at the site.  There is a scoop shop on Church St. The factory (which has a short tour) is in Waterbury. It would be a good stop for anyone venturing to Stowe. 

[farce poobah]

For those flying out to UVM:

1.  The primary carrier into Burlington is United.  Primary connections are via Chicago or Newark.   More flight choices than other airlines.

2.  Delta does have service, typically connecting through Detroit, but beware connections through LaGuardia.  Caveat emptor; vulnerable to delays for even the slightest weather. Or, recently, labor slowdowns.

3.  If you don't mind the drive,  flying into Manchester (Southwest has dragged down fares into MHT) and a rental car may be the cheapest.   Unless you live at an SWA hub, a connecting flight is also a necessity.   Depending on the weather, you may be in for some beautiful fall colors.

 

 

Edited August 15, 2015 by farce poobah

[siouxforce19]

Man this thread has given me a lot to think about as far as non-hockey game activities in my short time I will be in Vermont... 

[LuvHockey]

If you drive off the Interstate system out there...be sure to allow lots of time.  We were there last fall.  The roads are all like Minnesota lakes country: 2 lanes, winding, hilly, minimal passing, and speed limits change every 5 miles, usually slow anyway.  It takes a long time to get even short distances.

It is beautiful though.  If you think you've seen leaves in Minnesota or Wisconsin--think again.  No comparison.....

[Godsmack]

Single game tickets for Vermont hockey went on sale starting today. I got my UND tickets about an hour after they started going on sale and it looks like they're selling very fast based on most of the seating sections are already sold out. The arena only holds about 4,000 so not very big (but looks very intimate and I bet it's loud and intimidating!). Point being, don't wait around if you plan on going, get your tickets soon!

My girlfriend and I will be out there for the series so if any UND fans wanna get together before or after the games, shoot me a text.

Dan

701-335-9035

[Vegas_Sioux]

What I remember about bvt overnights was the green mountain boys (Vermont Air National Guard) like to play around 7 Saturday mornings. So if you stay by the airport expect to hear F16s all Saturday. 

[keikla]

Just got tickets and a reservation at the Windjammer.  Thanks for all the suggestions.