Addison VT Real Estate
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05491 = 15 minutes to Middlebury, 35 to Burlington, Vergennes is just up the road, and charming Basin Harbor "just around the corner" - the Champlain Valley's quiet, fertile farmlands are totally surrounded by your interests. Learn more about Addison below, and if you have any questions about the area of the local real estate market, contact The O'Brien O'Connell Team.
The Basics
Addison is a quaint, peaceful town located within Addison County, chartered in 1761, and with a current app. population of about 1500 residents. On its Western side, the lakeshore is dotted with seasonal and year-round homes to some very lucky residents, who have the benefit of tremendous views, and a coveted lakeside lifestyle. Charlotte is to the North, Monkton and New Haven to the East, and Waltham and Panton to the South. Middlebury is the nearest larger town, just 15 minutes South, with Burlington an average 35 minutes North. The "Addison 4 Corners" is a picturesque "one-block" town, with its Baptist Church and Town Hall being one of the most recognizable white clapboard duos around. Just across the street is the Addison Four Corners Store, with its house-made apple cider donuts, smoked pepperoni, big blocks of cheddar, local honey and maple syrup. You’ll find water toys in the summertime, as the Four Corners Store is the last stop before lakeside fun at Chipman Point Marina in Orwell, and the Ticonderoga Ferry in Shoreham, whose scenic 7-minute Lake Champlain crossings via underwater cable make it a quick trip to New York.
Schools
Addison Central School educates children K – 6. Students in grades 7 - 12 attend Vergennes Union High School, North approximately 6 miles. VUHS has enjoyed positive reviews by U.S. News and World Report, ranking among the best High Schools in Vermont. For lifelong learners, Junior Ivy League Middlebury College is only 15 minutes South, and the higher learning institutions of Burlington including Champlain College, St. Michael’s, and UVM, are just over a half hour North.
On the Landscape
Addison is an outdoor recreationist’s dream. Bicycling enthusiasts are thrilled by the nine variably difficult loops of the Lake Champlain Bikeways. Made of peaceful country roads, charming B&B’s, country stores, farm stands, historic sites and a plethora of shoreline parks, cyclists know these routes are among the most valued on the East Coast.
The D.A.R. State Park on Route 17 West, offers a picturesque setting on the shores of Lake Champlain. Whether you’re visiting the park for an afternoon, or overnight, D.A.R. is an easy choice with a large open campground, grassy picnicking areas, a stone pavilion, and innumerable vantage points for bird watching. There are 70 camping sites, flush toilets, hot showers, and a dump station. Boating, fishing, sailing, and swimming are typical diversions at D.A.R.
Snake Mountain offers a 3.6 mile, moderate, 2 hour hike, with a great view from the top. After an initial .5 miles of flat terrain, the trail meets with an old carriage road, making for a 900 ft. ascent on a wide, easy to follow trail. The Summit gives you a 180 degree view of the Champlain Valley and Adirondacks beyond.
V.A.S.T. is a non-profit private snowmobiling organization active for over 40 years. With over 30,000 members, the group encompasses over 130 clubs statewide and includes over 5000 miles of trails. The organization maintains the trails year-round, grooming through the winter months. Clearly marked, and well-mapped, the trails traverse through amenities stops with gas, hotels, restaurants, and groceries easily accessible trail-side. Weaving in and out of Vermont’s wooded back country, local towns, villages, snow covered mountains, and along creeks and lakes the trails offer Vermont vista views and beautiful winter scenery, connecting Vermont’s VAST winter wonderland.
Additional Attractions/Events
Middlebury is an easy drive, where a plethora of opportunity is at your fingertips, from dining, shopping, entertainment, and recreation. For additional information on all things inspired in Middlebury, follow this link.
Chimney Point, on Route 17W, tells the history of over 9000 years occupation at Chimney Point on Lake Champlain, one of the earliest and most intensely settled sites in the Champlain Valley. The Chimney Point History Trail is an informative stroll that teaches about the area’s early inhabitants. Permanent and rotating exhibits can be viewed from the museum. From the museum’s porch, you’ll have a perfect view of the newly completed Champlain Bridge. The tiny Chimney Point Post Office is a charming step back in time. From spots along the shoreline, you’ll appreciate beautiful vistas across to the Crown Point State Historic Site, the Champlain Memorial Lighthouse, and the Adirondack Mountains beyond.
Mount Independence in Orwell, open late May through October daily, features permanent exhibits highlighting the role Mount Independence played during the American Revolution and the Northern Campaign. The outdoor exhibit begins at the museum building and includes four separate trails, from .2 miles to 2.5 miles in length, each included in the trail guide and maps offered in the museum.
Other notable points of interest include the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum on Basin Harbor Road in Vergennes, with a campus featuring the Nautical Archaeology Center, Westport Marina Winch House, Conservation Laboratory, the Hazelett Watercraft Center, Blacksmith Shop, and Schoolhouse Gallery among others. Educational Programs, including for Teachers, offer courses and workshops (including in boat building), blacksmithing and rowing opportunities, summer programs for children, and lecture series. The LCMM is open from June through October daily.
The Basin Harbor Club is located along the Lake Champlain waters just a 20 minute drive North from Addison in Vergennes. This three-season hotel and resort is designated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as a "Historic Inn of America" – one visit and you’ll experience the nostalgia locals cherish, with its Adirondack style décor, friendly Staff, sprawling gardens, wide covered porches, and an activities schedule loaded with authentic family-style programming. With both hotel and cottage accommodations, great dining options, children’s camps, fishing, swimming, boating, tubing, paddle boarding, kayaking, and an 18 hole golf course, Basin Harbor offers something for everyone!
Addison County Fair and Field Days is Vermont's largest agricultural fair, taking place annually in August, in New Haven, under 4 miles West of Route 7. "Field Days" is a must-do spot of summer fun, most find hard to resist year after year. From the Children’s Barnyard to Demo Derby, ox pulling to the midway, the 5 days of Field Days fun is chock-full with country fair events, entertainment, and community fellowship. The showing events bring draft horse teams from across New England, farm animals of all kinds to highly competitive youth and adult contests, the best pies from several counties surrounding, and a huge number of local showcase products from furniture to taxidermy to honey. Field days is an exciting ag fair located on some of the most beautiful rolling hills and lush valleys in the State.
The Town of Middlebury
Just a 20 minute drive to the southeast, Middlebury offers several options for dining, shopping, and entertainment. Glenn M. Andres has created a wonderful walking history of Middlebury proper at this site – it’s the best way to experience all that historic Middlebury has to offer - one of the most picturesque downtowns in the State. Beginning at the old Post Office, head down the alley toward the historic Marble Works District, home to the popular American Flatbread, lunchtime hotspot Noonie’s Deli, seafood and Italian specialty food resource Costello’s Market, an extensive summertime Farmer’s Market, Middlebury Summer Festival, and the beautiful Riverfront Park by Middlebury Falls.
You’ll find additional services, several of the area’s businesses and now the recently developed Marble Works Residences (with incredible views of the Falls). Cross the footbridge over Otter Creek and you’ll find the Edgewater Gallery, shops at the Star Mill, PhotoPlace Gallery and the Henry Sheldon Museum. You’ll also be in the midst of the Main Street shopping district, in the center of which is the Main Street Bridge. It’s the perfect vantage point from which to watch the impressive Middlebury Falls cascading dramatically beneath and into the meandering Otter Creek. Inspired eats are everywhere, from a great cup of coffee at Carol’s Hungry Mind Café, to dinner and live music at the 51 Main, and down Bakery Lane to fabulous Creek-side seating and brunch at Woody’s Restaurant, in addition to options for Mexican, Chinese, Indian, great pizza, and scrumptious bakery treats (Otter Creek Bakery is a must for specialty desserts and morning pastries).
From historic Middlebury, you’ll find your errands are a cinch along Route 7, host to much of the Town’s commercial sites and including large-scale grocery, pharmacy’s, hardware, chains such as TJ Maxx, services and recreational opportunities including the Memorial Sports Center offering an indoor arena with hockey rink in the winter, and sod field in the warmer months. Vermont Sun, Middlebury Fitness, and the Middlebury Indoor Tennis facility offer a fit community options for exercise.
Additional points of interest include the Vermont Folklife Center (with extensive programs, events, education and archives celebrating the cultural traditions of Vermont), Town Hall Theater (boasting a fantastic line-up of world class entertainment, classes, and gallery), and Middlebury College’s Mahaney Center for the Arts (home to the school’s arts programs, but also the black-box style Seeler Studio Theatre, dance theatre, and stunning 370-seat recital hall) and of course the Middlebury College Museum of Art (offering permanent collections of Asian and Western art, a significant collection of public sculpture, and 2 spaces dedicated to featuring rotating exhibitions).
A few of Middlebury’s big business ventures include Otter Creek Brewing (loved near and far), Woodchuck Hard Cider (if their new facility on Exchange Street is any indication, this stuff is well-appreciated), Vermont Coffee Company (preferred by many coffee lovers as THE Vermont roaster of choice), and Vermont Soap (100% natural, organic, and offering visitors the soap museum and factory outlet). Businesses such as these employ residents from all surrounding towns, boosting the economic viability of the Addison County lifestyle so many seek.
One of the best websites you’ll find, loaded with information on Addison County’s most prized, is the County’s Chamber of Commerce collection of information, here. You’ll also find a downloadable PDF of the most up-to-date area guide on the Chamber’s site as well – an invaluable resource for those hoping to make the area home.
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