immersedinideas OP t1_iyftmn6 wrote on December 1, 2022 at 1:57 AM

Reply to comment by keylimecar in I miss Vermont so much by immersedinideas

Barre is nicknamed “scary barre.” It’s really only bad by VT standards, but it does have a high poverty rate, a high rate of drug use and overdoses, pretty bad schools, and a lot sketchy people. Nevertheless, there’s still a lot of really good people there and decent businesses. I think the city has a lot of potential.

M05040423 t1_iyg5mpg wrote on December 1, 2022 at 3:30 AM

I’ve lived in Barre for 18 years. Moved here when my oldest was 9 months old because this is where we could afford to buy a house. The schools have been great to us and the city has changed a lot in the past few years for the better. People who live here care about our city and have worked hard to improve it and revitalize the downtown. You’re welcome back whenever you feel you can come back.

faceswithfires t1_iyh99uq wrote on December 1, 2022 at 11:32 AM

Barre is perfectly fine, and it's not even bad 'by Vermont standards'. If you're not engaged in hard drug use Barre is a grand place to live and has some of the more affordable living prices in the area. Its reputation is not deserved.

immersedinideas OP t1_iyhakf7 wrote on December 1, 2022 at 11:48 AM

Don’t get me wrong, I’d live in Barre again. It has a lot of great qualities - especially the generous, helpful people you find there.

somedudevt t1_iyhpfy6 wrote on December 1, 2022 at 2:14 PM

I can tell you that barre is the only place where I’ve ever had a gun pulled… and In my life i have tried pot 3 times so im not a drug user… the person who pulled the gun was a drug dealer which I later found out; but it started as a guy being touchy on a friends girlfriend at gustos, and ended with a gun out.

Not saying barre is the worst place on earth, and it’s done well to export most of its crime to the hotel in Berlin, but its not great. When you see kids go to Christian school and 5 years later robbing stores for drug money… it’s well sad.

keylimecar t1_iyftyot wrote on December 1, 2022 at 1:59 AM

:( I'm sorry you had to leave, sounds like the area could use you! I hope you can come back to visit and maybe one day remote work will allow you to move back!!