Hidden Gems of The Queen City
My love for Burlington, Vermont runs deep, and the same can be said for the culture and history of our fair city. I started out taking the bus into Burlington when I was 12 years old to experience what to me was a teeming metropolis. I loved to people watch, explore out of the way shops and cafes and walk around until my feet were tired. Not much changed during my time at UVM and the subsequent decade I spent living in the different neighborhoods of the Queen City. I still spend lots of time walking around for pleasure and the business of selling Burlington, VT Condos and I still find new things to marvel at with every visit.
Little Jerusalem
In the heart of Burlington's Old North End, in and around Archibald and Hyde Streets, is a neighborhood rich with history. Known as "Little Jerusalem", the neighborhood became home to a vibrant Jewish community comprised of immigrants from Lithuania and other parts of Eastern Europe starting in the late 19th Century. For an in-depth look at this story important to our state's cultural fabric view this 2014 PBS Documentary: "Little Jerusalem".
On a recent visit to Archibald Street to check in on a duplex listing of mine, two gentlemen were hard at work doing maintenance outside Ahavath Gerim Synagogue also known as Old Ohavi Zedek. They had been kind enough to call me to let me know they'd found one of my RE/MAX signs on the Synagogues lawn. After learning that amazingly, they were 5th generation attendants of the temple, they were kind enough to invite me in for a tour! Built in 1885, the synagogue is one of the oldest still in existence in the United States. It has beautiful brick construction and extensive glazing on the exterior allowing the interior to be flooded with natural light. Once inside, one is taken aback by the gorgeous trompe l'oeil painting of Jerusalem's famed Wailing Wall, and the ceilings are painted a cerulean blue like the sky on a beautiful day. I chatted with my new friends about the incredible history of the area and thanked them for the tour. Another story and amazing artifact of Little Jerusalem's history is that of the Lost Shul Mural. This beautiful mural painted in 1910 to serve as a temple altarpiece was recently rediscovered, restored and moved through an incredible feat of engineering to Ohavi Zedek Synagogue on North Prospect Street where it currently resides.
Burlington Vermont Condo projects near Little Jerusalem include Riverwatch Condos, High Grove Condos, Hyde Street Condos, Haley Court, Orchards Condos, Bright Street Condos, Manhattan Heights Condos, Solomon House Condos, Sun Terrace Condos, Union Court Condos, and Walnut Street Condos
WRUV
The Condo Guy is proud to Underwrite and support WRUV! As a UVM alum, I spent many days tuned into UVM's own WRUV 90.1. I always loved the eclectic, human driven music selection that can change mood and tone from moment to moment. I learned of many of my favorite artists from WRUV and it served as a sound track of my youth. As I became older and more boring, I found myself gravitating toward VPR and Podcasts about positive visualization. Recently my friend DJ Johnny, a fellow UVM Grad moved back to Vermont and resumed his role as a WRUV DJ older, wiser and with better taste find him on the dial from 6-9am on Thursdays for his show Salad Days. I now listen again regularly and find myself better for it with musical surprises around every corner.
What I'm Reading
Landlords are taking over the US Housing Market: Bloomberg News Great read on the current state of the US housing market. Homeownership rates are down, but those who own homes as investments, own more of them.
Musing
"Letting go gives me a firmer grasp"
