Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - providence, burlington, or portland?

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oh Deborah!!! Wake up and re-read my response. I have not written a single thing to support your little outburst...the stats are backed up by the admission that NO It's not much, but for a tiny state we do better than many big states. Closet racists? How dare you? How the hell do you know anything about Vermont except what you read on the back of an ice cream container? By and by, Vermonters (specifically those in the "cities") are liberal and more accepting than, well...apparently more than you! You, sweetheart, aren't telling me a damn thing for my own good...I've been an advocate (in actions, not just the words YOU throw around) for racial justice & equality for longer than your wee mind can imagine. I also advocated for civil unions, and I live in the first state to allow them... Or doesn't THAT matter about Vermont? Is your "ism" better than others?? Do you have a clue what I'm saying? Our Universities and Colleges were called out 10 years ago for not attempting to diversify further...have they been 100% successful? No....have they at least stepped up to the challenge of attracting minorities to schools that are admittedly NOT on anyone's Top 10 academically, nor have serious varsity sports? YES! Hell...except for kids that want to ski and party, we can't attract anyone anymore! What else would you, oh wise one, suggest we do? Seriously, what can YOU think of that we haven't? By that, I presume you already know EVERYTHING our state has already tried!! And, sweetheart..you know nothing about Vermont. I guess the carribean restaurant, Thai specific stores, Asian Food Markets & many other businesses, Bosnian & Serbian markets, etc...alll run by families of that ethnicity....and music, dance, and art too....they must ALL be like me, huh?? Cause we don't have none of that diversity up here. Perhaps you'd like us to have a grand campaign to invite all sorts of people---of color, white, whatever---to a state losing 500-1000 jobs a month---again, may not seem like much to you---but you have no idea how our economy is structured. That's a grand idea! Hey---come move here! We have no jobs and even fewer houses and apartments, but at least they're expensive!! I am smart enough to know that you have a mighty big chip on your shoulder and zero to back it up.

Rila....you really are riled up. Ah..the alliteration. Truth hurts...it's okay. It's making you look at yourself. You people need to do that.

BTW, I have been to Vermont. Stayed at the Inn at Essex and went to the NECI in downtown Burlington. Lovely area. Also visited Waterbury.

For the record, according to the 2000 census the state with the highest white population is Maine with 96.9%, followed closely by Vermont with 96.8%, and then New Hampshire with 96%. Rila says of the Vermont politicians, "These are politicians who BELIEVE in diversity." Well it's interesting that they are such BELIEVERS in diversity and yet they live in a state with little, if any, diversity. Kind of like a confirmed bachelor saying he believes in marriage.

Still waiting for one of you to give us one of your brilliant inspirations on how Vermont should encourage minorities?? making her take a look at herself! ha! seems to me she's the only one being honest here! the state is lily white, they know it, they've made an attempt to change...they obviously aren't succeeding to queen deborah's liking! perhaps the all-knowing one could stop calling political activists racists and tell us all how SHE would change things. i'd bet the farm (so to speak) that the politicians in Vermont have higher standards about valuing ALL human life than wherever you happen to be Barb!! Sit down, do some research on the progress for human rights made in Vermont over the last couple of years, and then come back and tell us all how YOUR state compares . Mine doesn't hold a single candle to the State of vermont, not by a long shot. i'm waiting with baited breath to see where barb's utopia lies. about that chip, Barb. no one is debating that vermont is in deed of diversification...in fact rila seems to have stated her agreement with you several times. what is being wondered, though...is how you can keep pointing blind fingers and open mouth with venom and no solutions. what? you haven't a solution? yep. thought so. you've been to the Inn at Essex? And NECI??? And you didn't see any diversity? I'm shocked!!! Barb chose to partonize two of the more upscale and built for wealthy tourist traps. Bad news, barb....you didn't see any Vermonters either...except for the ones that waited on you. lovely places, indeed.

I didn't see much diversity in Vermont and especially at the NECI and that's what got me wondering about Vermont in the first place. I took a cooking class at the NECI in Burlington and saw one African-American person in the whole place among students and workers. ( The class was terrific by the way ) I ate supper at Butler's Restaurant at the Inn at Essex and saw no African-Americans there that night. ( The food was delicious however ) I walked around Burlington and saw very few Asians or African-Americans anywhere. I went to Ben & Jerry's in Waterbury and heard all about their magnificent social causes they endorse but didn't see one person of color. I went to Montpelier and had lunch at the NECI restaurant there and once again, no people of color. I walked around Montpelier and once again, no people of color. It was quite a dramatic revelation to me and I still wonder why a state that prides itself on being the first to come out against slavery, has only 1 in 200 of it's citizens who are African-American when the national average is 1 in 8 across the rest of the United States. And Mr. Well??- If you consider the Inn at Essex or the NECI to be places that are "upscale" then you need to get out more often. I'm not putting them down but they are not places of great extravagance by any stretch of the imagination. Poor fellow, you have a limited view of the world and that hostility toward wealth is very unhealthy.

I just read this wandering thread and boy, did it get off the subject. Not to say it wasn't interesting. I learned something. If I were a referee on this fight I would have to give delliott the victory hands down. She handled the group of you like a mamma bear with her cubs. I bet she is a lawyer and a damn good one. Didn't lose her cool. Stayed with her points and got a lot of you in a tizzy. Ms. delliott if your reading this and you are a lawyer, you can represent me anytime.

well- back to the topic! I love your question- I am practially smack dab in the middle of all three of them and I actually go to them frequently. As for restuarants in NE try going to the Phantom Gourmet's site. Just put "Phantom Gourmet" in Yahoo Providence- a previously run down city that has made an incredible transformation. It has wonderful restaurants, some nice shopping, a nice park to relax at, a river that flows thru the center all with in walking distance. They get some great bands at several clubs in town. Chk out Riverwalk.com (I think) to check the schedule for a great event they have about 15 times a year. The river has wrought iron baskets that they fill with fire wood (I think maybe 100 of them) and light them from about 8-midnight. Brown university and Rhode Island School of Design are both very close to downtown. Portland. Pretty on the water city- reminds me abit of a smaller Portland, Oregon. A bit crunchy - some cobblestone streets to stroll around, some nice restuarants, brew pubs. They have the public market- great to stop or just walk through, Portland sea dogs and you could take a ferry to one of the small islands just off the coast for a day trip. Check the Casco BAy lines. I'm pretty sure they have schooners to take day or sunset trips. Burlington is a fav of mine. Relaxed and crunchy- come as you are. Beautiful views of Lake champlain and the Adirondacks on the other side. There is an amazing museum "Shelburne Museum" that is not downtown Burlington but worth it to check on public transportation to is. There are tour boats that have sunset cruises on the lake. They have a cobblestone street blocked to cars with some shops, restaurants, clubs and a Ben & Jerry shop.

Rila, I specifically stated my opinion was a subjective one. I never proclaimed myself to be an expert. However, you did position yourself as one but you offered no basis to support that claim. Just because you say something does not make it correct. I've check the U.S. Census webpage and Vermont has one of the lowest per capita spending on social programs in the country. Also, Vermont ranks 46th in charitable giving. Vermont is a state of self-reliant individualists, much like my home state of NH. Knashing your teeth over some perceived slight of the Green Mountain state just make you come off as a putz. Back to my original posting: Providence has it over Burlington and Portland. Regards, MM