Burlington's Best

The largest city in a small state, Burlington’s got a big reputation for being home to the cool, the quirky and the creative. Burlington is famous for being the birthplace of Ben and Jerry’s and Phish, (visit Nectar's on Main Street to see where they got their start), home to the headquarters of Burton Snowboards, Dealer.com and Lake Champlain Chocolates, and the site of a lot of great dining, shopping and outdoor recreation, from kayaking to rock climbing to skateboarding.

The Church Street Marketplace is the heart of the city. There’s almost always a place that’s 18+ to get in where you can dance, listen or just hang out and hear some great music including Higher Ground, Club Metronome, Red Square and Radio Bean. If live theater’s your thing, there’s the Vermont Stage Company, the Flynn Center and Flynn Space, and performances at UVM and Saint Michael’s. For art, check out the Firehouse Gallery for starters. Independent and mainstream movies play seven nights a week at the Roxy. And concerts (and NHL hockey!) are at the world-famous Bell Center are just a short trip away in Montreal.

Some other local offerings:

• Petra Cliffs
• Kayak rentals at the waterfront
• North Beach
• Oakledge Park
• Skirack
• North Star Sports
• Burlington Town Center, Abercrombie, American Apparel, J. Crew, Banana Republic
• American Flatbread
• Close to town: Vermont Teddy Bear, Shelburne Museum, Ben & Jerry’s Factory