Burlington, Vermont

Burlington, Vermont
City
City of Burlington, Vermont

From top to bottom, going left to right: Burlington skyline viewed from Lake Champlain, ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, Church Street Marketplace, Ethan Allen Homestead Museum and Historic Site, Old Mill building on the University of Vermont campus, Battery Park, and Gutterson Fieldhouse.

Flag
Seal

Coat of arms
Nickname(s): The Queen City,[1][2] The West Coast of New England[3][4]

Location in Chittenden County and the state of Vermont.
Burlington, Vermont

Location in the United States

Coordinates: 44°28′33″N 073°12′43″W / 44.47583°N 73.21194°W / 44.47583; -73.21194Coordinates: 44°28′33″N 073°12′43″W / 44.47583°N 73.21194°W / 44.47583; -73.21194[5]
Country United States
State Vermont
County Chittenden
Settled 1783
Organized (town) 1785
Incorporated (city) 1865
Government
 • Mayor Miro Weinberger (Democrat)
Area
 • City 15.5 sq mi (40.1 km2)
 • Land 10.3 sq mi (26.7 km2)
 • Water 5.2 sq mi (13.4 km2)
Elevation[5] 200 ft (61 m)
Population (2010)[6]
 • City 42,417
 • Estimate (2014)[7] 42,211
 • Rank U.S.: 870th
 • Density 4,096/sq mi (1,581.3/km2)
 • Urban 108,740 (U.S.: 285th)
 • Urban density 1,760.8/sq mi (679.8/km2)
 • Metro 214,796 (U.S.: 203rd)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 05401–05402, 05405–05406, 05408
Area code(s) 802
FIPS code 50-10675
GNIS feature ID 1456663[5][8]
Website www.burlingtonvt.gov

Burlington, Vermont, situated on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain to the west of the Green Mountains, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont as well as its cultural hub. The seat of Chittenden County, the city is the center of the Burlington, Vermont metropolitan area and lies 45 miles (72 km) south of the Canada-United States (Quebec-Vermont) border and 94 miles (151 km) south of Montreal. Burlington is the least populous city in the United States to be the largest city within a state. The municipal population was 42,211 according to a 2014 U.S. Census Estimate.[9]

A regional college town, Burlington is home to the University of Vermont as well as two small private colleges, Burlington College and Champlain College. The state's largest hospital, the University of Vermont Medical Center, is located within the city limits. In early 2015, Burlington became the first city in the United States to run completely on renewable energy.[10]

Etymology

Two theories have been put forward for the origin of Burlington's name. The first is that it was named after Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington, while the second is that the name honors the politically prominent and wealthy Burling family of New York. While no Burling family members are listed as grantees of the town, the family held large tracts of land in nearby towns, some of which were granted on the same day as Burlington.[11]

History

Church Street in 1907
The Van Ness House hotel, built in 1870, burned down in 1951

One of the New Hampshire grants, the land that was developed as Burlington was awarded by Governor Benning Wentworth on June 7, 1763 to Samuel Willis and 63 others.[12] In the summer of 1775, settlers began clearing land and built two or three log huts, but the outbreak of the Revolution delayed permanent settlement until after its conclusion. In 1783, Stephen Lawrence arrived with his family. The town was organized in 1785.[12]

The War of 1812 was unpopular in Vermont and New England, which had numerous trading ties with Canada. Neither Vermont nor other New England states provided militia units or financial support. Vermont voters supported the Federalist party, which opposed the war.[13] At one point during the War, the U.S. had 5,000 troops stationed in Burlington, outnumbering residents and putting a strain on resources. About 500 soldiers died of disease, which was always a problem due to poor sanitation in army camps.[14] Some soldiers were quartered in the main building at the University of Vermont, where a memorial plaque commemorates them.[15]

In a skirmish on August 2, 1813, the British shelled Burlington. Depending on who relates the account, this is described either as a bold stroke by the British with an ineffectual response from the Americans, or a weak sally by the British, properly ignored by the Americans. The cannonade lasted for about 10 minutes and did not affect the outcome of the war. The American side was commanded by Naval Lieutenant Thomas Macdonough, later hero of the Battle of Lake Champlain.[13]

The town's position on Lake Champlain helped it develop into a port of entry and center for trade, particularly after completion of the Champlain Canal in 1823, the Erie Canal in 1825, and the Chambly Canal in 1843. Wharves allowed steamboats to connect freight and passengers with the Rutland & Burlington Railroad and Vermont Central Railroad. Burlington became a bustling lumbering and manufacturing center and was incorporated as a city in 1865. Its Victorian era prosperity left behind much fine architecture, including buildings by Ammi B. Young, H.H. Richardson, and McKim, Mead & White.

In 1870, the waterfront was extended by construction of the Pine Street Barge Canal.[16] This became polluted over the years and was a focus for cleanup in 2009 under the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Superfund program.[17]

Late 20th century to present

In 1978 the ice cream enterprise Ben & Jerry's was founded in Burlington in a renovated gas station. It became a national brand, with retail outlets in numerous cities.

In 2007, the city was named one of the top four "places to watch" in the United States by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).[18] The ratings were based on what was perceived as ideal qualities for older residents. Criteria included the factors that make a community livable: new urbanism, smart growth, mixed-use development, and easy-living standards.

Forbes magazine ranked the city in 2010 as one of the "prettiest" towns in America, featuring a picture of the Church Street Marketplace on its cover.[19]

Geography and climate

Lake Champlain from the Burlington wharves
Burlington
Climate chart (explanation)
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
2.1
 
 
27
10
 
 
1.8
 
 
31
13
 
 
2.2
 
 
40
22
 
 
2.8
 
 
55
35
 
 
3.5
 
 
67
45
 
 
3.7
 
 
76
55
 
 
4.2
 
 
81
60
 
 
3.9
 
 
79
59
 
 
3.6
 
 
70
51
 
 
3.6
 
 
57
39
 
 
3.1
 
 
46
31
 
 
2.4
 
 
33
19
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Source: NOAA [20]

Burlington is situated on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain, north of Shelburne Bay. It was built on a strip of land extending about 6 miles (9.7 km) south from the mouth of the Winooski River along the lake shore, and rises from the water's edge to a height of 300 feet (91 m).[21]

A large ravine in what is now downtown was filled in with refuse and raw sewage in the 19th century to make way for further development.[22]

Climate

Burlington has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), with cold winters and very warm, humid summers. The monthly daily average temperatures ranges from 18.7 °F (−7.4 °C) in January to 70.6 °F (21.4 °C) in July. The annual precipitation of 36.8 inches (935 mm) is well-distributed throughout the year, but the summer months are the wettest. The city's location east of Lake Champlain sometimes accounts for localized snow squalls, producing up to 13 inches (33 cm) in 12 hours on rare occasions.[23] Annual snowfall averages 81.2 inches (206 cm), but this figure can fluctuate greatly from one year to another. Extremes have ranged from −30 °F (−34 °C) on January 15, 1957 and February 12, 1979 to 101 °F (38 °C) on August 11, 1944.[20] The most snowfall from a single storm is 33.1 inches (84.1 cm), which fell January 2–3, 2010.[24]

For the Northeast United States, a heat wave is defined as having three consecutive days of 90 °F (32 °C) or more. There were six such heat waves from 2000–2009.[25]


Burlington, as seen from Lake Champlain in 2010

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1790330—
1800816147.3%
18101,690107.1%
18202,11124.9%
18303,52667.0%
18404,27121.1%
18507,58577.6%
18607,7131.7%
187013,59676.3%
188011,365−16.4%
189014,59028.4%
190018,64027.8%
191020,4689.8%
192022,77911.3%
193024,7898.8%
194027,68611.7%
195033,15519.8%
196035,5317.2%
197038,6338.7%
198037,712−2.4%
199039,1273.8%
200038,889−0.6%
201042,4179.1%
Est. 201442,211[7]−0.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[28]

As of the census of 2010, 42,417 people were residing in the city. Over a total of 16,851 households, the average number of persons per household was 2.13.[29]

The median household income for the city was US$42,677. The per capita income was $25,441. The recent small decline in the official population of the city could be due to the current trend towards the moving out of single-families and the moving in of students who are domiciled outside of the city limits.

Ethnicity and Race as of the 2010 Census:

Group Percent Notes
White 88.9% (87.3% whites not of Latino origin)
African American or Black 3.8%
Asian 3.6%
Hispanic or Latino 2.8%
Two or more races 2.6%
Other races 0.49%
Native American 0.3%
Pacific Islander 0.11%

Transportation

Bus

Burlington is the central focus of the Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA), providing bus service to and from the surrounding communities (and the shopping districts of South Burlington and Williston).

On June 15, 2011, the CCTA announced that it had changed its charter, effective July 1, 2011, to allow municipalities outside Chittenden County to join CCTA as member communities, thereby allowing CCTA to become Vermont’s first regional transit authority. As part of its expansion, the CCTA will merge with the Green Mountain Transit Authority (GMTA), which provides bus service in the Barre/Montpelier area and surrounding communities in central Vermont.[30]

Greyhound provides intercity bus service from the Burlington International Airport to other communities in Vermont, as well as to Montreal's Gare d'autocars de Montreal and Boston's South Station and Logan International Airport. Premier Coach's Vermont Translines also provides intercity bus service between Burlington and Albany, New York along the US Route 7 corridor in a partnership with Greyhound, also from the Burlington International Airport.[31] Megabus provides non-stop service between Burlington and Boston, and service to New York City by two routes, with intermediate stops in Saratoga Springs, New York, or in Amherst, Massachusetts and Hartford, Connecticut.

Burlington's Union Station was built in 1916 by the Central Vermont Railway and the Rutland Railroad. It now serves only tourist rail operations.

Rail

From the late nineteenth century to 1953, the Rutland Railroad provided passenger service on the Green Mountain Flyer and the Mount Royal from Burlington to Chatham, New York in Columbia County, with connecting service to New York City via the New York Central Railroad. The last train north to run to Alburgh, in the extreme northwest of the state, was in 1948. From 1916 Rutland Railroad service was provided at the new Union Station on the Lake Champlain waterfront.[32] From 2000 to 2003, the Champlain Flyer was a commuter service from Burlington south to the town of Charlotte.

Since the closure of the Champlain Flyer, Burlington has had no active railroad connections. An Amtrak station is located 7 miles (11 km) away in the village of Essex Junction.

In January 2013, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin proposed extending the Ethan Allen Express from Rutland to Burlington, the state's largest city. The proposal would create a regional rail corridor connecting Albany, Saratoga Springs, Rutland, and Burlington, which have combined metro populations of around 1.25 million inhabitants.[33]

Air

Air carriers at Burlington International Airport provide the area with commercial service to major regional hubs and international airports. While scheduled carriers have not traditionally offered scheduled commercial flights to destinations outside the United States, there is a Customs Port of Entry for unscheduled flights.[34] In December 2011, Porter Airlines began offering winter seasonal commercial service to and from Billy Bishop Airport in Toronto (Ontario), the largest city in Canada.[35]

Major roads

Burlington is served by one major Interstate highway, along with its spur route into the southern part of the city, and is at the junction of two U.S. highways. Several Vermont state highways also provide routes into and through the Burlington area.

Ferry service

Burlington is the headquarters of the Lake Champlain Transportation Company, a privately held company that offers ferry service for the North Country of New York and the Champlain Valley region of Vermont. Summer seasonal service is available from Burlington's King Street Dock to Port Kent. Two lines of year-round 24-hour service are provided from nearby Grand Isle to Plattsburgh and Charlotte to Essex.[38]

Economy

Burlington's economy centers on education, health services, trade, transportation, and utilities, as well as some manufacturing. In 2011, the city had an unemployment rate of 4.8%, which was the 6th lowest of all metro areas. Real wages were $39,980 in 2006 constant dollars and remained there to 2010; the state was $33,385; the nation, $36,871.[39]

In 2009, Moody's confirmed the city's bond rating at AA3, "high" quality, the second best rank,[40] but in 2010, the city-owned Burlington Telecom cable provider was unable to pay the city of Burlington $17 million it owed. As a result, Moody's downrated the debt for the city two notches to A2, "upper medium". Moody's also downrated the credit rating for Burlington International Airport.[41]

Personal income

As of the census of 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $33,070, and the median income for a family was $46,012. Males had a median income of $30,144 versus $25,270 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,011. About 10.4% of families and 20.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.4% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.

For the 4,989 single-family owner-occupied homes, the median value was $131,200.

Business and industry

The largest employers in the city proper are the University of Vermont Medical Center (formerly Fletcher Allen Health Care) and the University of Vermont, employing 6823 and 3137 people, respectively. Other companies in Burlington include the G.S. Blodgett Company, one of the oldest and largest commercial oven companies in the country, which manufactures restaurant equipment. Its history dates back to the mid-19th century. General Electric develops software for the healthcare industry in South Burlington at the former headquarters of IDX Systems, which it purchased in 2006. General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products division employs 450 workers locally. A solely owned subsidiary, the division is based here.[42] Dealer.com, a leading automotive internet marketing company, employed over 450 employees as of March 2011.[43]

Ben & Jerry's began in 1978 when Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield opened their first ice cream scoop shop in an old gas station in Burlington.[44] Vermont Teddy Bear Company whose founder started on a cart on a Burlington street now ships custom teddy bears worldwide.

Corporate headquarters located in Burlington include Burton Snowboards, Bruegger's, Lake Champlain Chocolates, Rhino Foods, and Seventh Generation Inc..

Retailing and tourism

One measure of economic activity is retail sales. Burlington was fifth in the state in 2007 with $242.2 million.[45]

The Church Street Marketplace, a four-block pedestrian mall in the heart of the city, is the site of festivals throughout the year. Events such as the "South End Art Hop" and public galleries such as Pine Street Art Works, provide a forum for the visual arts in the South End. The American Planning Association named the Marketplace one of America's "Great Public Spaces" for 2008.[46]

A "Festival of Fools" had an estimated 25,000 attendees at the Marketplace in 2009.[47] The "Vermont Brewers Festival" had 9,600 attendees in 2009,[47] and the "Giant Pumpkin Regatta and Festival" had 5,000 attendees that same year; Saturday Night Live satirized the event.[47] One of the largest year-round farmers markets in the state is located in the city.

Real estate

In 2008, vacancy rates for office space reached 4.5%, high for the city, but low compared to the surrounding suburbs.

Government

Burlington City Hall (1928) at the intersection of Church Street and Main Street, in 2013

Burlington has a city council-mayor form of government.[48] Democrats and the Progressive Party make up the majority of the council. Miro Weinberger, the current mayor,[49] is a Democrat who was first elected in 2012.[50] The City Council has fourteen seats, which are currently occupied by seven Democrats (all Ward 5, 6, & 7, and one in Ward 4), five Progressives (all Ward 2 & 3 and one in Ward 1), one Independent (Ward 1), and one Republican (Ward 4 - in the New North End).[51]

Current U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders was the mayor of Burlington from 1981 to 1989. His election in 1981 unseated the longstanding Mayor, Gordon Paquette, drastically changing the political landscape of the city. The new Mayor Sanders created a government that was run by young Progressives, including Peter Clavelle, who was elected Mayor when Sanders stepped down to run for higher office. Peter Clavelle, Burlington's longest serving mayor, held that office from 1989 to 1993, and again from 1995 to 2006.[52]

The large transient student population votes in local, as well as state and national elections, resulting in a considerable impact on local elections.[53] The city signed up 2,527 new voters in the six weeks from September 1, 2008, the highest number for that time frame in over nine years.[54]

The city was ranked "average" nationally in political involvement in 2008. Criteria included percentage registered to vote, percentage participating in most recent elections and campaign contributions.[55]

As a non-profit institution, the University of Vermont pays no real estate taxes, though like many other schools, it does make an annual payment in lieu of taxes. In 2007, the college agreed to raise this from $456,006 to $912,011 in 2010 plus a "public works" supplement rising from $180,040 to $191,004 over the same time frame.[56]

The city maintains three parks on Lake Champlain. One is free, while the other two have parking fees.

Public library

The Carnegie Building of the Fletcher Free Library in 2013

The Fletcher Free Library at 235 College Street at the corner of South Winooski Avenue was established in 1873, endowed by Mary Martha Fletcher, the daughter of a local businessman, but outgrew its initial building on Church Street by 1901. A new building was constructed in 1901-04 with funds provided by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, making it the first of the four Carnegie libraries in the state. It was designed in the Beaux-Arts style by Walter R. B. Willcox of Burlington, who won a competition to receive the commission.[57]

The building had major settling problems in 1973 where it had been built over a former railroad ravine, which had been improperly filled in, and the library's collection was moved elsewhere. The possible razing of the building was stopped by a citizens' committee, which successfully had it added to the National Register of Historic Places, and a grant allowed the stabilization and repair of the building. A new modern addition was completed in 1981.[57][58]

The largest public library in Vermont, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Fletcher Free Library had a budget of over $1 million in 2002. It circulated more books, had more visitors, and had more computers, than any other library in Vermont.[59] In addition to its primary services as Burlington's public library, it is also a community center, a cultural resource for newly arrived immigrants to the Burlington area, and the City's only free public access computer center.

Infrastructure

The city has municipal fiber broadband, which provides telephone, broadband internet, and television.[60] In 2008, cable management tried to drop Al-Jazeera English from the lineup. This was successfully thwarted by protesters and the station was, in 2009, one of three "small cable operators" in the nation to carry this channel.[61][62]

Like many Vermont municipalities, Burlington owns its own power company, Burlington Electric Department. In 2009, the department announced that it would purchase 40% of the 40 MW Sheffield wind-generated electricity when it becomes available.[63]

Neighborhoods

Burlington is organized into neighborhoods generally recognized by residents, but without any legal or political authority.

Health and social services

Burlington is home to University of Vermont Medical Center, a tertiary referral hospital for Vermont and the North Country of New York, Level I Trauma Center, and teaching hospital.

In 2006, Burlington was rated the ninth-best city to live in. The criteria were health, quality of life, and fitness.[66] In 2007, it was rated 11th out of 100, for auto safety. The criteria were observing speed limits, accident infrequency, and seatbelt use.[67] In 2008 it was ranked second out of 100 for "greenest driving."[68] Criteria included gasoline consumption and air quality.

In 2008, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Burlington ranks high among U.S. metropolitan areas by having the largest proportion of people – 92 percent – who say they are in good or great health. The report went on to rate it best in exercise and lowest in obesity, diabetes, and other measures of ill health. In 2009, Children's Health Magazine rated Burlington the best city in the country to raise a family.[69]

In 2010, the government banned smoking within 25 feet (7.6 m) of the city's parks and recreational areas.[70]

The HowardCenter, headquartered in Burlington, provides social services to state residents, and runs Vermont's first and the area's only methadone maintenance program, the Chittenden Clinic.

One of the four buildings in the Edmunds School complex
University of Vermont – Old Mill building
Main campus, Burlington College

Education

Public schools

Burlington School District operates the city's public schools.

Schools:

Magnet schools:
In Burlington, students have two choices of magnet schools: the Integrated Arts Academy at H.O. Wheeler (IAA) and the Sustainability Academy at Lawrence Barnes (SA).[71]

At IAA, students learn through the lens of the four art forms: movement, drama, music and visual arts.[72]

At SA, students learn through the lens of sustainability - by exploring our diverse society, our local economy and the environment through hands-on projects.[73]

Private schools

Universities and colleges

The University of Vermont ("UVM"), Burlington College, and Champlain College are located in this college town. The UVM Medical Center is home to one of the ten most selective medical schools in the US, the UVM College of Medicine.[74] The Community College of Vermont had a site located in Burlington until 2010 when a new building in the adjacent city of Winooski was constructed for the college. Saint Michael's College and a satellite campus of Southern New Hampshire University are in the neighboring town of Colchester. Vermont Technical College also has a satellite campus in nearby Williston.

Religion

Churches in Burlington include the North Avenue Alliance Church, First Baptist Church, First Congregational Church, the Episcopal Cathedral Church of St. Paul, the First United Methodist Church, Christ Church (Presbyterian), the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception – the episcopal see for the Diocese of Burlington – and the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, the First Unitarian Universalist Society, the College Street Congregational Church (United Church of Christ), The Burlington Church of Christ, and the non-denominational Church at the Well. The Conservative Ohavi Zedek synagogue is also located in the city, and there is an active Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).

The Howard Mortuary Chapel in Lakeview Cemetery was built in 1882 as a gift to the City of Burlington from Hannah Louisa Howard, a local philanthropist. A native of the city, she was the daughter of John Howard, a successful Burlington hotelier. The chapel was designed in the High Victorian Gothic style by Alfred Benjamin Fisher, on cemetery grounds designed by E. C. Ryer in 1871.[75]

The Ira Allen Chapel on the grounds of the University of Vermont campus, was completed in 1926, and was designed in the Georgian Revival style by McKim, Mead & White. The chapel's flashing beacon provides a nighttime landmark for those approaching Burlington from Lake Champlain. The chapel is part of the University Green Historic District.[76]

Both of the cathedrals in Burlington – the Episcopal Cathedral Church of St. Paul and the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception – are modern structures built after their predecessors were destroyed by arson fires in 1971-72.[77] The Episcopal Cathedral was completed in 1973 and was designed by Burlington Associates (now TruexCollins) in the Brutalist style, while the Roman Catholic Cathedral was built in 1974-77 and was designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes, with the park-like grounds designed by landscape architect Dan Kiley.[77]

Culture

Dragon boat races to benefit charity have been held in Lake Champlain in August since 2006.[78] In 2009, there were approximately 2,000 participants on 86 teams.[79]

There has been an annual First Night community celebration of the arts on New Year's Eve since 1982. Burlington was the fourth city to embrace this concept.[80]

Burlington's own drag troupe, the House of LeMay,[81] performs several shows a year, hosts the annual "Winter is a Drag Ball,"[82] and raises funds for numerous charities. The House of LeMay is the subject of the documentary, "Slingbacks and Syrup" which premiered at the 2008 Vermont International Film Festival in Burlington.

The Emily Post Institute, an etiquette organization, is headquartered here.

Local music

The city has, over the years, supported a number of local bands as various "scenes" waxed and waned, and has even launched a handful of national acts. The most famous of these is Phish, which originated at UVM circa 1983.

Other acts with ties to the city include Matisyahu,[83] Strangefolk, The Essex Green, RAQ, James Kochalka, The Jazz Mandolin Project, Pork Tornado, Anais Mitchell, Greg Davis, Koushik, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Dispatch, Prydein, Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello, Morgan Page, KT Tunstall, and The Vacant Lots.

Local art

The "South End Art Hop", is an annual event presented by the South End Arts and Business Association.[84] Artists join businesses, artist studios, and galleries, which in turn open their doors to the public throughout the post-industrial section of Burlington, known as the "South End". The first Art Hop in 1993 had a little more than thirty artists and a dozen sites participating. In 2008, over 600 artists showcased their works in over 100 sites throughout the South End of Burlington. The event takes place on the Friday and Saturday following Labor Day in September.

The city has an arts department, Burlington City Arts, which serves many roles including cultural planning, education, showing contemporary art and hosting cultural events at The BCA Center. Burlington City Arts also runs a program in collaboration with UVM Medical Center, Art from the Heart, where patients have access to art supplies and devoted volunteer time.

Landmarks and buildings

Historic buildings

Many of Burlington's historic buildings and sites have been recognized by their inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). In addition to 28 buildings, three shipwrecks and the Burlington Breakwater, the city encompasses 17 historic districts.[85]

The ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center
The Art Deco marquee of the Flynn Theatre

Sites of interest

Battery Park, which overlooks the Burlington Waterfront & Lake Champlain

Tallest buildings

Besides being the smallest U.S. city to be the largest city in its state, Burlington is also the home of the shortest "tallest building" in any of the 50 US states, Decker Towers.

Excluding structures constructed with bell towers or spires, such as the Ira Allen Chapel (which reportedly measures 170 ft (51.8 m) in height), the five tallest buildings in Burlington are:[92]

Rank Name Image Height
ft / m		 Floors Year
1 Decker Towers 124 / 37.8 11 1970
2 Burlington Square 116 / 35 8
3 Westlake Residential 107.5 / 33 9
4 Key Bank 105 / 32 8
5 Cathedral Square 103.33 / 31 10

Media

Newspapers and other publications

Burlington is the media center of northern and central Vermont. It is served by the

Radio

Aerial view of Burlington.

Major radio stations that are based in Burlington and serve the region:

Television

There are four network-affiliated television stations that serve the greater Burlington area. They include WFFF-TV channel 44 (Fox), its sister station, WVNY channel 22 (ABC), WPTZ channel 5 (NBC), with The CW on DT2 and Me-TV on DT3), and WCAX-TV channel 3 (CBS). WCAX, WFFF, and WPTZ operate news departments. Although licensed to Burlington, WCAX is actually based in neighboring South Burlington, while WPTZ is based in Plattsburgh, New York with a news bureau in nearby Colchester. WFFF and WVNY are also based in Colchester. Comcast is the metro area's major cable television service provider, although residents within the Burlington city limits are also served by municipally-owned Burlington Telecom.

These cable channels are Burlington based: VCAM-Channel 15,[96] RETN-Channel 16,[97] and Town Meeting TV/CCTV channel 17.[98]

Sports

Team Sport(s) League Stadium
Vermont Lake Monsters Baseball Minor league Class A Centennial Field
Vermont Catamounts Ice Hockey, Basketball, Track, others NCAA Division I Gutterson Fieldhouse

The Vermont Lake Monsters of the New York – Penn League, a Class A short-season (June to September) minor league baseball team, were formerly called the Vermont Expos. The team changed its name in 2007 after its parent Major League Baseball club, the Montreal Expos of the National League, moved from Montreal to Washington, D.C. and became the Washington Nationals. In 2010, the Lake Monsters ended its 17-year association with the Expos/Nationals and became the Class A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics of the American League.[99] The Lake Monsters play on the campus of the University of Vermont at Centennial Field.

Burlington has a rich hockey history, and was the location of the first known international ice hockey match,[100] held between the Montreal Crystals and employees of the Van Ness House, a local hotel, during the 1886 Burlington Winter Carnival. The University of Vermont's men's hockey team, the Catamounts, play their home games at the 4,007-seat Gutterson Field House on the UVM campus.[101][102]

A professional basketball franchise, the Vermont Frost Heaves, played half of their season in the city until 2011. The team, which originally was part of the American Basketball Association – not to be confused with the 1970s-era major basketball league of the same name that merged with the National Basketball Association – moved to the Premier Basketball League in 2008 and split their regular-season home games between Burlington and Barre. The Frost Heaves, owned by Sports Illustrated writer Alexander Wolff, played their Burlington games at the Memorial Auditorium, on South Union Street, at the corner of Main. However, the franchise folded in early 2011.

There is also a rugby union team, the Burlington RFC.

The Vermont City Marathon has drawn thousands of competitors annually.[103] A local Golden Gloves boxing tournament has been held annually since 1946.[104]

Burlington was a venue site for the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship.

Notable people

Sister cities

Burlington is twinned with:[105]

In popular culture

Burlington was a filming location for the films Me, Myself & Irene (2000) and What Lies Beneath (2000).

Notes

  1. ↑ Official records for Burlington were kept at downtown from December 1883 to 3 June 1943, and at Burlington Int'l since 4 June 1943. For more information, see ThreadEx

References

  1. ↑ Robert J. Resnik (2013). Legendary Locals of Burlington, Vermont. Arcadia Publishing. p. 10. Burlington was known as the 'Queen City' of Vermont at least as far back as 1848, when the telegraph first arrived in Burlington and the people of Troy, New York, addressed their congratulations to 'people of the Queen City.' The title really took hold, though, in June 1865, when the City of Burlington's first mayor, Albert L. Catlin...stated in one of his early speeches, 'We represent a young city, which may in time be known and distinguished as the Queen City of New England.'
  2. ↑ Facts about Burlington, Vermont: The 'Queen City' and Its Institutions; Its Drives, Rambles, Views, Places of Interest, and Its Resources. C.H. Possons. 1888.
  3. ↑ Armisted, Louis (30 April 2008). "Burlington's New Slogan". Da Capo Publishing. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  4. ↑ "Which city is 'The West Coast of New England?'". AP. 13 September 2007. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
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  6. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
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  8. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  9. ↑ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Burlington city, Vermont". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Burlington First U.S. City to Run on Renewable Electricity. Burlington, Vermont first city to run completely on renewable energy: February 2015". Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  11. ↑ Swift, Esther Munroe (1977) Vermont Place-Names ISBN 0-8289-0291-7. p.165
  12. 1 2 Coolidge, A.J. and Mansfield, J.B. A History and Description of New England. Boston, 1859
  13. 1 2 Johnson, Tim. "1812: A look back at Burlington's 20-minute war". Burlington Free Press (July 29, 2007) p.4A
  14. ↑ Logan, Lee. "Grant may help Burlington reclaim War of 1812 heritage," Burlington Free Press (July 8, 2007)
  15. ↑ Archived April 3, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  16. ↑ Pine Street Barge Canal
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  27. ↑ "WMO Climate Normals for BURLINGTON/ETHAN ALLEN AIRPOR,VT 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
  28. ↑ United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved 2014-11-04.
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  30. ↑ "CCTA Announces Regional Transition" (PDF). Burlington, Vermont: CCTA. 15 June 2010.
  31. ↑ Bus Service VT NH NY, Vermont Translines. Retrieved 2014-07-25.
  32. ↑ "Rutland Railroad" http://www.r2parks.net/RUT.html
  33. ↑ Douglas John Bowen, "Vermont governor seeks more Amtrak service", January 31, 2013, Railway Age
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  35. ↑ "Porter Airlines debuts in Burlington, Vermont". Prnewswire.com. 2011-12-15. Retrieved 2013-03-26.
  36. ↑ Walsh, Molly. "Champlain Parkway Inches Forward in Burlington".
  37. ↑ Baird, Joel Banner (10 June 2010). "Planners propose US 2 realignment". Burlington, Vermont: Burlington Free Press. pp. 2C.
  38. ↑ Lake Champlain Transportation Company. Vermont Design Works http://www.ferries.com. Retrieved 25 February 2016. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  39. ↑ Briggs, John (21 June 2010). "25 years of numbers". Burlington, Vermont: Burlington Free Press. pp. 1B, 4B.
  40. ↑ Burlington Free Press (August 1, 2009)
  41. ↑ Briggs, John (10 August 2010). "Burns leaving Burlington Telecom". Burlington, Vermont: Burlington Free Press. pp. 1A, 5A.
  42. ↑ McLean, Dan. "General Dynamics buys Michigan company". Burlington Free Press (November 21, 2008)
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  67. ↑ "The Capitals of Crash", Men's Health, April 2007, page 86
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  106. ↑ City of Burlington: Moss Point Relief Timeline. In the fall of 2005, the city decided to help out Moss Point which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, and held a concert called Hurricane Benefete to raise money.

External links

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