|
I am captivated by this home in the newer part of Burlington. I love the windows, the roof line, older bungalow appearance, wooden bridge, trellis, porch—you name it, this property is immaculately well kept. |
As with most of my outings I focus on observing houses. At the turn of the 20th century, Burlington's downtown core and main arteries were filled with brick multi-story homes and office buildings. Victorian style was also popular. Some are meticulously maintained today, while others have been retrofitted into apartments. In the early 1900s a few Craftsman style homes popped up—a personal favorite—and I'm pleased to discover there are more of these gems than I had originally thought! Because they do not lend themselves to being carved up to serve the rental population, these dwellings are preserved for single family occupancy.
As I continue with the challenge, several observations have become clear:
- Though the city is only 10 miles North to South and 1.5 miles at its widest, I rely heavily on bike paths for travel. It is an effort to strictly use roads and thus completing the challenge will be harder than I anticipated. But, that's why it's called a challenge.
- I've discovered errors in the bike map (documentation device): from missing roads altogether, to misspelling street names. There is ample map space to include more street names yet they were left out.
- There is no rationale behind whether a roadway is listed as "road", "street", "avenue", "lane", "terrace". "court", or "parkway". Go figure.
- I'm tickled to locate hidden links between streets: well-trodden pathways between neighborhoods, gravel-lined public rights-of-way, and sidewalks. Remembering where these are located will make future family rides a lot more fun.
- I notice and appreciate single story homes as much as their counterparts. (More on that subject below.)
- When I put my mind to it, I can complete several roads in one outing. For example, in one hour I can often ride 15 streets; my best foray to date topped at 23!
|
Perched on a busy location, this wooden structure was once a neighborhood store, then home to Burlington College, and now a portion is utilized by Cookies for Good, an arm of Committee on Temporary Shelter who plans to renovate the building for more occupancy. |
|
Set on one of the largest open tracts within the city limits, this large structure was an orphanage run by the Catholic Diocese, which sold the property recently to expanding Burlington College. With large debts the college is forced to sell a large parcel to a developer, which is currently under scrutiny by city government and concerned citizens. I, and
many others, often travel on a lovely dirt trail across the grounds to link with the waterfront trail. |
|
A brick Victorian home on busy North Avenue has undergone several changes over the years. Originally it was a private home, then rented to businesses (I went to a doctor's office in this building years ago), and now it's rental housing. As with many older homes, because our housing market is tight, renting is a lucrative business. Multistory rental properties must have exterior escape routes, as displayed on the left side of this Victorian. |
|
A colorful and lovely home in the Old North End. To the right is a free-standing pop-up library, aptly named Lovely Lorelei's Little Lending Library. |
As much as I love Burlington's style of older houses, this challenge has opened my eyes to the merits of one-story homes. There was a time when I thought all one-story homes were ugly—I grew up in a cookie cutter ranch house—but with the increasing difficulties of maintaining our own multi-story house (think clipping overhanging branches, cleaning gutters, windows, etc., which require an extension ladder) I've discovered numerous attractive Burlington housing options. If we stay in the city over the long haul and want to transition into a smaller, easier to maintain home, it's nice to know I won't have to trade simplicity for character.
|
An example of a one-story home with large eaves, a style that's practical if you don't have gutters. With simple landscaping, this home could be quite attractive. |
|
This home exudes character: front porch, pretty windows, garage. |
I've noticed that Burlington's street names are fairly generic. Some derive from early regional farms and a few are called after early citizens, but most are ubiquitous. It's not surprising, considering that developers often provide road names. And then there is "Burlington" (whose naming origins are in dispute,) is about as common a name as one can get; there are
21 U.S. villages, towns, or cities with this place name.
Completed Streets
- Pearl Street
- Northshore Drive
- Simms Street
- Edsen Street
- Wing Street
- Dewey Drive
- Battery Street
- North Street
- Bright Street
- Decatur Street
- Cloarec Street
- Spring Street
- LaFountain Street
- Front Street
- Sherman Street
- Peru Street
- Grant Street
- Loomis Street
- Barley Street
- Curtis Avenue
- Appletree Point Lane
- Staniford Farms
- Holt Street
- Fairmont Street
- South Street
- University Road
- Chestnut Street
- Crescent Terrace
- Woodcrest Lane
- Mountain View Court
- Crescent Road
- Pleasant Avenue
- Starr Farm Road
- Farrington Parkway
- Gosse Court
- Ethan Allen Parkway
- Willow Street
- Wildwood Drive
- Fern Street
- Ivy Lane
- Dodds Court
- Stanbury Road
- Edinberough Drive
- Muirfield Road
- Westminster Drive
- Nottingham Lane
- Appletree Point Road
- Alexis Drive
- Sterling Place
- Crescent Beach Drive
- Surf Road
- Ridgewood Road
- Shore Road
- Holly Lane
- Glenwood Road
- Laurel Court
- Heineberg Road
- Marshall Drive
- Arlington Court
- Moore Drive
- Moore Court
- Cumberland Road
- Ethan Allen Homestead Road
- Oak Street
- Manhattan Drive
- Luck Street
- St. Louis Street
- Germaine Street
- Colonial Square
- Wilson Street
This is so much fun to read. I am envious of those on the east coast who have so many more turn-of-the century homes to see. We have our own here, but they are (for the most part) centered in one part of the city. I think in another life I must've been an architect because it's difficult for me to not take notice of different styles of homes.
ReplyDeleteI think there are definitely options for single-story homes with character. I cannot speak for Burlington, but I know here we have many older homes that exude charm. Plus, I really am starting to believe charm can be built into a home. The house we bought at the end of last year was definitely not what I had in mind, but we've been able to find ways to give it that character I'd hoped to find already in a house.
Glad to see you continuing this pilgrimage across your city, and to see that you're finding undiscovered paths as well. :O)
All this wouldn't have been possible without your idea, in the first place, so thank you for this wonderful impetus to explore my city. So far, I'm having a blast. My husband travels with me on many outings so this mission is taking us out of our comfort zone, plus it's like a bike date. I was tickled to discover that yellow house with the lending library.
Delete