"So, why (you may rightly ask), why is Brattleboro such a great place?"  Well, I have my reasons and, all joking aside (temporarily), I really don't think it's for everyone. The winters are definitely long and white, the people definitely lean left (to a large extent), I can't vouch for its night life, and (honestly) it's easy to feel like an outsider when you first arrive.

This last point is an important one.  After having lived abroad for 5 years, there was bound to be a transition for us coming back to the states - no matter where we were going to settle.  Almost immediately, however, we found that, although the last census numbers put the population at around 12,000, you'd never know it.  If you've heard of 6 degrees of separation, in the Boro, it's closer to 2.

This is great if you're looking for a community rather than a group of individual housing units (which we were).  Don't get me wrong, it isn't Mayberry; people often keep to themselves and I've not run into a tremendous amount of rumor-milling.  It is, however, a place where you know someone who knows someone you know. 

I love that part of Brattleboro.  I don't feel like I always see the same people but I don't feel like I'm surrounded by strangers either. In Japan, many gaijin (foreigners) have commented on the amazing fact that so many people live in such close quarters so peacefully (outside of that little hiccup in the 40's).  This is due, to some extent, to the concept of "Wa," or harmony, in Japanese culture.  Although it has something of a dark side ("the nail that sticks up gets hammered down"), this sense of "Wa," mixed with the very real internal controller of shame or losing face, motivates individuals to follow rules and treat others with respect.  

Maybe there is a parallel to be drawn here.  It isn't that the inhabitants of Brattleboro and it's surrounding communities are packed like sardines (we are one of the least densely populated states), but that same sense of community and "Wa" seem to push an unspoken agenda of respect for others.  Taking the metaphor one step further, that element of shame is not a very far-fetched concept either as someone you know, who knows someone you know, will know what happened.

On the other hand, could be totally wrong.  Feel free to tell me so in the comments below.

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