Notes, Cheering and Otherwise, from an American Frontier
by James Fallows
Where the country first sees the sunlight each day. (Read it here.)
Category Archives: Cities/Towns We’ve Reported On
What Would an Ideal College Look Like? A Lot Like This
What Would an Ideal College Look Like? A Lot Like This
by John Tierney
While you’re busy designing your version of the ideal, I can take a nap or go fishing, because somebody has already built mine: Champlain College. (Read it here.)
Now, for More Good News About America: Avidyne to the Rescue!port
Now, for More Good News About America: Avidyne to the Rescue!
by James Fallows
When you have the opportunity to give a deserved compliment, don’t let it pass. (Read it here.)
How Did a ‘Public Ivy’ Take Root in Vermont?
How Did a ‘Public Ivy’ Take Root in Vermont?
by John Tierney
There are lots of familiar American “college towns” – places where a single university dominates the social and economic life of the city. Think Boulder, Ann Arbor, Madison, Berkeley, Princeton, Charlottesville. None of those college towns has quite the feel of Burlington, Vermont. (Read it here.)
Vermont Report: Shaping the Soul of a School
Vermont Report: Shaping the Soul of a School
by Deborah Fallows
The school’s neighborhood is home to a mix of the down-and-out, the frontier-pushers, and is also the first stop for many of Burlington’s constant influx of refugees and immigrants. (Read it here.)
Back on the Bright Side: Silicon Valley in Vermont
Back on the Bright Side: Silicon Valley in Vermont
by James Fallows
Why did this company end up on the shores of Lake Champlain, rather than on the San Francisco Bay or Puget Sound? (Read it here.)
Magical Roundabouts and the Language of Signs
Magical Roundabouts and the Language of Signs
by Deborah Fallows
I noticed signs that target two subsets of the upscale population of Burlington: the literati and the affluent Canadian tourists (which may overlap). Just have a look at themed Eat-Pray-Love knock-offs: the savvy bookstore, whose patrons would recognize the allusion; the wine store with their connoisseurs; and finally, the ice cream shop of Burlington’s own favorite sons, Ben & Jerry. (Read it here.)
Burlington Makes, the World Takes: The Story of NRG Systems
Burlington Makes, the World Takes: The Story of NRG Systems
by James Fallows
Why Vermont, for this kind of business? Away from traditional manufacturing centers, and tech-world complexes, and even easy transport routes? The cold mountains and the early wind turbines are a sort-of explanation. Plus, as I heard, a 19th-century-onward heritage of precision machine production in the area. But there were two elements of the “why here? why now?” story I found provocative for further discussion. (Read it here.)
From Burma to Burlington: The Story of ‘Brings Luck’
From Burma to Burlington: The Story of ‘Brings Luck’
by Deborah Fallows
This is the story of Hai Blu, whose life story began with unimaginable bad fortune, then turned toward fortune so good that it met the destiny of his Burmese name, meaning “Brings Luck.” (Read it here.)
Strange Tales From the North Country: A Profitable (Print) Newspaper
Strange Tales From the North Country: A Profitable (Print) Newspaper
by James Fallows
What’s black and white and read all over, at least in the Green Mountain state. (Read it here.)
American Futures 