Tuesday, July 21, 2015

What's In A Name?

Hartford, Vermont?

Where's That?

If you mention White River Junction, then you might get a familiar response, but that is what town WRJ is actually located within.

I was born in Hartford, so I find it a curious coincidence. 

Not that the two towns are much alike - Hartford, CT is a state capitol and hundreds of thousands of  people live in the immediate area. Not to mention the 9-5 workforce.

Hartford Vermont is a sleepy railroad town, without much going on, other than the Amtrak that stops in WRJ.

However, over recent years, White River Junction has found a little appeal among artists and hipsters - drawn to the brick warehouses near any kind of significant transportation that involves a rail system. Throw in the fact that Dartmouth College is only a few miles away in Hanover, and you have the makings of a revival.

It's still early in the game, but it seems a logical bet that of all the cities in Vermont that have revived themselves of recent years (with Brattleboro, Bellows Falls, Bennington and Montpelier having their share of cultural upswings, and Burlington being downright metropolitan) White River Junction stands to be the next in line.

So part of my journey to the Writers Forum in Greensboro will involve taking the train to WRJ from the new station in Northampton, and getting to stay in the town to see if the buzz is for real.

No comments: