March 2017 | Business View Magazine

92 93 Here’s the thing; the more you think about the “how”, the farther you get away from the point. The real question is “why”, and you know the answer as soon as you drive into Mont- pelier. The nation’s smallest capital city is surrounded by rolling hills and old gran- ite ledges, making the journey in almost feel like a drive back in time. Once you’ve parked, however, you are immediately drawn into a vibrant culture that stretches from celebrating its small-town feel with big-city draws. “We are the quintessential small town Montpelier, Vermont Vermont”, says Ashley Witzenberger, Director of the group, Montpe- lier Alive, “Our residents love that they have big city amenities in a small, quaint town.” Big city amenities is absolutely accurate, as Montpelier has re- cently seen a wave of culinary masters and artists embrace a com- munity that has fallen in love with Manhattan culture - albeit with more foliage. It wasn’t always this way in Montpelier, though. “I’ve been in this community for 37 years, and I’ve see the town basically become an incredibly vibrant place”, shares David Schultz, the State Curator. “It didn’t have this 37 years ago. Part of this resus- AT A GLANCE Montpelier, Vermont WHAT: The state capital; population, 7,800 WHERE: Washington County in the central part of the state WEBSITE: www.montpelier- vt.org