March 2017 | Business View Magazine

94 95 Montpelier, Vermont citation was the restoration of the State House, itself, to make it something worth visiting.” In the early 1980s, the restoration of the State House began. The style of the building is beautiful Neoclassical and Greek revival; a striking, gold-leaf-domed edifice set against the backdrop of a wooden hillside - which you can actually see when driving into the city. “It is one of the most heavily-visited State Hous- es in the United States,” continues Schultz,“with well in excess of 150,000 visitors per year.” Considering Montpelier’s population sits at 7,800, this level of tourism is basically unprec- edented; to which Schultz gives all credit to the visibility and astounding architecture of the building, itself. Now, having one site to see will certainly get some foot traffic, but in order to sustain both tourism dollars as well as economic and com- munity development, you have to have an “aha” moment that follows your “wow” factor. Over the past decade, this is where Montpe- lier’s emerging culture has shone even brighter than its recognized gold leaf dome. “Montpelier’s downtown area has recently added an incredibly popular quadrennial art walk,” Schultz mentions. “It has had all kinds of art and activities that were engendered by Ashley’s organization, in particular.” Ashley and her team run Montpelier Alive which supports and promotes the viability of Montpelier and its businesses - helping to as- sure the city continues to set and achieve eco- nomic and social goals for the future. While the gallery scene has been growing to the point where it can now easily rival major cities four times its size, there is another art blossoming that has caught the attention of those who are in the know: the Kismet Farm to Table Restaurant. “A lot of what we experience here is that peo- ple want to have a full immersion experience,” says Crystal Maderia, Chef and Owner of Kismet. “Our downtown offers a lot of opportunities to do that. Vermont is known for agriculture. So, we don’t just serve local food; we serve our farmers by sharing their stories with our clien- tele.” While the idea of “farm to table” is certain- ly not a new buzz phrase anymore, it is easily taken to the next level in Montpelier –but with a twist.While there is an entire industry behind Big city amenities is absolutely accurate, as Montpelier has recently seen a wave of culinary masters and artists embrace a community that has fallen in love with Manhattan culture - albeit with more foliage.