Sunderland offers rural living between Bennington’s shires and recreation hubs
Sunderland, a town in southwestern Vermont, is almost entirely made up of the forested ridges of the Green Mountains. The parts of town that are less populated by black bears, moose and white-tailed deer come together around U.S. Route 7 and State Route 7A, forming a community centered by the commuter pulls to Bennington County’s north and south shire towns and the cultural draw to a quiet life in the hills. “Sunderland has more of a year-round population. You’ll get people looking for more acreage than they could get in Manchester,” says Kristin Comeau, a sales associate at TPW Real Estate Sales who specializes in Bennington County. “East of Route 7, which locals are still calling the ‘New 7’ despite it being built in the 70s, it’s pretty much all the national forest. People coming and staying here are the people who appreciate that natural beauty – the hiking, kayaking, fishing, skiing and all that’s available.”
A short trip to mountaintop and riverside recreation hubs
While the Taconic and Green Mountains place high point hiking trails and sweeping valley vistas to either side of the town, Sunderland’s residents will need to drive to trailheads far from their homes to get deep into the county’s beloved old growth forests. When locals talk about the Battenkill, they don’t usually say “river,” after it. In part, that’s because “kill” means river in an old Dutch dialect. It’s likely also a result of how routine it is to be on the Battenkill, whether casting for freshwater fish or launching a kayak from private backyards or nearby launch areas like the Wagon Wheel Put In. Beyond the natural areas immediately within the town, Sunderland’s residents are also within 30 minutes of destinations like Bromley Mountain Ski Resort, multiple trailheads for the Appalachian Trail and Long Trail, and countless campgrounds set in both nearby mountain ranges.
Varied single-family homes on small, wooded acreages
It’s easier to find a small acreage in Sunderland than it is to find something on half an acre or less. The mix of single-family homes in the area may have been built from the 1800s to the 2020s but tend to favor simpler designs like ranch-style homes, Colonial Revivals and classic cabins. Some custom homes sport updated, luxury interiors, but the area is not especially rich with chalet-style seasonal estates. Though fixer-uppers can go for less, prices usually range from around $280,000 to $740,000. Although housing styles are significantly varied, the lots they occupy tend to share a few traits: sloping and forested terrain, sightlines to the Green Mountains and maybe even private access to waterways like the Roaring Branch River.
Taking Routes 7 and 7A from Manchester to Bennington
Manchester’s hospitality, retail and cultural centers are several miles north on Route 7A. To get to the county’s other shire town, Bennington, commuters take Route 7 nearly 20 miles to hubs like Southwestern Vermont Medical Center and Bennington College. Sunderland is not served by public transportation, so residents will need a personal vehicle to get around. Albany International Airport is nearly 60 miles away.
Shopping and dining in Manchester
Business life in Sunderland is sparse, with most being the hotels and inns that house weekend visitors. The Restaurant at Hill Farm is the only eatery in town, known for serving upscale farm-to-table fare in a crisply painted red barn. Manchester’s walkable downtown shopping district is about 5 miles away. While it’s a hub for tourists thanks to outlet stores and its undeniable New England small-town charm, it’s also the closest source of grocery stores like Shaw’s.
Local broadcasts and summer camps with GNAT-TV
Tourists coming through Sunderland on Route 7A often turn up onto Scenic View Drive, bound for the top of Mount Equinox. Across the street from the access road, an unassuming building houses the Greater Northshire Access Television station, home of GNAT-TV. Locals might make an appearance to talk about current Bennington County affairs or advertise upcoming events, though most will just tune in from home. Through the station’s summer camp program, young future broadcasters can live out their dreams of starring in their own cooking shows, conducting live science experiments or doing some behind-the-scenes animation and camera work.
Attending a blend of regional public and independent schools
For prekindergarten through sixth grade, kids can attend Sunderland Elementary School, a public school that earns a B-plus from Niche. To finish their education, kids will need to finish up at an independent school, as the Taconic & Green Regional School District operates no upper schools. One popular independent option is the A-rated Long Trail School. The school is known for offering an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program and partially covers Sunderland residents’ tuition costs thanks to Vermont’s school choice system. “The state has been considering changes to the choice schools program, and there has been some conversation about shutting down different public schools for different regional districts. People should stay abreast of what’s going on,” Comeau says.
Managing scattered flood risk in Sunderland
The Battenkill and other connected waterways pose flood risk to Sunderland when they become saturated with snowmelt, run-off from the hills and rain from heavy storms. Buyers can look at maps to understand their risk and need for flood insurance. The town helps bolster resiliency through flood zone development guidelines and resiliency-based infrastructure construction and maintenance.
Written By
Julia Szymanski
