If Winooski is the Brooklyn of Burlington, then in an inexact local analogy, St. Albans is the Hudson Valley. But really, it's a place all its own. A half-hour drive north of Burlington and just 20 minutes from the Canadian border, "Snalbins," as it's often colloquially pronounced, is just far enough from the more populated Chittenden County to feel away. Formally differentiated into St. Albans Town and St. Albans City, the area is small — if not by Vermont standards — and packs a good punch. The city proper covers approximately two square miles, and the 2010 U.S. Census determined its population as just less than 7,000. The town, roughly 60 square miles with a population of 6,000, surrounds the city on all sides. Its westernmost edge meets the shores of Lake Champlain, making for stunning views and great recreating along the bay and in two beautiful state parks. Good things come in small packages, as they say, and St. A has plenty to unpack. Whether your thing is industrial history (the place was dubbed "Rail City" during the height of the train boom) or a passion for maple (it's unofficially the "maple capital of the world"), or you just feel like exploring, there's plenty to do. In the first in a series of travel stories on Vermont towns — and with a tip of the cap to the New York Times series "36 Hours"— we've assembled a loose, totally adaptable itinerary to help you find your own St. Albans groove, three to six hours, or longer, at a time. 9 a.m. to Noon Fuel up for the day at the Maple City Diner, just a wee bit north of the city center at 17 Swanton Road. Opened in 2013 by Marcus and Erika Hamblett, former proprietors of downtown St. Albans' the Old Foundry at One Federal Restaurant and Lounge, this is a prime spot for classic American diner food. The décor serves as a loose crash course in sugaring history, with maple-related ephemera in ample supply. As at any diner worth its salt, breakfast is served all day, so you can circle back later if you need to re-up. Serious coffee folk — or the seriously tired — should not miss Catalyst Coffee Bar at 22 North Main Street. Opened in 2017, the laboratory-themed café prides itself on serving brews from Burlington's Brio Coffeeworks and Winooski's…
If Winooski is the Brooklyn of Burlington, then in an inexact local analogy, St. Albans is the Hudson Valley. But really, it's a place all its own. A half-hour drive north of Burlington and just 20 minutes from the Canadian border, "Snalbins," as it's often colloquially pronounced, is just far enough from the more populated Chittenden County to feel away. Formally differentiated into St. Albans Town and St. Albans City, the area is small — if not by Vermont standards — and packs a good punch. The city proper covers approximately two square miles, and the 2010 U.S. Census determined its population as just less than 7,000. The town, roughly 60 square miles with a population of 6,000, surrounds the city on all sides. Its westernmost edge meets the shores of Lake Champlain, making for stunning views and great recreating along the bay and in two beautiful state parks. Good things come in small packages, as they say, and St. A has plenty to unpack. Whether your thing is industrial history (the place was dubbed "Rail City" during the height of the train boom) or a passion for maple (it's unofficially the "maple capital of the world"), or you just feel like exploring, there's plenty to do. In the first in a series of travel stories on Vermont towns — and with a tip of the cap to the New York Times series "36 Hours"— we've assembled a loose, totally adaptable itinerary to help you find your own St. Albans groove, three to six hours, or longer, at a time. 9 a.m. to Noon Fuel up for the day at the Maple City Diner, just a wee bit north of the city center at 17 Swanton Road. Opened in 2013 by Marcus and Erika Hamblett, former proprietors of downtown St. Albans' the Old Foundry at One Federal Restaurant and Lounge, this is a prime spot for classic American diner food. The décor serves as a loose crash course in sugaring history, with maple-related ephemera in ample supply. As at any diner worth its salt, breakfast is served all day, so you can circle back later if you need to re-up. Serious coffee folk — or the seriously tired — should not miss Catalyst Coffee Bar at 22 North Main Street. Opened in 2017, the laboratory-themed café prides itself on serving brews from Burlington's Brio Coffeeworks and Winooski's…