<p>Personally, I love Rutland. My family lives right near the center of town (walking distance), in an area that in Massachusetts would pass for a nice suburb. True, it is not as sophisticated as Burlington, and it does have a depressed area, but there are movies and occasional theater around, lots of skiing (both cross country and downhill) close by, there’s a skating rink. It’ll seem very small to someone from NY - I grew up in NJ near NY and was there a lot as a teen - but I didn’t see any of the problems previously referred to. We’re there at least 3 times a year, and have always loved the friendly people. We don’t even lock the car all the time. With good boots, a warm jacket (Thinsulate is a great, thin insulator so she doesn’t have to look like the Michelin Man), warm gloves and lots of fleece, she should be fine. </p>
<p>Also, if she’s looking for warm underwear, which may be advisable, don’t buy all cotton. Look for the (more expensive) hi-tech underwear that breathes and wicks - it’s thinner and keeps the wearer warmer.</p>