South End Guide

The South End

Oakledge Park

The South End offers an urban location with suburban benefits: quiet streets, larger yards, community cohesion and easy access to I-89. The Five Sisters neighborhood in Burlington’s South End has a growing reputation for smaller, attractive homes and a “get-involved” attitude; its biggest draw is its strong sense of community.  These days, it's attracting young families, who often take turns walking kids to school, a practice known as the "walking school bus." The South End unites the commercial Route 7 corridor to the city and includes the shoreline of Oakledge Park and Champlain Elementary School. Some of Burlington’s most prized waterfront property is tucked into the shoreline of the South End, adjacent to which is the “Five Sisters” neighborhood just north, both of which share the bounties of Pine Street restaurants, breweries, cideries, food trucks, bakeries, cafes, shops, and vibrant South End Arts District all within walking distance.

A Sample from the South End Arts Hop

The private Catholic Elementary Christ the King School, and the private Catholic High School Rice Memorial High School, are both located on the border of the South End and “Five Sisters” areas.

Expect a nice mix of Craftsman bungalows, Cape Cods, foursquares, and Colonial Revivals, and a few Sears kit houses to boot. These houses and cottages were developed from 1900 through the 1950s for working-class families employed by the nearby Queen City Cotton Mill and the American Woolen Company, among others.

Houses are set along streets with plenty of landscaping and mature trees. Most have front porches and large back yards, many with vegetable gardens.

• Boundaries: Real estate agents disagree on exactly where the South End begins in Burlington. It starts just south of Main Street; others consider King and Maple streets part of the downtown area.

• Hot spots: The Five Sisters area, named for its enclosure of Catherine, Charlotte, Caroline, Margaret and Marion streets, is closer to downtown and very popular, though lots are smaller and homes closer together; the blocks between Flynn and Home Avenues, such as Ferguson and Lyman avenues, have bigger yards and proximity to Shelburne Road/I-89; South Cove, a more exclusive and area with a private beach, is tucked southwest of Oakledge Park.

• Parks: Smalley Park, Callahan Park, Oakledge Park

• Closest schools: Champlain Elementary School

• Points of interest: South End Arts District, including ArtsRiot restaurant and performance venue, Burlington Truck Stop hosted by Burlington South End Arts District (Friday evenings spring through fall,) galleries, eclectic shops, Citizen Cider tasting room, and Speeder & Earl's Coffee; and Lake Champlain Chocolates