Before looking at condos for sale, it’s fun to learn about the charming small town of Burlington. Beginning with a few clearings in the forest and small log cabins, early settlement was delayed by the Revolutionary War. The town was eventually organized in 1785. The subsequent War of 1812 was unpopular with the inhabitants, as they had many trade links with Canada just to the north. The town's position on Lake Champlain helped it develop into a port of entry and center for trade, particularly after completion of the Champlain Canal in 1823, the Erie Canal in 1825 and the Chambly Canal in 1843. Wharves allowed steamboats to connect freight and passengers with the railroads. Burlington became a bustling lumbering and manufacturing center and was incorporated as a city in 1865. Its Victorian-era prosperity left behind much fine architecture. In 1870, the waterfront was extended by construction of the Pine Street Barge Canal. This became polluted over the years and was a focus for cleanup in 2009. Bernie Sanders, the city’s three-time mayor before becoming a senator, set in place an extensive waterfront beautification plan which included adding housing, public parks, a bike path and a community boathouse to the formerly industrial area.

The Church Street Marketplace is downtown’s award-winning open-air mall and a hub of activity where visitors can find historical architecture, year-round festivals, street entertainers, music, over 100 places to shop and dine and even a few quiet places to relax and reflect.

The Burlington waterfront is a mix of sandy beaches and red stone shoreline. Waterfront Park is a large regional park located to the west of downtown along the Lake Champlain shoreline. It is home to several large music and food festivals. The park is immediately adjacent to the Community Boathouse, the ECHO Museum, and Lake Champlain Sailing Center. The Island Line Trail is a 13-mile bike path which passes through the park and follows the former route of the eponymous railroad, built in 1901.

At Oakledge Park, families enjoy the warm and shallow shoreline, where it feels like you can walk halfway across the lake before you're deeper than your knees.

The Burlington Farmers’ Market has been held every Saturday from late spring through autumn in the downtown area. It has over 90 vendors in the summer and 40 vendors in the winter selling agricultural produce and value-added products, prepared foods and artisan crafts.

The ECHO Leahy Center is Vermont's innovative science and nature museum on the waterfront. The museum inspires with the joy of scientific discovery, the wonder of nature and the care of the lake. There are over 100 interactive experiences, 70 live species, seasonal exhibits and an immersive 3D theater. All new permanent and highly interactive science exhibits have recently been installed.

The Ethan Allen Homestead celebrates the famous statesman, one of the founders of Vermont and a hero of the Revolutionary War. Visitors can learn about the 1780s on a guided tour of his homestead at this historic site which overlooks the Winooski River and offers stunning views and walking trails.

The World's Tallest Filing Cabinet is 38 drawers high, made of real file cabinets welded atop each other into a skinny, towering pile. A sculptural statement built to protest a beltway that was never constructed, each drawer represents the number of years of paperwork accumulated by the failed project. It’s good for a laugh and a selfie.

Whatever your summer sport, Burlington has something for everyone, especially all forms of boating, fishing, biking and hiking. On glassy days, the lake is a water skiing, tubing, and wakeboarding playground. In winter, access to outstanding skiing is not far away.

The Vermont Lake Monsters are no longer affiliated with MLB, as of 2021, but continue as a collegiate summer baseball team, well worth watching at the university’s Centennial Field stadium.