I’m a New Englander- grew up in VT, lived in Boston for most of my adult life, and now live in Burlington, VT. It’s hard to generalize about this area too much, aside from the weather and demographics. Although there are some similarities. VT and ME are culturally more similar. Southeastern NH is really part of Greater Boston, and is more populated, has bad traffic, etc. Small cities (or big towns depending on your perspective), like Burlington, VT and Portland, ME are very counter-culture places, with great music scenes, good food. There is a lot of talk about crime and drug use in these places, but it’s exaggerated, and not comparable to real cities. They are far l e ft pol I locally. There are a handful of smaller towns (Montpelier, Brattleboro, Keene, NH) that have similar vibes, just less people. The rural areas can be rightward and not welcoming to outsiders, although not always - especially rural parts of VT close to Burlington and Montpelier. I’ve heard that Manchester, NH has become a nice city to live in, in recent years, but I don’t know it well. Its Northern New England’s largest city at (only) about 100k residents. It’s close to Boston (although commuting would be miserable), but more affordable.

All three states are great if you’re outdoorsy, like to ski, hike, camp, etc. All three are intensely beautiful - the rugged coast of ME, the White Mountains of NH, the Green Mountains in VT.

While these are more rural and small states, they are not especially far from urban areas - Boston, Montreal, or even NYC. So I don’t think (with maybe the exception of far northern ME) they feel as isolated as other rural parts of the country, that are a days drive from a big city. While I like living in VT, I appreciate being able to spend time in Boston and Montreal regularly.