So  Knowlton is now being called the "Knamptons, a mix of Knowlton and the Hamptons which is famous for Martha Stewart type living of the rich and famous and wanna be rich and famous. According to a recent article in a US journal Brome Lake and Knowlton are really living an Oprah style dream! The Knamptons....I love it!

Great article by Shannon Roxborough, she even manages to put a courtesy link to the big Mount Foster development project so the glamour set can gobble up the Brome Lake lifestyle that is as glossy and pampered as the American Dream. They also talk of Bromont, which is piling condos faster than a game of Monopoly. Also mentioned is a lucky couple who were doing cartwheels because they were able to buy an run-down old Victorian property for $850,000 in Lac Brome...oops...sorry call it "The Kamptons" from now on!

Reprinted with courtesy and thanks to:
BY SHANNON ROXBOROUGH
SPECIAL TO THE HERALD NEWS
NEW JERSEY RECORD
http://www.northjersey.com/realestate/163321376_A_French_Canadian_escape.html


Knowlton, Québec, Canada: A French Canadian escape
Settled after the Revolutionary War by
Loyalists, residents of the 13 colonies who
supported Britain and fled the new republic
for Canada after the American victory, the
swath of countryside east of Montréal in the
southern reaches of Québec was an untamed
wilderness. Gifted by the English monarch
George III, the rugged expanse then called
Lower Canada became a haven for the likes
of Benedict Arnold.


Today the roughly 1,000-square-mile
French- and English-speaking region
bordering Vermont, New Hampshire and
Maine, referred to by many as the Eastern
Townships, attracts different types of
refugees: metropolis-dwelling denizens who
flow into the rural area seeking an escape
from the fast pace of city and suburban life.

A year and a half ago, Charles and Michelle
Spangler were invited to accompany friends
staying at Auberge Quilliams
(aubergequilliams.com), a lakeside area hotel,
and "never wanted to leave."

So the couple, both in their late forties, who
own a plastics-related business in Paterson,
began "toying with the idea of buying a
vacation home there." Their initial curiosity
quickly became a full-blown search, and they
ultimately concentrated their focus on
Knowlton, one of six towns that encircle Lac
Brome (Lake Brome).

The Victorian village is a New England-type
playground with almost as many weekenders
as full-time residents. Said to be the most
beautiful town in the province, it is the
tourism center of an area dubbed The
Knamptons, an amalgamation of Knowlton
and the Hamptons, because of its many
wealthy seasonal residents and multimillion-
dollar country homes.

Although more recently inhabited by newer
custom homes built to owner specs, the
Knowlton area also has a supply of historic
clapboard and other heritage homes, just the
type of place the old-fashioned Spanglers
envisioned having a second home. It wasn't
long before they narrowed down the
prospects to a handful of houses outside the village.

"There was this one that just tugged at our
hearts and we knew it was the property we
wanted," Charles Spangler said. "As foolish as
it sounds, we wanted it so bad that we put in
an offer above the asking price to ensure
we'd get it."

And they did. The owner quick accepted their
generous $850,000 proposal. Now, they
spend "every free moment possible" at the
old four-bedroom farm house on about a
dozen rolling acres. "This is our first summer
here and the lifestyle is unreal," said
Spangler, who plans to fish, golf, boat, cook
out and take leisure sightseeing drives — like
exploring the Brome-Missisquoi Wine Route
— during warm-weather visits.

Summer also offers opportunities for hiking,
biking, angling, playing at Knowlton Golf Club
(knowltongc.ca), plying the waters and
socializing as a member of Knowlton Boat
Club (clublacbrome.com).

The area's hills and valleys conceal a diverse mix of housing ranging from old homesteads
and rustic cottages to new contemporaries
and neo-traditional estates. There are also a f
ew developments for would-be
homebuilders, including Mont Foster
(montfoster.ca/home.html), 700 acres and
eco-friendly, with lots providing breathtaking
mountain views.

"If you've never been, you're missing out on a
wonderful place in a place that feels like the
Berkshires sitting in the middle of France.
There's nothing like it in the U.S.," said
Spangler. "Once we retire and sell the house
in Jersey to buy a condo in California, which
is the plan, we'll get to spend a lot more time
here."

"I can hardly wait until the time comes."

Perks

An outdoor-oriented retreat with a strong
French accent. Casual gourmet dining,
antiquing and attending performances at the
Brome Lake Theater (theatrelacbrome.ca).
Snow sports at Ski Bromont (skibromont.
com/en/) and sleigh rides in winter.



Drawbacks

Pricey real estate. Finding large-scale
shopping and urban-style entertainment
means heading to Montréal.

The weather

Warm, mild summers; color-laden falls;
serious and sometimes harsh winters; and
lush, green springs.

The costs

Costs in and around Knowlton generally start
at about $250,000 and rise quickly, with
condos and small houses priced on the lower
end and large, sought-after homes on
acreage selling in the millions (some reaching
eight figures). Most buildable lots sell for
$50,000 to $200,000.



Getting there

Take NJ 17 north and continue onto I-87
north. Take Exit 42 toward Mooers/Rouses
Point and turn right onto US 11 north/New
York State Bicycle Route 11. Continue into
Canada and turn right onto QC-202 east
(toward Clarenceville). Turn right onto
Boulevard Jean Jacques Bertrand/QC 104
east/QC 139 south and follow QC 104 east
into Knowlton. The drive takes about seven
hours.

Where to stay
•Auberge Lakeview Inn ($136 and up;
800-661-6183; aubergelakeviewinn.
com) is a popular country hotel with 28
rooms and suites.
•Ancestral Knowlton B & B ($80-$120;
ancestralknowltonbb.com) is a rustic
bed and breakfast built by one of the
town's founders in 1840.
Must see



 

The Tour Des Arts (tourdesarts.com), in July,
opens the studios of various local artists and
artisans for 10 days; The Great Duck Festival
(canardenfete.ca), an annual event dedicated
to the Brome Lake Duck, considered a
delicacy, is held in late September; the
Knowlton Festival of Lights sets the village
aglow during the Christmas holiday season.

For more information

The official website of Eastern Townships
Tourism (easterntownships.org) contains a
wealth of information on the area.



 Reprinted with courtesy and thanks to:
BY SHANNON ROXBOROUGH
SPECIAL TO THE HERALD NEWS
NEW JERSEY RECORD
http://www.northjersey.com/realestate/163321376_A_French_Canadian_escape.html