The best of small town USA?

[Guapo]

On purpose?

Hell no. It was on my way to Asheville

 

[Pgh2Storrs]

Hello, my wife and I have been talking recently about someday going around the USA (once our business HOPEFULLY takes off). I haven't seen a lot of the country (I've seen twice as many countries as states). Only seen about 18 states and she was around 5 years old when she went around the East Coast with her family during her only trip to the USA. I would love to do a tour of small towns across the states with her someday. I was adopted in Guilford, mostly raised in Old Lyme and now my mom resides in Deep River. All fantastic small towns that really capture the spirit of small town New England (Essex, Ivoryton, Mystic do so as well). So, for sure, we would start with those places. Another example: I know my sister lived in Oakmont back in the mid 90s and, even as a 10-12 year old I could say how charming that place was. Not sure if it still maintains that same charm of 25 years ago, wouldn't be surprised if Pittsburgh has swallowed it by now, but even as a pre-teen I could see the place was special. There were a lot of charming places I found in Maryland and Virginia, a few in Georgia but I forget all the names!

In my mind, and maybe I am wrong, I think the south (and for some reason I've always felt West Virginia) is the best for small town charm, but who knows! I am sure the BY has traveled a lot, what are some of your favorite small towns you've seen around the country?

I guess things that could qualify a small town as especially charming is anything from interesting museums, historic (well preserved buildings), beautiful viewpoints, cobble stoned streets or other old charm like that, something of historic significance that is still celebrated, tasty (family owned) restaurants and a population under, lets say 25,000 (at what size is a town no longer considered a "small town"? I don't know, it's hard to quantify in words "small town charm" exactly. Maybe just walking down those cobblestone streets lined with flowers and old buildings, pop into a local bar for a local brew filled with local people -- not sure.

edit: I LOVED SAVANNAH, especially the central area. MY wife wants to visit, for sure we will. BTW I imagine Texas must have a ton of small towns with charm.

My wife and I had our wedding reception in Oakmont. It still has the low-key town vibe. Really nice place.

I spent my summers in HS/college working for a drum & bugle corps so I got to experience a lot of small towns around the country, specifically the Midwest/South. I always loved Naperville outside of Chicago. Probably a bit commercial to qualify as a “small town” but I really enjoyed that place.

 

[8893]

For something really unique check out Solvang, CA, a small town in the Santa Ynez Valley that looks like it’s in Denmark. Entirely Danish architecture and culture. Great wine, and ebelskivers!

 

[FatElvis]

No love for Tupelo, Mississippi? You nutmegging snobs are really something.

 

[Chin Diesel]

No love for Tupelo, Mississippi? You nutmegging snobs are really something.

Ehh. Tupelo is a dump. If I'm going to northern Mississippi, it's gonna be Oxford and Ole Miss area.

Now Muscle Shoals, Alabama and some of the outliers of Hunstville, Alabama are interesting.

 

[FatElvis]

Ehh. Tupelo is a dump. If I'm going to northern Mississippi, it's gonna be Oxford and Ole Miss area.

Now Muscle Shoals, Alabama and some of the outliers of Hunstville, Alabama are interesting.

You're dead to me.

 

[Chin Diesel]

View attachment 45965
You're dead to me.

Love me some Elvis but Muscle Shoals has a broader history with artists. Sun Records in Memphis is where I'd go for Elvis history.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Beaufort South Carolina for sure.
Aiken South Carolina as well.
Waterbury, Woodstock, Brandon Vermont
If you want really small with interesting history: Cottonwood Falls, KS

Edit: Instead of Carmel mentioned by others, try Capitola by the sea.

 

[HuskyHawk]

If we're doing outside the country, that really opens things up.

I mean, virtually all of Ireland and much of Scotland would be terrific.

 

[QDOG5]

I also live in Sarasota - that's three of us in this thread ... I'd say Sarasota is too big to be considered a "small town". But down town does have a small town vibe. As does Siesta Key. I had a place on Longboat - never got any kind of "town" vibe there; just a bunch of beach places owned by people who don't live there.

I have a place for sale on Siesta Key. Will someone buy it before Sunday please. Damn Dorian wrecked my trip down there this weekend. Best of luck to the Florida folk during the storm. As a part-timer for 17 years I would say Siesta would be a better visit because there is more of a tourist beach vibe. Longboat is much more low key but does have St. Armands.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

half the places people are listing are way bigger than a "small town." Newport, Northampton arent quite small town places. Try going to newport in the summer.

 

[Tex-Lager93]

I've seen New Hope, Pa and Jim Thorpe, Pa...would add in some in the interior - Lititz, Pa (along with the larger Lancaster area) and Gettysburg, Pa.

 

[boba]

First off the list - any town outside of a National Park. Those towns are invariably overrun with tourists, or more likely tourons! (Portmanteau of tourist and moron. As in, "I just finished a 15 day hike and I arrive at the Happy Isles trailhead to see a touron feeding a bear.") There is rarely a small town feel about them.
High Country News had a metric for telling whether you town was "small," and the first was, we have DQ but no McD. Out in the west it's DQ or in CA Foster's Freeze if your town is really small. If there's a McD within 20 miles, the town is not small.
Carmel-by-the-Sea is the frau's favorite but it's just old white rich people and their pitchforks. Go north to Point Arena for the real small town.
Jackson (Hole) Wyoming small? The place is hell on earth if that's possible in the Rockies. Airport is pretty nice though. Jackson CA is interesting. Elko Nevada is where the cowboy poets go, and you can get shot in Winslow Arizona if you so desire. My favorite is Lone Pine CA but it's not all that small any longer.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

half the places people are listing are way bigger than a "small town." Newport, Northampton arent quite small town places. Try going to newport in the summer.

I believe the criteria for small town here was around 25,000 folks. that's newport. on the other hand, I did list burlington, vt which is apparently north of 40,000. feels smaller.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

I believe the criteria for small town here was around 25,000 folks. that's newport. on the other hand, I did list burlington, vt which is apparently north of 40,000. feels smaller.

its like 24,917 as of 2017. And that is probably year round residents, the summer its easily double that.

 

[SoCalCanine]

Here are some western choices:
Ojai, CA
Joshua Tree, CA
Cambria, CA
Cayucos, CA
Mendocino, CA
Gold Beach, OR
Ashland OR (Shakespeare Festival)
Astoria, OR
Grass Valley, CA
Sedona AZ
Los Olivos, CA (this is where they filmed the Andy Griffith show, still looks like that! IMHO a much better choice than nearby Solvang, which pretty well defines "Tourist Hell" to me!)

 

[husky429]

its like 24,917 as of 2017. And that is probably year round residents, the summer its easily double that.

Colleges bring the winter months up to. Definitely closer to 40,000 if I were to guess on average if you add in the leaf peepers

 

[8893]

Los Olivos, CA (this is where they filmed the Andy Griffith show, still looks like that! IMHO a much better choice than nearby Solvang, which pretty well defines "Tourist Hell" to me!)

I'm not suggesting Solvang as a destination; it was an interesting hour and a half diversion for lunch and a walk through town (and ebelskivers!) while we were en route from Santa Monica to SLO. Definitely unique. Wine country all around there, too, and lots of good places to grab interesting bottles. Something for the kids, something for us. Usually works out well when we can satisfy both.

I really liked SLO, though.

 

[SoCalCanine]

I'm not suggesting Solvang as a destination; it was an interesting hour and a half diversion for lunch and a walk through town (and ebelskivers!) while we were en route from Santa Monica to SLO. Definitely unique. Wine country all around there, too, and lots of good places to grab interesting bottles. Something for the kids, something for us. Usually works out well when we can satisfy both.

I really liked SLO, though.

SLO is great, but not really a "small town". Many disagree with me about Solvang. Last winter our friends from VT were out to visit. Somehow they got really interested in Solvang, so I bit my tongue and we went there. We parked near the restaurant we had chosen. They never made it out of the parking lot before they said, "Let's go to a different town. This place looks awful!" Los Olivos or Santa Ynez have all the good parts of Solvang (WINE!) without the pseudo-Danish architecture and awful Danish food (the bakeries are pretty good, but there is a reason you all don't have Danish restaurants in all your neighborhoods like Italian, Thai or Mexican!)

 

[Chin Diesel]

Beaufort South Carolina for sure.
Aiken South Carolina as well.
Waterbury, Woodstock, Brandon Vermont
If you want really small with interesting history: Cottonwood Falls, KS

Edit: Instead of Carmel mentioned by others, try Capitola by the sea.

Beaufort has gotten much nicer over the past 5 years or so. Riverfront area has good variety of food and entertainment.

 

[uconnphil2016]

I’ve driven through where Deliverance was filmed...I would not suggest visiting lol

Ellijay, GA is cool

 

[NJHusky]

I would also add Taos NM. Great galleries. If you are a skier go in winter

 

[UConnSean]

Newark NJ

 

[Guapo]

Ellijay, GA is cool

It’s...fine, I guess.

It’s not where they filmed Deliverance, though.

I gotta know, what in the world were you ever doing in Ellijay?

 

[HooperScooper]

Here are some western choices:
Ojai, CA
Joshua Tree, CA
Cambria, CA
Cayucos, CA
Mendocino, CA
Gold Beach, OR
Ashland OR (Shakespeare Festival)
Astoria, WA
Grass Valley, CA
Sedona AZ
Los Olivos, CA (this is where they filmed the Andy Griffith show, still looks like that! IMHO a much better choice than nearby Solvang, which pretty well defines "Tourist Hell" to me!)

Astoria is a good recommendation. Cool town. Although don't look for it in WA. It's on the OR side of the Columbia River.