The best of small town USA?

[bazz&boujee]

Solvang, CA! Small former Danish settlement 2 hours outside of LA

 

[huskyinfl]

Siesta and longboat are part of Sarasota. Definitely not small towns IMO.

I would add New Hope PA/Lambertville NJ. Quaint shops, good food and the river right between them. Great bike path too

Duh, I live there. Savannah and Charleston pass your test but small islands with unique local cuisine and the best beaches - you are pointing out people shouldn't consider them? The difference between siesta key and Newtown in Sarasota. 2 different planets.

 

[Apollo]

Calistoga, CA
Portland, ME
Dubois, WY
Jackson, WY
Billings, MT
Custer, SD
Moab, UT
Nothampton, MA
Watkins Glen, NY
Cooperstown, NY
Mystic, CT
Litchfield, CT

 

[storrsroars]

Duh, I live there. Savannah and Charleston pass your test but small islands with unique local cuisine and the best beaches - you are pointing out people shouldn't consider them? The difference between siesta key and Newtown in Sarasota. 2 different planets.

I even consider Cortez separate from Bradenton.

Star Fish Co. ftw.

 

[NJHusky]

Duh, I live there. Savannah and Charleston pass your test but small islands with unique local cuisine and the best beaches - you are pointing out people shouldn't consider them? The difference between siesta key and Newtown in Sarasota. 2 different planets.

My point was that srq is not a small city...which is the topic of the original post . I love siesta and longboat. I live In Sarasota so feel competent to comment. Never lived in savanah or Charleston

 

[Chin Diesel]

Portsmouth, NH
Hatteras, North Carolina
Bristol, TN
Sea Island, Ga
Marathon Key, Fl
Orange Beach, Al
Asheville, NC
Traverse Cith, MI
Flagstaff, Az
Mojave, Ca
Bowling Green, Ky
Lake Tahoe, Ca/Nv
Twin Falls, Id

 

[Imdone]

Duh, I live there. Savannah and Charleston pass your test but small islands with unique local cuisine and the best beaches - you are pointing out people shouldn't consider them? The difference between siesta key and Newtown in Sarasota. 2 different planets.

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.

 

[uconnell]

Wickford, RI, Nantucket, MA. ......ferrylets you off in the center of town. Many fine restaurants and stores. Quite scenic with cobblestone streets( wear sneakers)

 

[HooperScooper]

Portsmouth, NH
Hatteras, North Carolina
Bristol, TN
Sea Island, Ga
Marathon Key, Fl
Orange Beach, Al
Asheville, NC
Traverse Cith, MI
Flagstaff, Az
Mojave, Ca
Bowling Green, Ky
Lake Tahoe, Ca/Nv
Twin Falls, Id

Can you consider some of these small towns? Asheville, NC is a city of almost 100,000 people. Flagstaff is about 75,000. Bowling Green is about 70,000. That ain't small town America. Portsmouth, NH doesn't feel like a small town. Never been to some of the others.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Can you consider some of these small towns? Asheville, NC is a city of almost 100,000 people. Flagstaff is about 75,000. Bowling Green is about 70,000. That ain't small town America. Portsmouth, NH doesn't feel like a small town. Never been to some of the others.

Considering others had already offered up Savannah and Charleston, these fit the bill. One of the things I was looking at was towns a bit away from metro areas. Flagstaff is the only thing within an hour in any direction. So, you get Flagstaff and that's it. Similar to Bowling Green or Asheville.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

newport, block island, ri;
provincetown, pittsfield,ma;
portsmouth,nh/kittery,me;
burlington, vt;
greenpoint, cooperstown, ny;
cape may, nj;
harpers ferry, wv
beaufort,sc
seaside, fl
eureka springs, ark
natchez, ms
fredericksburg, tx
park city, utaaaaaaaaaaaaah
carmel by the sea, ca
anywhere in connecticut

 

[uconnfan68]

Haven't been to Newburyport since the 80s... is The Grog still kicking?

Anyway, Oakmont has not be subsumed by Pittsburgh. It's still a distinct area. I don't find it particularly charming, but it has some positive attributes. I like Mt. Lebanon a lot better. And Sewickely is cool as well.

I don't spend a ton of time in small towns while traveling, but here I some I've enjoyed outside New England where I've spend considerable time:
- Calistoga, Healdsburg, Tiburon & Encinitas, CA
- Cedarburg, WI
- New Hope, PA
- Red Bank, NJ
- Banff, AB
- Wayzata, MN (mostly for Lord Fletcher's)
- Bradenton, FL

In the small city category, I've found Duluth surprisingly fun. Also like Easton, PA, but mostly because I have a friend with a brewery there.

Second Banff, but it was 40 years ago. Spectacular.

 

[methodology]

Second Banff, but it was 40 years ago. Spectacular.

Banff is incredible. That surreal aqua colored water is unreal even more spectacular in person

 

[Yardigan]

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

On purpose?

 

[superjohn]

Second Banff, but it was 40 years ago. Spectacular.

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

 

[Dogman69]

Wayzata, MN (great call)
Excelsior, MN
Sausalito, CA
Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
Whitefish, MT
Breckinridge, CT
Park City, UT
Bristol, RI
Newport, RI
Mystic, CT
Stowe, VT
Hanover, NH

 

[storrsroars]

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

We of a certain age who traveled often before 9/11 recall when Canada was basically just a really big northern 51st state, with a border crossing that was timed in seconds, not minutes.

And hell, if one is already in Montana, the closest big city is Calgary. Which has a huge rodeo. And it doesn't get more American than that. And someone else already threw Niagara-on-the-Lake up there (which I should've also included as it's a great little stop on way to TO).

Not like I threw Phuket on the list. You can use a car to get to Banff.

 

[auggie22]

Haven't been to Newburyport since the 80s... is The Grog still kicking?

Anyway, Oakmont has not be subsumed by Pittsburgh. It's still a distinct area. I don't find it particularly charming, but it has some positive attributes. I like Mt. Lebanon a lot better. And Sewickely is cool as well.

I don't spend a ton of time in small towns while traveling, but here I some I've enjoyed outside New England where I've spend considerable time:
- Calistoga, Healdsburg, Tiburon & Encinitas, CA
- Cedarburg, WI
- New Hope, PA
- Red Bank, NJ
- Banff, AB
- Wayzata, MN (mostly for Lord Fletcher's)
- Bradenton, FL

In the small city category, I've found Duluth surprisingly fun. Also like Easton, PA, but mostly because I have a friend with a brewery there.

Grog & Thirsty Whale still kicking. Unfortunately the Rockfish is closed.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Carmel CA, second that
Ferndale CA in Humboldt County
New Castle DE
Cumberland MD
Carson City UT
Oxford MS
Eureka Springs AR

 

[bristol rises]

Saratoga, NY in the fall. Parlay Cooperstown and Lake Placid.

 

[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.