1. AMERICAN BEAUTIES
Whether you're cruising toward retirement, choosing colleges, moving for
work, or just looking for a change of pace, every state in America has a
destination that you've heard people rave about. But popular doesn't equal
paradise — for that, you'll have to dig a little deeper. Here's a look at the
unsung American sleeper towns that can seduce, charm, and mesmerize visitors
into putting down roots.
2. ALABAMA: TUSCUMBIA
Phrases like
"Southern charm" and "Southern hospitality" are easy to
write in marketing literature but hard to actually deliver in the age of
Walmart and homogenized American culture. The old railroad town of Tuscumbia,
however, delivers the classic, quintessential small town Southern experience. It's
got all the history of Muscle Shoals and the greater Shoals region, but
enough shopping and
nightlife to keep you entertained.
3. ALASKA: ESTER
Fairbanks is one of
Alaska's most popular spots. Among its neighbors is a less-famous Fairbanks
bedroom community called Ester. Move there and you'll be part of a
super-tight-knit gang of very familiar faces. The center of the mining town is
home to only a few families, and Ester
is centered around the Golden Eagle Saloon, where you can buy a raw burger and grill it up
yourself.
4. ARIZONA: BISBEE
From its mining town
roots to the funky, artsy outpost it's become, Bisbee
has always been a wild and remote border town. Its reputation as a weird but welcoming
oasis has made it a tourist stop with a delightful downtown shopping district, but the
city's eclectic core of interesting locals is what gives Bisbee its flavor.
5. ARKANSAS: EUREKA SPRINGS
Located in the
beautiful Ozarks near the Missouri border, Eureka Springs is
built to accommodate the crush of tourists who come to discover its charm for the
first time — but it's also a choice spot to be a local. It's close to Fayetteville
and the region's other larger cities, but its small-town vibe feels far away
from life inside the hive. The temperate climate provides all
four seasons, but
spares residents the worst of both the winter and the summer.
6. CALIFORNIA: SAN LUIS OBISPO
Nestled between Los
Angeles and San Francisco is the California Central Coast gem of San Luis Obispo —
but if you do decide to move there, it's probably best to join the in-crowd and
just call it SLO. Its beaches, beauty and natural landscape rival any in the
state. Between surfing and wine tasting, cave swimming and nightlife, there's
more to do than you could possibly cram into one lifetime — all without the
crowds and cost of L.A. and the Bay Area. Home to California Polytechnic State
University, it also has a nice college-town vibe.
7. COLORADO: BRECKENRIDGE
Breckenridge is booming. Move there and
you'll have your choice of more than 200 boutiques and shops, more than 75 bars
and restaurants, and too many athletic, lifestyle, and cultural options to
name. The reality, however, is that all this is packed into a small, cozy town. Only 4,500 residents live
within Breckenridge's 5.3-square-mile boundaries -- although a rush of visitors
can swell the population to nearly 40,000 on a busy day.
8. CONNECTICUT: GUILFORD
Unlike the
neighboring New Haven suburbs of Branford and Madison, Guilford
has managed to retain its small-town grit and character. The Long Island Sound shore
community boasts the third-largest collection of historical homes in all of New
England. The town's heritage, which dates all the way back to 1639, is chronicled
in its assortment of historical museums, inns, taverns, and farms.
9. DELAWARE: SELBYVILLE
Selbyville is the beating heart of the regional
beach scene in Delaware. Just miles from either side of Route 54 are both
Fenwick Island and Ocean City, Maryland -- both of which are top-tier beach
destinations. Selbyville serves both towns and their millions of visitors
through a huge range of supporting businesses and industries, which keeps
employment numbers high and has triggered a recent housing boom. Hundreds of
new homes across several developments have sprouted up, many containing
families drawn to Selbyville's award-winning schools.
10. FLORIDA: ST. AUGUSTINE
With a
half-millennium of history -- give or take a half a century -- St.Augustine is
the oldest continuously inhabited city in America. That naturally makes it a
tourist destination — but it's not a tourist trap. The city is alive with not just a rich,
long history, but also culture, arts, entertainment, and nightlife. If you're
looking to own your own slice of one of the most happening cities in the
Sunshine State, the median home value in St. Auggie is still south of $250,000
-- and according to Zillow, its currently an ice-cold buyer's market.
11. GEORGIA: ATHENS
Athens is conveniently close to Atlanta, but
far enough away to avoid the gravitational pull of the capital city's culture.
The climate is forgiving, particularly by Georgia standards. That, combined
with its world-class regional medical facilities, draws retirees from far and wide
--
but Athens is a
college town at heart.
12. HAWAII: HANALEI
It's hard to find a
lousy part of Hawaii, but if you ever do, you can bet it's not Hanalei Town. Located on Kauai, just north of
Princeville, the town is historic and modern at the same time — the culture
ranges from contemporary art galleries to a 19th-century pier made famous by
the 1957 classic "South Pacific." Before you take the leap, be sure to
learn the local etiquette that regulates the one-lane bridge you'll have to
cross to get into town. The town was also hit hard by record flooding in April,
but most shops and restaurants have reopened and could definitely use the
support of visitors. Just be aware that some trails and beaches may have
limited access for a while.
13. IDAHO: KELLOGG
For Idahoans, outdoor
paradise and wilderness adventure are par for the course. Few spots in the
state, however, capture everything Idaho has to offer quite as completely
as Kellogg. Nestled in the postcard-worthy
Bitterroot Mountains, Kellogg stakes its claim in the Idaho Panhandle between
Lookout Pass and Fourth of July Pass. For residents, that means immediate
access to 2,600 square miles of pristine nature -- and all the activities that
go along with it.
14. ILLINOIS: LA SALLE
With history dating
to the Native American Mud Builders who dominated the area until the
1600s, La Salle was one of the towns that sprung up when
the dream of linking the Illinois Valley to Chicago by canal became a reality.
Today, it's one of the best places to live in the state, thanks to its farmers
market and dozens of restaurants and bars -- not to mention a five-digit median
home value.
15. INDIANA: CHESTERTON
Art galleries,
festivals, antique shops, and historical sites nurture the 13,000 residents who
call Chesterton home -- as well as the countless
visitors who pour into the region every year. Chesterton boasts impressive
ecological diversity in the nearby Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve, but with
the glimmering lights of Chicago just 45 miles away, it's also a quick trip to
the city by car or train.
16. IOWA: EMMETSBURG
Tourists come
to Emmetsburg for Five Island Lake, but residents
make their homes there because of the town's warm, family-oriented feel. Home
to about 3,800 people, Emmetsburg is in the middle of a business and housing
revival thanks to the $200 million POET Biorefining Project Liberty
transformation project, an ethanol plant that uses corn cobs, leaves, husks,
and stalks to produce renewable biofuel.
17. KANSAS: ATCHISON
From the recent water
tower rehab and the Lutz Brothers fuel pump upgrade to the reconstruction of
the LFM Park Basketball Courts and the installation of high-speed fiber
internet at Shannon Industrial Park, it seems like everything is brand new
in Atchison.
The scenic town is modern in its amenities, but closely tied to its eventful
past — Atchison is home to more than 20 sites on the National Register of
Historic Places.
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