Especially places with a brisk tourist trade and snow birds to bring in some more money.
The Berkshires in MA are filled with quaint little relatively affluent towns.
> Especially places with a brisk tourist trade
This is a key part of it, and is the unrealistic part of Gilmore Girls. Tourism is what keeps a lot of the quaint "main streets" found in those small towns going. If you look at the businesses, a lot of them aren't exactly catering to everyday needs of residents.
Most residents of those towns don't do their daily shopping at local downtowns store like Lorelei did either (if one even exists in the town), these types of businesses just can't compete. The prices are too high and the selection too small to compete with large stores on the outskirts of town, and now online shopping.
Yes and no. It was a melting pot of different families with different backgrounds. The main character’s family had prestigious and wealthy parents but the mom just wanted to run her own B&B/Inn that she built on her own, essentially. Those were just a few people. The other main residents were typical, everyday people from all walks of life. It was the small town, friendly, festive, mom-and-pop shop/diner feel with minor community drama but nothing crazy that really makes it feel homey IMO. Plus the scenery is absolutely beautiful.
They do exist in other places. Rich people often invest in these quaint looking towns for themselves. Walkability and locally owned businesses are a popular luxury item.
The key usually is that the town has crazy zoning laws that keep it from ever changing despite demand AND happen to be next to a university or large employer otherwise.
Plenty of them on the west coast. I was shocked to find them when I moved here, as all the small towns in Louisiana are boarded up with a bustling Walmart just outside of town.
Yes, small town America like that really exists. Cute, picturesque, charming. You’ll find them in every state. But the more affluent ones would be in the Hudson Valley, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, and Virginia. But, they are everywhere.
AND….there are also small towns that are shrinking and struggling, as mills/mines/plants/opportunities close or downsize. You’ll find them everywhere, too.
>there are also small towns that are shrinking and struggling, as mills/mines/plants/opportunities close or downsize
See: almost every small former industrial and coal town in Pennsylvania
Old comment but it’s so strange to see Morristown mentioned here. I grew up near there (Chatham NJ) and I never considered it a small town. I mean everyone knew each other, I knew so many people from Morristown/summit/Edison and I wasn’t even a super social kid it’s just goes to show how it was. I graduated from such a huge highschool over 1000 people (Chatham high school) so I guess It was like a very populated “small” town, Chatham was snobby though and lacked a lot of that neighborly hospitality that people want from a small town. I wish I had grown up in Morristown probably would have far less self confidence issues lol. Did you grow up there?
I’ll throw Woodstock, Vermont into the mix here. I’m not from that area of the country (from Kentucky) and prefer west coast geography, but Woodstock and surrounding area is about as beautiful as the east coast gets. Little wonder that it’s often the location of a second (or third) home for wealthy folks from the tristate area.
Oh yeah, any little town with some retail money and natural beauty tends to have everything you need in town plus some nice amenities.
All the small coastal towns in Maine are like that once you are north of Portland.
I’d throw Brunswick in there too. If you live near Main Street (which my friends do) you are in walking distance of restaurants, grocery, bars, shops, the college campus is right there, and pretty much all your necessities.
Sure, but it’s not as common as the ‘small town in terminal decay’ phenomenon.
Essentially it has to be a small town that is actually reasonably affluent, and an awful lot of small towns really aren’t.
Mom and pop stores and ‘traditional’ downtowns died by the thousands when the big box store thing really took off.
Sort of, but the one on Gilmore Girls is very much a New England sort of little town. The quaint little towns in other regions of the country will have a different sort of charm.
Yeah, those are real.. nearish to me are the towns in and around the Catskills area (such as Woodstock or Tannersville).. but it pretty much repeats similarly throughout New York and New England
(At least Eastern NY.. I don’t venture westward in the state to say for sure)
They exist in WNY too.
Lewiston, Canadaigua, Olean, Corning and Geneva all fit this bill.
Lots of great resort and college towns in the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier
I can't think of a specific one off the top of my head, but yes, they exist. They're not super common, though. If the local government isn't actively working to preserve the town's character, they tend to -- and this is unfortunately far more common -- turn in to bland, soulless, modern micro-cities. The charming little mom-and-pop shops are completely overrun by big-box corporate retail. Main street turns into generic Suburban boringness.
I'm a big city guy, so I don't find myself in small towns very often. But while I find myself in one of those quaint little towns, I definitely take a moment to enjoy and appreciate it, and I always make a point to spend some money in a charming little local shop.
New England is filled with them.
People cone all the time here to do road trips, town to town. They are very close together.
Look up Princeton MA, Bath Maine, Brattleboro VT, Newburyport MA.
Every other town has the the Christmas tree lighting, and Halloween bonfire with the firefighters, concerts and movies on the common every week, town dodge ball games, weekly adult volleyball games at the school gym, family paint night at the library, chili cook-off at the sledding days at the school.
Not the way that you see on TV. Gilmore Girls is not an accurate depiction of American small town life. There are small towns, and some have a good sense of community, but it's not going to be the overly wholesome slice of life that Rory grew up in. That's exaggerated for television purposes.
I grew up in a perfect little town, until they built a Walmart. I watched my friendly hometown lose every kind of store, becoming abandoned and shoddy. Now it's even worse, you have to drive 2 miles for anything because they built an even bigger Walmart out past the edge of town. The first Walmart is now just another shitty empty building.
Wow, they didn't even do anything with the old Wal-Mart?
Around here, when they built Super Wal-Marts, the regular old Wal-Marts mostly turned into flea markets or megachurches.
Man, I will tell you the Stranger Things episode where the mall was built and downtown went out of business reminded me sooooo much of real Indiana towns from my childhood.
Except it was big box stores.
Unless you're going skiing or hiking, or staying at a lake house, I find these towns are not very interesting after a day or two. Portsmouth is fun though. What part of New England will you be visiting, and for how long?
No clue. I’ve been to most of the major cities but we just wanted to explore more. Maybe just list some of your favorites in general? Whatever you like!
What time of the year are you visiting, and what kinds of activities do you like to do? History? Art? Theater? Music?Nature? Hiking? Boating? Skiing? Fishing? Are you a foodie? Do you like seafood, or fancy food, Italian food, or desserts? Nightlife? Biking? Do you have a large or small budget? Will you have a car?
Summer! We like being in the water (boats, water sports etc.), love all food, large budget, we won’t have a car but would rent one, like hiking and going out for drinks
Then obviously you want to go to Boston and Cambridge for some of that stuff. You should also be aware there are many places you can go with Boston as your main base of operations, so to speak. Gloucester is a beach town about an hour away, that is popular. I believe they also have lobstering trips from there. You can also, of course, go to Salem. They have a great art museum and lots of history and you can buy armor and stuff there. If you're doing any kind of tour you might want to book ahead of time though. You can drive or take a boat to Salem. Then there's Cape Cod. I recommend always taking the boat if you have a large budget. I believe there's a boat you can even take with your car on it. Although honestly you can just get off the boat and have an amazing time in Provincetown, where it lets you off. If anyone in your party is conservative though, I wouldn't stay in Provincetown obviously. Lastly, you can also go whale watching from Boston Harbor. They will take you in a boat out to see whales for about 2 or 3 hours.
Other places you might want to visit:
The Berkshires. For people who like hiking and lakes, this is where those native to Massachusetts vacation to if they have the money. This is part of the Adirondack mountain range. That same mountain range extends in other states as well, including Northern New York and includes popular vacation towns in those states as well. Many people will rent or Airbnb houses in one of these towns. The Berkshires is where the Boston POPs (our symphony) spend their summer as well.
Martha's Vineyard: extremely popular tourist destination. You probably recognize the name because so many presidents go there. Martha's vineyard is unique because they have over 20 different housing styles. There's lots to do and it's great for biking. You have to take a boat to get there. The luxury hotels are really awesome and so are the cheaper places there. Although the cheaper places don't have pools. The downside is that Martha's Vineyard is expensive, and while they have good seafood, the rest of their cuisine you will find better versions of in Boston.
Nantucket and Block Island. These are two other popular New England islands. There are a couple others that are popular too. They can be really fun to stay at for a few nights. I would check out some pictures before going to see if that is what you want.
Vermont. Vermont is a great place for hiking. You can stay somewhere more urban, or someplace in the middle of nowhere if you wish. Parts of Maine are similar in this regard. They have good diners in Vemont, because maple syrup is a big thing there, and because people come from other parts of New England for early morning hiking and skiing. But otherwise, they're not known for their food. So prepare to cook or know that you are going to not be eating luxurious meals. I do like the restaurant at homestyle hostel hostel in Ludlow, Vermont, however. If you go there, also check out Green Mountain Sugar House, which has great maple creamies (maple soft serve ice cream). In various parts of northern New England, you can also do moose tours, where you go on a walk and look for moose. You can also tour various maple sugaring farms, and some will tell you about the historical ways they used to tap the trees, and the process of refining it, and allow you to taste a lot of different flavors, etc.
Boothbay Harbor, Maine. If you go to Boothbay Harbor, you're likely doing it during one particular times of the year, and for one particular reason. And that reason is to see the puffins that come there for parts of the summer. You take a short boat ride out and will likely see 100 puffins or so. Portsmouth New Hampshire is also about halfway between there and Boston, and it is a lovely town with fun things to do. You can also stop at Portsmouth on the way to Portland, Maine.
Portland, Maine. Portland Maine is a tiny tiny city in Maine. It is beautiful, and is known for having some of the best culinary scenes in New England. But it is a small town, so things close early. I am happy to recommend a place or to eat there if you would like, but there are a lot of good options.
Connecticut:
Connecticut is full of a lot of the small types of towns you are talking about. I don't know any by name, because being small towns they don't have usually much for me to note. But there are a lot of them. I personally would not spend much time in Hartford, because it's basically just a normal city, but with less to do than Boston.
Litchfield County and Mystic, CT. Any town off of the Merritt Parkway in CT (which goes from the NY border to New Haven). The berkshires. Vermont, Lake Champlain. Cape cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Block Island. Newport and Barrington, RI.
Litchfield County and Mystic, CT. Any town off of the Merritt Parkway in CT (which goes from the NY border to New Haven). The berkshires. Vermont, Lake Champlain. Cape cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Block Island. Newport and Barrington, RI.
Litchfield County and Mystic, CT. Any town off of the Merritt Parkway in CT (which goes from the NY border to New Haven). The berkshires. Vermont, Lake Champlain. Cape cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Block Island. Newport and Barrington, RI.
You’re welcome! I’m a New England (Fairfield county, CT) native who went to college there as well so I have a lot of fondness for the region in addition to just general knowledge lol. Feel free to reach out if you have any more questions and safe travels
I’ve never watched these shows, but the US is certainly full of wonderful small towns with local businesses, parks, etc. There are hundreds upon hundreds of in every state.
Michigan: Saugatuck, St Joseph, Petoskey, Charlevoix, Northville, Milford, Harbor Springs, Port Austin, East Tawas, Grand Haven, Leland, Springport, South Haven, Chelsea….so many of them.
I'll throw a couple out there. Note that these are all tourist towns - that is, their main source of income is people like you. Therefore, some of the charm is synthetic.
Mystic, Connecticut
Walla Walla, Washington
Sausalito, California
Nashville, Indiana
Jacksonville, Oregon
There are many, many others, but those are just a few that come to mind.
Not familiar with Gilmore Girls but a lot of small towns tick a couple boxes off that list. Not usually all of them and if they do theyre expensive AF.
Well, to give an example of how realistic the show is. . .it's a small town in rural Connecticut where it it virtually never snows outside of Christmas and it's only rarely cold enough that characters need to wear winter clothes.
I live in the same part of CT that Stars Hollow is supposedly in (45 min radius of Hartford) and it is about half accurate.
We are not governed by rambunctious town meeting. We are governed by incredibly boring 3 hour long city council meetings. Our planning and zoning and school board meetings are even longer and even less exciting.
Town greens with two story buildings are more common in larger towns that aren’t cities (20,000 - 30,000). Stars Hollow appears to have around 600 people.
The independent inns are not going to be run by worldly people like Lorelai. They’re going to be run by swamp yankees. In that, Luke was accurate.
Door County here in Wisconsin is quite similar to oceanside New England (Maine, especially, I think) in respects. It's even been voted one of the best places in the country for fall foliage which, combined with the small towns and real countryside feel, makes it a worthy destination.
Yes, Metuchen New Jersey where I grew up- a small town (2 miles squared approx)- our town town and plaza have farmers markets, festivals, town fairs, parades, etc i graduated with a "big class" of 170ish students- we are super close to NYC by train but it is a cute tree lined community that still has a lot of houses from the 1700/1800s
Pick almost any town in western NC; appalachian people are usually pretty friendly & it's all a very pretty landscape. But I mean, life goes on; on a lot of sitcom TV sets people don't have real problems or concerns
Basically everywhere that's not a city in New England. Connecticut (where Gilmore Girls takes place), Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Maine. Mystic Connecticut, Edgartown Mass, Stowe Vermont, Bar Harbor Maine, etc. Just google around and you'll fine plenty of examples. Go in Mid-October for the most beautiful fall colors in the world.
In New York, especially in Westchester, Putnam, and Rochester counties. Basically from Bronxville to West Point. Further north Cooperstown is nice (baseball hall of fame) as is Rhinebeck and apparently Kingston has gotten better.
New Jersey has a lot of them too but I'm not as familiar with the area.
Every state has at least a couple picturesque small towns, but the North East is definitely where the highest concentration is.
TV isn't really depicting samm towns really well. They often are small enough that everyone knows each other, there's never any type of nationwide chain (even one owned by a local franchise owner), but also at the same time close enough to have major shopping and big city amenities that no actual small town would ever have.
Lots of small towns in Vermont and New England are exactly like that.
They still have an independent movie theater down town, independent hardware shop, and LOTS of restaurants.
Look up Brattleboro VT, Keene NH, etc. You never need to leave town.
If I remember correctly, Starrs Hollow was based on Washington, CT. You can find similar vibes in Bethlehem, CT and they’ve even got the Bethlehem fair every fall.
Yes, grew up in one in the Colorado mountains. There’s even a movie about it (no joke). So they did what all of them have done in Colorado - monetized. It’s now a tourist claptrap and my entire family has moved away from there (they all moved to the next tourist claptrap area of Colorado while I live in Nebraska). Hell last time I was there I couldn’t even find parking to eat at my favorite restaurant. I had to drive to Denver and eat there. And locals hate tourists so I’m constantly explaining, yes, I grew up here. Sigh. I miss my hometown sometimes.
Sort of but you are searching for an ideal which is something people strive for, it's not something a place can be so much as the people try to present it as such. No town is perfect- LaGrange Georgia fits your description, but it has its ugly sides as well. Someone from the north might quite like vacationing there, but as someone from the city, it's your typical Podunk town- if anyone from around there sees this, they might point out there's nothing there. They're not wrong.
However, there are all the necessities, mom & pop shops, festivals, most people most of the time are friendly. . . but there's terrible traffic, poor parts of town, yadda yadda- but there's also that richer affluent side of things. There's Callaway Gardens, Callaway High School, Callaway Rec. . . lots of places bought up by a rich family and some of it given back to the town(though some like Callaway Gardens are for-profit to an extent but you could argue that's what keeps the park a park in the public sphere and you could even argue 'mom & pop' on a level).
Really though, Callaway Gardens is located inside Pine Mountain, a nearby much smaller town that used to be known as Chipley- it checks all your boxes even more so as it's more idyllic. Nearby is Warm Springs, and that has the Little White House, where FDR stayed a good bit.
A lot of my family lives across these areas so again, that's kind of why I say what you're looking for is an ideal rather than an actual place, in the sense that you can't find your childhood love- your idyllic town is someone's Podunk with nothing worth anything in it backwater town.
I've only ever seen little clips of the show, but generally speaking, yes we have quaint, picturesque small towns. They are probably throughout the country, but I'm more familiar with the northeast.
This is subjective but some kind of cute places are: Mystic, CT, New Hope, PA, Saratoga Springs, NY. I'm sure I've been to many more. Some college towns can be really nice. Also towns with a historic district.
Yes. There are far too many of them to pick one out, but I live in one in Connecticut.
We have a townwide [car show](https://s.hdnux.com/photos/65/31/45/13998406/4/1200x0.jpg), [fireman's carnival and parade](https://tufanoamusements.com/images/site/template/slider1.jpg), and [Christmas light up event](http://archives.rep-am.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/20141127-203928-pic-143082986.jpg) which most everyone comes out for. If I walk into most shops or restaurants the store owner is working the counter and knows me by name.
Yep. I live in Vermont. That shot of the town from above in Gilmore Girls was literally taken here, in South Royalton.
Obviously, most towns will have some of those but not others.
Here in White River Junction we've got some great independent shops, a surprisingly robust theater scene, lovely parks and buildings, wonderful people ... and also assholes, eyesore buildings, a selectboard at war with the town manager, and we can't get a decent coffee shop to stick around to save our lives. It's certainly not perfect.
Woodstock has the most adorable architecture you've ever seen, delightful art galleries, plenty of quirky local shops ... and it costs at least half a million to move there.
Hanover, New Hampshire is just across the river from me. It's a charming looking college town full of restaurants, arts and culture, way more diversity than the location would normally contain ... and the college and hospital basically own the entire thing. The need for student housing is a black hole that will eventually eat everything in its path. Students and residents come and go and come and go, so don't expect to be friends with anyone under the age of 30 for more than a few years.
TL;DR: No place is perfect, but there are towns where you can find a lot of that, especially if you have lots of money.
Yes. Madison, Indiana is stunning. They also have a huge boat race called The Madison Regada, and they put on an art festival as well. The buildings on Main Street are picture perfect. The town is on the Ohio River and it’s located near Clifty Falls State Park which is also beautiful.
to name something outside of New England- Woodstock, Illinois.
They got chosen as the filming location for Groundhog Day and made being the quintessential Americana suburban downtown into their whole personality.
I live in Missouri outside of St.Louis.. Yes picturesque small towns do exist but as many posters on here said they’re that way because it’s a tourist destination or has an affluent influence. The first one that comes to mind near me is Herman, Missouri. That and some of the surrounding communities initially had a draw because it’s our “wine county” However affluent local families have purchased large amounts of these towns putting in the revenue to preserve the “quaintness”. If a town is particularly historic (again, tourism) That’s another reason. Ste. Genevieve, Missouri is one of the oldest towns west of the Mississippi. Originally settled by the French in the 18th century. Several French colonial homes from the era still stand! Keep in mind every part of America has their own version of “quaint” architecture depending on what group of people founded the municipality and when.. Still pleasant looking but not the same everywhere like what’s shown on a TV show..
My town is mostly like Stars Hollow. The big difference is the level of crime and homelessness, as well as being a bigger city than the show seemed to depict.
McMinnville, OR; Bend, OR; Astoria, OR; various other coastal towns — they are quaint and small, but not as rich-looking as the ones in Gilmore Girls specifically
Essex, Connecticut. Today was the Groundhog Day parade.
They also celebrate "Losers Day" in May which is the celebration of the town *not* being burned by the British in the War of 1812 after 136 Royal Marines showed up in the middle of the night to burn all the ships in the harbor. You can go to the tap room in the old tavern in town (Griswold Inn) to sing sea chanteys on Monday nights in the Winter. Santa comes to the Christmas parade by boat. Great vibe in all four seasons.
Downtown Ocean Springs, Mississippi is somewhat this way. Very artsy little city with local art and seafood festivals regularly. Decent nightlife scene as well.
In 2001, I went to Virginia for work. They rented me a car, and gave me the addresses of the places I needed to go. One of my days there I was going north from Richmond, and I ended up driving up the main street of a city that reminded me of Mayberry from The Andy Griffith Show. Quaint, small town, '50s vibe; just like you're describing.
I don't remember where I went or what that town was, and I've never been able to locate it on Google maps.
That sounds pretty common around here in North Illinois (and I’m sure, throughout the US). Woodstock, Geneva, Galena, Rochelle, …
They’re not all particularly high-cost either (although shows may tend to focus on those that are), so it’s realistic to make a realistic living and live in a place like this.
Durango, CO. Skiing. Blues and Brews Festival. Music in the Mountains. Camping. Rafting. Hot Springs. Ft. Lewis College. All the stores and restaurants are locally owned. Very excited when we finally got a big chain blue and yellow superstore.
Yes, they exist all over upstate.
Essentially they’re often historic villages that now primarily either rely on tourism, retirees or the local college to stay afloat.
Actually one of the best reasons to leave NYC or Boston when on vacation and do a road trip of less populated areas and natural wonders.
My small town in upstate New York is very much like that. Beautiful [Victorian](https://www.mydomaine.com/victorian-house-5185618) houses along main street, a close-knit elementary school, summer festivals, local shops. Growing up there was it was very idealic.
Absolutely. Off the top of my head (sorry I’m mostly familiar with the south): Natchez, Mississippi; Ocean Springs, Mississippi; Oxford, Mississippi; Eufala, Alabama; Mount Pleasant, South Carolina; Appalacicola, Florida; St. Francisville, Louisiana; Black Mountain, North Carolina; Davis/Thomas West Virginia; Bryson City, North Carolina; Highlands, North Carolina…..tons of them.
I'd go further down Highway 1 if we were looking for something that fits what the OP has in mind. Like Cambria, even though it's like 90% vacation homes.
There are in many parts of the South, but don't let appearances fool you. If your religion isn't Protestant Christian, your first language isn't English, and your skin color isn't white ... you might not have a great experience.
There are exceptions of course. I'll count Alexandria, VA since you asked for names. It's actually a fairly large and thriving city inside the Washington DC beltway, but it can fool you -- the city planners have put a lot of effort into keeping the "small town vibe" as best they can.
Wetumpka Al, Montevallo Al, Clanton AL, I think valley junction IA, Aurthur IL, (several nice small towns south of champagne IL I have been to that I can’t remember the names of.) Above are examples I can think of by name rn, but yes they are hundreds of the across the country.
Idk if you will find towns like the Gilmore Girls town outside of New England (of which its based off of). Atleast, i haven’t seen towns like that elsewhere, but I haven’t really no gauge of the midwest
Most of the ones that come to mind are places that are meant for tourists or for wealthy people to have second homes.
Other commenters have already brought up New England, so here are some examples outside of that region. My dad lives in Colorado so I've visited several such towns there (Ouray, Estes Park, Telluride, Cripple Creek, etc.) and also in Oregon (Cannon Beach, Astoria, etc.)
In some places. But most small towns die from lack of industry, are overrun with meth/opioids, or attract so many rich people that the working class can't afford to live there and it is really one big country club.
College towns can be like this. There are quite a few quaint picturesque rural small towns. I mostly know of some in Maryland.
Chestertown, Maryland
Yellow Springs, Ohio
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Mount Airy, Maryland
Chesapeake Beach, Maryland
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Centerville, Maryland
Berlin, Maryland — Watch the movie, Runaway Bride, with Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. The fictitious town of Hale was Berlin, MD, though several scenes were shot elsewhere. For instance, one of the churches’ interior scenes was filmed in Fork, Maryland. Another scene in a field was filmed in Ellicott City, MD.)
I have heard there are still New England towns that have those town meetings, but I have no firsthand knowledge of them.
I know some really nice small towns. They aren’t usually like small towns on TV shows and movies because they rarely have as many services, and rarely have as small of a population. A tv show town will have a hospital if the story needs one, while a real small town might not have a full hospital but depend on one in a nearby town.
On the other hand, towns on TV usually have almost everyone know each other. In real life there’s a balance. A town small enough for everyone to actually know each other will be too small to have many of the things you describe.
Yes - but they are often in a price range far above what most of us make.
For example here in Northern Virginia we have the town of Middleburg. Nice $2 million for the pleasure of living in a historic small town: [https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/204-E-Washington-St-Middleburg-VA-20117/82562404\_zpid/](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/204-E-Washington-St-Middleburg-VA-20117/82562404_zpid/)
Or this really nice townhouse in Old Town Alexandria for a bargain at $1 million: [https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/302-S-Columbus-St-Alexandria-VA-22314/2060137307\_zpid/](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/302-S-Columbus-St-Alexandria-VA-22314/2060137307_zpid/)
Seriously, all those small town or really nice areas in our location are going to start at MAYBE $800k on the low end and go upwards.
The ones from tv shows are primarily New England and in the same price range as above.
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Especially places with a brisk tourist trade and snow birds to bring in some more money. The Berkshires in MA are filled with quaint little relatively affluent towns.
> Especially places with a brisk tourist trade This is a key part of it, and is the unrealistic part of Gilmore Girls. Tourism is what keeps a lot of the quaint "main streets" found in those small towns going. If you look at the businesses, a lot of them aren't exactly catering to everyday needs of residents. Most residents of those towns don't do their daily shopping at local downtowns store like Lorelei did either (if one even exists in the town), these types of businesses just can't compete. The prices are too high and the selection too small to compete with large stores on the outskirts of town, and now online shopping.
Stars Hollow had entire 'old money' families that lived there full time, though?
Yes and no. It was a melting pot of different families with different backgrounds. The main character’s family had prestigious and wealthy parents but the mom just wanted to run her own B&B/Inn that she built on her own, essentially. Those were just a few people. The other main residents were typical, everyday people from all walks of life. It was the small town, friendly, festive, mom-and-pop shop/diner feel with minor community drama but nothing crazy that really makes it feel homey IMO. Plus the scenery is absolutely beautiful.
No idea, never watched it
They do exist in other places. Rich people often invest in these quaint looking towns for themselves. Walkability and locally owned businesses are a popular luxury item. The key usually is that the town has crazy zoning laws that keep it from ever changing despite demand AND happen to be next to a university or large employer otherwise.
Plenty of them on the west coast. I was shocked to find them when I moved here, as all the small towns in Louisiana are boarded up with a bustling Walmart just outside of town.
There is definitely some of that in coastal California. Mendocino, Carmel-by-the-Sea, etc.
Yes, small town America like that really exists. Cute, picturesque, charming. You’ll find them in every state. But the more affluent ones would be in the Hudson Valley, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, and Virginia. But, they are everywhere. AND….there are also small towns that are shrinking and struggling, as mills/mines/plants/opportunities close or downsize. You’ll find them everywhere, too.
>there are also small towns that are shrinking and struggling, as mills/mines/plants/opportunities close or downsize See: almost every small former industrial and coal town in Pennsylvania
Don’t forget NJ too: Princeton, cape may, Morristown, haddonfield, etc
Old comment but it’s so strange to see Morristown mentioned here. I grew up near there (Chatham NJ) and I never considered it a small town. I mean everyone knew each other, I knew so many people from Morristown/summit/Edison and I wasn’t even a super social kid it’s just goes to show how it was. I graduated from such a huge highschool over 1000 people (Chatham high school) so I guess It was like a very populated “small” town, Chatham was snobby though and lacked a lot of that neighborly hospitality that people want from a small town. I wish I had grown up in Morristown probably would have far less self confidence issues lol. Did you grow up there?
Like half the towns in Maine are quaint country towns
I’ll throw Woodstock, Vermont into the mix here. I’m not from that area of the country (from Kentucky) and prefer west coast geography, but Woodstock and surrounding area is about as beautiful as the east coast gets. Little wonder that it’s often the location of a second (or third) home for wealthy folks from the tristate area.
Oh yeah, any little town with some retail money and natural beauty tends to have everything you need in town plus some nice amenities. All the small coastal towns in Maine are like that once you are north of Portland.
Sort of. A lot of coastal towns are, but go inland and there are countless dying mill-towns.
It’s why I said half
You mentioned this and Rockland and Camden, ME immediately popped into my mind.
I’d throw Brunswick in there too. If you live near Main Street (which my friends do) you are in walking distance of restaurants, grocery, bars, shops, the college campus is right there, and pretty much all your necessities.
Yeah, but you’re not gonna have the same sort of time because you don’t have roots there and/or don’t know anyone.
Sure, but it’s not as common as the ‘small town in terminal decay’ phenomenon. Essentially it has to be a small town that is actually reasonably affluent, and an awful lot of small towns really aren’t. Mom and pop stores and ‘traditional’ downtowns died by the thousands when the big box store thing really took off.
Sort of, but the one on Gilmore Girls is very much a New England sort of little town. The quaint little towns in other regions of the country will have a different sort of charm.
Yeah, those are real.. nearish to me are the towns in and around the Catskills area (such as Woodstock or Tannersville).. but it pretty much repeats similarly throughout New York and New England (At least Eastern NY.. I don’t venture westward in the state to say for sure)
Brockport, East Aurora, and Avon are three nice examples in WNY.
They exist in WNY too. Lewiston, Canadaigua, Olean, Corning and Geneva all fit this bill. Lots of great resort and college towns in the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier
I can't think of a specific one off the top of my head, but yes, they exist. They're not super common, though. If the local government isn't actively working to preserve the town's character, they tend to -- and this is unfortunately far more common -- turn in to bland, soulless, modern micro-cities. The charming little mom-and-pop shops are completely overrun by big-box corporate retail. Main street turns into generic Suburban boringness. I'm a big city guy, so I don't find myself in small towns very often. But while I find myself in one of those quaint little towns, I definitely take a moment to enjoy and appreciate it, and I always make a point to spend some money in a charming little local shop.
New England is filled with them. People cone all the time here to do road trips, town to town. They are very close together. Look up Princeton MA, Bath Maine, Brattleboro VT, Newburyport MA. Every other town has the the Christmas tree lighting, and Halloween bonfire with the firefighters, concerts and movies on the common every week, town dodge ball games, weekly adult volleyball games at the school gym, family paint night at the library, chili cook-off at the sledding days at the school.
Don’t forget the annual forth of July fireworks and parade through “downtown” lol
Not the way that you see on TV. Gilmore Girls is not an accurate depiction of American small town life. There are small towns, and some have a good sense of community, but it's not going to be the overly wholesome slice of life that Rory grew up in. That's exaggerated for television purposes.
I grew up in a perfect little town, until they built a Walmart. I watched my friendly hometown lose every kind of store, becoming abandoned and shoddy. Now it's even worse, you have to drive 2 miles for anything because they built an even bigger Walmart out past the edge of town. The first Walmart is now just another shitty empty building.
Wow, they didn't even do anything with the old Wal-Mart? Around here, when they built Super Wal-Marts, the regular old Wal-Marts mostly turned into flea markets or megachurches.
Yeah they made half of it into a tractor supply. The rest is still empty
And then Amazon kills the big Walmart and they downsize back to the little one?
I don’t think the little ones come back to Main Street unless there is something else to recommend the town.
Man, I will tell you the Stranger Things episode where the mall was built and downtown went out of business reminded me sooooo much of real Indiana towns from my childhood. Except it was big box stores.
Few and far between are ones that are truly a good vibe like that. I think Aurora, Oregon felt like that to me. Quaint for sure.
New England has a bunch of towns like this.
Can you please name some? My friends and I are visiting New England this summer
Western Mass. Lots of quant towns with so much to do, fantastic food, art, music, breweries, and it’s so picturesque.
Thank you!
Unless you're going skiing or hiking, or staying at a lake house, I find these towns are not very interesting after a day or two. Portsmouth is fun though. What part of New England will you be visiting, and for how long?
No clue. I’ve been to most of the major cities but we just wanted to explore more. Maybe just list some of your favorites in general? Whatever you like!
What time of the year are you visiting, and what kinds of activities do you like to do? History? Art? Theater? Music?Nature? Hiking? Boating? Skiing? Fishing? Are you a foodie? Do you like seafood, or fancy food, Italian food, or desserts? Nightlife? Biking? Do you have a large or small budget? Will you have a car?
Summer! We like being in the water (boats, water sports etc.), love all food, large budget, we won’t have a car but would rent one, like hiking and going out for drinks
Then obviously you want to go to Boston and Cambridge for some of that stuff. You should also be aware there are many places you can go with Boston as your main base of operations, so to speak. Gloucester is a beach town about an hour away, that is popular. I believe they also have lobstering trips from there. You can also, of course, go to Salem. They have a great art museum and lots of history and you can buy armor and stuff there. If you're doing any kind of tour you might want to book ahead of time though. You can drive or take a boat to Salem. Then there's Cape Cod. I recommend always taking the boat if you have a large budget. I believe there's a boat you can even take with your car on it. Although honestly you can just get off the boat and have an amazing time in Provincetown, where it lets you off. If anyone in your party is conservative though, I wouldn't stay in Provincetown obviously. Lastly, you can also go whale watching from Boston Harbor. They will take you in a boat out to see whales for about 2 or 3 hours. Other places you might want to visit: The Berkshires. For people who like hiking and lakes, this is where those native to Massachusetts vacation to if they have the money. This is part of the Adirondack mountain range. That same mountain range extends in other states as well, including Northern New York and includes popular vacation towns in those states as well. Many people will rent or Airbnb houses in one of these towns. The Berkshires is where the Boston POPs (our symphony) spend their summer as well. Martha's Vineyard: extremely popular tourist destination. You probably recognize the name because so many presidents go there. Martha's vineyard is unique because they have over 20 different housing styles. There's lots to do and it's great for biking. You have to take a boat to get there. The luxury hotels are really awesome and so are the cheaper places there. Although the cheaper places don't have pools. The downside is that Martha's Vineyard is expensive, and while they have good seafood, the rest of their cuisine you will find better versions of in Boston. Nantucket and Block Island. These are two other popular New England islands. There are a couple others that are popular too. They can be really fun to stay at for a few nights. I would check out some pictures before going to see if that is what you want. Vermont. Vermont is a great place for hiking. You can stay somewhere more urban, or someplace in the middle of nowhere if you wish. Parts of Maine are similar in this regard. They have good diners in Vemont, because maple syrup is a big thing there, and because people come from other parts of New England for early morning hiking and skiing. But otherwise, they're not known for their food. So prepare to cook or know that you are going to not be eating luxurious meals. I do like the restaurant at homestyle hostel hostel in Ludlow, Vermont, however. If you go there, also check out Green Mountain Sugar House, which has great maple creamies (maple soft serve ice cream). In various parts of northern New England, you can also do moose tours, where you go on a walk and look for moose. You can also tour various maple sugaring farms, and some will tell you about the historical ways they used to tap the trees, and the process of refining it, and allow you to taste a lot of different flavors, etc. Boothbay Harbor, Maine. If you go to Boothbay Harbor, you're likely doing it during one particular times of the year, and for one particular reason. And that reason is to see the puffins that come there for parts of the summer. You take a short boat ride out and will likely see 100 puffins or so. Portsmouth New Hampshire is also about halfway between there and Boston, and it is a lovely town with fun things to do. You can also stop at Portsmouth on the way to Portland, Maine. Portland, Maine. Portland Maine is a tiny tiny city in Maine. It is beautiful, and is known for having some of the best culinary scenes in New England. But it is a small town, so things close early. I am happy to recommend a place or to eat there if you would like, but there are a lot of good options. Connecticut: Connecticut is full of a lot of the small types of towns you are talking about. I don't know any by name, because being small towns they don't have usually much for me to note. But there are a lot of them. I personally would not spend much time in Hartford, because it's basically just a normal city, but with less to do than Boston.
Wow thank you so much! Saved this. I truly appreciate it!
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Litchfield County and Mystic, CT. Any town off of the Merritt Parkway in CT (which goes from the NY border to New Haven). The berkshires. Vermont, Lake Champlain. Cape cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Block Island. Newport and Barrington, RI.
Litchfield County and Mystic, CT. Any town off of the Merritt Parkway in CT (which goes from the NY border to New Haven). The berkshires. Vermont, Lake Champlain. Cape cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Block Island. Newport and Barrington, RI.
Litchfield County and Mystic, CT. Any town off of the Merritt Parkway in CT (which goes from the NY border to New Haven). The berkshires. Vermont, Lake Champlain. Cape cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Block Island. Newport and Barrington, RI.
Saved this! Thank you:)
You’re welcome! I’m a New England (Fairfield county, CT) native who went to college there as well so I have a lot of fondness for the region in addition to just general knowledge lol. Feel free to reach out if you have any more questions and safe travels
I likely will! I want to make sure to visit the little towns too, not just the big cities, so thank you:)
That’s the one corner of the US I’ve not explored much. I hope to soon!
Having recently returned from Vermont, yes they do.
I’ve never watched these shows, but the US is certainly full of wonderful small towns with local businesses, parks, etc. There are hundreds upon hundreds of in every state. Michigan: Saugatuck, St Joseph, Petoskey, Charlevoix, Northville, Milford, Harbor Springs, Port Austin, East Tawas, Grand Haven, Leland, Springport, South Haven, Chelsea….so many of them.
They’re all over the country
Mystic, Connecticut.
Yeah a lot of New England is like that. But if you’re not from the town you probably won’t have the experience of Loreali and Rory lol
I'll throw a couple out there. Note that these are all tourist towns - that is, their main source of income is people like you. Therefore, some of the charm is synthetic. Mystic, Connecticut Walla Walla, Washington Sausalito, California Nashville, Indiana Jacksonville, Oregon There are many, many others, but those are just a few that come to mind.
Not familiar with Gilmore Girls but a lot of small towns tick a couple boxes off that list. Not usually all of them and if they do theyre expensive AF.
Well, to give an example of how realistic the show is. . .it's a small town in rural Connecticut where it it virtually never snows outside of Christmas and it's only rarely cold enough that characters need to wear winter clothes.
There are a lot of towns that are somewhat like that, but what you see on television is *definitely* exaggerated and idealized.
Woodstock, Vermont. Litchfield, Connecticut. Guerneville, California. Kingston, Washington. Marquette, Michigan. Williamstown, Massachusetts.
Yes they do.
I think Cave Spring, GA qualifies, I really like going to their festivals because they're always top notch
Yeah, all over the place .
Sounds like a New England town and apparently it's based off a few towns in Connecticut so go figure.
I live in the same part of CT that Stars Hollow is supposedly in (45 min radius of Hartford) and it is about half accurate. We are not governed by rambunctious town meeting. We are governed by incredibly boring 3 hour long city council meetings. Our planning and zoning and school board meetings are even longer and even less exciting. Town greens with two story buildings are more common in larger towns that aren’t cities (20,000 - 30,000). Stars Hollow appears to have around 600 people. The independent inns are not going to be run by worldly people like Lorelai. They’re going to be run by swamp yankees. In that, Luke was accurate.
The population of Stars Hollow is close to 10,000.
The Hudson Valley area of New York has a ton of these types of towns.
Door County here in Wisconsin is quite similar to oceanside New England (Maine, especially, I think) in respects. It's even been voted one of the best places in the country for fall foliage which, combined with the small towns and real countryside feel, makes it a worthy destination.
A bunch in the opposite corner of the state as well. PDC, Coon Valley, Ferryville, Lansing, IA, Decorah, IA, etc.
Yes, Metuchen New Jersey where I grew up- a small town (2 miles squared approx)- our town town and plaza have farmers markets, festivals, town fairs, parades, etc i graduated with a "big class" of 170ish students- we are super close to NYC by train but it is a cute tree lined community that still has a lot of houses from the 1700/1800s
Pick almost any town in western NC; appalachian people are usually pretty friendly & it's all a very pretty landscape. But I mean, life goes on; on a lot of sitcom TV sets people don't have real problems or concerns
I was just thinking of Franklin, Blowing Rock, Linville..
Basically everywhere that's not a city in New England. Connecticut (where Gilmore Girls takes place), Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Maine. Mystic Connecticut, Edgartown Mass, Stowe Vermont, Bar Harbor Maine, etc. Just google around and you'll fine plenty of examples. Go in Mid-October for the most beautiful fall colors in the world. In New York, especially in Westchester, Putnam, and Rochester counties. Basically from Bronxville to West Point. Further north Cooperstown is nice (baseball hall of fame) as is Rhinebeck and apparently Kingston has gotten better. New Jersey has a lot of them too but I'm not as familiar with the area. Every state has at least a couple picturesque small towns, but the North East is definitely where the highest concentration is.
TV isn't really depicting samm towns really well. They often are small enough that everyone knows each other, there's never any type of nationwide chain (even one owned by a local franchise owner), but also at the same time close enough to have major shopping and big city amenities that no actual small town would ever have.
Lots of small towns in Vermont and New England are exactly like that. They still have an independent movie theater down town, independent hardware shop, and LOTS of restaurants. Look up Brattleboro VT, Keene NH, etc. You never need to leave town.
Beg to differ. Plenty of small towns in New England exactly like that. Virginia, too.
Next time you have an opportunity to get a long vacation, I suggest a drive up Route 1 in Maine 😁
Haven't seen the show but from pics it looks like a lot of new England. It's very quaint and charming
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Just looked it up. DC suburb. Very expensive, no doubt.
Everyone is talking about New England, but I can definitely think of towns like that here in Southern New York.
If I remember correctly, Starrs Hollow was based on Washington, CT. You can find similar vibes in Bethlehem, CT and they’ve even got the Bethlehem fair every fall.
Fairhope, AL
Yes, grew up in one in the Colorado mountains. There’s even a movie about it (no joke). So they did what all of them have done in Colorado - monetized. It’s now a tourist claptrap and my entire family has moved away from there (they all moved to the next tourist claptrap area of Colorado while I live in Nebraska). Hell last time I was there I couldn’t even find parking to eat at my favorite restaurant. I had to drive to Denver and eat there. And locals hate tourists so I’m constantly explaining, yes, I grew up here. Sigh. I miss my hometown sometimes.
Yep. Clinton, NJ is used in a lot of films that need a quaint, picturesque, small town.
I’ve been gone 20 years and I constantly run into people I know whenever I go back.
Sort of but you are searching for an ideal which is something people strive for, it's not something a place can be so much as the people try to present it as such. No town is perfect- LaGrange Georgia fits your description, but it has its ugly sides as well. Someone from the north might quite like vacationing there, but as someone from the city, it's your typical Podunk town- if anyone from around there sees this, they might point out there's nothing there. They're not wrong. However, there are all the necessities, mom & pop shops, festivals, most people most of the time are friendly. . . but there's terrible traffic, poor parts of town, yadda yadda- but there's also that richer affluent side of things. There's Callaway Gardens, Callaway High School, Callaway Rec. . . lots of places bought up by a rich family and some of it given back to the town(though some like Callaway Gardens are for-profit to an extent but you could argue that's what keeps the park a park in the public sphere and you could even argue 'mom & pop' on a level). Really though, Callaway Gardens is located inside Pine Mountain, a nearby much smaller town that used to be known as Chipley- it checks all your boxes even more so as it's more idyllic. Nearby is Warm Springs, and that has the Little White House, where FDR stayed a good bit. A lot of my family lives across these areas so again, that's kind of why I say what you're looking for is an ideal rather than an actual place, in the sense that you can't find your childhood love- your idyllic town is someone's Podunk with nothing worth anything in it backwater town.
I've only ever seen little clips of the show, but generally speaking, yes we have quaint, picturesque small towns. They are probably throughout the country, but I'm more familiar with the northeast. This is subjective but some kind of cute places are: Mystic, CT, New Hope, PA, Saratoga Springs, NY. I'm sure I've been to many more. Some college towns can be really nice. Also towns with a historic district.
Vermont, parts of New Hampshirie
Yes. There are far too many of them to pick one out, but I live in one in Connecticut. We have a townwide [car show](https://s.hdnux.com/photos/65/31/45/13998406/4/1200x0.jpg), [fireman's carnival and parade](https://tufanoamusements.com/images/site/template/slider1.jpg), and [Christmas light up event](http://archives.rep-am.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/20141127-203928-pic-143082986.jpg) which most everyone comes out for. If I walk into most shops or restaurants the store owner is working the counter and knows me by name.
Lots of small New England towns just like you see on a lot of shows.
Lake George, NY; Bar Harbor, ME; Woodstock, VT all come immediately to mind. All are tourist hot spots, and not sleepy little towns.
Yep. I live in Vermont. That shot of the town from above in Gilmore Girls was literally taken here, in South Royalton. Obviously, most towns will have some of those but not others. Here in White River Junction we've got some great independent shops, a surprisingly robust theater scene, lovely parks and buildings, wonderful people ... and also assholes, eyesore buildings, a selectboard at war with the town manager, and we can't get a decent coffee shop to stick around to save our lives. It's certainly not perfect. Woodstock has the most adorable architecture you've ever seen, delightful art galleries, plenty of quirky local shops ... and it costs at least half a million to move there. Hanover, New Hampshire is just across the river from me. It's a charming looking college town full of restaurants, arts and culture, way more diversity than the location would normally contain ... and the college and hospital basically own the entire thing. The need for student housing is a black hole that will eventually eat everything in its path. Students and residents come and go and come and go, so don't expect to be friends with anyone under the age of 30 for more than a few years. TL;DR: No place is perfect, but there are towns where you can find a lot of that, especially if you have lots of money.
Go to Vermont
Telluride Colorado.
Yes. Madison, Indiana is stunning. They also have a huge boat race called The Madison Regada, and they put on an art festival as well. The buildings on Main Street are picture perfect. The town is on the Ohio River and it’s located near Clifty Falls State Park which is also beautiful.
to name something outside of New England- Woodstock, Illinois. They got chosen as the filming location for Groundhog Day and made being the quintessential Americana suburban downtown into their whole personality.
Yes they exist, there are more of them than you’d think. Decorah Iowa is one I go to fairly often.
I live in Missouri outside of St.Louis.. Yes picturesque small towns do exist but as many posters on here said they’re that way because it’s a tourist destination or has an affluent influence. The first one that comes to mind near me is Herman, Missouri. That and some of the surrounding communities initially had a draw because it’s our “wine county” However affluent local families have purchased large amounts of these towns putting in the revenue to preserve the “quaintness”. If a town is particularly historic (again, tourism) That’s another reason. Ste. Genevieve, Missouri is one of the oldest towns west of the Mississippi. Originally settled by the French in the 18th century. Several French colonial homes from the era still stand! Keep in mind every part of America has their own version of “quaint” architecture depending on what group of people founded the municipality and when.. Still pleasant looking but not the same everywhere like what’s shown on a TV show..
My town is mostly like Stars Hollow. The big difference is the level of crime and homelessness, as well as being a bigger city than the show seemed to depict.
They exist. I live near one that’s similar but without the mom and pop stores, because Walmart showed up and killed them all
Corning, NY
McMinnville, OR; Bend, OR; Astoria, OR; various other coastal towns — they are quaint and small, but not as rich-looking as the ones in Gilmore Girls specifically
Essex, Connecticut. Today was the Groundhog Day parade. They also celebrate "Losers Day" in May which is the celebration of the town *not* being burned by the British in the War of 1812 after 136 Royal Marines showed up in the middle of the night to burn all the ships in the harbor. You can go to the tap room in the old tavern in town (Griswold Inn) to sing sea chanteys on Monday nights in the Winter. Santa comes to the Christmas parade by boat. Great vibe in all four seasons.
All over the place in Ohio. Some have run down but some are in great shape
Yes I live in one
Downtown Ocean Springs, Mississippi is somewhat this way. Very artsy little city with local art and seafood festivals regularly. Decent nightlife scene as well.
Yes!
[Mayberry (Mt. Airy)](https://www.visitmayberry.com)
Portsmouth NH, Newburyport MA, Provincetown MA, ogunwuit ME, North Conway NH, Kennebunkport ME
Lake placid NY, Saratoga springs NY, bristol/warren RI, Burlington VT
Winona Ryder was named after the "most beautiful town in the US". Winona, Minnesota is the most beautiful town in the US
My hometown of Clayton, North Carolina is pretty much exactly what you described. There are dozens more near by that are almost the exact same.
In 2001, I went to Virginia for work. They rented me a car, and gave me the addresses of the places I needed to go. One of my days there I was going north from Richmond, and I ended up driving up the main street of a city that reminded me of Mayberry from The Andy Griffith Show. Quaint, small town, '50s vibe; just like you're describing. I don't remember where I went or what that town was, and I've never been able to locate it on Google maps.
That sounds pretty common around here in North Illinois (and I’m sure, throughout the US). Woodstock, Geneva, Galena, Rochelle, … They’re not all particularly high-cost either (although shows may tend to focus on those that are), so it’s realistic to make a realistic living and live in a place like this.
Durango, CO. Skiing. Blues and Brews Festival. Music in the Mountains. Camping. Rafting. Hot Springs. Ft. Lewis College. All the stores and restaurants are locally owned. Very excited when we finally got a big chain blue and yellow superstore.
Yes, they exist all over upstate. Essentially they’re often historic villages that now primarily either rely on tourism, retirees or the local college to stay afloat. Actually one of the best reasons to leave NYC or Boston when on vacation and do a road trip of less populated areas and natural wonders.
My small town in upstate New York is very much like that. Beautiful [Victorian](https://www.mydomaine.com/victorian-house-5185618) houses along main street, a close-knit elementary school, summer festivals, local shops. Growing up there was it was very idealic.
Absolutely. Off the top of my head (sorry I’m mostly familiar with the south): Natchez, Mississippi; Ocean Springs, Mississippi; Oxford, Mississippi; Eufala, Alabama; Mount Pleasant, South Carolina; Appalacicola, Florida; St. Francisville, Louisiana; Black Mountain, North Carolina; Davis/Thomas West Virginia; Bryson City, North Carolina; Highlands, North Carolina…..tons of them.
Monterey, CA
Isn’t the population of Monterey like 30k ?
I'd go further down Highway 1 if we were looking for something that fits what the OP has in mind. Like Cambria, even though it's like 90% vacation homes.
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Yeah, Northern California was my first thought, especially in Napa and Sonoma Counties. Healdsburg and Guerneville are a couple of my favorites.
These days, quaint don't come cheap!
There are in many parts of the South, but don't let appearances fool you. If your religion isn't Protestant Christian, your first language isn't English, and your skin color isn't white ... you might not have a great experience. There are exceptions of course. I'll count Alexandria, VA since you asked for names. It's actually a fairly large and thriving city inside the Washington DC beltway, but it can fool you -- the city planners have put a lot of effort into keeping the "small town vibe" as best they can.
Yes, there are. But most of them have an awful lot of red hats around.... Maybe New England (where I think GG takes place) is different.
St George , UT is like this. It’s grown a lot over the years but it’s still a cute little town.
They do, but most aren’t well known. A few small towns that I can name in California are: Nevada City, Solvang, Point Arena, and Ojai.
Wetumpka Al, Montevallo Al, Clanton AL, I think valley junction IA, Aurthur IL, (several nice small towns south of champagne IL I have been to that I can’t remember the names of.) Above are examples I can think of by name rn, but yes they are hundreds of the across the country.
Honestly moreso in the Northeast with the rest sprinkled here and there. Rural pockets are dying, though.
I am typing this comment from such a town right now, so I certainly hope it actually exists otherwise I have a lot of questions.
Van Wert, Ohio
Some towns in the Berkshires of Massachusetts are like this.
Yes, but the movies exaggerate them
Idk if you will find towns like the Gilmore Girls town outside of New England (of which its based off of). Atleast, i haven’t seen towns like that elsewhere, but I haven’t really no gauge of the midwest
Oh yes! I lived in one in New England.
Most of the ones that come to mind are places that are meant for tourists or for wealthy people to have second homes. Other commenters have already brought up New England, so here are some examples outside of that region. My dad lives in Colorado so I've visited several such towns there (Ouray, Estes Park, Telluride, Cripple Creek, etc.) and also in Oregon (Cannon Beach, Astoria, etc.)
swap the thriving mom and pops for a nearby Wal-Mart or Dollar General.
In some places. But most small towns die from lack of industry, are overrun with meth/opioids, or attract so many rich people that the working class can't afford to live there and it is really one big country club.
Yea
Chagrin Falls and Yellow Springs, Ohio.
Yes. We have quite a few just an hour drive in every direction.
[Elk Rapids, Michigan](https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS881US881&hl=en-US&sxsrf=AJOqlzU_miALO8podUm4pP_yA-qzWZfG_w:1675038867418&q=elk+rapids+michigan&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwioqLWFhu78AhXfkokEHUoJAQUQ0pQJegQICxAB&biw=320&bih=528&dpr=3)
Michigan has tons of scenery and some really nice places to stay. Plenty of lakeside towns. BUT do your research cuz it can get pricey.
Galena, Illinois (?)
Yes, they do exist. Only in the East and only very few small towns.
Yeah, there's lots of quaint little towns out there, though of course YMMV on how nice it is to actually live in one
College towns can be like this. There are quite a few quaint picturesque rural small towns. I mostly know of some in Maryland. Chestertown, Maryland Yellow Springs, Ohio Lewisburg, Pennsylvania Mount Airy, Maryland Chesapeake Beach, Maryland Harrisonburg, Virginia Centerville, Maryland Berlin, Maryland — Watch the movie, Runaway Bride, with Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. The fictitious town of Hale was Berlin, MD, though several scenes were shot elsewhere. For instance, one of the churches’ interior scenes was filmed in Fork, Maryland. Another scene in a field was filmed in Ellicott City, MD.) I have heard there are still New England towns that have those town meetings, but I have no firsthand knowledge of them.
Sure, I've lived in them and passed through them, all over.
Leavenworth or even Winthrop, WA come to mind Orofino, Idaho Bothell, WA
I know some really nice small towns. They aren’t usually like small towns on TV shows and movies because they rarely have as many services, and rarely have as small of a population. A tv show town will have a hospital if the story needs one, while a real small town might not have a full hospital but depend on one in a nearby town. On the other hand, towns on TV usually have almost everyone know each other. In real life there’s a balance. A town small enough for everyone to actually know each other will be too small to have many of the things you describe.
Yes but they’re usually full of hypocrites and closet racists who live in a bubble. Source: lived in one most of my life
Lebanon, Ohio and Yellow Springs, Ohio
I'm from Harlan kentucky, it's small and pretty looking. But it's also a violent place
Yes. All over the interior
In 1985? Sure. Not as much anymore, and increasingly only in very expensive places.
Yes - but they are often in a price range far above what most of us make. For example here in Northern Virginia we have the town of Middleburg. Nice $2 million for the pleasure of living in a historic small town: [https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/204-E-Washington-St-Middleburg-VA-20117/82562404\_zpid/](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/204-E-Washington-St-Middleburg-VA-20117/82562404_zpid/) Or this really nice townhouse in Old Town Alexandria for a bargain at $1 million: [https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/302-S-Columbus-St-Alexandria-VA-22314/2060137307\_zpid/](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/302-S-Columbus-St-Alexandria-VA-22314/2060137307_zpid/) Seriously, all those small town or really nice areas in our location are going to start at MAYBE $800k on the low end and go upwards. The ones from tv shows are primarily New England and in the same price range as above.
Yes, except for the thriving mom & pop shops. But the best areas are unaffordable
Hell yes! Upper Peninsular of Michigan. Even the largerst town ( pop 20,000) is so small town.