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Old 05-10-2020, 07:28 PM
 
Location: Green Country
2,842 posts, read 2,764,388 times
Reputation: 4706

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The title is self-explanatory. Though I love my big cities, there are a lot of beautiful small towns that fly under the radar and are brimming with old historic structures. And I don't mean pre-American Revolution. Anything pre-WWII would qualify in my opinion.

So what are some historic towns/small cities in your state/region that you enjoy visiting from time to time? No cities over 200k city proper can be named.

In my state [Virginia], I'd say the Big Twenty are:
  • Abingdon
  • Alexandria
  • Bristol
  • Charlottesville
  • Culpeper
  • Fredericksburg
  • Leesburg
  • Lexington
  • Lynchburg
  • Manassas
  • Orange
  • Petersburg
  • Portsmouth
  • Roanoke
  • Smithfield
  • Staunton
  • Washington ["Little Washington"]
  • Williamsburg
  • Winchester
  • Yorktown

Of these, Alexandria, Charlottesville, Roanoke, Staunton and Williamsburg are the Top 5.

In the National Capital Region [DC, DE, MD, VA, WV], the most beautiful ten to me are:
  • Alexandria
  • Annapolis
  • Charleston
  • Charlottesville
  • Frederick
  • Harpers Ferry
  • Roanoke
  • Staunton
  • Williamsburg
  • Wilmington

Nationally I would say the Top 25 are [alphabetically]:
  • Alexandria
  • Annapolis
  • Asheville
  • Burlington
  • Cape May
  • Charleston
  • Deadwood
  • Duluth
  • Eureka Springs
  • Frederick
  • Galena
  • Ketchikan
  • Key West
  • Lancaster
  • Mackinac Island
  • Nantucket
  • Natchez
  • Newport
  • Portland [ME]
  • Portsmouth [NH]
  • Saint Augustine
  • Santa Barbara
  • Santa Fe
  • Savannah
  • Williamsburg

Any others I missed out? Any changes you would make?
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Old 05-10-2020, 07:57 PM
 
2,439 posts, read 4,807,920 times
Reputation: 3061
In New England you listed Nantucket, Mass., Portland, Me., Portsmouth, NH, Newport, R.I., and Burlington, Vt. Even skipping all the lovely little places like Litchfield CT, Cohasset MA and Tamworth, NH, I would add the following larger towns and cities:

Massachusetts
• Concord
• Salem
• Marblehead
• Gloucester
• Newburyport
• Plymouth
• Northampton
• Amherst

Rhode Island
• Providence
• Bristol

Connecticut
• Stonington
• Mystic

Maine
• Camden
• Belfast
• Bath
• Wiscasset

New Hampshire
• Keene
• Peterborough
• Dover
• Exeter

Vermont
• Brattleboro
• Woodstock
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Old 05-10-2020, 07:58 PM
 
Location: Bergen County, New Jersey
11,996 posts, read 7,772,424 times
Reputation: 9967
ID say for Greater Boston/New England
-Rockport MA
-Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA
-Newburyport, MA
-Marblehead, MA
-Concord, MA
-Westerley, RI
-Newport, RI
-Stockbridge, MA
-Lenox, MA
-Chattam, MA
-Sturbridge, MA
-Edgartown, MA
-Oak Bluffs, MA
-Provincetown, MA
-Ogunquit, ME
-York, ME
-Kennebunkport, ME
-Bar Harbor, ME
-Damariscotta, ME
-Camden, ME (One of the most underrated spots in America)
-Stowe, VT
-Mystic, CT

For Florida
-Mt Dora, FL
-St. Augustine, FL

Others I have found over time
-Sedona, AZ
-Alexandria, VA
-Oswego, NY
-Skaneateles, NY
-Sleepy Hollow, NY
-New Paltz, NY
-Princeton, NJ

However, top 3 underrated off the beaten path towns:
1. Camden, Maine
2. Pawtucket Village, Rhode Island
3. Westerley, Rhode Island
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Old 05-10-2020, 08:41 PM
 
Location: Green Country
2,842 posts, read 2,764,388 times
Reputation: 4706
^^ I just looked up Camden, ME, and what a gorgeous setting! And I can't believe I forgot Bar Harbor. I've heard fantastic things about that little place.

I think just goes to show that pound-for-pound, there's no topping New England when it comes to pretty little towns.'
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Old 05-10-2020, 08:46 PM
 
Location: West Seattle
6,336 posts, read 4,879,149 times
Reputation: 8374
Washington

Olympia
Bellingham
Port Townsend
Wenatchee
Aberdeen
Cle Elum

Last edited by TheTimidBlueBars; 05-10-2020 at 09:10 PM.. Reason: edit: picking better one for Wenatchee
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Old 05-10-2020, 08:55 PM
 
Location: Medfid
6,783 posts, read 5,940,946 times
Reputation: 5217
Quote:
Originally Posted by masssachoicetts View Post
-Damariscotta, ME
-Camden, ME (One of the most underrated spots in America)
If Damariscotta and Camden are being included, then Rockland should be too!

I also don’t think Great Barrington, MA has been mentioned. It should be. Maybe Rutland, VT and Middletown, CT as well.
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Old 05-10-2020, 08:59 PM
 
Location: Green Country
2,842 posts, read 2,764,388 times
Reputation: 4706
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheTimidBlueBars View Post
I took the Amtrak from Vancouver to Seattle and I remember doing a double-take when it passed by Bellingham because it was so beautiful [sunset with the Whatcom Museum looking radiantly crimson]! Definitely regret not knowing about it until then. Should have made a pit stop
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Old 05-10-2020, 09:02 PM
 
37,806 posts, read 41,574,884 times
Reputation: 27083
Quote:
Originally Posted by manitopiaaa View Post
The title is self-explanatory. Though I love my big cities, there are a lot of beautiful small towns that fly under the radar and are brimming with old historic structures. And I don't mean pre-American Revolution. Anything pre-WWII would qualify in my opinion.

So what are some historic towns/small cities in your state/region that you enjoy visiting from time to time? No cities over 200k city proper can be named.

In my state [Virginia], I'd say the Big Twenty are:
  • Abingdon
  • Alexandria
  • Bristol
  • Charlottesville
  • Culpeper
  • Fredericksburg
  • Leesburg
  • Lexington
  • Lynchburg
  • Manassas
  • Orange
  • Petersburg
  • Portsmouth
  • Roanoke
  • Smithfield
  • Staunton
  • Washington ["Little Washington"]
  • Williamsburg
  • Winchester
  • Yorktown

Of these, Alexandria, Charlottesville, Roanoke, Staunton and Williamsburg are the Top 5.

In the National Capital Region [DC, DE, MD, VA, WV], the most beautiful ten to me are:
  • Alexandria
  • Annapolis
  • Charleston
  • Charlottesville
  • Frederick
  • Harpers Ferry
  • Roanoke
  • Staunton
  • Williamsburg
  • Wilmington

Nationally I would say the Top 25 are [alphabetically]:
  • Alexandria
  • Annapolis
  • Asheville
  • Burlington
  • Cape May
  • Charleston
  • Deadwood
  • Duluth
  • Eureka Springs
  • Frederick
  • Galena
  • Ketchikan
  • Key West
  • Lancaster
  • Mackinac Island
  • Nantucket
  • Natchez
  • Newport
  • Portland [ME]
  • Portsmouth [NH]
  • Saint Augustine
  • Santa Barbara
  • Santa Fe
  • Savannah
  • Williamsburg

Any others I missed out? Any changes you would make?
Obviously the Charleston in the second list is in WV. Is that the same Charleston being referred to in the third list or is that Charleston, SC? I would think the latter but wanted to be sure.
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Old 05-10-2020, 09:13 PM
 
37,806 posts, read 41,574,884 times
Reputation: 27083
For my native SC, Charleston and Beaufort would be the most obvious but there's one that's not quite as old but still worth noting: the town of Cheraw.
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Old 05-10-2020, 09:17 PM
 
Location: Green Country
2,842 posts, read 2,764,388 times
Reputation: 4706
Following TimidBlue's lead and adding Google Maps links to some of the cute towns in the NCR:

Alexandria, Virginia - aka home

Annapolis, Maryland

Beckley, West Virginia

Berkeley Springs, West Virginia

Bristol, Virginia - Virginia is to your left [where the Beer/Ribs yellow sign is]

Charleston, West Virginia

Charlottesville, Virginia

Easton, Maryland

Ellicott City, Maryland

Frederick, Maryland - my favorite

Fredericksburg, Virginia

Front Royal, Virginia

Hagerstown, Maryland [extremely underrated - zoom around]

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia - small, but the setting is incredible

Harrisonburg, Virginia

Huntington, West Virginia

Leesburg, Virginia

Lexington, Virginia

Manassas, Virginia

Martinsburg, West Virginia

Morgantown, West Virginia

Ocean City, Maryland

Portsmouth, Virginia

Roanoke, Virginia

Saint Michaels, Maryland

Salisbury, Maryland

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

Staunton, Virginia [extremely underrated]

Warrenton, Virginia

Waynesboro, Virginia

Wheeling, West Virginia - get there before it all crumbles

Winchester, Virginia

Last edited by manitopiaaa; 05-10-2020 at 09:43 PM..
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