To be honest there are many small towns that are amazing. A little secret, nobody from those towns want you to know about their town. They want to keep it a gem. Visit but don't stay.
your mom likes me My town wants tourists and hunters and newcomers because they partially make up for low incomes and the young people who keep leaving. Many small towns are aging out of existence and need new blood, whether you like it or not. There are a lot of towns in, for instance, the Great Plains that aren't going to be there in another generation if they chase away outsiders. In a lot of these towns they have reached a critical mass where there is nobody left to marry. But yeah, keep it isolated until you have killed it off. There's a great strategy, like owning the last passenger pigeon in your zoo.
I love Wallace Idaho, I’m so happy you included it. I’ve been there twice and I have found the people to be very friendly and kind. I was there at Christmas time the first time and it just lovely. We found several vintage treasures there.
I don't know why your small town videos give me such a feeling of comfort. It doesn't matter if I've seen em all I always come back to watch them again. It makes me dream of moving from the big city of San Antonio that I live in now and moving to a small town where everyone says hi to each other and the store owners know you by name.
Deathunder: I am not going to lie, it Seems that way when You first get here, because everything is BIG in America, and is a Blessed Landscape, BEAUTIFUL indeed, but unfortunately, the People Ruin the experience. Is Not What You think, but is because of the people.
What an extremely nice thing to say. Just like your country, there is a lot of beauty in America. We are just going through a very difficult time right now.
Better criteria and still excludes my favorite place. Thanks. Criteria: Everything within walking distance; good library; a few restuarants; one coffee shop; small ER/hospital.
There are several tiny towns along California State Route 49 that have a rich history of the California gold rush. Many have well-preserved buildings dating from the mid 19th century, including fine old Victorian homes. Most are located in the scenic foothills of the Sierra Nevada. They have an artsy vibe with crafts and good restaurants.
Absolutely every town on highway 49 could be in this list, population notwithstanding. Also, love love love the little towns on the Sacramento River. Isleton, Walnut Grove and my favorite Locke !!!
Any time , it's said “your town is a great place to live”. You have just cursed your town . Then starts the influx of people , cars , more stores, higher tax's.
Glenn Lego,I live in that situation, I lived in a village . Then went to town for political reasons. Now the town is over run because of the influx of realtors . Ranchs now sold for 5 acre lots with a water wells . An water isn't at a premium. There's nothing homey about it . But I will town I grew up in was a great place 60 yrs ago . Now it's just another city . Rush, Rush Rush ! As our small village\city has become it's sad the out in country appeal is gone
I have lived in an area in the north that is all lakes and woods, and had a year round resident population of 1500. We didn't even have a McDonalds here until 1990. The the tourist boom and real estate market shot up. People from the cities 300 miles away were moving here by the scores. 200 feet of lake frontage went from $10,000 in 1980 to $500,000 today. The bad part is that people from the city want all of the goods, products, and services that they had in the city, substantially increasing taxes and eventually turning the area into the mess they wanted to move away from so badly.
I will go to USA next august with a friend (we are from Spain). We always listen here about California, NY... but we love you rock, blues and jazz so we will go to the southern and I think we will see thouse villages from Tennessee. Good Video!
@@joanegea6466 I’m not saying you’re not welcome, but California is a shit show at the moment. If you want an actual American experience, other states would give that to you better.
Bayfield, Wisconsin. Really small, really incredible. Gateway to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on Lake Superior. Orchards, berry farms, forests, islands, hatchery, sail boats, beaches and sun, snow and snow sports. Population: 487.
Aaron Klabunde im from illinois south of chicago, looking to move somewhere where i can raise my fam, stretch my arms, but be near an airport because i travel a lot.
If you can, go visit Silverton, CO. It’s a town of 400 and some change and it is nestled within the San Juan Mountains. I went there for a field study in college and spent a week there. The views are absolutely stunning-literally surrounded by mountains. There is also a famous rail line called the Durango-Silverton Line, and it is the scene of a few Westerns
Not gonna name them, but Colorado has many small towns and communities that are beautiful and safe places to live. Not sure why none were included but at least they can remain as preserved as possible..
I recently returned from a camping trip near the California-Oregon border. I visited a town called McCloud, California. It is nestled at the base of Mt. Shasta and is located just off of Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway. The tiny town is amazing! I plan to return -- but stay at a bed and breakfast!
At my age (60), I really tend to prefer warmer climates. Cedar Keys looks ideal to me! If I ever leave SE NM, I'll definitely head over there. Great video (as always!). I love your vids. Don't ever stop!
My favorite small town is Gettysburg, PA. History, Ghosts, Shopping, nice locals- can’t beat it. Once you visit Gettysburg and really understand what happened there- it becomes a part of you.
Big Jim and the Twins sent me... A few great little towns for a future list - Rhinebeck and Hudson NY Jim Thorpe PA Micanopy FL Beaufort SC Manchester and Dorset VT Cheers!
Bell Buckle is a fun place to browse around. The Bell Buckle Cafe has great food. The RC Colaand Moon Pie festival is so much fun and there are lots of kids at this festival. They have something every quarter from art fairs to Christmas. Leipers Fork is another great place to browse around. Quite a few country stars live in the area so you will hear great music. If visiting from out of town, time your visit withe the Jack Daniels BBQ Cookoff in Lynchburg, TN.
Impressed that two of the towns on this list are from my home state of Tennessee. I got a flat tire in Bell Buckle once, and inside of 60 seconds of pulling off the road I had seven people walk up and offer to help.
I’m from a small town in TN, about an hour west of Nashville. Leipers Fork is one of my favorite towns in the state apart from Gatlinburg. The community of Leipers Fork is up and coming. We get A LOT of tourists especially from California. I definitely recommend anyone who is interested in visiting Nashville to check out Leipers Fork / Franklin area. You won’t regret it!
I am going to plus-1 Harpers Ferry, WV. Although I am from south-central Pennsyltucky, I have been to Harpers Ferry many times over the years. (Yeah. I have my medical and dental care through the Veterans' Health Care Center in Martinsburg WV, just a short drive from Harpers Ferry.) The town is full of stores that sell crafts. Not just tourist junk, but real crafts. And the town really is quite lovely. I will always think it worth a trip.
Hey Briggs! Have to definitely agree with you about Cedar Key (#2). I have been there myself plentty of times and would recommend it to anyone who likes the small--town feel. I like your snippet about the girl from Bronson - when my second wife and I separated, that's where she ended up and married the unfortunate guy she met from there! THANK YOU FOR AN AWESOME VIDEO! Love watching your videos A TON!
I remember me and my parents driving across Death Valley in 1983, and I started complaining that I was hungry and thirsty. Now, since there hardly are any populated areas there, it took us a great while to reach a small hamlet somewhere in the middle of nowhere. My parents, being so desperate to stop my constant moaning, even resorted to giving me a can of beer to just make me shut up (I'm German, so there's no big deal in letting your kids have some beer, even though you're only ten). So we pulled up on the parking lot outside this shack where it said "food and drink" and entered. Couple of people at the bar, and my dad asked the barmaid for a menu. No such thing in here, just shout your orders through the hole in the wall. My father, in his heavy German accent, did just that and sat down with me and my mum to wait for our food and drink to arrive. The cook, who was also the owner, a big bald guy, brought us our plates and asked us if we were foreigners. When my father said that we were Germans, he slapped him on the shoulder, told him that we were his guests, because he found it so amazing that a foreign family would come into his place. The other patrons immediately joined in, a middle aged woman producing a photo album from somewhere showing the events that had been happening in their village, an elderly man asking my mum if he could give me some money for the jukebox, etc. It was an amazing experience. Only shame though was that, way back then, I didn't speak any English, since in Germany you won't start learning English until 5th grade, and I was just finishing 4th. But I'm always looking back at that experience I had in small-town America and would love to go back just to ask if anybody remembers, or was told about, that German family from 1983 and their son who didn't speak any English.
Harpers Ferry is awesome, I grew up in VA and been to HF several times and love it. Has a very old hotel that many stars from the '40s to the '80s visited, and tons of Civil War history.
Leiper’s Fork is magic. It’s small but close to Nashville. The surrounding hills and pastures are post card gorgeous. Many residents are celebrity country singers with huge estates on multi hundred acre farms. People like Carrie Underwood, Justin Timberlake, Wynonna and Ashley Judd, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. Real estate is very pricy there. Williamson County is one of the wealthiest counties in America. The town is owned by a man named Avery who curates the businesses according to his vision. Puckets was sold a year ago and is now called Fox and Locke. Quite often the local celebs roll down the hill to perform there on any given night. I saw Wynnona Judd there last summer on a weekday. She surprised everyone. I’d save every penny to buy a property there. Plus Franklin - which has one of the most charming Main Streets in America - is a few minutes away.
I live near Danville OH and there is only about 900 people. There is a town near Danville called Amity and there is only about 50-100 people Most of the roads around Danville are 1 lane dirt roads.
Copper Harbor, MI or Eagle Harbor, MI should have been included! The Upper Peninsula of Michigan, especially the Keweenaw, is so overlooked and underrated. I went to Michigan Technological University in Houghton, MI. It really makes you appreciate the Keweenaw. Even with all the snow.
I'm from and still live in what was once a tiny drinking village that used to have a really bad fishing problem in Texas. A developer from Florida found it in the early sixties, bought our little island, dug canals and sold lots for less than half the price of those in Florida at the time. The chamber of commerce loved it! About 1980, I met some nice campers at a now famous Texas Hill Country State Park. Back then, it was little more than a rumor. Anyway, got to talking to some folks and that iconic question comes around, "Where ya from?" So I tell them and their exact words were, "We used to go there every summer but it got too big and crowded and lost it's charm." They should see the place now! We solved the fishing problem by letting 250 out of work shrimpers become fishing guides. They helped people from Dallas and Houston that couldn't even spell fish catch and take home almost every single fish in the water. You can hardly catch a single blue crab here today. The oyster reefs are all depleted and the bays are best known as breeding grounds for several varieties of flesh eating bacteria. We actually improved our drinking status, even though several of the historic bars are long gone. The worse the police got about arresting drunk drivers - Come on vacation, leave on probation! -we went from two liquor stores to fifteen. Party on! Just do it at home or in your room or rental. The island sold out every single lot, the houses aged into decline, we got hit by a hurricane, some didn't even bother to rebuild, but they did take the cash and got out of town. Before that, Walmart found us, built a super center and put everybody but the art dealers, real estate agencies and bait shops out of business. If Walmart only knew, they'd sell real estate, art and bait. For some strange reason I cannot for the life of me fathom, the place still doubles or triples in population every weekend in summer and about half that increase during winter. Yes, it was once a young fisherman's delight. A short walk to the beach or harbor to catch dinner in under an hour and meet some young sweet thing vacationing with her parents on the way home. Now it's a bunch of old folks like myself listening for meth labs exploding and sirens carrying our old friends to the hospital. But we did have a great run there for a while in the sixties!
LOL....I was stationed at Ft Benning way back in the 60's and have fished that stream in Phoenicia. Benning sucked, but the stream is great. I live in a small village south of Phoenicia with 900-1000 people, one main street, one traffic light. Been here 42 years now, think I'll stay.
I love your show. My son got me hooked on watching your show, many times I've had coffee come out my nose... trust me that hurts! I was born and raised in a suburb outside of Detroit No not Flint, and I had to share your "The Top 10 Reasons Not to move to Michigan" I'm sure my Michigander friends got a kick out of it! Thank you for starting my day with a good laugh!
Hamilton Missouri. The place where JCPenney was born.. the home of Missouri Star Quilt. And Jenny Doan. Hamilton is about 1300 people a third of them are Amish. 60 miles north of Kansas City.. Hamilton the best school for academics for being a small school. It's something right out of Norman Rockwell paintings. Simply unbelievable.
it's estimated that a quarter of a million people visit the small town every year to see Jenny or Missouri Star Quilt. There are bus tours every day. They like the Amish cooking and fresh vegetables they sell. Hamilton Missouri is an amazing place.
I live in Nashville and have driven through Bell Buckle many times. I’ve never spent much time there, but it seems like a really lovely town. I’ve also been to Leaper’s Fork, but only once. Puckett’s Grocery is awesome though.
Eureka Springs Ar. Its got ghosts, hippies, 100s of 200 year old houses, festivals, lakes, downtown is built on top of the last downtown that burned down forever ago, a 100ft tall jesus statue, and its the best place in america
Loved it! But you left out a real contender...for its natural beauty...nestled in the Blue Ridge Mtns....as well as the warmth/wit of the locals who have dwelled there for many generations...their pride evident as they share culture and heritage through arts/crafts......music....and wonderful flair for story-telling ! Where is that magical place?......Saluda,NC
Been to two out of the ten; Harpers Ferry, W VA and Phoenicia, NY. HF dripping with history. Phoenicia nestled in the beautiful Catskill Mountains. Recommend both.
Really? I was literally just watching Dante's Peak a few minutes ago, and was taken how beautiful it was. That is nice info, as I was going to look it up later.
@@JonathanRingo yep. They added the volcano in the background digitally, but that is where they filmed the town. It's just before Lookout Pass into Montana. Plenty of great views up there too.
Hill City, SD is a really adorable town nustled in the black hills. I stayed there when exploring the national forests and rushmore etc. The population is 1008 (2016 census)
I see that two of this guy's top 10 are in Tennessee. I live near Knoxville, near the Great Smoky Mountains. I can name 40 or 50 such charming small towns within a 150 mile radius of me. Many of them are small mountain tourist towns or have some historical significance. One is the city of Norris, which is about 25 miles north of Knoxville. Its population is just over 1000, but the whole city is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built in the early 1930s to house the workers who were building Norris Dam, which is the first dam built in the TVA system. Most of the original houses are two-bedroom cottages, but many have been added onto. In the center of town is the middle school with a large sports field across from it. The town has one gas station, one grocery store, and two cafes. The streets and properties are nicely maintained. It's only a few minutes' drive to Norris Dam and state park, which is one of the top trout fishing areas in the entire country. Look it up on UA-cam. There are many such towns all over southern Appalachia. In my business, I travel to central Kentucky, western North Carolina, and north Georgia. I've been to pretty much every charming town all over the region.
Have been to all 50 states, and I think New England has the best small towns in America. The west is gorgeous (only two on this list), so thought too much emphasis on middle America and mid-South. Most small towns are friendly, but I like natural beauty, great architecture and neat main streets in the really small towns.
I live in Maine.....New England absolutely sucks. High cost of living, high home prices, high taxes, mental illness flags on display, and cold for most of the year.
Oh lol the whore houses closed down many yrs ago. The miners in that area kept them open, but when the price of silver dropped almost all the mines in the area closed and not long after so did the whore houses, altho they are now giving tours in the red light building where they were and in the mines. Also wallace used to be the only city that had a red light on the interstate, but as of at least 15- 20 yrs ago they redirected the interstate to go over wallace instead of going through it as it had always been. Also your right about Dante's Peak. Parts were filmed in Wallace and the river scenes and the store (which was actually a working bar at the time) was filmed just north of wallace at the silver bridge up the river just outside kingston Idaho.
Lake City Colorado Population around 400 Surrounded my mountains and on the Alpine Loop which a 4x4 blast My cabin sits off the 2nd largest natural lake in the state and is beautiful The downtown has that old western feel too which is pretty cool Large number of the residents seem to originally come from the Dallas/Fort Worth area including myself for some reason?
Visit Broken Bow, Nebraska, and while you're at it, the Tumbleweed Cafe after you[ve attended the Berean Church, full of very friendly people that you'd be glad that you met. Try it, you'll like it.
I have a sort of list. I am not sure if the population of all of these are less than 1000 but I consider them small and I think the towns are pretty cool. 1. Beaufort, SC This was the set of Forrest Gumps hometown. It's a beautiful little city near Parris Island Marine Base. It has great seafood, museums and the beach is near by. 2. Keystone Heights, FL This is a small town in the heart of Florida's lakes region. The fishing here is outstanding and the town has a very relaxed feel and is not overcrowded by snow birds. 3. Brevard, NC There are so many great little towns in North Carolina but Brevard is great because it is a picturesque little town that is the gateway to the Pisgah National Forrest. There so many activities to enjoy year round a visit is a must for everyone of all ages. Truly I could do a list of 200 amazing small town/cities but there is only so much space.
Anita Evangel -- My late husband and I lived in Cottonwood, as well. Jerome was great. Old copper mining town. Not as wonderful, maybe, as Virginia City, NV, but special.
I live near cedar key there is really not a key the Reefes around it are just grass and sponge it’s also home to the Highest point in the Gulf of Mexico great for kayak fishing and scalloping very nice place to go is antesa Otie key a abandoned pencil factory with some hiking trails very nice place to go
I still see RC cola in walmart and other small business grocery shops that are still in business. Good that it has less sugar than pepsi and coca cola.
Leipers fork is amazing. Very small. My first concert was at that pucketts. The town is right by Franklin, which used to be a cute little town long ago, but is rapidly expanding closer to Nashville. Beautiful area nonetheless.
Provincetown, Mass… the little town…with big town….art…cultural events, dining…performance art…shopping… off season/ more of a true small town atmosphere… In fact… up and down Cape Cod are amazing interesting small towns…
I'm pretty sure that to reside in Harper's Ferry you have to be one of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence. Really, residency is limited.
Virginia City in Nevada is my favorite small town. Most of the buildings there date from the later 1800's and they got tons of really cool events going on throughout the year. Doesn't matter when u visit. Ur gonna have an amazing time every time. You'll love that town if u love the old west. They also got a handful of saloons with live entertainment u can hang out in. Highly recommend a visit. Population is only about 800.
I am originally from Chicago, and I have lived in the San Francisco Bay area since 1987. They still sell RC COLA in the Bay area including Hayward, and San Leandro a few miles away from Oakland, CA.
There you go Briggs,keep highlighting the best of the south! WEST VIRGINIA!
Thanks!
To be honest there are many small towns that are amazing. A little secret, nobody from those towns want you to know about their town. They want to keep it a gem. Visit but don't stay.
Somewhat true yes.
What State are you talking about ?
your mom likes me My town wants tourists and hunters and newcomers because they partially make up for low incomes and the young people who keep leaving. Many small towns are aging out of existence and need new blood, whether you like it or not. There are a lot of towns in, for instance, the Great Plains that aren't going to be there in another generation if they chase away outsiders. In a lot of these towns they have reached a critical mass where there is nobody left to marry. But yeah, keep it isolated until you have killed it off. There's a great strategy, like owning the last passenger pigeon in your zoo.
Ditto on that!
Why should we care that they don’t want us to stay?
Cedar Key is amazing. It's really built up with shops and many great restaurants.
I love Wallace Idaho, I’m so happy you included it. I’ve been there twice and I have found the people to be very friendly and kind. I was there at Christmas time the first time and it just lovely. We found several vintage treasures there.
Putting this place on my list of visits!
I don't know why your small town videos give me such a feeling of comfort. It doesn't matter if I've seen em all I always come back to watch them again. It makes me dream of moving from the big city of San Antonio that I live in now and moving to a small town where everyone says hi to each other and the store owners know you by name.
I live in a small town in Wisconsin and I absolutely love it! I wouldn’t trade living in a small town for anything!
How to migrate their
Is it lake Geneva?
@@sameeknowsitall No it’s not to far from there. Oconomowoc
@@tracietracie8454 oh
Is it Barron?
I am not gonna lie..I always believed that America was really a God blessed nation....Much much love from Greece bros!!!
Greece, I hope your country can get out of its debt crisis same here for the usa and for many countries all over the world to gain freedom.
Your country is the very country that started the Democracy government system that the United States built off of. Much love!
Deathunder: I am not going to lie, it Seems that way when You first get here, because everything is BIG in America, and is a Blessed Landscape, BEAUTIFUL indeed, but unfortunately, the People Ruin the experience. Is Not What You think, but is because of the people.
What an extremely nice thing to say. Just like your country, there is a lot of beauty in America. We are just going through a very difficult time right now.
@@jenniferlorence185 I would agree with you about the state of California or NY city not really true of the rest of the country.
Better criteria and still excludes my favorite place. Thanks.
Criteria:
Everything within walking distance; good library; a few restuarants; one coffee shop; small ER/hospital.
There are several tiny towns along California State Route 49 that have a rich history of the California gold rush. Many have well-preserved buildings dating from the mid 19th century, including fine old Victorian homes. Most are located in the scenic foothills of the Sierra Nevada. They have an artsy vibe with crafts and good restaurants.
I was actually going to comment about this area but you covered it! I lived in Placerville and love all the little towns up there.
Absolutely every town on highway 49 could be in this list, population notwithstanding. Also, love love love the little towns on the Sacramento River. Isleton, Walnut Grove and my favorite Locke !!!
Any time , it's said “your town is a great place to live”. You have just cursed your town . Then starts the influx of people , cars , more stores, higher tax's.
Mitchel Putman How about if someone said your town is a great place to be from?🙄
Glenn Lego,I live in that situation, I lived in a village . Then went to town for political reasons. Now the town is over run because of the influx of realtors . Ranchs now sold for 5 acre lots with a water wells . An water isn't at a premium. There's nothing homey about it . But I will town I grew up in was a great place 60 yrs ago . Now it's just another city . Rush, Rush Rush ! As our small village\city has become it's sad the out in country appeal is gone
I have lived in an area in the north that is all lakes and woods, and had a year round resident population of 1500. We didn't even have a McDonalds here until 1990. The the tourist boom and real estate market shot up. People from the cities 300 miles away were moving here by the scores. 200 feet of lake frontage went from $10,000 in 1980 to $500,000 today. The bad part is that people from the city want all of the goods, products, and services that they had in the city, substantially increasing taxes and eventually turning the area into the mess they wanted to move away from so badly.
Don’t complain, do you know anger reduces your lifespan 🌼
It's better than the opposite, when half your town is empty store fronts, falling down houses, and falling property values.
I will go to USA next august with a friend (we are from Spain). We always listen here about California, NY... but we love you rock, blues and jazz so we will go to the southern and I think we will see thouse villages from Tennessee. Good Video!
Smart people, You will be welcomed in Tennessee.
Stay away from California
@@Wrangzilla sure
@@joanegea6466 I’m not saying you’re not welcome, but California is a shit show at the moment. If you want an actual American experience, other states would give that to you better.
@@joanegea6466 come to Colorado rockies. Very beautiful 👌
Bayfield, Wisconsin. Really small, really incredible. Gateway to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on Lake Superior. Orchards, berry farms, forests, islands, hatchery, sail boats, beaches and sun, snow and snow sports. Population: 487.
I've always wanted to visit the Apostle Islands area - looks really nice. From PA.
Hayward is a nice small town too.
Aaron Klabund
100% agree. Great apple festival too.
Aaron Klabunde im from illinois south of chicago, looking to move somewhere where i can raise my fam, stretch my arms, but be near an airport because i travel a lot.
If you can, go visit Silverton, CO. It’s a town of 400 and some change and it is nestled within the San Juan Mountains. I went there for a field study in college and spent a week there. The views are absolutely stunning-literally surrounded by mountains. There is also a famous rail line called the Durango-Silverton Line, and it is the scene of a few Westerns
Not gonna name them, but Colorado has many small towns and communities that are beautiful and safe places to live. Not sure why none were included but at least they can remain as preserved as possible..
I was thinking FairPlay would have made that List, the population is around 700 has amazing scenery and the show South Park was based off that town
I recently returned from a camping trip near the California-Oregon border. I visited a town called McCloud, California. It is nestled at the base of Mt. Shasta and is located just off of Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway. The tiny town is amazing! I plan to return -- but stay at a bed and breakfast!
I like toast with jam; but sometimes my footy-pajamas are no good in mud puddles.
Happy campCa
Chris M i from close their. Did u go skiing?
WOW THEY MUST HAVE CLEANED UP THE USED NEEDLES AND FECES BEFORE YOU SHOWED UP
@@mw10259 Just because it's in California doesn't mean it's a rathole. Gimme a break!
Every town in Iowa is tiny small. I grew up in Audubon, Iowa. Pop.1,000. 80 miles from everywhere....there are lots of jobs and very low rent.
Steve Walther Is it near Winchestertonfieldville?
B1g Dev.77 nice mr deeds reference
I agree, I'm currently living in sheldon(pop 5,000) and it is so boring
I am one town away from Audubon right now! How funny
Well aint that place a geographical oddity? 80 miles from everywhere!
At my age (60), I really tend to prefer warmer climates. Cedar Keys looks ideal to me! If I ever leave SE NM, I'll definitely head over there. Great video (as always!). I love your vids. Don't ever stop!
My favorite small town is Gettysburg, PA. History, Ghosts, Shopping, nice locals- can’t beat it. Once you visit Gettysburg and really understand what happened there- it becomes a part of you.
Small town , high school , late night drive , rainy night ❤️
Big Jim and the Twins sent me...
A few great little towns for a future list -
Rhinebeck and Hudson NY
Jim Thorpe PA
Micanopy FL
Beaufort SC
Manchester and Dorset VT
Cheers!
@Hello Michael how are you doing?
Briggs, I use to live near Bell Buckle, TN. Blink of an eye and through it. I like the old timey stores and the Set Up of the Yard Sales.
I really enjoy your work. Your voice is perfect and your sense of humor!!!!! Awesome thank you
Love EVERY video you do, Briggs!!! Totally professional...always improving and growing! Keep 'em coming!
I really love the fact that you highlight America both good and bad.
Eureka Springs, Arkansas...2200 pop....old town....hilly, treed, quaint.
Clinton mountain view
The two Tennessee small towns are my favorite. I guess since I was born and raised in a small town of Tennessee.
Bell Buckle is a fun place to browse around. The Bell Buckle Cafe has great food. The RC Colaand Moon Pie festival is so much fun and there are lots of kids at this festival. They have something every quarter from art fairs to Christmas. Leipers Fork is another great place to browse around. Quite a few country stars live in the area so you will hear great music. If visiting from out of town, time your visit withe the Jack Daniels BBQ Cookoff in Lynchburg, TN.
My favorite is that ny one of Harpers Ferrari West Virginia
@@inkyfngrs2624 I’d like to go to bell buckle to see the trains but I’d only live there if my house was right by the tracks
@@inkyfngrs2624 Bell Buckle is also near the Tennessee walking horse country, with numerous beautiful ranches in the area.
Impressed that two of the towns on this list are from my home state of Tennessee.
I got a flat tire in Bell Buckle once, and inside of 60 seconds of pulling off the road I had seven people walk up and offer to help.
I’m from a small town in TN, about an hour west of Nashville. Leipers Fork is one of my favorite towns in the state apart from Gatlinburg. The community of Leipers Fork is up and coming. We get A LOT of tourists especially from California. I definitely recommend anyone who is interested in visiting Nashville to check out Leipers Fork / Franklin area. You won’t regret it!
Lived in Makanda Illinois for a year. It truly is beautiful area nestled in the Shawnee National Forest.
Brendan Patrick Illinois is beautiful. I lived in moline as a kid.
Two of my favorites. Chimney Rock , and Lake Lure NC.
And Black Mountain!
I am going to plus-1 Harpers Ferry, WV. Although I am from south-central Pennsyltucky, I have been to Harpers Ferry many times over the years. (Yeah. I have my medical and dental care through the Veterans' Health Care Center in Martinsburg WV, just a short drive from Harpers Ferry.) The town is full of stores that sell crafts. Not just tourist junk, but real crafts. And the town really is quite lovely. I will always think it worth a trip.
Definitely make more videos, this was wonderful. I love learning the histories of these towns.
Hey Briggs! Have to definitely agree with you about Cedar Key (#2). I have been there myself plentty of times and would recommend it to anyone who likes the small--town feel. I like your snippet about the girl from Bronson - when my second wife and I separated, that's where she ended up and married the unfortunate guy she met from there! THANK YOU FOR AN AWESOME VIDEO! Love watching your videos A TON!
"Comcast isn't in Chase County. And that's a good thing." I concur, sir.
Wow, those small towns looked beautiful they look like my kinda towns all of them do.
@bones heff To each his own!
I remember me and my parents driving across Death Valley in 1983, and I started complaining that I was hungry and thirsty. Now, since there hardly are any populated areas there, it took us a great while to reach a small hamlet somewhere in the middle of nowhere.
My parents, being so desperate to stop my constant moaning, even resorted to giving me a can of beer to just make me shut up (I'm German, so there's no big deal in letting your kids have some beer, even though you're only ten).
So we pulled up on the parking lot outside this shack where it said "food and drink" and entered.
Couple of people at the bar, and my dad asked the barmaid for a menu.
No such thing in here, just shout your orders through the hole in the wall.
My father, in his heavy German accent, did just that and sat down with me and my mum to wait for our food and drink to arrive.
The cook, who was also the owner, a big bald guy, brought us our plates and asked us if we were foreigners.
When my father said that we were Germans, he slapped him on the shoulder, told him that we were his guests, because he found it so amazing that a foreign family would come into his place.
The other patrons immediately joined in, a middle aged woman producing a photo album from somewhere showing the events that had been happening in their village, an elderly man asking my mum if he could give me some money for the jukebox, etc.
It was an amazing experience.
Only shame though was that, way back then, I didn't speak any English, since in Germany you won't start learning English until 5th grade, and I was just finishing 4th.
But I'm always looking back at that experience I had in small-town America and would love to go back just to ask if anybody remembers, or was told about, that German family from 1983 and their son who didn't speak any English.
Beautiful story!
Good shit
Harpers Ferry is awesome, I grew up in VA and been to HF several times and love it. Has a very old hotel that many stars from the '40s to the '80s visited, and tons of Civil War history.
Yep! John Brown, raiding the federal armory there!
I’ve been there! Very unique town.
Born and raised in the FERRY
Fishing poles from the library ,if you can’t read you can always go fishing .🤓
Dena Redford
Woo-Hoo!
How cool are those Bell Buckle RC Cola & Moon Pie Fest T-Shirts!
I have to get me one of those.
Leiper’s Fork is magic. It’s small but close to Nashville. The surrounding hills and pastures are post card gorgeous. Many residents are celebrity country singers with huge estates on multi hundred acre farms. People like Carrie Underwood, Justin Timberlake, Wynonna and Ashley Judd, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. Real estate is very pricy there. Williamson County is one of the wealthiest counties in America. The town is owned by a man named Avery who curates the businesses according to his vision. Puckets was sold a year ago and is now called Fox and Locke. Quite often the local celebs roll down the hill to perform there on any given night. I saw Wynnona Judd there last summer on a weekday. She surprised everyone. I’d save every penny to buy a property there. Plus Franklin - which has one of the most charming Main Streets in America - is a few minutes away.
west virginia, blue ridge mountain, shenandoah rivers. Life is old there, older than the trees. Younger than the mountain, blowing like a breeze
I live near Danville OH and there is only about 900 people. There is a town near Danville called Amity and there is only about 50-100 people
Most of the roads around Danville are 1 lane dirt roads.
I live in Alma Wisconsin and it's a very beautiful town.
Got to love trains to live there. I'm across the river south of there a few miles.
I was there years ago working at a creamery. Very nice.
My name is Alma
I've been up the river in Pepin, WI many a time. Fantastic place.
There's a place called Hershey Maine
79 residents
Right next to Patten Maine
Very small town living
Maine is full of tiny towns
And they are awesome
Most of Maine is awesome. I sometimes wish I never left.
I’ve never heard of this and I don’t believe it!
Copper Harbor, MI or Eagle Harbor, MI should have been included! The Upper Peninsula of Michigan, especially the Keweenaw, is so overlooked and underrated. I went to Michigan Technological University in Houghton, MI. It really makes you appreciate the Keweenaw. Even with all the snow.
Hello dear, how are you doing dear?
I'm from and still live in what was once a tiny drinking village that used to have a really bad fishing problem in Texas. A developer from Florida found it in the early sixties, bought our little island, dug canals and sold lots for less than half the price of those in Florida at the time. The chamber of commerce loved it! About 1980, I met some nice campers at a now famous Texas Hill Country State Park. Back then, it was little more than a rumor. Anyway, got to talking to some folks and that iconic question comes around, "Where ya from?" So I tell them and their exact words were, "We used to go there every summer but it got too big and crowded and lost it's charm." They should see the place now! We solved the fishing problem by letting 250 out of work shrimpers become fishing guides. They helped people from Dallas and Houston that couldn't even spell fish catch and take home almost every single fish in the water. You can hardly catch a single blue crab here today. The oyster reefs are all depleted and the bays are best known as breeding grounds for several varieties of flesh eating bacteria. We actually improved our drinking status, even though several of the historic bars are long gone. The worse the police got about arresting drunk drivers - Come on vacation, leave on probation! -we went from two liquor stores to fifteen. Party on! Just do it at home or in your room or rental. The island sold out every single lot, the houses aged into decline, we got hit by a hurricane, some didn't even bother to rebuild, but they did take the cash and got out of town. Before that, Walmart found us, built a super center and put everybody but the art dealers, real estate agencies and bait shops out of business. If Walmart only knew, they'd sell real estate, art and bait. For some strange reason I cannot for the life of me fathom, the place still doubles or triples in population every weekend in summer and about half that increase during winter. Yes, it was once a young fisherman's delight. A short walk to the beach or harbor to catch dinner in under an hour and meet some young sweet thing vacationing with her parents on the way home. Now it's a bunch of old folks like myself listening for meth labs exploding and sirens carrying our old friends to the hospital. But we did have a great run there for a while in the sixties!
Man are you talking about Galveston, S. Padre island or some place else? 🤔 lol
Sounds like San Leon 😄
LOL....I was stationed at Ft Benning way back in the 60's and have fished that stream in Phoenicia. Benning sucked, but the stream is great. I live in a small village south of Phoenicia with 900-1000 people, one main street, one traffic light. Been here 42 years now, think I'll stay.
Why wouldn't you? It's yours
THX THIS HELPED ME WITH MY HOMEWORK
I have been to Cedar Key and I love the place. It’s my dream retirement place to live.
I love your show. My son got me hooked on watching your show, many times I've had coffee come out my nose... trust me that hurts! I was born and raised in a suburb outside of Detroit No not Flint, and I had to share your "The Top 10 Reasons Not to move to Michigan" I'm sure my Michigander friends got a kick out of it! Thank you for starting my day with a good laugh!
Hello friend
Hamilton Missouri. The place where JCPenney was born.. the home of Missouri Star Quilt. And Jenny Doan. Hamilton is about 1300 people a third of them are Amish. 60 miles north of Kansas City.. Hamilton the best school for academics for being a small school. It's something right out of Norman Rockwell paintings. Simply unbelievable.
it's estimated that a quarter of a million people visit the small town every year to see Jenny or Missouri Star Quilt. There are bus tours every day. They like the Amish cooking and fresh vegetables they sell. Hamilton Missouri is an amazing place.
JC Penney was started in Kemmerer, Wyoming
@@teresagreen1327 He said "Where JCP was born.".
Great list
@Hello Tim how are you doing?
I live in Nashville and have driven through Bell Buckle many times. I’ve never spent much time there, but it seems like a really lovely town.
I’ve also been to Leaper’s Fork, but only once. Puckett’s Grocery is awesome though.
Cedar Key is my favorite, I spent New Years day, 2000 there with my kids because I wanted to bring in the new century in my favorite place.
@Hello William how are you doing?
Eureka Springs Ar. Its got ghosts, hippies, 100s of 200 year old houses, festivals, lakes, downtown is built on top of the last downtown that burned down forever ago, a 100ft tall jesus statue, and its the best place in america
Taven Willard I
Too big.
Taven Willard ...and lots of California types who moved there. No thanks.
I’ll take ghosts over hippies any day!
Snsanty Unfortunately, Eureka Springs has both
Ogunquin, Me is my favorite, it gets made tourist and it has a beautiful view of the ocean.
Great vlog. Thank you👍
Cedar Key is a lovely place to visit for a weekend. Good food and tiny art galleries
Loved it! But you left out a real contender...for its natural beauty...nestled in the Blue Ridge Mtns....as well as the warmth/wit of the locals who have dwelled there for many generations...their pride evident as they share culture and heritage through arts/crafts......music....and wonderful flair for story-telling ! Where is that magical place?......Saluda,NC
Been to two out of the ten; Harpers Ferry, W VA and Phoenicia, NY. HF dripping with history. Phoenicia nestled in the beautiful Catskill Mountains. Recommend both.
@Hello how are you doing?
Been through Wallace a couple times. It is a nice town. They filmed Dante's Peak there. Nice video Jimmy!
Really? I was literally just watching Dante's Peak a few minutes ago, and was taken how beautiful it was. That is nice info, as I was going to look it up later.
@@JonathanRingo yep. They added the volcano in the background digitally, but that is where they filmed the town. It's just before Lookout Pass into Montana. Plenty of great views up there too.
@@TheRiehlThing42 That is interesting stuff, thanks Russ.
Good video. Relaxing! Thanks
Thanks
I've been to Phoenecia and it's quite lovely. Not far from Woodstock. Cheers!! 👍
I live close to Phoenicia. The Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice is phenomenal
Perfect for a peaceful retirement plan! Small towns have such charm. Love #2 as well! Thanks for the great picks. 😊
Hill City, SD is a really adorable town nustled in the black hills. I stayed there when exploring the national forests and rushmore etc. The population is 1008 (2016 census)
Scott Taylor SD is still an undiscovered gem.
I thoroughly enjoy your videos.
Malden, Missouri a great small town very friendly people
But it’s isn’t all that there are so many way better towns than that place
I see that two of this guy's top 10 are in Tennessee. I live near Knoxville, near the Great Smoky Mountains. I can name 40 or 50 such charming small towns within a 150 mile radius of me. Many of them are small mountain tourist towns or have some historical significance. One is the city of Norris, which is about 25 miles north of Knoxville. Its population is just over 1000, but the whole city is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built in the early 1930s to house the workers who were building Norris Dam, which is the first dam built in the TVA system. Most of the original houses are two-bedroom cottages, but many have been added onto. In the center of town is the middle school with a large sports field across from it. The town has one gas station, one grocery store, and two cafes. The streets and properties are nicely maintained. It's only a few minutes' drive to Norris Dam and state park, which is one of the top trout fishing areas in the entire country. Look it up on UA-cam. There are many such towns all over southern Appalachia. In my business, I travel to central Kentucky, western North Carolina, and north Georgia. I've been to pretty much every charming town all over the region.
Do one on places to go for someone who is disabled on a low income that wants a peaceful quiet town or city that's inexpensive and safe
Agree!
I agree and make sure some of those places are in fairly warm areas!
West Virginia
Decatur, Tennessee
Thank you for the video..am looking forward to more! I love small mountain towns!!
Have been to all 50 states, and I think New England has the best small towns in America. The west is gorgeous (only two on this list), so thought too much emphasis on middle America and mid-South. Most small towns are friendly, but I like natural beauty, great architecture and neat main streets in the really small towns.
Which state was the most nature friendly and beatufiful in your opinion
I live in Maine.....New England absolutely sucks. High cost of living, high home prices, high taxes, mental illness flags on display, and cold for most of the year.
Wallace, Idaho was famous for having a brothel. I'm not sure when it closed but it wasn't all that long ago.
It's also where the movie Dantes Peak was filmed.
Oh lol the whore houses closed down many yrs ago. The miners in that area kept them open, but when the price of silver dropped almost all the mines in the area closed and not long after so did the whore houses, altho they are now giving tours in the red light building where they were and in the mines. Also wallace used to be the only city that had a red light on the interstate, but as of at least 15- 20 yrs ago they redirected the interstate to go over wallace instead of going through it as it had always been. Also your right about Dante's Peak. Parts were filmed in Wallace and the river scenes and the store (which was actually a working bar at the time) was filmed just north of wallace at the silver bridge up the river just outside kingston Idaho.
6:51 (Augusta, Montana): “Known as the last original cow town in the West”... Not Vacaville, California? 😏
Check out McCaysville Ga. Cool Main St with a beautiful setting. Plenty to do outdoors.
Lake City Colorado
Population around 400
Surrounded my mountains and on the Alpine Loop which a 4x4 blast
My cabin sits off the 2nd largest natural lake in the state and is beautiful
The downtown has that old western feel too which is pretty cool
Large number of the residents seem to originally come from the Dallas/Fort Worth area including myself for some reason?
What would a cabin cost there?
You done messed up. I’m only 4 hrs away, leaving now.
Visit Broken Bow, Nebraska, and while you're at it, the Tumbleweed Cafe after you[ve attended the Berean Church, full of very friendly people that you'd be glad that you met. Try it, you'll like it.
I have a sort of list. I am not sure if the population of all of these are less than 1000 but I consider them small and I think the towns are pretty cool.
1. Beaufort, SC This was the set of Forrest Gumps hometown. It's a beautiful little city near Parris Island Marine Base. It has great seafood, museums and the beach is near by.
2. Keystone Heights, FL This is a small town in the heart of Florida's lakes region. The fishing here is outstanding and the town has a very relaxed feel and is not overcrowded by snow birds.
3. Brevard, NC There are so many great little towns in North Carolina but Brevard is great because it is a picturesque little town that is the gateway to the Pisgah National Forrest. There so many activities to enjoy year round a visit is a must for everyone of all ages.
Truly I could do a list of 200 amazing small town/cities but there is only so much space.
I went to Wallace in 2017. Loved it!
Wallice ID sounds like my kind of place. Hope to visit someday!
Go in summer months or won't be such a fun vacation
Jerome AZ... I used to live in Cottonwood and Jerome was my favorite place....
Anita Evangel -- My late husband and I lived in Cottonwood, as well. Jerome was great. Old copper mining town. Not as wonderful, maybe, as Virginia City, NV, but special.
love your videos im from a small town too keep it up !!
Brainards, NJ
🥰
I've been to Bell Buckle many times over the years. Such a beautiful community:)
When I think of the word "village" I think of thatched roofs and night monsters that are really village elders in disguise.
None of above, Waimea, has world's most perfect climate. Sitka very nice too.
So much fun Briggs!
Beautiful and interesting video , my favorite is Bosie 🥰🖐️🥰
Is it just coincidence I see the "Smoke House" restaurant on the same corner in Harper's Ferry and Wallis (sp), Idaho?
I live near cedar key there is really not a key the Reefes around it are just grass and sponge it’s also home to the Highest point in the Gulf of Mexico great for kayak fishing and scalloping very nice place to go is antesa Otie key a abandoned pencil factory with some hiking trails very nice place to go
Steinhatchee
A couple for future consideration: Archer City, Texas and Marfa, Texas.
Marfa lights
You mention Union, Ct as being haunted, and the picture shown at 4:49 has an orb in it! (Orbs can be spirits, when they're not just raindrops. )
I totally agree that Wallace belongs on this list.
Wallace was famous for having whore houses. I think they finally all closed sometime in the '70,s. I have much love for that town.
I've lived throughout the pacific northwest, Alaska and Montana. I think Wallace is one of the coolest small towns I've ever seen.
I was born in Wallace, am 5th generation here. The cat houses got raided and shut down in the mid 80s.
Thank you for having Wallace Idaho on this list. That town is so cool. Read the book The Big Burn and you will understand so much of the history.
Sense of humor too. Silver mine named Sunshine.
Hey, you can still get RC Cola in Oregon. The local eatery in Sublimity, the Wooden Nickel only sell RC Cola.
I still see RC cola in walmart and other small business grocery shops that are still in business. Good that it has less sugar than pepsi and coca cola.
Andrew Lally I see rc cops everywhere
Leipers fork is amazing. Very small. My first concert was at that pucketts. The town is right by Franklin, which used to be a cute little town long ago, but is rapidly expanding closer to Nashville. Beautiful area nonetheless.
Looks great, but too expensive for us, looking for something a little more affordable if you know of anything ?
Recluse, Wyoming. You're welcome.
Provincetown, Mass… the little town…with big town….art…cultural events, dining…performance art…shopping… off season/ more of a true small town atmosphere…
In fact… up and down Cape Cod are amazing interesting small towns…
I'm pretty sure that to reside in Harper's Ferry you have to be one of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence. Really, residency is limited.
Marimilitarybrat Oh, surely they would let a member of John Brown's family live there for local color. Or do they hold a grudge? :)
Virginia City in Nevada is my favorite small town. Most of the buildings there date from the later 1800's and they got tons of really cool events going on throughout the year. Doesn't matter when u visit. Ur gonna have an amazing time every time. You'll love that town if u love the old west. They also got a handful of saloons with live entertainment u can hang out in. Highly recommend a visit. Population is only about 800.
I’d love to live in a small town when I’m older the kind of thing where you know half the town and it has some cool history and stuff.
Homer Michigan, it's a village&everybody knows your name&they're always glad you came,that's bernies tavern
I am originally from Chicago, and I have lived in the San Francisco Bay area since 1987. They still sell RC COLA in the Bay area including Hayward, and San Leandro a few miles away from Oakland, CA.