I want a place that has lots of shops, museums, a theater perhaps, as well as year round community activities all with a beautiful park right in the middle.Would prefer a place that is kind of near a big city so I could go if I felt the need.
2006-12-18 01:05:38 · 9 answers · asked by robert g 1 in Travel ➔ United States ➔ Other - United States
Woodstock, IL!!! It is about one hour northwest of Chicago and is FANtastic. Restaurants, shops, gazebo in the town square! It's also the place where the movie "Groundhog Day" was filmed. I live in SE WI but we love to go there just to "hang out" with our two daughters.
2006-12-18 01:10:20 · answer #1 · answered by DSF 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I love Pella, Iowa. They are known for their tulip festival every year. The town square is BEAUTIFUL. The town has a Dutch backround, you can actually get wooden shoes there! Their town buildings are decorated in a dutch fashion. They have many restaurants for such a small town, and a theatre and a museum of their history in an old, large windmill. There are also more than the average amount of shops because the tourists buy enough things to keep the town rolling. (And a dutch pastry shop that will put your waistline in trouble.) Also, in the summer, once a week the town has a family night in the town square with free things to do for the kids, and a band for the adults to go to. (You can also buy drinks and food there!) All of this stuff is on or within 2 blocks of the town square. It is such a cute little town.
They are also famous for Pella windows.
The drawback would be that a MAJOR city is 2 hrs away. Cedar Rapids is the closest in terms of bigger cities, and Des Moines would probably take you a bit longer to get to. But there are lots of medium sized towns on the way to either of those. It seems, though, that the people who live there have everything they need. I don't think that it would have the same appeal if it were closer to a bigger city. It is a bit out of the way, and that is one thing we love about it!
Someday, my husband and I would love to live there, maybe when we retire. Check out www.pella.org. They have lots of pictures on their website.
"Is this heaven? No, it's Iowa." :)
Good luck on your search!
2006-12-18 01:21:42 · answer #2 · answered by April 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A lot of small towns in the South have vibrant town squares. The ones that I am talking about have the Court House in the middle of the street and traffic has to circle the square. They may not have a park in the middle, but they have lots of stores and are the hub of the city. Huntingdon, TN is an excellent example. They have the Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center and lots of little shops on the square. Huntingdon is half-way between Nashville and Memphis. Brownsville, TN is another great example, located about 60 miles east of Memphis.
2006-12-18 01:14:02 · answer #3 · answered by randal1000 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Philadelphia is like that. The original Philadelphia was a square that Ben Franklin walked every night. There is a lot of history there and present-day Philadelphia is built around it.
Other than that, there is a city called The Villages in Florida. It isn't very close to Orlando, but isn't isolated either. It is built around town squares and has theaters, shops, restaurants, etc.
My in-laws retired and moved down there, so we went to visit. I can't wait to retire.
Good suggestion, DSF. My family is from Woodstock, but it didn't even cross my mind.
2006-12-18 01:10:55 · answer #4 · answered by DA 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lake Charles, an up and coming city in the heart of lousiana (well actually southwest louisiana) with new homes being built in neighbor hoods off lake street great food in the cajun country and if you like to party, we are called the festival city we also have the biggest casino outside of las vagas and atlantic city "LauBerge du Lac" it means the in by the lake,and a new casino going to be built in a few months calle "sugar cane bay" we have alot of opening jobs with great education and a university mcneese.edu we have a five star school which i go to for more info log on to www.cityoflakecharles.org or .com(i forgot) or www.cpsb.org for education puposes
2006-12-18 05:41:59 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey used to have a great town square.
2006-12-18 01:09:23 · answer #6 · answered by Linda T 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Harrisburg, PA and Madison, WI come to mind. I would consider both to be mid sized cities and both are their states capital. Both have the criteria that you describe.
I do not live in either but have visited both several times.
2006-12-18 09:50:30 · answer #7 · answered by I know for sure 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Clinton, Missouri, isn't too far from Kansas City to drive there.
2006-12-18 03:01:27 · answer #8 · answered by suzieq_64093 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
cincinnati! you'll love eden park/cincinnati art museum/mt adams!
2006-12-18 01:18:43 · answer #9 · answered by should be working 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋