What’s the big deal with how aesthetically pleasing a place is? Well, according to the Place and Happiness Survey, it’s the most important of any quality regarding what matters to people the most. Thus, within this understanding, we present Forbes Travel’s America’s Prettiest Towns, based on the following very subjective qualities used by the judges:
- exceptional, unique urban form
- organic
- haunting beauty
- picturesque
- how the towns makes one ‘feel’
- local character and real charm
- aesthetic appeal on a human scale
- personal preferences like tradition, the kind of places that don’t exist much anymore, and flower boxes on windows
...and my personal favorite, the postcard test.
Finally, here’s their list of the 20 ‘prettiest’:
Northeast
Annapolis, Maryland
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Hanover, New Hampshire
Cape May, New Jersey
Lake Placid, New York
New Hope, Pennsylvania
Newport, Rhode Island
Southwest
Bisbee, Arizona
Flagstaff, Arizona
Mendocino, California
Bodie, California
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Marfa, Texas
Galena, Illinois
Park City, Utah
Savannah, Georgia
Aspen, Colorado
What’s the prettiest town in the U.S., or the world, in your opinion?
