Astoria, located on the northwest tip of Oregon, is located at the mouth of the Columbia River and just a few miles away from the Pacific. It is the oldest permanent American settlement West of the Rockies - Lewis and Clark stayed here for the winter of 1806.  With pretty, scenic backgrounds and a redone 1920s downtown, this relatively uncommercialized…...

If there is an archetypal small town in America, it is Peterborough, New Hampshire (population just over 3,000). After all it is been portrayed lovingly in one of the most popular high school plays of all time, Our Town, by Thornton Wilder. And more recently it is warmly portrayed as the place for a gangster from the TV show, The…...

Matthews is a fast growing town on the border of South Carolina in the central portion of the state.  In 2012, the population was about 29,000 - up dramatically from the 2000 census.  It is close to Charlotte so some people commute from here, although there is a considerable amount of industry.  Hotels, restaurants, shopping centers, recreational facilities and a…...

The town of Brevard, North Carolina, consistently ranks near the top of popular lists of “best retirement communities” and “best places to live, work, and play. Located in southwestern North Carolina on the border with Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina, this small town is surrounded by the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains. It has a small town environment plus many friendly…...