America's Coolest Small Towns, Circa 2009

(CBS)  In a country where bigger is usually considered better, more than 100,000 small town residents have voted to have theirs crowned the "Coolest Small Town in America."

The poll was conducted by Budget Travel magazine, whose editor in chief, Nina Willdorf, revealed

You have to be able to get a good cup of coffee

When people leave for the big city, they realize they've made a mistake and come back home

You'll see more art galleries than country stores. "This is not quaint America," Willdorf remarked to co-anchor Harry Smith." "This is cool America!" Smith quipped. In order, the top ten in the poll were:1) Owego, N.Y. (NOT Oswego, N.Y.)2) Rockland, Maine 3) Grinnell, Iowa 4) Vevay, Ind.5) Huntingdon, Pa. 6) Onancock, Va.7) Jim Thorpe, Pa. 8) Mineral Point, Wis. 9) Silverton, Ore. 10) Port Royal, S.C.Some details on them:1. Owego, N.Y. (24,692 votes) (NOT to be confused with Oswego, N.Y.The scene in Owego looks like it's straight off a postcard: a mix of quaint streets, local pride, and outdoor beauty of the Finger Lakes.Located: About 200 miles northwest of NYC in New York's Finger Lake regionPopulation: 3,794This spring, Owego revealed a new River Walk, a revamped waterfront area, with new storefronts and amenities along the Susquehanna River.This is the kind of place where people don't lock their doors; it's authentic America. Historic buildings are being repurposed in cool ways; the former county jail has been transformed into a restaurant where you can have a pulled pork sandwich in what used to be a cell-block. I mean, what's more fun than that? 2. Rockland, Maine (23,261 votes)This quintessential Northeastern harbor town has experienced a sort of renaissance in the past decade.Located: About 40 miles from the Augusta, the capital, on Rockland Harbor in mid-coast MainePopulation: Nearly 8,000The Strand Theater, one of the few remaining one-screen theaters in the country, shows indie films, documentaries, and classic movies.3. Grinnell, Iowa (9,233)An eclectic small town that blends the charm of a rural community with the quirkiness of a college town.Located: About 55 miles from the capital, Des Moines.Population: 9,205Known for its historic architecture, especially the Jewel Box Bank designed by Louis Sullivan, who was Frank Lloyd Wright's mentor. 4. Vevay, Ind. (7,947)The quintessential Midwestern one-stoplight town.There's literally only one stoplight in this one-mile-long hometown.Located: On the Indiana side of the Ohio River, Vevay sits almost exactly between Louisville and CincinnatiPopulation: 1,622They're big on wine here, and every weekend before Labor Day, Vevay hosts the Swiss Wine Festival, where visitors can taste over 100 local wines, take riverboat cruises, and try their skills at the Midwest Championship Grape Stomping Competition.5. Huntingdon, Pa. (5,926)A diverse college town set in the midst of the Appalachian Mountains.Located: Central Pennsylvania, about 200 miles west of Philadelphia and 124 miles east of PittsburghPopulation: 6,198Juniata College hosts a series of performances from top musicians in classical and folk music. Baker Peace Chapel, a granite circle that sits atop a secluded hill, which was designed by artist and architect Maya Lin. That's some pretty serious architecture for such a small town!6. Onancock, Va. (5,805 votes)An old-school fishing village with remarkable views of the Eastern Shore from the surrounding water.Located: About 181 miles from Washington, D.C. and 161 miles from Richmond.Population: 1,406This is a town best seen from the water. The most prominent historic landmark at the wharf, the Hopkins and Bro. Store, dates to 1842, and was the point of exit for farm goods leaving the shore. Today it's THE place to eat on the waterfront. The guitar-playing chef Johnny Mo serves up crab cakes and original music.7. Jim Thorpe, Pa. (3,920 votes)An old mining town along the Lehigh River, Jim Thorpe sits below two mountains ranges that are considered some of the top mountain-biking terrain in the US.Located: At the base of the Pisgah and Flagstaff Mountains in eastern Pennsylvania, just 80 miles north of PhiladelphiaPopulation: 4,878A growing number of artists from New York and Philadelphia-ranging from silversmiths, ceramicists, painters, and photographers, are opening galleries downtown, which have extended hours the second Saturday of each month.8. Mineral Point, Wis. (3,142 votes)A rural English village filled with 19th century stone cottages surrounded by Wisconsin's rolling hills dotted with farmsLocated: Southwest Wisconsin, 50 miles over from MadisonPopulation: 2,538There's a growing artist community; you can find organic greens!9. Silverton, Ore. (3,142)An artsy, liberal town, that's perfect for nature lovers (It's the gateway to Oregon's largest state park, and it's home to the Oregon Gardens, an 80-acre botanical park).Located: About 45 miles South of PortlandPopulation: 9,433Silverton's also been dubbed the Mural City. Visitors can pick up a walking map of downtown to tour the 14 mural, including one by Norman Rockwell.10. Port Royal, S.C. (2,256 votes)Located: Between the Beaufort River and Battery Creek, in South Carolina's low country, 72 miles down shore from Charleston.Population: 4,766Quintessential Southern charm that the locals really embrace.

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For more on all ten, and a dozen more, to boot, clickhere.

To vote for your town in the next Budget Travel poll, click here.

[kennyaddict]

Albany Ky is a neat small town.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp3sfPOxKts

[drew2u2]

Huntingdon rocks!

[perplexed12]

"Cool" while possibly being self-serving in regards to increasing tourism traffic,is often misleading. I hope no one has uprooted and decided to become a citizen of said "coolest small town". The panorama of video looks lovely. Unfortunately, that is hardly an accurate representation of this village in its' entirety. Largely it consists of dilapidated buildings and exclusive small-town minds. It contains a Historical Preservation Society, but that has proven to be a burden financially to many as well as an outdated, unnecessary little bit of arrogance.

[meyer276]

I live in Vevay Indiana and i think its cool that we are 4 on the list. vevay is a great place to live

[g1ngerale]

CBS, this is for you.

http://***********/cvzu7r

sincerely,
Juniata College

[jenstruk]

I don't know who did the voting for "coolest towns" but I know for sure they've never lived in and raised children in Rockland, Maine! (Voted your #2 coolest town) I grew up and graduated high school there, my mother is still a Rockland resident. Though it is a beautiful environment, and has been cleaned up a lot in the past 20 years, and has some great new shops and restaurants, the underground drug scene there is still as rampant as it ever was. I moved to central Maine because I didn't want to raise my children in that environment. Every single person I went to high school with that has stayed in Rockland eventually got heavily involved in drugs, mainly heroin. for years, they had a bus that ran daily from Rockland to the methadone clinic in Portland! An entire schoolbus full of Rockland residents! Now, Rockland is one of 4 towns that has its OWN methadone clinic! Rockland is a small town compared to the others with methadone tratment clinics (Portland, Bangor, Waterville) also, the suicide rate in Knox County has got to rival some of our countrys largest cities. I can count more than 10 people from the Rockland area I knew who committed suicide, all were involved in drugs. I have a friend that is a well known actor from the early 80s who's family summered in the area who states she did more drugs in Rockland than she did in Los Angeles! It really is that bad, and has been for as long as I've ever known and I have a long history with this town. Its a shame you don't do more research on surveys like this. I feel bad for the "people from away" (if you weren't born and raised in Maine you're always an outsider) that move to Rockland to raise their family only to watch their children become heroin addicts and either blow their brains out or become a lifelong member of Rocklands methaone clinic.

[JoAllison]

Phonics, CBS, phonics. Juniata College. It's "June-ee-ah-ta" College not "Wah-nee-tah" College. Pretty sad for a National news team AND a major travel magazine spokesperson. Does nobody check details anymore?

'82 grad

[tilbuma6]

CBS,
I am disappointed in your coverage of the Coolest Places in America. As I graduate of JUNiata College, I am appalled by the mispronunciation of its name.

[parisdakar]

Why do people think the presence of artists, coffee barns and those potpourri-reeking knick knack shops make towns into wonderful utopias?

[juniatagrad2]

I hope that at some point, CBS will correct the pronounciation of JUNiata college. It is really irritating for the students who went there to constantly have to correct people about the pronounciation. Feel free to ask any of the students - they were pretty offended by the comment.