What are the best small towns in New England? Yankee magazine editor shares top pick and a hidden gem.

Where can you find the best small towns in New England? Yankee magazine recently revealed its picks for the Top 25.

Executive editor Ian Aldrich sat down with WBZ-TV's Breana Pitts to talk about the new season of the award-winning lifestyle series "Weekends with Yankee," and what the magazine says is "a definitive list of the region's 25 most idyllic villages."

Yankee only considered towns with a population of less than 10,000 for its list. They had to be located within a few hours of a major airport and 30 minutes from a grocery store, and were evaluated on factors like schools, diversity, affordability, sense of community and "those intangible qualities that make a small town unique."

Essex, Connecticut.

No. 1 in the ranking was Essex, Connecticut, which is south of Hartford along the Connecticut River.

"If Essex didn't exist, a Hollywood director would director would have to invent it, because it is so New England," Aldrich said. "It's a charming waterfront, lively downtown, it's got all these year-round cultural activities."

With a population of about 6,800, Yankee says Essex is "the best small town in New England, maybe even the country." Among the highlights are The Griswold Inn, which dates back to 1776, and the popular Essex Steam Train attraction that offers elegant dinners on board and a kid-friendly North Pole Express ride.

Bethlehem, New Hampshire

Coming in at No. 7 on the list is what Aldrich calls a "hidden gem": Bethlehem, New Hampshire.

"It's tucked in the White Mountains. You've got access to the outdoors. It's got a killer brewery, an amazing ice cream shop and it's affordable," Aldrich said.

The town of just over 2,500 is located between Franconia Notch and Crawford Notch and "once drew rich and famous visitors with its fresh air and stunning mountain scenery," Yankee writes.

Stonington, Maine

One surprise on the list that New Englanders might not be familiar with is Stonington, Maine at No. 10. 

The town of just over 1,000 people is located on the island of Deer Isle, not far from Bar Harbor.

"If you love the Maine coast, and you haven't been to Stonington, you're doing yourself a disservice," Aldrich said.

 According to Yankee, the fishing town is active with "artists, fishermen, and tourists all delighting in the rocky coastline and small main street of gift shops and harborside seafood restaurants."

Best small towns in Massachusetts

Representing Massachusetts on the best small towns list are Lenox (No. 3), Shelburne (8), Manchester-by-the-Sea (11), Lincoln (19) and Chatham (24).

You can find the full ranking on the Yankee magazine website.