If aspiring to live like a character in a Nancy Meyers movie is high on your wishlist, let us direct you to this recent USA Today story: America's best coastal small towns. These 10 oceanfront and lakefront communities offer the finest scenic views, historic attractions, and excellent restaurants, and they're brimming with old-world charm.
If there was ever a place to embrace the Meyers-inspired coastal grandmother aesthetic, it's in these places. These waterfront cities have a lot in common despite their differences in geography, terrain and climate. For starters, they're all walkable and offer the convenience of having restaurants and attractions nearby. Most benefit from year-round activity, while a few are best experienced in the summer.
Stuart, Florida, is the No. 1 spot to rock your half-tucked button-downs and chinos. Located on Florida's Treasure Coast, America's top coastal small town provides much in the way of leisure, including fantastic places to picnic and several museums, such as the Stuart Heritage and Road to Victory Military Museum. Second on the list is actually inland, the wonderfully charming Saugatuck, Michigan. There's so much to see and do at this lakeside destination, including art galleries, breweries, restaurants and beaches, of course. It's popular with vacationers and a romantic place to host a wedding.
Florida makes a second appearance with Key West, number three, thanks to a vibrant arts and culture scene and nonstop nightlife, which turns up even more during its annual street festival, Fantasy Fest. Boardwalks, rocky cliffs, and lighthouses are prominent in the coastal towns four through 10 as we move up the Atlantic Coast to cities like Cape May, New Jersey, and Newport, Rhode Island. For the full list of picks, click here
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