When a city is chosen by Money Magazine as the best small city to live in in the U.S., it is going to be special. Fort Collins, Colorado (population 170,000) is a popular retirement community for obvious reasons – it features low crime rates, fantastic outdoor life, small town ambiance, and for those who want them - ample jobs in…...

Northfield Minnesota, located in the southeastern part of the state, is a lovely college town that boasts not one, but 2 thriving private colleges. Carleton College and St. Olaf are both located here and their student populations give a decidedly youthful feel to the town. Hence their motto - "Two colleges, one town". Northfield's population grew 14% in the past…...

If you are one of those people who has always wanted to live on an island, the San Juan Islands are your chance (actually you have 450 chances, although only 4 of the islands have ferry service). Located off the coasts of Washington and British Columbia, the islands are both a tourist destination and a retirement community. The setting, the…...

Methuen is a small city and suburb that is northwest of Boston.  This is an old town (population 44,000) with a  history dating back to 1642.  It has many strong institutions, such as the stately Nevins Memorial Library pictured above (photo courtesy of Wikipedia and EraserGirl).   The town lies along the north banks of the Merrimack River. There are several…...