50 Best Small Southern Towns, 2nd Edition [Paperback]

Gerald Sweitzer and Kathy M. Fields (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2007

Whether you are fleeing the hectic pace of a big city or looking for a charming, affordable place to retire, this is the place to start your search.

A new trend emerged in the 1990s: a shift of city dwellers from metropolitan areas to small towns and cities. This trend is particularly evident in the South as this region attracts more growth and more second homes and experiences increases in income and education levels. Frustrated with city traffic, air pollution, crowded suburbs, and declining quality of life, city dwellers are seeking desirable, small Southern towns.

Finding the best town, however, can be a challenge. This helpful guide is just the place to start your search. Sweitzer and Fields researched and visited over 150 sites to give you this comprehensive guidebook with information on the fifty best small towns in nine southeastern states.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Business manager Sweitzer and educational consultant Fields have both given seminars on retirement and living in small towns. In this useful guidebook for anyone planning to move South and live in a small town here defined as any urban settlement with up to 25,000 inhabitants the authors picked 50 locations after considering the following criteria: recreation, cultural housing, employment, education, healthcare, spiritual life, media resources, and location. The guide is arranged alphabetically by state (Alabama, the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia) and by town within each state. Each entry includes a description of the criteria and statistical charts that give details on the climate, the cost of living, median incomes, taxes, and nearest cities. Also included is a helpful appendix that indicates college towns, the geographical setting of each town, population, and more. Recommended for public libraries. George M. Jenks, Bucknell Univ., Lewisburg, PA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

In this useful guidebook for anyone planning to move South and live in a small town here defined as any urban settlement with up to 25,000 inhabitants the authors picked 50 locations after considering the following criteria: recreation, cultural, housing, employment, education, healthcare, spiritual life, media resources, and location... Recommended... --Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 434 pages
• Publisher: Peachtree Publishers; 2 edition (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561454087
• ISBN-13: 978-1561454082
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #524,184 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Essential Resource, September 12, 2002

By 

"kellyofarlingtonva" (Arlington, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 50 Best Small Southern Towns (Paperback)

Most people spend more time planning where to spend their vacations than they do deciding where to spend their lives (or their retirements). Fortunately for us, the authors of this book have done a huge portion of the legwork for us: finding the best small southeastern towns, evaluating them through a set of clearly defined and excellent criteria, visiting each one, and gathering relevant information to help us not only decide where to go, but to also help us connect to the community once we get there. I would be lost without this book, not even knowing where to begin. The books is also well-written, engaging in style, and easy to use. For example, you can skip sections you're less interested in because there are frequent headers common for each town, and you can also search towns by state, climate, geography (e.g., coast or mountains), and other factors of interest.

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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful facts about lesser-known places, October 4, 2003

By 

T. McRae (Wallingford, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 50 Best Small Southern Towns (Paperback)

This informative volume describes a number of towns that would otherwise surely go unnoticed by the non-Southerner. Basic population, economic and climate data are followed by descriptive sections on recreation, housing, health resources, and the like. An occasional anecdote or personal interview might have added a bit of color, but this is a more complete book than most others about those charming, artistic, or undiscovered places we want to find out about, and it may be the only one of its kind on the South. I am happy to own it.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reading, October 8, 2002

By 

Matt (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 50 Best Small Southern Towns (Paperback)

The perfect reader for southern enthusiast and small town living fans. Does an excellent job of describing, in deatail, the towns and their enviroments. Gives me a years worth of weekend trips at my fingertips. A must read!