Anonymous wrote:I live in Bainbridge Island, WA. It's as close as you can get.

Bainbridge, no. Whidbey, maybe.

I’m team Glastonbury and agree with the Hartford area poster above. Excellent schools, a historic town center, and decent real estate prices.

I live in Bainbridge Island, WA. It's as close as you can get.

I grew up in a small itown about 45 minutes from Boston. Similar vibe- we had a quaint town common with a church and colonial houses surrounding it and a small downtown area. Everyone knew everyone - although at the time I think it was more blue collar than Stars Hollow.

Right, so the only way to have that lifestyle and be that close to a city is to be rich. And the thing about New England is that there's so much drugs now.

Anonymous wrote:I think you’re forgetting the essential part of the town—lots of rich people and people without a real apparent source of income that nonetheless act like rich people.
For that, I vote Lenox Massachusetts. Maybe great barrington.

There are also probably some towns closer to Boston (newbury? West newton?) or in New Hampshire (Durham? Portsmouth?), in westchester (mount kisco?), or outside Chicago (highland park?).

If you want small town without the moneyed feel, there are lots more options, especially if you venture into more random parts of New England, maybe upper Michigan, etc.

Not Durham, that's a college town and too much partying. Portsmouth yes.

Maybe Bennington VT, the college is super small and not fratty. Manchester VT. Basically small but wealthy New England towns.

West Hartford, CT or some of the towns around there. Gilmore girls premise is silly though (even though I loved the show)—Rory absolutely would have had no problem going to stars hollow high and getting into the Ivy League. I would wager stars hollow high was probably a very good and solid school—I’m saying this as someone who grew up in that area (Middlesex/Hartford county) in what is considered a more blue collar CT town where at least a few kids per year went to very selective colleges.

DH and I are thinking of moving from the DMV to west Hartford/simsbury area because it’s got a really good quality of life, public schools are great, tons of good private options if that’s what you want.

It’s not super cheap (though cheaper than where I live in the DMV). And I’m not sure if it’s close enough to a big city for you. It’s about 2 hours in either direction in okay traffic to Boston and NYC.

I think you’re forgetting the essential part of the town—lots of rich people and people without a real apparent source of income that nonetheless act like rich people.
For that, I vote Lenox Massachusetts. Maybe great barrington.

There are also probably some towns closer to Boston (newbury? West newton?) or in New Hampshire (Durham? Portsmouth?), in westchester (mount kisco?), or outside Chicago (highland park?).

If you want small town without the moneyed feel, there are lots more options, especially if you venture into more random parts of New England, maybe upper Michigan, etc.

Anonymous wrote:I live in a city, Hoboken, but it sort of has that vibe. It is hyper-local with friendly faces everywhere and yet the city is right there.

Awww. Lived in Hoboken for years and I’ll always miss it. I used to describe it to people as being like a Richard Scarry book come to life.

Long grove, IL

I was going to say: some wealthy towns in suburbs of NYC/New England might be close.

But ultimately it’s a fiction 🙂‍↕️

Anonymous wrote:I live in a city, Hoboken, but it sort of has that vibe. It is hyper-local with friendly faces everywhere and yet the city is right there.

No. Not the same at all.

Madison Wisconsin

I live in a city, Hoboken, but it sort of has that vibe. It is hyper-local with friendly faces everywhere and yet the city is right there.

Guilford, Connecticut is very close.

-CT native and fan of the show

And can I raise my kids there? Close knit, small community, down to earth, kind, charming but also close enough to a big city and within 30 min drive of amazing private school. The best of all worlds.