Celebration, Florida

Forbes: America’s Prettiest Neighborhoods

There are planned communities, and then there are planned communities. Celebration Florida, built by the Walt Disney Company, is the latter, with schools, parks, places of worship, shops and restaurants that all evoke a small-town America feel and hearken to a time and place that may or may not have existed, but through force of will and careful planning, does now. It is technically a town, but it’s all of such a sensibility that it feels like one big neighborhood. And though visitors have been divided on the sometimes-supernatural beauty of the place, there’s no denying Celebration’s charms. “This is a slightly ‘Twilight Zone’ neighborhood,” says Mark Sedenquist, publisher of Roadtrip America.com. “It’s Norman Rockwell in the gator swamps, and the houses are beautiful!”

(Photo: AlamyIan Dagnall/Alamy)

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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

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America's Pretti... Not all neighborhoods are created equal. We enlisted the help of Kendra Williams, travel editor from Midwest Living and Mark Sedenquist, publisher of an encyclopedic online compendium of the country’s best road trips to compile a list of the prettiest neighborhoods in the country. Some are nestled within larger cities or towns, and a couple are towns in their own right, but are so unified in their look or appeal that they are as closely-knit as a neighborhood. All are unique in one way or another, and represent the best of the country’s beautiful communities.

(Photo: Jeff Greenberg/Alamy)

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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Virginia City Hi... Made up of the former mining villages of Virginia City, Gold Hill, Dayton and Silver City, Virginia City is a step back into the Old West, with Victorian-era homes, businesses, and even a few Saloons. The entire district studiously maintains its connection to the past, with a gold rush feel that permeates almost every corner of the area, and is on the National Register of Historic Places – which helps preserve that Old West charm. It remains a big tourist draw, even though some of the area in danger of sliding down into old mining tunnels that have been abandoned.

(Photo: Marek Zuk/Alamy)

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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
The Lakes, Las V... A planned community within Sin City, The Lakes was built during the 1980s and 1990s to help handle part of the huge influx of people to Las Vegas as the city continued to expand. Located around a number of man-made – and unexpected – bodies of water within the Nevada desert, just west of the famous Las Vegas Strip, The Lakes features stunningly beautiful homes dotting the water’s perimeter, with many of them having their own boat dock. Originally located on the edge of the Las Vegas Valley, The Lakes has seen the areas around it grow with such speed that it is now located with a large and busy business district.

(Photo: Diann Tonnesen)

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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Usonia, Pleasant... Begun in 1945, Usonia is a planned community of homes on America’s most famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, worked and helped shape through its early stages. Three of the homes were designed by Wright, and he had approval of the architectural plans for the other 44 homes. Nestled in a beautiful hardwood forest, Usonia is a glimpse at a post-war utopia designed by a sensibility that always sought to incorporate architecture into the buildings’ natural surroundings.

(Photo: Archman8 Via Flickr)

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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
North Meridian S... The longtime home of Indianapolis’ well-to-do, North Meridian Street thrives today as a popular historic district, offering a wide variety of stately homes to view – from your car. North Meridian’s palatial homes remain private, and offer a glimpse at what a beautiful old neighborhood can be when it is well-preserved. A state preservation act was passed in 1971, limiting commercial development and designed to keep the neighborhood looking much the way it has for most of the 20th Century. “Each mansion seems larger than the next, and the landscaping at each is stunning,” says Williams. “The homes mostly were built between World War I and World War II, and you can’t help but gaze at them and wonder what it would be like to live there.”

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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
University Circl... With a symphony orchestra, an art museum, a natural history museum and planetarium, and a botanical garden, Cleveland’s University Circle offers a wide and exciting array of ways to pass the time, enjoy some high-end food, or consume world-class culture, all within a walkable area of town that features three notable colleges. “People from the neighborhood kick off summer with Parade the Circle, a cool mishmash of people wearing artfully made costumes and paper-mache masks,” says Williams. “It is beautiful any time of year, but I was there last October, and the fall color was astounding.”

(Photo: Vespasian/Alamy)

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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Beaverdale, Des ... Featuring bucolic parks, attractive historic churches and a small bunch of popular area restaurants, Beaverdale stands out among Des Moines’ neighborhoods and is a great place to while away a weekend day. “Most of the brick homes date to the 1930s, and nestle underneath towering shade trees and along streets with parkways running down the middle,” says Williams. There is a popular fall festival and plans are in the works to start a farmer’s market in the neighborhood next summer.

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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Coronado Island,... A short drive across the Coronado Bridge from downtown San Diego is a small island chock-full of summery restaurants, stately homes, a world-class beach that stretches all the way south to Mexico, and a number of inviting hotels including one huge, famous hotel dating back to the late 1800s. Coronado Island is surrounded by San Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean, which helps cement the eternal summer vibe of the place. The Hotel Del Coronado, a large wooden Victorian Beach resort that is on the list of National Historic Landmarks, gives the seaside an upscale yet accessible feel that is unlike any other beachfront community in the country.

(Photo: iStockphoto)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Most Beautiful National Parks
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America’s Top 20 Healthiest Cities

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Celebration, Flo... There are planned communities, and then there are planned communities. Celebration Florida, built by the Walt Disney Company, is the latter, with schools, parks, places of worship, shops and restaurants that all evoke a small-town America feel and hearken to a time and place that may or may not have existed, but through force of will and careful planning, does now. It is technically a town, but it’s all of such a sensibility that it feels like one big neighborhood. And though visitors have been divided on the sometimes-supernatural beauty of the place, there’s no denying Celebration’s charms. “This is a slightly ‘Twilight Zone’ neighborhood,” says Mark Sedenquist, publisher of Roadtrip America.com. “It’s Norman Rockwell in the gator swamps, and the houses are beautiful!”

(Photo: AlamyIan Dagnall/Alamy)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Most Beautiful National Parks
The Most Amazing and Absurd Places for Rent
America’s Top 20 Healthiest Cities

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Sedona, Arizona Though it’s actually a small city, Sedona, Arizona, merits inclusion because its homes are located within one of the most stunningly beautiful stretches of red sandstone formations in the world. Residents wake in the morning to a glowingly cinematic-looking backdrop that is both awe-inspiring and familiar, having been featured in more than 60 Hollywood productions, many of them timeless westerns from the 30s, 40s, and 50s.

(Photo: Doug Von Gausig/iStockphoto)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Most Beautiful National Parks
The Most Amazing and Absurd Places for Rent
America’s Top 20 Healthiest Cities

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Grand Avenue, St... Historical heritage meets modern flair on this popular St. Paul’s popular Grand Avenue, dotted by many attractive homes built in the 1920s. “This 30-block stretch from the Mississippi River to downtown also has dozens of great little restaurants,” says Kendra Williams, travel editor at Midwest Living magazine. Spend the day shopping along the tree-lined avenue, looking for deals in unique spots like the culinary store Cooks of Crocus Hill, then end the afternoon with a massage at Juut Salonspa. Time your trip to coincide with a holiday and visit around Halloween or the Christmastime event called the Grand Meander on December 3.

More From Forbes:
The World’s Most Beautiful National Parks
The Most Amazing and Absurd Places for Rent
America’s Top 20 Healthiest Cities

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
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