Key West, Florida

Forbes.com: America's Prettiest Towns

Closer to Cuba than it is to the mainland United States, Key West exudes a laid-back and casual vibe that is different than almost any other town in the country. It’s a place that marches to its own (usually steel) drummer. Take the kids dolphin-spotting, charter a boat to snag a marlin, or just relax on the beach beside crystal blue waters. And getting there is half the fun: the 127-mile Overseas Highway is the only road in or out to the mainland, and there’s no road in the country like it. If that’s not enough, Key West is also home to the only National Park that is accessible only by boat, Dry Tortugas National Park, where the snorkeling, diving, or just exploring are unparalleled.
(Credit: Matt Tilghman/istockphoto)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Prettiest Ponds
America’s Comeback Cities
America’s Coolest Driveways

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

More from this Slideshow

0 of 0

Newport, Rhode I... Like a town stuck in time but with the occasional hole in the space-time continuum to allow for modern touches, Newport, with its stunning harbor and bevy of old homes, is the quintessential New England town. Newport’s fame began as a 19th century summertime visitors’ magnet of a town, and it still reliably draws in clusters of visitors, both for the daytime shopping, eating, and sightseeing options. At night, one of the town’s many music festivals or varied collection of bars draws in local students and stalwart party goers for good times that can run late and loud. But the town itself is chief among American small towns in the category of most well-preserved colonial homes and Gilded-Age mansions – a testimony to its tony residential reputation, and to its history as the summer destination of choice from 1953 until around 1963. It is also the location of an important collection of naval training centers.
(Credit: Fraser Hall/Robert Harding/Newscom)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Prettiest Ponds
America’s Comeback Cities
America’s Coolest Driveways

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Newport, Rhode I... Newport, Rhode Island A brick Georgian-style Old Colony House dating from 1741, a National Historic Landmark used in the Steven Spielberg film "Amistad," on Washington Square in Newport, Rhode Island.
(Credit: Robert Francis/Robert Harding/Newscom)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Prettiest Ponds
America’s Comeback Cities
America’s Coolest Driveways

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Taos, New Mexico Taos, a stunningly beautiful mountain community located just north of Santa Fe, has earned a reputation for one of the country’s most captivating small towns. Although it is now known as a winter playground for its world-class skiing, and year-round getaway for the rich and famous, Taos retains its small-town feel while increasingly becoming an artistic hub. Santa Fe’s designation as a UNESCO Creative City has no doubt led to some spillover, but Taos’ beauty would attract artists despite outside influences. Majestic mountains, the kind of blue sky you only get at higher elevations (almost 7,000 feet – a good 1,800 or so feet higher than Denver and its “mile-high” moniker), and the desert climate all add to the traditional, Santa-Fe architectural style of the town’s center. The neighboring Taos Pueblo is a popular tourist destination and a designated National Historic Landmark.
(Credit: Andre Jenny/Alamy)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Prettiest Ponds
America’s Comeback Cities
America’s Coolest Driveways

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Taos, New Mexico Taos Pueblo, UNESCO World Heritage Site, New Mexico.
(Credit: Adam Woolfitt/Robert Harding/Newscom)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Prettiest Ponds
America’s Comeback Cities
America’s Coolest Driveways

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Old San Juan, Pu... Located on a small island just east of the main island, Old San Juan, while technically part of the Puerto Rican capital, is a small town all its own. Cross one of the three bridges that connect it to the mainland, and it’s as if you have stepped into a 16th-and 17th-century Spanish colony. European-style cobblestone streets – which were, of course, not built for cars, make navigation by any vehicles other than taxis difficult. Wander its quaint paths, stop into one of its boisterous bars, or visit any one of the restaurants collectively considered the vanguard of the Nuevo Latino food movement. The old fort that guarded the entrance into the original “Rich Port” still stands guard over a white-capped Caribbean, and glimpses of old Spain through an American lens are everywhere. Best of all, you don’t need a passport to visit what is arguably the Caribbean’s most enchanting capital city.
(Credit: William Randall/istockphoto)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Prettiest Ponds
America’s Comeback Cities
America’s Coolest Driveways

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Old San Juan, Pu... By the seaside walls of El Morro Fort in Old San Juan. The centuries-old fort was built and used to defend against naval invasion of San Juan harbor.
(Credit: AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Prettiest Ponds
America’s Comeback Cities
America’s Coolest Driveways

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Columbus, Indian... Located just 45 miles from Indianapolis, the 44,000 residents of Columbus benefit from a concentrated bounty of world-class architecture and sculpture. Fueled by the civic-minded largesse of J. Irwin Miller, a local industrialist and a supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, the world-class architectural explosion began in 1957. That year Cummins established a foundation that would pay the town to attract some of the world’s most notable architects, including I.M. Pei, Gunnar Birkets, and Eero Saarinen. In 2005, Smithsonian Magazine called Columbus a “veritable museum of modern architecture,” and with more than sixty notable buildings within the town – six of which are National Historic Landmarks – it’s hard to argue with that assessment.
(Credit: Don Smetzer/Alamy)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Prettiest Ponds
America’s Comeback Cities
America’s Coolest Driveways

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Columbus, Indian... The Large Arch and the First Christian Church in Columbus, Indiana.
(Credit: Don Smetzer/Alamy)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Prettiest Ponds
America’s Comeback Cities
America’s Coolest Driveways

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Key West, Florid... Closer to Cuba than it is to the mainland United States, Key West exudes a laid-back and casual vibe that is different than almost any other town in the country. It’s a place that marches to its own (usually steel) drummer. Take the kids dolphin-spotting, charter a boat to snag a marlin, or just relax on the beach beside crystal blue waters. And getting there is half the fun: the 127-mile Overseas Highway is the only road in or out to the mainland, and there’s no road in the country like it. If that’s not enough, Key West is also home to the only National Park that is accessible only by boat, Dry Tortugas National Park, where the snorkeling, diving, or just exploring are unparalleled.
(Credit: Matt Tilghman/istockphoto)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Prettiest Ponds
America’s Comeback Cities
America’s Coolest Driveways

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Key West, Florid... Street scene on Duval Street, Key West, Florida.
(Credit: Getty Images/Robert Harding World Imagery)

More From Forbes:
The World’s Prettiest Ponds
America’s Comeback Cities
America’s Coolest Driveways

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Five More Pretty... There are five more pretty towns that made the list. What are they?