Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel Magazine has just named Breaux Bridge one of its 2009 Coolest Small Towns in America. On the heels of its reader poll of cool small towns released this spring, the magazine’s editors chose their own “affordable, close-to-home destinations with enough character and edge to sustain even the biggest city dwellers.”
“In a country where bigger is usually considered better, the Coolest Small Towns in America feature highlights ten, Main Street, U.S.A. places all with a population under 10,000,” the editors write. Budget Travel hopes its selections help readers discover up-and-coming, affordable travel destinations nationwide. “As for what makes a town ‘cool,’ it’s not an exact science, but in general, there are three markers for a small town: you have to be able to get a good cup of coffee and excellent food, when people leave for the big city, they realize they’ve made a mistake and come back home, and lastly, you’ll see more art galleries than country stores. This is not quaint America, this is cool America!”
Sounds like Breaux Bridge to me!
Budget Travel’s picks for the 10 Coolest Small Towns in America in 2009 (in no particular order):
Cayucos, California
Lexington, Virginia
Breaux Bridge, Louisiana
Tubac, Arizona
Wallaca, Idaho
Saugerties, New York
Mount Vernon, Iowa
Jacksonville, Oregon
Rockland, Maine
Whitefish, Montana
Read more about Breaux Bridge and the other nine coolest small towns here.