That's an interesting comment about crafting a town's "feel", or I suppose the current term is "brand". I would think that people looking for a place to LIVE are interested in a community's "fundamentals": can they find a house they like; can they afford a house they like; is the journey to work acceptable; are the schools good (if they have children); can health care, dental care be found within a workable distance; are community services (garbage/recycling pickup, water/sewer, road, sidewalk, trail maintenance) handled well? I personally would add community library to that list. And then there are the aesthetic considerations - good restaurants, a decent coffee place, shopping...
Well down on that set of aesthetics would be the town "brand". I might appreciate a quaint look-and-feel in a community, but that won't drive a decision to live there. In my own experience the communities that have leaned hard into the town "brand" thing have done it for outsiders, for tourists. Probably the most overt about this was a visit to Leavenworth WA, where a sort of Bavarian vibe was recommended by marketing consultants from U Washington several decades ago. That was unusual because it was a deliberately chosen "brand". More typical is New Glarus WI, which has leaned hard into its Swiss immigrant heritage for its town look-and-feel. It's nice for me as a visitor, but I think I would balk at living in it.
That's an interesting comment about crafting a town's "feel", or I suppose the current term is "brand". I would think that people looking for a place to LIVE are interested in a community's "fundamentals": can they find a house they like; can they afford a house they like; is the journey to work acceptable; are the schools good (if they have children); can health care, dental care be found within a workable distance; are community services (garbage/recycling pickup, water/sewer, road, sidewalk, trail maintenance) handled well? I personally would add community library to that list. And then there are the aesthetic considerations - good restaurants, a decent coffee place, shopping...
Well down on that set of aesthetics would be the town "brand". I might appreciate a quaint look-and-feel in a community, but that won't drive a decision to live there. In my own experience the communities that have leaned hard into the town "brand" thing have done it for outsiders, for tourists. Probably the most overt about this was a visit to Leavenworth WA, where a sort of Bavarian vibe was recommended by marketing consultants from U Washington several decades ago. That was unusual because it was a deliberately chosen "brand". More typical is New Glarus WI, which has leaned hard into its Swiss immigrant heritage for its town look-and-feel. It's nice for me as a visitor, but I think I would balk at living in it.
Obligatory Jean Shepherd "Route 22" video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rke5xFNO0og comment.
East of Harrisburg, 22 has some similarities, but with fewer jughandles.