As time goes by, more content will be added here to explore what makes a town a gem, such as safety, good schools, and walkability. But, having beautiful architecture helps. Here are a few examples of beautiful small town features.
Civic places, such as a courthouse, town hall, fire station, library, or post office
Streetscapes, with elements such as good sidewalks, bike racks/lanes, shading trees, decorative light poles, benches/seating, and beautified alleys
Parks, such as a town square/plaza, waterfront, gazebo/pavilion, veterans memorial, playground, or garden
Public art, such as a statue, sculpture, fountain, mural, or ghost sign
Entertainment, such as a festival, live theater/opera house, cinema/film theater, dance hall/music venue, carousel/amusement, or video game arcade
Eateries, such as a restaurant, sandwich shop, diner, drive-in, coffeehouse, tearoom, café, bistro, pizzeria, taqueria, ice cream parlor, or soda fountain
Grocers, such as a market, farmers market, delicatessen, charcuterie, bakery, confectioner, nut shop, or bodega
Services, such as a bank, hotel, barber, or gas station
Shops, such as a bookstore, five and dime, hardware store, or emporium
Railroad places, such as a train station, roundhouse, coal tower, locomotive, caboose, railroad car, or railroad museum
Historic places, such as an American Indian place, early structure (colonial, pioneer, etc.), battlefield, fort, mill, livery, or schoolhouse