Living Here

For some destinations, you will find a section on Living Here. This attempts to provide a brief overview of what it's like to live in the main town or village featured in the Escape. The Rating is based on our assessment of living here based on an evaluation of the following elements as compared with other towns in the region:

• Beauty of the setting
• General beauty of the architecture of the downtown and residential areas
• General livability--convenience to schools and downtown
• Conviviality--the general sense of community; friendliness, openness to newcomers as reported by people interviewed
• Quality of schools--based on standard ratings relative to college entrance, test scores, and awards
• Affordability--in terms of housing and taxes as compared with other towns in the region

This rating is meant as a guide only; obviously, it's impossible to scientifically calculate a precise rating for each Escape.