BudgetTravel

In April, we chose the 10 coolest small towns in the U.S.A. Expecting disagreements, we asked for your suggestions. Read the best response--and the runners-up.

The Winner: Rockland, Maine

Downtown Rockland (Joshua Bright) AMERICA'S TOP 10 COOLEST SMALL TOWNS • Barnard, Vermont • Murphys, California • Homer, Alaska • Bisbee, Arizona • Fayetteville, West Virginia • Hudson, New York • Great Barrington, Massachusetts • Rocheport, Missouri • Marfa, Texas • Hood River, Oregon • Your Suggestions JUNE 2006 ISSUE • Table of Contents • Splurges! • Secret Hotels of the French Riviera • Testing our Cruise Tips • Road Trip: Eastern Kansas • Trip Coach: Japan • 40 Best Vacations

I think you missed Rockland, Maine, in your list of America's 10 Coolest Small Towns. I live here so I'm probably biased, but Rockland really is pretty cool. Our downtown has undergone a huge transformation from being a smelly fish-processing waterfront to being a hip art community. The Farnsworth Art Museum is in the heart of downtown, with art shops and galleries popping up all around. Our downtown movie theater was closed for a few years and recently reopened after an extensive renovation. The Strand is once again alive and well and showing unique films and live stage performances at reasonable prices. You can even order wine or beer in the balcony seating area! The downtown building where our local paper used to be published is now our visitor information center and the Maine Lighthouse Museum, a wonderful new facility. The waterfront boardwalk is frequented by locals walking their dog or by visitors taking in the beauty of our large natural harbor gated by a mile-long breakwater with a distinctive lighthouse at the end--the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, currently undergoing restoration and open for tours on summer weekends. There are lots of great shops, restaurants, and cozy B&Bs in town.

My favorites?

Planet Toys--where you can play for hours!

Second Read--a great used book store with a funky wooden floor. Their café-style pastries and drinks are delightful.

Waterworks--a local hangout serving pub-style fare and always-free popcorn!

The Brass Compass--no place better for breakfast.

The Brown Bag--no place better for lunch (okay, occasionally Wasses Hot Dogs).

The Limerock Inn, The Old Granite Inn, Berry Manor Inn--all wonderful downtown B&Bs.

Thorndike Creamery--great ice cream, as well as New York-style pizza by the slice. Yum!

And there's so many more, too many to mention. In Rockland, you can find anything from clothing, toys, jewelry, and appliances to great food. (A sushi restaurant will open soon.) You're just as likely to be walking down Main Street next to a lobsterman as you are someone from New York. We are both the Lobster Capital of the World, and the Schooner Capital of the World; there's even a boat-building school.