My LIttle Town - 10/15/08

I was reminded of something recently as I drove through the streets of Hanover. At the risk of sounding like Sarah Palin: Gosh darn it, we sure do live in a pretty town (wink wink).

Full disclosure: Autumn is my favorite time of year. Nothing can compare to the crisp coolness, the intense blue sky, pumpkins and mums on doorsteps, the faint whiff of wood smoke in the air... And of course the ever changing color palette of the leaves. Add to the mix our beautiful town center, Briggs and Holly Hill Stables, Four Corners, and the historic homes throughout the town and you really do have a lovely place to live.

Prior to moving to Hanover, my husband and I lived in Norwell (also a pretty town, but not quite as pretty as Hanover, in my humble opinion). We found ourselves looking to purchase our first home, and decided to look at the surrounding towns on the South Shore. We actually debated about whether to include Hanover because (and I'm embarrassed to admit this) all I knew about Hanover was THE MALL. I based my opinion solely on what I had seen along Rt. 53 (shame on me). When our realtor took us around the area, I was happily surprised to learn that Hanover was such a charming town.
As this column was kicking around my head, I noticed that Yahoo published a list of the Top 10 prettiest towns in America. The good news is that Hanover was amongst them. The bad news? It was Hanover NH. On what do they base their decision? Landscape? Architecture? The lack of Dunkin' Donuts or McDonald's in the area?

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt once made the claim that Hingham "...is the most beautiful Main Street in America", and while I don't care to take on the Hinghamites, I will say that I drive through Hingham weekly, and while it is a picturesque town, I put Hanover right there beside it for beauty.

Maybe there is something about our town that hasn't been considered by the folks at Yahoo or the former First Lady. I believe you can't measure the beauty of a town until you factor in its people. Last night as I was driving through town around sunset, I paused at the corner of the Congregational Church, waiting to turn onto 139 by Briggs field. The fading sun was turning the steeple a vivid orange (what film people call the Magic Hour) and as I waited to make my turn, another Hanover friend drove past my car, giving me a bright smile and a warm wave.

Beautiful streets and historic homes are the building blocks that make up the place where you live, but it’s the people of the town that make it your home.