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1. Guilford, Conn. This peaceful town on the southern Connecticut coast centers around one of the largest village greens in New England. A limited number of pleasing locally-owned stores and a great concentration of well-maintained colonial homes make Guilford a great place to stop. It's more a day trip than an overnight stay as the town focuses on its residents, both tourists -- that means there aren't a lot of gift stores and places to stay in town. Just because it's not a lodging destination doesn't mean its not worth a visit, however. Those who truly want a taste of authentic New England should strongly consider parking their cars, taking in the historic aura, walking the trip-back-in-time downtown and resting on a park bench in the oasis of the wonderful village green. As you can see, there's not a lot to do here, and that is precisely the point of visiting this wonderful downtown.

2. Hanover, N.H. -- With Dartmouth College and its grand old examples of architecture, beautiful tree-lined streets, remarkable, large old homes and a good amount of local places to shop, Hanover seems like perhaps the most complete version of a true, historic New England town. The spirit of a college town never takes away from the historic feel and vice versa. The result is a vibrant community that sure looks good, all wrapped up in colonial splendor, people with strong opinions and a commitment to never letting the town deteriorate into a generic, faceless community, like so many towns in New England have sadly become. Hanover is the real deal, so get a cup of coffee at the local coffee shop, talk with the locals and treat your eyes to one of New England's best maintained towns.

3. Concord, Mass. -- Home of the American Revolution, this western Boston suburb is one of the few communities in the area that has held onto its roots. What that means is the town center has grown with the times and looks great with its mix of old town buildings, museums, churches with tall white steeples rising above the trees, the great "Village Green" Monument Square, real neighborhoods with splendid colonials and Victorians and a refreshingly relaxed feel. The shops can get a little precious and expensive, at times, but there are still enough family-oriented businesses to avert the town from becoming an obnoxious retail center. Plus, if you ever get tired of the downtown -- which is unlikely -- you can take a nice ride through the country roads leading from the downtown to historic Walden Pond or one of the many local farm stands.

There are many more true New England communities like Pomfret, Conn., Litchfield, Conn., Essex, Conn., Stonington Borough, Conn., Old Lyme, Conn., Northeast Harbor, Maine, Deerfield, Mass., Hollis, N.H., Keene, N.H., Wolfeboro, N.H., Bristol, R.I., Wickford Village, R.I., Brattleboro, Vt., Weston, Vt., and Waits River, Vt.. For more information on these and other New England towns, please visit our "Top New England Communities" section.

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