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When you think of college towns, you might think of bars, fraternity houses, and sleepy-eyed undergrads. You probably don't think of Davidson, North Carolina. Thirty minutes north of Charlotte, the former railroad town is  home to the preppy Davidson College, a private liberal arts school. But the town's epicenter is Main Street, a quarter mile strip of Greek Revival-style storefronts made folksy with old-fashioned signs that meet the city's rigorous design standards. Its here that merchants hand out candy to trick-or-treaters during the Halloween Parade; it's also the place where more than 30,000 festival goers convene in November for Christmas in Davidson.  Among main street's hodgepodge of cafes and shops, you'll find Davidson-isms like the Davidson Book Garden, and oak shaded reading spot with towering sculptures of books. Sure students camp out on benches and patios, but more often, it's longtime residents who bring main street to life." 

-Beth Castle

Atlanta magazine