My wife and I are seriously considering our options in smaller towns in New England. Many of them predate the automobile and have the sorts of qualities that are being talked about in this thread.

I highly recommend. Hanover/Lebanon, Burlington, and Montpelier are decent places to start if you want access to arts, music, theatre, etc. If you're willing to compromise on some of those things in favor of outdoor activities, there are a LOT of great small towns in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine that let you walk and bike to the basics.

If you enjoy biking to establishments, it's worth it to actively think about dirt roads and rail trails in your search -- dirt roads cut car speeds to safe levels, and rail trails let you avoid cars almost entirely. Both make biking miles better.

I've spent quite a bit of time looking at Vermont, specifically Burlington and Montpelier. I have a very good friend from who was born in Burlington and who moved back there to raise his kids. Those two cities are at the top of our list, but I'd also like to explore/research more of New Hampshire, Maine, and western Massachusetts. We spent some time in Maine, on the coast during the early fall, and really enjoyed it.

Having grown up in western MA I'd highly recommend it. There are lots of small towns with back roads for biking. There's also loads of state forest land and great hiking, as the Appalachian Trail passes through the region. The ski mountains are smaller than those to the north, but they're fine for kids and the bigger ones are a short drive away. It's a bit less rugged and outdoorsy than ME, NH or VT but the schools are the best out of the lot if that's a concern for you.

It's also almost evenly centered between NYC and Boston if you want to do weekend city adventures. You'll probably still need a car but if you live in the center of town you won't use it except for longer trips.

> but the schools are the best out of the lot if that's a concern for you.

That is how I became aware of western Mass, actually. FWIW education is a major driver for us since we have 3 young kids. My thinking waffles a bit because there's a list of criteria in my head, like being walkable, bikeable, having a downtown area, in addition to the more major concerns we have as a family around education, local economy, and affordability. I appreciate the reply!

Restaurants close at 8/9 in high-price metro areas like the SF Bay also (suburbs).

Some. Not all. The difference is when ALL restaurants are closed vs some/many/most.