Lets put a new coat of paint on this lonesome old town," Tom Waits sings in his signature rasp.
Lets put a new coat of paint on this lonesome old town," Tom Waits sings in his signature rasp.
A number of the nation's burgs have taken that sentiment to heart, lavishing color on houses, buildings and exterior walls. And their efforts have been acknowledged by The Paint Quality Institute (which is an arm of Dow Chemical, which in turn, makes paint ingredients and encourages the public to slap on a fresh coat or three).
For its Prettiest Painted Places in America competition, a panel of judges composed of color experts, selected two winners from each of six U.S. regions from about 200 self-nominated communities.
And the winners are:
-- Northeast region: Brookville, Pa., and downtown Frederick, Md.
-- Southeast region: Historic downtown Smithfield, Va., and Key West, Fla.
-- North Central region: Bay View Association, Mich., and Stillwater, Minn.
-- South Central region: Old Arabi Neighborhood in Bernard Parish, La., and Lafayette Square in St. Louis
-- Northwest region: Ferndale, Calif. business district, and Eureka, Calif.
-- Southwest region: Tubac, Ariz., and Manhattan Beach, Calif.
In addition to the 12 winners, nine other places were cited for "exceptional merit." They are: Cape May, N.J.; Crested Butte, Colo.; Old Louisville, Ky.; Ottawa and Franklin County, Kan.; Owego Historic District, N.Y.; Paducah, Ky.; Historic Park City, Utah; Richmond, Ind.; Original Townsite Historic District, Victoria, Texas.
View photos of all on the institute's website.