Where life’s a beach, happiness
“Happy seaside town” may sound redundant to many travelers. After all, people have been seeking out scenic spots by the ocean for as long as there have been people.
There was even a best-selling book, “Blue Mind,” that focused on the scientific evidence that being close to bodies of water promotes mental health and happiness.
Coastal Living ranks the best small waterfront communities for its annual “Happiest Seaside Town in America” issue, and for 2018, the happiest of them all is Ocean City, N.J.
Coastal Living calls out the classic Jersey Shore town for its “Residential Historic District full of Victorian bungalows and beach cottages making year-round life feel like an old-fashioned vacation.”
Of course many of the aspects that make coastal towns great places to live also make them top spots to visit. These are Coastal Living’s top 10 happiest seaside towns:
1. Ocean City, N.J.
2. Traverse City, Mich.
3. Cape Charles, Va.
4. Vero Beach, Fla.
5. Bluffton, S.C.
6. Anna Maria, Fla.
7. Cambria, Calif.
8. Hampton/Hampton Beach, N.H.
9. Bellport, N.Y.
10. Cannon Beach, Ore.