Ashlandia is getting talked up as a place to be in 2024.
First, we had the surprise announcement in August of this year that Ashland is a top-10 town for bicyclist.
“No. 5 ranking in Outdoor magazine could bring in more tourists, outdoor recreators.”
“With a People for Bikes rating of 70 out of 100, League of American Bicyclists gold status and 86 trails dedicated to bikes, Ashland was ranked no. 5 of the top 10 bike cities across the country. A ranking such as this has the potential to bring in more tourists.” h/t Ashland.news
It mildly astonished most of us who live here, but the next news was miiinnnd blowing. Architectural Digest announced its list of “The 13 Most Beautiful Underrated Cities in the World” in the middle of this month. Yes, following the limp foreshadowing, Ashland, Oregon, is included on the list.
Ashland, Oregon
Part of the 2018 edition of The New York Times’ “52 Places to Travel,” Ashland is located in the Rogue River area of Southern Oregon. Like much of the Pacific Northwest, the region is celebrated for its natural beauty, which includes Lithia Park and North Mountain Park defined by leafy vegetation and beautiful waterways. Home to Southern Oregon University, the college town is also know for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, a local repertory theater that offers a myriad of performances not limited to just The Bard.
Those two pieces are enough to send other places into extreme city envy. But wait, there’s more!
America’s Coziest College Town Is In Oregon
Yes, TheTravel.com also announced this month, September, 2024, that Ashlandia is the United States’s coziest college town.
“This Oregon town features everything a college town should; cozy bookstores, coffee shops, and bars, quaint art galleries, museums, and scenic trails.”
It’s funny to see that written about our town. Hate badmouthing it…buuuutttt…
Our numbers of bookstores and coffee shops have fallen and fallen. We used to have over a dozen coffee shops, along with several excellent bakeries. Those have closed, replaced by vintage stores and retail businesses. Sure, we still have four bookstores but it’s a fall from the half dozen at our disposal in the last decade.
I suspect a PR firm was given some cash to go out and get us on these lists.
I guess we should be proud of our town but I can’t forget when it seemed like a better place.
