Slideshow Focusing on Rural Livability Livability in Action

Slideshow Focusing on Rural Livability

Travel through a snapshot sampling of America' s small town rural and remote communities

With offices, chapters and volunteers in every state — as well as in Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands — AARP is present in local communities nationwide. To draw attention to rural livability issues and foster solutions, AARP is partnering with the Scroll through the following slideshow for a quick trip through a snapshot sampling of America's small town, rural and remote communities. of Rural roadways tend to be fast-moving — unless a tractor is traveling the same route. of The has collaborated with the city of Bozeman, Montana, and dozens of public and private organizations to expand the "Main Street to the Mountains" system to more than 80 miles of trails. These trails are used by commuters, runners, bikers, birdwatchers and stargazers. of Downtown Missoula, Montana, during a cold but relatively snowless February day. of Remote, tiny (population 876) Talkeetna, Alaska, has a train station and walkable, quirky downtown. of KTWH 99.5 FM was created by and for residents of Two Harbors, Minnesota (population 3,700), and is largely staffed by volunteers. of Tolani Lake is part of the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona. The closest shopping is an hour away. The nearest hospital and physician offices are even farther. of Some rural residences are, like this sheep ranch in Maryland, new and very large. of In rural regions, such as this one in Illinois, residents can be isolated and far from services despite living on a main roadway. of The library in Lincoln, Montana, has limited hours, opening for just three to five hours a day and closed on Saturdays. of Turbines, such as these two in Iowa, turn open fields into wind farms. of A downtown-wide, AARP-sponsored "pop-up" demonstration in Bethel, Vermont, reenergized a community in need of a boost. of The Facebook account of Bangor, Maine's police department is so popular that locals, tourists and celebrities show up to pose with the force's mascot, the "Duck of Justice" — or DOJ. of Remote Eastport, Maine (population 1,300), hopes to attract new residents by encouraging teleworkers to telework from their broadband equipped community. of Yountville, California, is a small, thriving Napa Valley town with fine accomodations, fine wine and very fine dining. Its community center encourages gathering both inside the building and outside on the plaza, which features living room-like furniture and two pianos. of As is true of many commerical roadways, a car is a must for being able to travel along or simply get across Route 491 in Gallup, New Mexico. of A highway sign in Montana makes clear that there's a ranch and nothing more at the end of the exit. of Bucksport, Maine's Golden Shovel Award is given to the business that does the best job of keeping its sidewalks free of snow. Much like Miss America's tiara, the glistening snow shovel is a prized award that's handed down to each year's winner. of Rural areas aren't always distant places. Davidsonville, Maryland, isn't walkable, but it is commutable to Baltimore, Annapolis and downtown Washington, D.C. of Built in 1850, the Maryland-based Indian Range (that's this house's name), is on the National Register of Historic Places. Now a single-family home, the magnificant house and its 6-acre property take a lot of money and effort to maintain. of This remote cabin near Maine's Mt. Katahdin is equipped with solar panels for heat and an antenna for communications. of Driving at 65 mph, and sometimes 75 mph, is allowed on rural interstates in Colorado (pictured). Find more rural communities content and resources at Page published March 2019

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