One town in New Jersey was just voted as having one of the top three best Main Streets in America.

The Great American Main Street Award winners have just been announced for this year, highlighting, "excellence in creating welcoming downtowns through representative leadership, innovative programming and inclusive economic development."

The Main Street America organization has been handing out its trophies since 1995 and, to date, over 100 locales have been honored.

Criteria for winning include:

  • Strength of the Main Street program in spurring community transformation
  • Commitment to historic preservation
  • Innovative programming
  • Implementation of cross-sector partnerships
  • Community outreach
  • Stakeholder engagement
  • Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

Before celebrating the winner in the Garden State, let's look at the other two winning cities.

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Danville, VA

Danville VA - Photo: Google Maps
Danville VA - Photo: Google Maps
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Initiatives to improve façades, develop regional entrepreneurship ecosystems, and match small business technical assistance with start-up funding are points of pride for the organization that have also resulted in a drastic increase of their commercial occupancy rate and welcoming more than 150 businesses downtown.


Florence, SC

Florence SC - Photo: Google Maps
Florence SC - Photo: Google Maps
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Downtown Florence’s district is the definition of small, but mighty: encompassing just eight blocks, visitors find a jewel box of exceptional local dining, award-winning entertainment venues, unique shopping, and architectural gems—from stately early 19th and early 20th century commercial buildings to Craftsman and Post War-ear residential neighborhoods.


And as for New Jersey...

Metuchen

Metuchen NJ - Photo: Google Maps
Metuchen NJ - Photo: Google Maps
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The borough of around 15,000 people in Middlesex County has been voted as having one of the top three Main Streets in America.

Downtown Metuchen NJ - Photo: Google Maps
Downtown Metuchen NJ - Photo: Google Maps
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From painting the words “Shop Small, Shop Local” on the railroad bridge that crosses over the town’s Main Street to using Small Business Saturday as a springboard for an entire month of promotional activities, Metuchen Downtown Alliance truly walks the walk when it comes to creating a culture of supporting small businesses.

Downtown Metuchen, NJ - Photo: Google Maps
Downtown Metuchen, NJ - Photo: Google Maps
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