In Travel & Leisure Magazine….

This Small Town in North Carolina Has the Most Picturesque Skyline in the U.S.

Story by Evie Carrick

Zach Frailey/GETTY IMAGES© Provided by Travel + Leisure. Zach is a friend of mine that used to live in New Bern and now lives in Pittsburgh where he continues his photography business. Just today on my bike ride I took a photo of this very same view.

New Bern, North Carolina, has a stunning skyline that beat out every other small city in America.

When you think of skylines, you likely think of those found in New York City, Tokyo, or Shanghai, major world cities where sky-high architectural marvels like the Empire State Building, the Tokyo Skytree, or the Shanghai Tower can be found. But beyond these iconic buildings and their surrounding cityscapes are noticeably smaller cities with noticeably different skylines — those that integrate elements of natural beauty and historic architecture into the mix. 

In a recent roundup of picturesque, small-city skylines, one U.S. community stood out. New Bern, North Carolina, a small city of just over 30,000 people, topped the list, which was compiled by MovingFeedback.com via a poll of 1,000 travelers. According to the survey, the riverfront city, which sits near the North Carolina coast north of Wilmington, has a small-city skyline unlike any other. 

“Awe-inspiring skylines are not exclusive to our major metropolises. Our survey reveals that the heart of America’s architectural beauty often beats strongest in our smaller towns, where history and nature combine to create truly unforgettable vistas,” said Harrison Gough of MovingFeedback.com in a press release shared with Travel + Leisure.

Travelers called out New Bern’s particular blend of natural features and historical charm. It is surrounded by water thanks to its location by the confluence of the Neuse and Trent Rivers, and the city has more than its fair share of greenery. The natural features of New Bern are bolstered by a historic downtown district that showcases well-maintained colonial architecture.

One of the city’s standout landmarks, Tryon Palace, is a replica of the 1760s Royal Governor’s mansion and is surrounded by 16 acres of lush garden. This landmark, in addition to New Bern’s mix of natural and historic skyline components secured the city’s No. 1 ranking on the list.

Following New Bern in the top 10 small-city U.S. skylines (of 70 skylines total), were nine other small cities that captured travelers — including a second city in North Carolina and a couple in Colorado: Walla Walla, Washington; Estes Park, Colorado; Ojai, California; Hendersonville, North Carolina; Leadville, Colorado; Bay St. Louis, Mississippi; Valley City, North Dakota; Bath, Maine; and Jonesborough, Tennessee.

For the full list of 70 most picturesque small skylines in America, visit here.

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I am very familiar with this skyline, I have painted it countless times. Here are just a few of them.

Our town is on the confluence of two rivers, the Trent and the Neuse so there are a lot of opportunities for different views.

« Home Port «  Trent River view of our skyline, watercolor. I have prints of this one in 2 different sizes.
Large. And Small

 »A Slice of New Bern », ink and watercolor, Looking from the Neuse River. For this small piece I condensed the buildings, but they are pretty much in the correct order. Small Print.

From the Trent River side again this one is called « A Moment in Time », watercolor, I have this in a couple of sizes. For the tiny one I’ve cropped some off the right side to make it more square.

 »Confluence », watercolor, is where the two rivers come together, the Neuse to the right, and the Trent goes up beyond that bridge. The bridge has been replaced since I did this painting. This print is available in two sizes.

 »Union Point », watercolor, from the Neuse River, available in two sizes.

 »Pollock and East Front Street », watercolor, available in two sizes. Michael and I built the 3rd house in from the left, it looks like a condo but my pottery was on the 1st floor, my painting studio on the 2nd, and we lived on the third floor. It was a fabulous place to live. There is a small blue house tucked in behind it that you can’t see from this view that we lived in too. About 15 years in each of those houses.

This isn’t a very good photo but it is a room divider screen, it stands about 6 feet tall. Sold long ago. Wood and oil paint.

Through the year I’ve done 6 or 7 back splashes for people this is one looking from the Trent River side before the new part of what was once the Sheraton was built.

Union Point, watercolor, again for a Christmas Card.

To the left from the Neuse, watercolor, sold, pot to the right, stoneware and underglazes, sold.

Above right oil painting – The Top of New Bern – sold, and below is an invitation to a show I had in 1992 at the Bank of the Arts, ink drawing, East Front Street, looking from the Neuse River.

And East Front Street, watercolor, a small print that is available, the big version is sold out. This is probably my most famous painting. I’m fortunate and thrilled that many many offices in town have my prints and originals hanging on their walls.

As I run across more I’ll add them to this post. I’ve been painting this town since 1989 and hope to for many more years.