1 Welcome to America’s Best MA NSTREET! Out of thousands of nominations, we


chose 16 finalists to go head-to-head in a reader vote. Finally, the winner is revealed!


COVER AND OPENING PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEPHEN DEVRIES 2014 WINNE∏ ★


Collierville, Tennessee Homegrown charm rooted in history


Start your day by the old train depot in this town(pop. 47,333) out- sideMemphisandyou’ll likelymeetJoseph Johnson,whopeddles produce from the back of his van. ★ “This has always been a nice


town, with nice people,” he will tell you, and he’d know: The lifelong resident has a front-rowseatonthe Colliervillesquare,apicturesqueparkat the heart of thecom- munity. In the summer, neighbors gather here around a gazebo for free concerts. ★Local pride springs fromthe town’s rich history (as a trade center for cotton,and later, a cheese-making capital) but also its promising future: Since the 1990s, the population has tripled as corporations like FedEx have moved into town; and the localeconomyis thriving.Alawofficeoperatesnearayogastudioandabrick-walled servicestation. At Dixie Pickers, youcanshop for seersucker,bowties,andfishing apparel.Andover at the SilverCabooseRestaurant, diners catchupwith theowner over pimento cheese sandwiches. ★ But the success of downtown is no accident. Laura Todd, executive director of a local civic group, credits a roster of programs that promotesmartdevelopment.“Wehavegreat characterandcharacters here,” she says. “Collierville makes you feel at home. It really does.” —Jennifer Justus


5 © PARADE Publications 2014. All rights reserved


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1. At Square Beans Coffee, you can find honey, pottery, and gelato, all madelocally. Before barista Lizzie Dean startedworking here, she used to walk to Square Beans to get a treat after school. “The owners and employees are like family to me,” she says. 2. The 100-foot-longmural on the south wall of the Masonic Lodge atWashington and Main depicts local history. It was funded in part by “Pennies for Preservation,” a pro- gramin which schoolkids collect loose change for beautification projects around town. 3.These vernacular brick buildings are typical of late 19th-century southern railroad towns.4.Hewlett&Dunn on Center Street has been “serving theWesternwear enthusiast” since 1961. 5.An antique-style clock in the Collierville townsquare.


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