Mt. Laurel

I went out to the New Urbanist community, Mt. Laurel, this afternoon for the first time. Right off the bat I was somewhat impressed with what I saw. The village area was very pleasant and felt like Southern small town main street. There was a General Store, a Diner, and a Grocery Store as one side of the "square." Each business was designed and furnished to appear as though they were from the 1950's or 60's smalltown USA. We walked the neighborhood which I really enjoyed. The design of the neighborhood impressed me, from tree surrounded sidewalks to large wraparound front porches to communal paths between homes. Once we get out of this economic slump/recession, I do believe Mr. Laurel will be successful. Although pricey, the community shows itself as a very desireable place to call home. If I could afford it, and if work was closeby, I would love to live here. I do believe smart community design makes a difference, and we need more communities in our overall area modeled after New Urbanist ideas such as these.