11 episodes

We’ve seen small towns romanticized in countless books, movies, and TV shows – there’s always fall leaves coating the road, nosy neighbors who somehow know all of your business and that one bar, where the bartender knows everyone’s order. So why do we love small towns so much? And how does that image match up with reality? On HGTV’s Townsizing, renowned author and writer Anne Helen Petersen takes you to small towns across the U.S. and talks to the people who make them special. From HGTV’s Ben and Erin Napier who helped revive their hometown of Laurel, Mississippi to Brian Brigantti and Domonick Gravine of who open up about the realities of being queer in a rural Tennessee, we speak to the people who are creating community, building legacies and shattering stereotypes about small town life. And if you're thinking about making the jump from the big city to a quieter pace of life, we'll help you figure out if you're ready, and get to the bottom of the mystique and allure of the American small town.
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Townsizing HGTV

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.4 • 129 Ratings

We’ve seen small towns romanticized in countless books, movies, and TV shows – there’s always fall leaves coating the road, nosy neighbors who somehow know all of your business and that one bar, where the bartender knows everyone’s order. So why do we love small towns so much? And how does that image match up with reality? On HGTV’s Townsizing, renowned author and writer Anne Helen Petersen takes you to small towns across the U.S. and talks to the people who make them special. From HGTV’s Ben and Erin Napier who helped revive their hometown of Laurel, Mississippi to Brian Brigantti and Domonick Gravine of who open up about the realities of being queer in a rural Tennessee, we speak to the people who are creating community, building legacies and shattering stereotypes about small town life. And if you're thinking about making the jump from the big city to a quieter pace of life, we'll help you figure out if you're ready, and get to the bottom of the mystique and allure of the American small town.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Being a Teenager in a Small Town with Who? Weekly’s Bobby Finger

    Being a Teenager in a Small Town with Who? Weekly’s Bobby Finger

    In this week’s episode, host Anne Helen Petersen speaks with Who? Weekly podcast co-host and author Bobby Finger about what it was like for him growing up in a small town in Texas. Bobby’s debut novel, The Old Place, is fiction – but draws heavily on his own experiences growing up in a town of less than 1,000 people. Plus, we hear from a teen living in a small town now. High school senior Lily Fowler, from Pittsboro, North Carolina, tells us what it’s like to live in a place steeped in family history and how her relationship to her town has evolved. 
    For even more HGTV content, head to discovery+. Go to discoveryplus.com/townsizing to start your 7-day free trial today. Terms apply.
    Find episode transcripts here: https://townsizing.simplecast.com/episodes/being-a-teenager-in-a-small-town-with-who-weeklys-bobby-finger

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    • 34 min
    The Unique Challenges of Living in the Arctic Circle

    The Unique Challenges of Living in the Arctic Circle

    Located in the Arctic Circle, Utqiagvik, Alaska is the Northernmost town in America. And even though it’s one of the least habitable places in the U.S., there are plenty of folks who call this place home. This week, host Anne Helen Petersen speaks with Kawahine Danner, a local Inupiaq artist about life in the Arctic Circle. Danner explains the misconceptions about growing up in a remote arctic village, as well as some of the more unique challenges – like insanely expensive grocery store runs, or a polar bear walking through your neighborhood.
    For even more HGTV content, head to discovery+. Go to discoveryplus.com/townsizing to start your 7-day free trial today. Terms apply.
    Find episode transcripts here: https://townsizing.simplecast.com/episodes/the-unique-challenges-of-living-in-the-arctic-circle

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    • 25 min
    The Highs and Lows of Owning a ‘Cheap Old House’

    The Highs and Lows of Owning a ‘Cheap Old House’

    Maybe you’ve seen the Instagram account Cheap Old Houses (@cheapoldhouses) in a revenge bedtime procrastination blur. The account highlights homes in need of TLC where the price tag isn’t the sore spot… it’s the money and sweat equity you’ll have to put into restoring it. They’re often in rural areas, or in towns where, for various reasons, the population has declined significantly over the past 100 years. Host Anne Helen Petersen talks to Cheap Old Houses founders Elizabeth and Ethan Finkelstein about the home restoration enthusiasm they’ve seen through their massive Instagram following (2 million+!!). And we caught up with Betsy Sweeny (@betsysweeny), a 29-year-old with a Cheap Old House in Wheeling, WV, while swooning over her multiple fire-burning fireplaces and stained glass windows.
    For even more HGTV content, head to discovery+. Go to discoveryplus.com/townsizing to start your 7-day free trial today. Terms apply.
    Find episode transcripts here: https://townsizing.simplecast.com/episodes/the-highs-and-lows-of-owning-a-cheap-old-house

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 36 min
    Small Town Dating, It Isn’t Easy

    Small Town Dating, It Isn’t Easy

    In this week’s episode, we get into the nitty gritty of small town dating. What are the lengths you’re willing to go to find your person? Like emotionally but also how far are you willing to go... in a car? And what’s it like embarking on this solo adventure? We’re going to hear from two women with two totally different experiences. First up, we have Ruth, a divorced mom of 5 living in a small Michigan town. Then, we’ll hear from Claire, a queer woman living in rural Colorado. Host Anne Helen Petersen digs into dating with both women, hearing the highs and the lows of dating outside the big city.
    For even more HGTV content, head to discovery+. Go to discoveryplus.com/townsizing to start your 7-day free trial today. Terms apply.
    Find episode transcripts here: https://townsizing.simplecast.com/episodes/small-town-dating-it-isnt-easy

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 34 min
    Moving To A Small Town: The Pros and Cons

    Moving To A Small Town: The Pros and Cons

    Many city dwellers find themselves daydreaming about moving to a small town. Maybe it’s a chance to slow down, own property or just have a porch to sip tea on. The pandemic and remote work accelerated these plans for a lot of Americans. In this episode, we’ll talk to listeners considering making the jump. First, we have Laura and Anders Wennstrom. They have a great community in Minneapolis but Anders, an avid gardener and grouch when it comes to noise, has always dreamt of a place where he can truly spread out. Laura thinks there’s benefits to city life, especially when it comes to their kids growing up in a diverse community. Then we hear from Noelle Murrain, a 45-year-old Black woman, who has lived in LA and NYC but is contemplating making the move to a small Connecticut town. But first, there’s a lot of questions she has to ask herself. And we’re along for the ride.
    For even more HGTV content, head to discovery+. Go to discoveryplus.com/townsizing to start your 7-day free trial today. Terms apply.
    Find episode transcripts here: https://townsizing.simplecast.com/episodes/moving-to-a-small-town-the-pros-and-cons

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 28 min
    Moving Back To Your Childhood Town with Michelle Morales

    Moving Back To Your Childhood Town with Michelle Morales

    In this episode, Anne travels to a small town close to her heart – Walla Walla, WA. There, she’ll meet up with Michelle Morales. Michelle grew up in Walla Walla and is now a part of the city’s fabric, working in the prosecutor’s office there since 2017 and currently running for Walla Walla County Prosecuting Attorney. We’ll talk to Michelle about growing up in town, why she left and came back, and hear why being a public servant is important to her. Plus, Anne talks a nostalgic walk through downtown and you may or may not hear some fun duck sounds. 
    For even more HGTV content, head to discovery+. Go to discoveryplus.com/townsizing to start your 7-day free trial today. Terms apply.
    Find episode transcripts here: https://townsizing.simplecast.com/episodes/moving-back-to-your-childhood-town-with-michelle-morales

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 35 min

Customer Reviews

4.4 out of 5
129 Ratings

129 Ratings

hello-hello ,

vocal fry annoying but good podcast

The host has an end of sentence vocal fry on a good portion of her speaking. I know that folks that do this are unaware but it’s highly grading and professionals are trained not to speak this way.
Anyway, It’s a great podcast. Lots of fun analysis of small town v city which a really relevant topic for our time.

gJ_weirdapecialty ,

Small town gal loved this pod

I grew up in rural Colorado (town of 400, K-12 school had less than 200 kids) and ended up in NYC, now living in a town of 1000 in upstate NY.

Living in Tivoli NY, with NYC 2hrs away is exactly the blend I yearned for…

This show hit a lot of marks for me. As an professional aesthete I had to go, but longed for small town living as I aged. A country mouse needing to be a city mouse, and now a blended mouse.

julebell ,

Flippant remarks that are silly

Shes discussing the value of small-town living. Some parents worry the schools aren't good, and she says, "And a GOOD quote unquote school is no guarantee of ANYthing." So stupid I laughed and laughed. Im a high school teacher. At a good school.
Yep, usually people in small towns say a good school is overrated. They think education is overrated. Education is not valued in small towns because the status quo is always the goal, as we see w this podcast host. If you have students in a bad school, they are starting 10 steps behind the kids from good schools. Small towns famously have terrible schools. I remember a quote from a parent about a religious charter school: Yeah, that school can teach their students evolution isnt real, so my kids will never be hiring those kids."
This podcast has someone trying to push small towns so hard they say absurd things,There are probably many legitimate things to recommend small towns, but I don't think you'll be hearing them on this podcast.

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