Why the Best: Home of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory. The only place in America where you can gorge on all of Ben & Jerry's new, experimental flavors before anyone else. Many of the flavors will never make it to stores. All are great. Some are phenomenally great, like the chocolate-coffee-espresso-bean we tried over the summer and pretty much cancelled all our plans for, so we could remain at the factory ice cream bar our entire weekend. (We still can't believe the flavor isn't sold at any stores near us. Must be because B&J, or the FDA, decided it was simply too addictive.)

Of course, Waterbury is good for other reasons. Spectacular beauty, set in the middle of the Green mountains. Good schools, affordable mountain-view housing. Minutes from Burlington, with its choice restaraunts, arts, U of Vermont, and one of the most gorgeous lakes in America -- Lake Champlain.

Yes, Waterbury is next door to the best skiing in the east (Stowe and Sugarbush), as well as a world class tennis resort, academy and spa (Topnotch). It's a haven for fantastic hiking, kayaking, fishing, bicycling. It's an easy drive to Montreal (French food anyone?). Plus, it's the home of Vermont Coffee Roasters, the best maker of coffee east of Seattle.

Still, it's the ice cream, the best, most novel, most insanely rich and tasty and impossible-to-find-anywhere-else ice cream that really separates Waterbury, and it's what makes Waterbury a true Burbia Best Town. ...read about other towns