Front St, Exeter

A bit removed from the town's commercial center, which is based around Water Street, this elegant residential promenade passes through the central campus of prestigious red-brick-and-ivy Phillips Exeter Academy, one of the best (some would argue the best) schools in the country. Yet this is decidedly not a "campus" street - there are in fact relatively few commercial buildings on the street: rather, the street is lined with gorgeous, 19th century houses (one of which, Browning House, an Academy Property, is a dead ringer for Disneyland's Phantom Manor). While many of the houses here are faculty or student housing, there are a few available for non-affiliated families, and these are all eminently worthwhile. With the exception of a glut of pedestrians holding up traffic at 8 am when students file across the street to their classes, the Academy presence is rarely problematic for residents, and for families with children, the location can in fact be a great boon for parents looking to send their children as "day students."
Bucolic charm, historic pedigree, and five minutes' walk to shops and restaurants? This street is a New England paradise.