Gloucester, Canada

Gloucester may appeal to those seeking a quieter alternative to downtown Ottawa, but the reality is a population of 150,012 people and plenty of bureaucracy to navigate. While the Greenbelt and Mer Bleue Bog offer natural escapes, the town has seen its fair share of annexation over the years, with parts gradually absorbed into the expanding city. And with only one post-secondary institution, Collège La Cité, the educational options are limited. Gloucester may work for those content with a more subdued lifestyle, but it's hardly the idyllic small-town refuge some may envision.