New Albany makes Southern Living’s best lists again

Southern Living Magazine has selected New Albany and one of its businesses as among the best for 2021.

The magazine named New Albany one of The South’s Best Small Towns 2021. New Albany was the only city in Mississippi so chosen.

Additionally, Sugaree’s Bakery is one of The South’s Best Bakeries 2021. Again, no other Mississippi bakery was included.

Here’s what the magazine had to say about our city:

“This North Mississippi town is perhaps most widely known as the birthplace of Southern literary giant William Faulkner. However, its abundant outdoor recreation just might lure you away from books. Embark on the Tanglefoot Trail (a biker-friendly, 44-mile jaunt located along a former railroad line in the foothills of the western Appalachian Mountains), or enjoy a stroll through New Albany’s walkable downtown. Stop into The Vintage Market for quaint soda-shop vibes and a tasty ice-cream sundae.”

Only one in Mississippi

The magazine’s comments about Sugaree’s:

“If you have a penchant for traditional Southern baking, step inside Sugaree’s and be transported back to a time when everything was made from scratch. Dubbed “a national treasure” by author and professor William Ferris, this small town bakery boasts caramel frostings made in cast iron pans and meringues fluffy enough to make your Grandmother swoon. When Mary Jennifer Russell opened Sugaree’s in 1997 she never expected homemade desserts such as her chocolate cake with rich chocolate buttercream frosting to become a niche market. It turns out, Russell says, “that people crave these saturated flavor profiles that can create a connection to our past, one of family and community.” While Sugaree’s boasts a large footprint thanks to social media and nationwide shipping, the bakery remains true to its original goal which is, according to Russell, to be a small town bakery in rural Mississippi carrying on some of the most delectable culinary traditions of the Deep South.”

This past year the city has been named The Best Southern Small Town by USA Today, among the Ten Most Beautiful Cities in the State, named one of the 10 best cities to live in by the Real Estate Association and the number-one fastest growing city and most affordable real estate in the state and 17^th best in the entire country by LendEDU.