Lawrence, Kansas —
You’d be hard-pressed to find a nicer downtown avenue in the Midwest, but don’t be fooled by the boutiques, restaurants, bars, music venues, antique markets or ice cream parlors that line it, nor the happy mix of locals and students going about their day.
Massachusetts Street — well, actually, the entire surrounding town of Lawrence, on the eastern edge of Kansas — is a battleground.
Mass, as it’s known locally, is Main Street perfection. It’s a walkable stretch that is still a community focal point — a place where shoppers can find the kind of independent stores that, in other towns and cities, have long since vanished, and one that bustles during the day and stays lively well into the evening.
On a warm day in late spring or early summer, Lawrence is one of those towns that feels like heaven. Everyone seems on the right side of friendly and there’s an air of anticipation, as if something good or interesting is about to happen. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that Hallmark Cards makes most of its greeting cards right here.
