The Nicest Places in America

Have you ever noticed that nice people usually travel in groups? Maybe that’s because they have a knack for bringing others along, whether it’s with a simple smile or a great leap that turns a disaster into an opportunity. For our third Nicest Places search, we decided to go big. We wanted to find the nicest place not only in America, but in each and every state. And with the help of more than 1,000 nominations, we think we’ve found them.

- Por Jeremy Greenfield

AND THE NICEST PLACE IN AMERICA IS …Columbiana, Ohio

No matter how big the need, no one in this joyful heartland town gets left behind

Everyone in town knows Ryan Houck, but not for the reasons you’d expect. He’s not the businessman who helped revitalize the downtown. He’s not the bakery owner who donates doughnuts and hot dog buns to local fund-raisers. He’s not the woman who dug into her retirement money to help rebuild Columbiana’s beloved Firestone Park.

He’s just a kid, and he has a lot of challenges. Ryan, five, has a rare disease called Miller-Dieker syndrome, a devastating developmental brain disorder that makes it impossible for him to speak or move. In fact, the doctors said Ryan wouldn’t live to see age two. For a long time, his parents, Dan and Meghan Houck, were stunned and heartbroken. “All the dreams and aspirations you had for your child kind of vanish,” Meghan says.

Then, when Ryan was 18 months old, the Houcks witnessed what you might call a miracle, if it didn’t happen all the time in Columbiana. They had heard about shows at the Main Street Theater featuring actors with all kinds of disabilities, from physical challenges to autism. Curious, they took Ryan to a meeting about the upcoming production of The Little Mermaid. Before long, he got a part—a juicy one. He was cast as King Triton, the merman-demigod who wields a lightning-shooting trident.