Would you bed down in a bedroom community on vacation?

The Suburbs: chances are you live in one. The city has its thriving nightlife, cultural opportunities and people from all walks. Suburbs don’t lack people, but their charm, nightlife and cultural offerings can vary widely from town to town.

Some are literally bedroom communities, built to house the city commuter for the few hours that they’re not at work. Others have grown to the point where they offer many city-like benefits. Still more suburbs were once small towns, independent of any “metropolitan” label, that were simply surrounded as the big cities spread.

Over the weekend, I traveled to one such community just outside of Nashville – Franklin, Tenn.  Just a short drive from the state capital, Franklin offers easy access to all things Nashville without surrendering its own small-town charm. The picturesque downtown is not only filled with shops, restaurants and bars, it is also filled with people out and about on a Friday night. Unlike some places, Franklin is active during the day and remains vibrant after dark.

Many tourists, however, skip right over the suburbs when they travel. Here are some reasons to consider checking out the ‘burbs next time you visit a new city.

First, consider cost and availability of lodging. It’s generally cheaper to stay in a small community than in the center of all of that city activity. Small burgs far away from the bright lights of the big city might not have many lodging options, but the “small-town-turned-suburb” usually has chain hotels or even independent inns with available rooms when big city hotels are full. In addition, suburban hotels do not often charge the daily parking fees that can be standard with in-town hotels.

Second, the suburbs can be a great jumping off point if you’re planning to spend some of your trip exploring areas outside of the nearby city. Franklin’s nearby battlefields are a great attraction for history buffs, and music buffs are drawn to its rolling hills that are home to legendary country music stars.

Finally, there is something to be said for discovering the charm of these suburban towns. Not every suburb can lay claim to the word “charming”, but you feel you’ve won a prize when you find one. Alexandria, Va. is a stone’s throw from our nation’s capital, and it’s also one of my favorite suburban destinations. Located directly across the Potomac, it has long been considered an old suburb of Washington, DC. Convenient to the national monuments “in town”, the city is its own monument to our nation’s early history. You could spend your entire trip exploring the shops, restaurants and bars housed in its colonial structures or strolling cobblestone streets without ever crossing the river into the District.

Do you ever travel to the suburbs of another city? What are the most charming or exciting suburban communities of big cities that you have visited? What are the advantages and disadvantages to suburban traveling?