Throughout the community, the people of St. Marys cherish the city’s high quality of life and family-friendly small town atmosphere. St. Marys, to one public input participant, represents “a slice of Americana” with “the best of the South, the best of a small town.” Consistently, citizens from all around mentioned the city’s friendly atmosphere and the kindness of their neighbors as one of the city’s great strengths. Likened to television’s Mayberry by multiple public input participants, St. Marys welcomes visitors with the warm embrace of Southern hospitality and a spirit of coastal openness. St. Marys is a city where children still feel safe walking to the downtown elementary school and parents in the city have peace of mind knowing their children’s schools are among the best in the state. Thousands gather for the numerous special events and festivals that draw citizens of all stripes downtown, filling the city’s historic streets with life and activity. The community brings life to the 1916 Riverview Hotel nightly as locals and tourist share the friendly camaraderie of Seagull’s Cafe and Saloon. Downtown St. Marys is a place where everybody knows your name. The vast majority of survey responses, one-on-one interviews, and focus group responses clearly indicate that the community maintains an overwhelmingly positive view of downtown. St. Marys’ challenge is simply harnessing the city’s existing strengths and the passion of the community. Building on the city’s existing assets helps to create a vision for the thriving, welcoming, and beautiful St. Marys of the future.