What’s going for it? A beautiful town. Dolgellau might have been theme-parked up to become a Life In An 18th-Century Wool Town attraction, or overrun with Maggie Smiths and camera crews filming another bodice ripper. Instead, tucked under the armpit of north Wales, it goes about its business without anyone noticing it much, its 200 or so listed buildings just the extraordinary everyday backdrop for daily life. Its structural beauty is just the start. Wild Snowdonia attracts walkers, mountain bikers and dendrophiles. Birdwatchers head to the Mawddach estuary, while gourmands stalk local lamb and samphire. Musicians come for the folk centre and good times. I came for the architecture, made from grey stone cobbled grandly together, like a Welsh Flintstones. That’s Dolgellau for you, a town almost entirely composed of people who have sought it out for that much vaunted, yet increasingly hard to find thing: quality of life.

The case against I hope you like grey. Come on, Dolgellau, splash out on some other paint colours. Soggy in the weather department.

Well connected? Trains: the nearest station is a 20-minute drive away at Barmouth, from where trains go to Machynlleth (one hour), Porthmadog (35-60 minutes); or, two and a half hours away, Shrewsbury, several times a day. Driving: it’s an hour to Aberystwyth, more to Caernarfon and east to Welshpool. Buses: several a day to Aberystwyth (75 minutes), plus services to other north Wales towns.

Schools Primaries: Gynradd Dolgellau (CiW) and Ieuan Gwynedd are mostly “good”, Estyn says. Secondaries: Y Gader and Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor are mostly “good”. Schools are bilingual, at least.

Hang out at… Mawddach restaurant and bar is a cut above, with great views over the estuary for afters. In town, Dylanwad Da is a delicious, characterful and character-full cafe and wine bar.

Where to buy The old centre is jammed with those listed stone cottages and town houses – cottages £80,000-£180,000, townhouses £190,000-£300,000. Farther out, nicest is south-west, around Love Lane, where you’ll find big Victorian stone villas (£300,000-£600,000). The streets in and out of town, such as Barmouth Road, are dotted with more Victorians and Edwardians – the more elevated, the better for views. Rentals, about £400pcm for a two-bedroom cottage.

Bargain of the week Large, four-bedroom period stone terrace with great views and potential, £169,000, with rgjones-property.co.uk.

From the streets

David Humphreys “Y Meirionnydd is a cracking restaurant. It serves the best local Welsh lamb and its bar has a staggering selection of gins.”

Rhiannon Roberts “Ty Siamas, in one of the town’s grandest buildings, is the national centre for Welsh folk music; there’s a great cafe and bar, too.”

• Live in Dolgellau? Join the debate below.

Do you live in Sidmouth, Devon? Have a favourite haunt or a pet hate? If so, please email lets.move@theguardian.com by Tuesday 16 September.