Tuesday, January 11, 2011

10 Best Cities for the Next Decade - Austin is #1

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10 Best Cities for the Next Decade

They're prosperous, innovative, and they'll generate plenty of jobs, too.

By the Editors of Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine

From Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, July 2010

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We live in challenging times. Unemployment remains high, and the U.S. lead in technology and science is slipping as many foreign countries gain ground. But some U.S. cities, though slowed by the Great Recession, still thrive by lifting good old American innovation to new levels. And that will help put more Americans back to work and keep our international edge.

In Kiplinger's latest search for top cities, we focused on places that specialize in out-of-the-box thinking. "New ideas generate new businesses," says Kevin Stolarick, our numbers guru, who this year evaluated U.S. cities for growth and growth potential. Stolarick is research director at the Martin Prosperity Institute, a think tank that studies economic prosperity. "In the places where innovation works, it really works," he says.

After researching and visiting our 2010 Best Cities, it became clear that the innovation factor has three elements. Mark Emmert, president of the University of Washington in Seattle, put his finger on two of them: smart people and great ideas. But we'd argue that it's the third element -- collaboration -- that really supercharges a city's economic engine. When governments, universities and business communities work together, the economic vitality is impressive.

And it's no coincidence that economic vitality and livability go hand in hand. Creativity in music, arts and culture, plus neighborhoods and recreational facilities that rank high for "coolness," attract like-minded professionals who go on to cultivate a region's business scene. All of which make our 2010 Best Cities not just great places to live but also great places to start a business or find a job.

1. Austin, Tex.
Austin is arguably the the country's best crucible for small business, offering a dozen community programs that form a neural network of business brainpower to help entrepreneurs. Now overlay that net with a dozen venture-capital funds and 20 or so business associations, plus incubators, educational opportunities and networking events. Mix all these elements in what many call a classless society, where hippie communalism coexists with no-nonsense capitalism, and you’ve got a breeding ground for start-ups.

Don’t discount the fun factor: In the self-proclaimed live-music capital of the world, music and business creativity riff off one another. The city’s famous South by Southwest festival, where concerts, independent film screenings and emerging technology overlap, is a prime example.

* Read more about Austin
* VIDEO: Take a guided tour of Austin
* Vote for Austin as Your Favorite City Via Our Facebook Page

2. Seattle, Wash.
Rain City? We'd say Brain City. Home to a well-educated workforce, a world-class research university, über innovators Microsoft, Amazon and Boeing, and a host of risk-taking, garage-tinkering entrepreneurs, Seattle crackles with creative energy. "We only have two products here: smart people and great ideas," says Mark Emmert, president of the University of Washington.

* Read more about Seattle
* VIDEO: Take a guided tour of Seattle
* Vote for Seattle as Your Favorite City Via Our Facebook Page

3. Washington, D.C.
Every tourist knows postcard D.C., the city that is home to the White House, the Capitol and all those free Smithsonian museums. But those who live in D.C. know better. The region is chock-full of job prospects, entertainment venues and great neighborhoods, and it is booming. Eleven of the 25 richest counties in the U.S. are located in the region, which also boasts a low unemployment rate.

* Read more about Washington, D.C.
* VIDEO: Take a guided tour of Washington, D.C.
* Vote for Washington, D.C. as Your Favorite City Via Our Facebook Page

4. Boulder, Colo.
Boulder is a wealthy, intellectual hot spot where environmental and scientific ideas blossom into businesses. Three economic drivers power Boulder: the University of Colorado, federal research laboratories and more than 6,600 small businesses and corporations, all woven into an entrepreneurial fabric. The city is also a mecca for those seeking healthy, active lifestyles.

* Read more about Boulder
* VIDEO: Take a guided tour of Boulder
* Vote for Boulder as Your Favorite City Via Our Facebook Page

5. Salt Lake City, Utah
You can’t beat the cost of living and doing business in Salt Lake City. Utah has relatively low wages, taxes and operating costs. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that “our offices are 15 minutes away from four ski resorts,” says one local employer.

* Read more about Salt Lake City
* VIDEO: Take a guided tour of Salt Lake City
* Vote for Salt Lake City as Your Favorite City Via Our Facebook Page

6. Rochester, Minn.
Rochester is built on the world-renowned Mayo Clinic’s rock-solid foundation, and, in return, the community serves as great hosts and hostesses to 2.7 million visitors each year (many of them Mayo patients). Synergy among the city’s resources has been well cultivated and is paying dividends. Rochester opened the Minnesota BioBusiness Center in spring 2009 -- providing room to grow in the form of 150,000 feet of office space. The center, located a block from both the Mayo Clinic and the university, represents the city’s aspiration to build an even stronger bioscience and medical-research community. “If there’s a theme to what we’re doing here, it’s collaboration. . ."

* Read more about Rochester
* VIDEO: Take a guided tour of Rochester
* Vote for Rochester as Your Favorite City Via Our Facebook Page

7. Des Moines, Iowa
There’s more to Des Moines than agricultural jobs. A likely worker shortage sparked by retiring baby-boomers has lit a fire under Des Moines’s civic leaders. The city is working to lure back young Iowans and attracting global talent by developing its downtown and promoting the jobs available in the many industries that flourish there. Other big draws: low-cost housing, plus the city’s long-touted reputation for family-friendliness and a “19-minute commute.”

* Read more about Des Moines
* VIDEO: Take a guided tour of Des Moines
* Vote for Des Moines as Your Favorite City Via Our Facebook Page

8. Burlington, Vt.
Burlington's local-food movement perhaps best tells the story of how environmentalism drives much of the city's economic growth. Many shops and restaurants along Burlington’s Church Street Marketplace, the famous pedestrian mall, serve up local goodies. A couple blocks over, the City Market/Onion River Co-Op, a community-owned grocery store, offers more than 1,000 Vermont products. (And atop the supermarket, generating 3% of the Co-Op’s energy needs -- enough electricity to power six Burlington homes -- are 136 solar panels from groSolar, another Vermont-based company.) And the crown jewel for locavores: The Intervale Center is a nonprofit organization that has managed 350 acres of family-owned farmland in Burlington since 1988 and provides 10% of the town’s food. "We’re 30 years ahead of the country with the local-food movement. . ."

* Read more about Burlington
* VIDEO: Take a guided tour of Burlington
* Vote for Burlington as Your Favorite City Via Our Facebook Page

9. West Hartford, Conn.
Community is key in West Hartford, a place where you actually know your neighbors. But this once-sleepy suburb of Connecticut’s capital is not content to be merely an idyllic place to live and raise a family (it is, by the way). West Hartford made our list because it is transforming itself from a suburb into a destination -- in this case, a regional destination for shopping and dining. Small business is the new game in town, and everyone is playing.

* Read more about West Hartford
* VIDEO: Take a guided tour of West Hartford
* Vote for West Hartford as Your Favorite City Via Our Facebook Page

10. Topeka, Kan.
In its reserved, midwestern way, Topeka has engineered a prosperity that most cities of similar size would envy. As the capital city of Kansas, nearly 25% of Topeka’s workforce is employed by the government, providing a stable job market where unemployment has stayed around 7%. The city boasts quality schools, friendly people, good hospitals, a university and -- one of its biggest selling points -- low housing costs.

* Read more about Topeka
* VIDEO: Take a guided tour of Topeka
* Vote for Topeka as Your Favorite City Via Our Facebook Page


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Reader Comments (122)

Posted by: Curt at 05/26/2010 11:37:12 AM

I went to the University of Hartford. West Hartford is boring, and the houses are overpriced. Everything is closed by midnight if not earlier. Not a place for youth. I cannot believe it is on the same list as places like Austin & Seattle.

Posted by: John at 05/26/2010 01:01:18 PM

Ew! Topeka? I've been there...nothing exciting but the State Capital.

Posted by: Mo Rage at 05/26/2010 01:26:53 PM

Yeah, Topeka, Kansas? YOU try living there. Mo Rage The blog

Posted by: Emily at 05/26/2010 01:57:30 PM

Ok so how much did Topeka, KS have to pay to get their name added to the list!!!! Wow. I have lived in Topeka for five years. This article fails to mention reality. Never mind the fact that Topekas crime is off the charts. Daily armed robberies, weekly stabbings and/or shootings. Sounds like a nice place huh? The city is very run down and unkept. I have never seen roads in such disrepair. And the low cost of housing is hilarious. Yeah if you don't mind living in a ghetto. The property taxes and sales tax make up for it.

Posted by: Brandon Sheley at 05/26/2010 04:12:37 PM

Topeka gets my vote, thx Kiplinger for the PR

Posted by: TopCity at 05/26/2010 06:38:48 PM

LOL Topeka is a f--ing sh-- hole.

Posted by: Constance Nelson at 05/26/2010 08:02:15 PM

Listne to me about Sioux Falls, South Dakota and this is a state that is in the central/NORTH region of USA. This is the town to claim as the top place to be in the next ten years. Come to Falls Park our name sake!

Posted by: troy at 05/26/2010 08:23:43 PM

this list was made by something living on mars

Posted by: joyce at 05/26/2010 11:32:29 PM

OK...Who is coming up with these lists? Reality? Seriously, some of the cities on this list are just not where things are happening? Where are the cities of Charlotte, NC and Raleigh etc.? Just to name a few. Someone has blinders on.

Posted by: H. Rodwell Giddings IV at 05/26/2010 11:48:16 PM

The Brookings Institution ranked Rochester New York as being one of only 14 metropolitan cities in the country – and the only one in the Northeast – whose economy has ranked among the top 20 “strongest” in the U.S. in every quarter in 2009

Posted by: Anonymous at 05/27/2010 12:15:27 AM

To list Topeka in the same category as vibrant and culturally-rich cities such as Seattle and Austin is unconscionable. Topeka is plagued by the status quo and a lack of progressive leadership. While I certainly hope for change, it will take more than introspection.

Posted by: Christopher at 05/27/2010 04:44:37 AM

I feel none of these cities are any better then any city I live around here in my state so I see nothing that makes them the top 10 over any other city in this country.

Posted by: San at 05/27/2010 05:57:33 AM

Two cities I can think of not on the list but maybe ones to think of are 1) Huntington, Alabama- you're thinking Alabama? what a country back water state, but actually alot of government contractors have moved down there and employment is booming there, I should know, Im a recruiter for the government. so thats one to look at. Another city to look at is Charlotte, NC alot of New Yorkers are moving down there one cause Finance jobs, but another cause cost of living is alot cheaper there. It is growing so rapidly I wouldnt doubt if one day it gets more populated than Atlanta.

Posted by: Travis at 05/27/2010 11:48:41 AM

shocking that Houston wasn't included.

Posted by: Janlyn Nesbett-Tucker at 05/27/2010 12:19:47 PM

So disappointing to read negative blogs about Topeka. Some folks just don't get it. We relocated to Topeka from Seattle, WA more than 6 years ago. It is a beautiful, thriving Capital City nestled in the heart of the nation. I believe Topeka is one of our country's best kept secrets. We have incredible private and public schools, a nationally recognized university, beautiful historic structures and homes, very "progressive" city leadership, impressive cultural/arts opportunities, and some of the nicest people in the world. The weather is great in all seasons and the cost of living is far below most cities on the list. Finally, crime is NOT as the earlier blogger stated. PLEASE!!!! I just don't know where people get this stuff. Our family chose to relocate to Topeka for all the reasons and more. I believe Kiplingers made an extremely wise choice. Come visit Topeka and see first hand. Janlyn Nesbett-Tucker, CEO, Topeka Metropolitan Transit Authority

Posted by: Paladn at 05/27/2010 12:42:08 PM

Austin, Texas -- you must be kidding. I spent a week there one day!

Posted by: Rick at 05/27/2010 01:22:27 PM

@Emily, Right about Topeka. Automobiles are taxed as personal property, meaning that annual registration -- a modest sum elsewhere -- can run into the hundreds of dollars.

Posted by: sebio at 05/27/2010 01:24:32 PM

Surprised that Columbus, Ohio did not make the list.

Posted by: Colonel at 05/27/2010 01:35:30 PM

Hey John, Mo Rage and Emily -- I lived in Topeka for 35 years and always had more fun things to do than I had time for. It's a great place to live. I concluded that there is no such thing as a boring place, but there ARE boring people who don't know how to take advantage of opportunities. I never got robbed either.

Posted by: David Topeka at 05/27/2010 03:11:00 PM

Topeka? Obviously you've never been there. It's hey day was about a hundred years ago. The downtown in dead and the only good place to eat is a Wendy's. I was enjoying your article until I read this. Give me a break.

Posted by: Vincent at 05/27/2010 03:35:55 PM

I find the title of this article to be rather misleading. It says "Best cities in the next decade." However, once you start reading more into the detail, you realize what it really means is the cities that best promote "out-of-box" thinking. "Out-of-box" thinking doesn't make a city good. How these ideas are carried out, how these ideas improve our lives, etc are all important. Plus, just because an idea is out-of-box doesn't mean that it is a good idea. Cities like NYC, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, etc are all missing from the list. I mean, does the author really think that these cities won't be as good as the 10 cities listed here in the next 10 years?

Posted by: bjones at 05/27/2010 09:07:00 PM

Salt Lake City? You've got to be kidding me.

Posted by: JD at 05/27/2010 09:41:25 PM

Des Moines article forgot to mention its suburb to the North is Ames, Iowa with Iowa State University. Research park has many high tech inventions fostered by the University, the Dept of Energy, and the USDA and Animal Disease Labs. Both electronic and bio-tech invention florish at the growing research park. Also, ISU professors and upper graduates alos invented the first computer and the University has the patent on the first fax machine.

Posted by: RunWayAnimal at 05/27/2010 10:16:32 PM

Washington DC - YES!!! A great city to work & live in, plenty of good paying jobs for those with Education.

Posted by: Dudley Havens at 05/27/2010 11:42:27 PM

Topeka??? Yes Topeka.I f you haven't been here recently you would listen to the naysayers and think about the OLD Topeka. I have lived here most of my life. Left three times but keep coming back. The Topeka today has the drive and the will to overcome the past. Watch us grow and prosper. If you want to stay on the sidelines and whine don't hold back the rest of us. Come see for yourself...

Posted by: c.shell at 05/28/2010 03:02:49 AM

Austin, TX rocks

Posted by: Chris at 05/28/2010 10:27:13 AM

Haha - I love how it opens "There's more to Des Moines than agricultural jobs". The top employers in the city are easily the insurance and finance industries, as well as health care and social services. It's one of the most white collar metros in the country - what does agriculture have to do with Des Moines?? I assume they just randomly threw agriculture in there because it's Iowa?

Posted by: Dennis at 05/28/2010 11:16:08 AM

I just lost ALL respect for Kiplinger with this latest article naming Topeka, Kansas as one of the "Best" Cities for the Next Decade. REALLY? Are you SERIOUS? I find it very hard to believe that Topeka meets the same criteria as places like Boulder and Austin! I've lived here for two years and find the city infrastructure almost non-existent or extremely lacking in most aspects, yet our taxes are constantly rising so we can pay for it. I would like to think that the "Capitol Cit"y of Kansas would make a better effort to be the Jewel of the state instead of the Armpit. I also find it interesting that a writer for this magazine can make such an egregious statement without, most likely, ever having lived here.

Posted by: jturner at 05/28/2010 12:38:07 PM

Austin? Really? If by "no-nonsense capitalism" you mean sleazy developers, sleazier schyster lawyers, governor, and legislature to do their evil bidding...a government that would make Hitler blush with envy, then I would agree. This place has a veneer of honest and great small businesses now surrounded by bloated high rise construction polluting the landscape, the air[Alcoa plant and the worst environmental record of any state in the U.S.]. Texas also leads the nation in venereal disease and teen pregnancy...unfortunately, all these negatives will probably attract many of your readers who seek this den of thieves as an alternative to living repsponsibly.

Posted by: buh buh at 05/28/2010 01:11:19 PM

Austin has many great qualities and I want to sing its praises! Not really, but my earlier and spot on critique of Austin as owned and operated by nefarious developers, a right wing nut case gov[ lt gov, lege, etc]didn't make it in so, hopefully, this will. America's neatest city turned terrible by sleazy developers and their shysters, plus, the gov is in their hip pocket, which is convenient to that area of their anatomy his lips and nose frequent. UT is great, but the bogus state lotto doesn't support education, as mis-advertised, therefore, tuition rates for state universities is skyrocketing,

Posted by: carol at 05/28/2010 01:27:53 PM

Boulder housing is expensive, but there are other wonderful small towns near by (which also have lots of high tech HQ's, such as Longmont) which have much more reasonable housing prices and a lot of charm. . . and decent transportation for getting to Boulder or Denver - if you ever feel you need to!

Posted by: ecogordo at 05/28/2010 01:59:44 PM

It is a good thing that you didn't mention Baltimore. People in DC come here to have fun and pay less rent. We don't want it to get too crowded here, unless you ride a bike and then feel free to check us out.

Posted by: Yvette at 05/29/2010 01:36:14 AM

Austin is the best. I love my city

Posted by: Austonian at 06/01/2010 12:15:47 PM

This is obviously the ten best cities to start a business, not to be confused with the 10 best cities to live, as anyone who has spent several hours trying to drive through Austin can attest to. After 30 plus years of thinking that if they did not build roads, nobody would come, they have finally realized that philosophy doesn't work, so they are now building toll roads everywhere they want growth to go, rather than where the roads are needed to move the traffic that is already here. The powers that be truly have had their heads up their butts, and continue to. 30 years ago, this was a wonderful and special place to live, now it's just a little Houston without the planning and forthought.................

Posted by: Mike at 06/01/2010 01:07:54 PM

If Seattle is so great, then why is Boeing moving a major plant from Seattle to Charleston?

Posted by: JPAP at 06/02/2010 08:21:06 AM

Who the Hell wants to live in these cities. All COLD weather places . Maybe it's the top 10 for Polar Bears

Posted by: Steven Cyzner at 06/02/2010 11:42:48 AM

As a 30-year resident of Austin, I can tell you that while Austin may be a nice place compared to LA now, it is definitely becoming a city that will be difficult to distinguish from any other large city in the nation. Of course, the more often that a city is voted a "best" or "good" or #1-5, the less likely it is that it will remain a nice place to live.

Posted by: Mark at 06/02/2010 01:46:12 PM

Charlotte? You mean ground zero for the financial crisis in the United States?

Posted by: David at 06/02/2010 06:47:19 PM

You mean 10 cities with interesting quirks.

Posted by: Ron at 06/02/2010 11:43:17 PM

Topeka KS has Fred Phelps- enough said!

Posted by: jorge at 06/02/2010 11:51:49 PM

Topeka? DC? Wouldn't having a high percentage of the workforce employed by governement be a reason *not* to live in these places? The government can create as many jobs as it wants, as long as it can afford it. But this type of "job creation" does not guarantee innovation or prosperity. Of course lobbyist is a lucrative career. And I guess as dependence on government goes up, then there will be more demand for government jobs. Good luck paying for them with your prosperity!

Posted by: jorge at 06/03/2010 12:05:14 AM

The "best cities for the next decade" will be the ones who can attract and retain the best workers in the next decade. (Chuckle) I already posted. But after thinking about it, I don't see any of these locations other than Boulder and Austin being very attractive to a diverse workforce. Are they all building new stadiums or something? :-)

Posted by: Stuart at 06/03/2010 04:48:32 AM

Great to see Austin TX at the top -- I'm moving there in 2 months. Kinda scared to take the plunge but very excited to hand with a culture that is like minded in the openness of accepting each other for there differences. Here I come Austin, please take me on a weird wild adventure.

Posted by: Joe Stahl at 06/03/2010 09:24:20 AM

Boulder, Colorado. What a joke. Freakville USA. They have driven all growth out, stifled all developement, a city run by nut cases. Just where do you get your information?

Posted by: Jesse in Wichita at 06/03/2010 10:10:06 AM

Ha! Topeka? This list was somewhat credible until #10. What a stupid town.

Posted by: Bob at 06/03/2010 12:21:02 PM

This list, except Austin and Boulder, makes no sense. Where is Atlanta, Charlotte, and Research Triangle area NC? What about the DC area where government spending has taken off in the last 9 years?

Posted by: randy at 06/03/2010 12:32:54 PM

If SLC has 'relatively low wages', why would I want to work there? /I know the comment was intended for business people //just sayin'

Posted by: Jane Barter at 06/03/2010 02:43:02 PM

Well.....I like West Hartford, yes house prices are slightly overpriced. That is because of excellent schools and Universitys, plus a safe and thriving community which is hard to find in such an economy. People work hard and play hard! Lots of restaurants and bars that are in line with the quality of NYC. Businesses are still around that have been serving the Community for decades. Yes maybe one day they will get a longer bar licenses and stay open later, but the youth do enjoy life here as do the rest of us! Remember, this survey was best places to live in the next decade....watch this space, West Hartford is there with the big guns.

Posted by: John Cunningham at 06/03/2010 02:54:06 PM

Fort worth should definitely be on list of the best! It's the 17th largest city in the whole U.S., with a population of almost 750,000 in the city proper, and well over 2,000,000 in the greater fort worth metro area. It's one of the fastest-growing major cities in the nation. Business friendly, good traffic flow, great downtown and skyline. World- renown peformance hall, opera, symphony, and ballet. World-class museums in one of the nation's largest cultural centers. Top-ranked zoo. Superb restaurants and hotels. Texas Christian University, Texas Wesleyan University, multi-campus community college. Texas Motor Speedway. More wonderful things to see and do than one could ever get done. Also in Tarrant County: Texas Rangers baseball and the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Cowboy Stadium, Six Flags Over Texas, the Gaylord Texan Resort, and one of America"s largest airports. Please move to Fort Worth, move your company headquarters to Fort Worth, have your company convention in the city, or enjoy a vacation in Fort Worth; and PLEASE, put Fort Worth on the list of America's Best Cities!

Posted by: beegee at 06/03/2010 06:17:59 PM

I love my little town of Franklin Tn, check it out

Posted by: Zin at 06/04/2010 02:16:45 AM

All these top 10 lists are a joke. Fun reading but not much behind them. If you want cheap everything just move to a poor state like New Mexico, Arkansas, W. Virginia, etc. and voila, you have affordable everything...but you won't make squat.

Posted by: Software Janitor at 06/04/2010 12:06:24 PM

Dead Moines, IA? You must be kidding me. I lived there for 10 years. It flat out is a boring place filled with insular, intolerant people. I moved to the Austin, TX area about 10 years ago and I couldn't be happier with my decision. The cost of living is cheaper overall down here (no income tax) and salaries are better. But most of all the weather here rocks (comparatively no winter), there is tons to do and see and the people here are more friendly, diverse and embrace everyone regardless of their quirks. About the only downside is Austin is a victim of its own success... too many people and too much traffic, but I will gladly commute an extra 10 minutes each way to not have to live in Iowa anymore.

Posted by: W.Smith at 06/04/2010 12:42:51 PM

How in the world is Raleigh, NC, not on this list? As a city that's grown by 44% over the last ten years, there is obviously something good going on there. It's extremely educated, buoyed by education, technology, and government. It has handled the recession as well as any city in the US, as well. Kiplinger's definitely missed one.

Posted by: Barbara at 06/07/2010 02:53:01 PM

Boeing is not headquartered in Seattle anymore, it is in Chicago, Ill. FACT CHECK PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Kyle at 06/08/2010 11:48:18 AM

This list is a joke, no cities from california? c'mon

Posted by: Richard Mason at 06/08/2010 01:53:43 PM

Topeka is indeed a well kept secret. I have been fortunate to have visited several of the cities listed and I am proud that Topeka is listed among them. To be sure, all cities have detractins, and detractors, but the language used by some to express their view shows that Topeka has its share as well.

Posted by: happy_pessimist at 06/09/2010 09:22:51 AM

As a 10 year resident on Austin, I must applaud this article. Austin is just small enough to keep all the low lifes out and the crime down and big enough to have a decent economy. Sure the traffic is not the greatest. I cannot believe that some posters here compared Austin to Houston. There is no comparisin in the slightest. Houston is the # 1 cr*phole of Texas and the crime is off the charts,and there are zero businesses open in downtown Houston in the evening because of it.

Posted by: Preston Andrews at 06/09/2010 01:53:13 PM

"Spent a week in Austin one day" is right. People take things slow and easy around here, but who knows whether that's from the prevailing self-medication or b/c we all live in fear of summer when it's too hot too move... But please please don't move here, refugees from southern CA or NYC

Posted by: eric at 06/09/2010 05:29:06 PM

Wonder why Austin is the only city in the South that is on your list.

Posted by: Jimi at 06/13/2010 02:04:40 PM

Austin and other big metro areas get all the love. What about innovation in small towns, like Port Aransas, TX? It's got more innovation, livability, and fun per capita than any big city.

Posted by: Monica at 06/14/2010 02:11:31 AM

Ok, I have to say that Nashville, TN and the surrounding communities should be on this list. We have culture and new companies are still moving in. It is a fabulous town. Small enough to feel like you belong, but big enough to offer what is fun and exciting!

Posted by: Your Mom at 06/14/2010 05:00:47 PM

West Hartford, Ct. is a fun place to live, lots to do, good school system, restaurants, bars, recreation facilities, shopping, decent neighborhoods. A lot has changed in the last 5 years, with the Blue Back Square, Farmington Ave and Elmwood renovations. Good daycare, town services, parades, celebrations and family friendly activities. Your mom says it is a good place to live.

Posted by: Audrey Monson at 06/14/2010 05:30:06 PM

Salt Lake City is a wonderful place to live, safe and affordable. Not super exciting, but there is a lot to do if you like out door adventure - you can make your own fun! I am thrilled it is on the list.

Posted by: Bryan at 06/17/2010 09:28:52 AM

Uh, Boston/ Cambridge, Mass? It is the Life Science tech hub of the world. There are more jobs here in biotech than some of these towns have, period.

Posted by: Steve Shulman at 06/17/2010 09:55:35 AM

How interesting that no southern cities are included in the list except for Austin which is an anomaly even in the great State of Texas.

Posted by: autumn at 06/17/2010 11:49:37 AM

I was reading all the comments . I think just like anything else beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I live in a very small town in florida and there is honestly nothing to do here. I was reading this because I'm looking to relocate. I think everyone has their own opinion of places they have lived in. For example I have a friend who loves it here but I think its a horrible place to live. Matter of opinion. I'm sure that there are reasons these cities (including topeka) have made the list. We as humans have our own opinions. There's a lot in the comments about topeka my question is how many of the complaints on here actually still live there. Time changes everything. I guess I'm just more open minded then some others.

Posted by: Richard at 06/23/2010 06:43:43 PM

Rochester, MN???! This place is getting worse by the minute. The majority of the people in this town have their heads so far up their rear ends. Mayo Clinic and IBM apparently attract all the "smart" people...but in reality nothing could be farther from the truth.

Posted by: Erwin at 06/24/2010 05:02:14 PM

I've lived in Albuquerque for two years, previously from L.A. for 36 years. Though we probably lneed to consider the basics-housing, employment, social life, I've come to realize that though these are prerequisites, there's the undefinable, the vibe of the city that is equally important. There's a lot to be said for anonymity. In my estimation, ask yourself two questions: if you're conservative, stay inland, if you're liberal (or even have liberal tendencies), go coastal. Period.

Posted by: Doug at 06/28/2010 03:13:05 PM

From the many responses to this list, maybe it should have been listed as top ten list of cities to die in.

Posted by: Lauren at 06/29/2010 10:57:31 PM

Wow. I grew up in West Hartford. I am SHOCKED to see it on a list with cities like DC, Austin and Seattle!!!! Hard to feel like you fit in here unless you fit the "husband, wife, 1 girl, 1 boy, cat and dog" mold. This article makes it seem possible to actually afford a house and raise a family here. Unless you have a serious salary, you're screwed. Single parents-- look out. Also-- everyone is in bed by midnight...I always feel like I have to put my fake smile on when I go out to grocery stores or places like Marshall's. Always see people I haven't seen since high school. This isn't a real city. I'd much sooner like to see Ithaca, NY on this list-- now that's an up and coming, bustling, interesting collegetown.

Posted by: Matt at 06/30/2010 05:30:26 PM

Topeka is a great city for young families. However it will probably be dull if you are single and/or like to party a lot. There is no entertainment district in Topeka like there are in Lawrence, Manhattan, Wichita, or KC, KS. I grew up in Topeka and loved it, I moved to Wichita when I was 22 looking for employment. Both are great cities, however I'm not sure if Topeka really deserves to be in the top 10 cities, I would rate Lawrence, KS, or McPherson, KS above Topeka, and thats not even leaving the state. Kansas is not a progressive state in some instances, ie its not generally not very friendly towards glbt. It is however progressive in the sense of minorities and womens rights, I'm sure some will disagree with me, but I have been to about half the states and this is my perspective.

Posted by: john at 07/01/2010 07:10:48 AM

To the respondents touting Charlotte....I lived there, it is backwards, filthy, ignorant and crime ridden. The southeast is returning to its roots. Racism and poor education.

Posted by: david at 07/02/2010 11:04:12 AM

What about Omaha?

Posted by: Ron at 07/02/2010 12:11:33 PM

Topeka is where...Fred Phelps lives who protests at US soldier's funerals. I've been there many times just think it is a rather weird place. If you wish to live in a capital city in the midwest, Lincoln, Nebraska would be a much better choice. It is like a miniature Austin with the University of Nebraska right downtown. LIncoln also has beautiful parks as it is close to the birthplace of Arbor Day.

Posted by: ED FOUTS at 07/03/2010 09:23:58 AM

YOU PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE NEXT DECADE. YOU ARE DREAMING .THATS ABOUT IT

Posted by: Lock at 07/09/2010 04:08:31 PM

You must not look at overall tax structure; if you did only Austin would be on the list. Business needs low taxes and realistic EPA regulations to exist and grow in America. Look at California if you need proof.

Posted by: Norma M. at 07/15/2010 11:23:49 AM

I love Burlington, Vt. I live two hours away and go there frequently to visit my daughter and her family. It is very cultural. The people are friendly and warm. They are also most family, friend and neighbor oriented. The friends and neighbors my daughter's family have are always helping each other out! The shopping and restaurants are outstanding! - Especially for a smaller city. I also go to Burlington because it has wonderful Doctors and Medical facilities. Burlington is beautiful and works to acccomodate people trying to start new business.

Posted by: Aaron at 07/15/2010 04:17:04 PM

Austin Rocks! I'm a business owner with both a brick-and-mortar business as well as an internet based one and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else!

Posted by: Wilbur at 07/15/2010 04:29:55 PM

Topeka isn't a cultural mecca, no. But, business types will like the low wages and educated population. Doubly so if you count commuters from the extraordinarily overeducated/low-pay city of Lawrence. Not that the execs want to live in Topeka. Any more than the executives of Whirlpool want to live in Matamoros or Guandong. But, they're useful places to find cheap work.

Posted by: wafflesnfalafel at 07/17/2010 06:36:04 PM

Seattle is really nice - but it's crowded and expensive. I don't think the point of the article was to come up with a bunch of exactly the same type places - if somebody happens to like NOT crowded and NOT expensive and doesn't care as much about for water/mountain scenery or an over abundance of art, then Topeka might be fabulous.

Posted by: Mike at 07/21/2010 03:42:17 PM

Lawrence, KS is more comparable to Austin and Boulder in terms of growth and culture than Topeka, KS. What a joke.

Posted by: David at 07/28/2010 03:53:49 PM

DC is a great city to live in. The suburbs in Maryland and Virginia are full of educated, ambitious twenty-somethings. And, with all of those young people around, there are plenty of options for nightlife. The only downfalls: home prices and traffic.

Posted by: Jan DiPalermo at 07/29/2010 05:39:02 PM

I live in Hendersonville (20 minutes outside of Nashville). I read someone's comment about full information not being disclosed under the 10 best places to live and Hendersonville was not one of the 10 most but I can say that Hendersonville is not a very "friendly" atmosphere for meeting people. We are a bunch of houses with no "downtown" or any places for contacts. We are just in the middle of nowhere in the middle of Tennessee. Prices are quite high and we even pay sales tax on everything including food. I am hoping for a much better business minded Governor to take over office since our Governor finally had to get out. I would love to see Hendersonville, TN as a wonderful place to live.

Posted by: gry at 08/01/2010 09:23:28 PM

Topeka, you get 8000 sq ft home with 50 acres for around 300-400k....Case closed. Keep trying.

Posted by: bott at 08/01/2010 09:32:25 PM

Bottom line very few gangs and drugs in these towns, unlike California towns. These towns are also superb places to grew up kids knowing that will probably not get into mischief. I love Kansas but Burlington, VT,.is very nice too.

Posted by: edgar p. at 08/02/2010 08:58:16 AM

Yes, west hartford is rather dumpy...only a matter of time before it becomes a little hartford.....i.e, another new england arm-pit.

Posted by: julio at 08/02/2010 09:05:14 AM

well, DC is a ratwhole...

Posted by: edgar at 08/02/2010 09:07:36 AM

i say detroit......is a swell town...we do have crime......but life stays interesting that way. Yo.

Posted by: LB at 08/02/2010 12:34:06 PM

They forgot to mention Atlanta and Houston!

Posted by: Hoop at 08/02/2010 05:26:25 PM

Not one mention of the crown jewell of the Shenandoah Valley. How could Roanoke Virginia be left off a list like this?

Posted by: Steve at 08/02/2010 10:50:52 PM

Ten years from now, Austin will be unbearable. I've been here 6 years now and want to leave. There are NO jobs here, despite what you may read elsewhere, unless you want to work at Target as a cashier for $8 an hour. Yeah, that'll pay the mortgage! The stop lights are the worst. Just about every red light you hit will make you wait 2 minutes before turning green. The panhandlers are getting very aggressive here, too. A lady was stabbed a couple of weeks ago for refusing to give change. They will lay on your car while at a stop light until you pay them to get off. Austin has the second highest concentration of lawyers in America, DC has the highest. Waiters and bartenders make $2.13 an hour and get no breaks. And wait until you get your property tax bill, which goes up every year. You thought housing was cheap here? There is no income tax, so they get you in other ways. Yeah, think twice before moving here. There is more work in Houston right now. About the only good thing about living in Texas is that if you declare bankruptcy, there is very little they can take. And people are filing like crazy! Please....think twice.

Posted by: torotx at 08/04/2010 09:50:11 AM

Too bad liberals ruin most of those cities. Expect overpriced, expensive cost of living when liberals run and dominate locations. How come California (a beautiful state) does not make this list? Answer = liberals and illegals have ransacked it for way too long.

Posted by: John at 08/05/2010 10:25:46 PM

Topeka is a Sh**Hol* I'm mad at you for even making me remember my visit there.

Posted by: Texas at 08/06/2010 11:51:50 AM

I just relocated back to Dallas after three years in Salt Lake City, all I can say is that I hope I never have to see that state again. I enjoyed the mountains and snowboarding. This is not a place for 25-40 year old group without children. The lack of Diversity is amazing, Horrible air quality in the winter months "which last about 5-6 months". The states claims to have the youngest average age of people, consider that a lot of women start breeding as soon as they turn 18, some younger and don't stop till ?. I did not have any real issues with the LDS culture while there, but it was the only place I've been where the local religions dictated what was to be allowed. If the state had more diversity it would have been a great experience.

Posted by: J at 08/08/2010 07:10:03 PM

Unless you are already rather wealthy, Boulder is not much of an option. It is extremely expensive in every way imaginable. Housing prices are sky high, gas is almost 10 cents more a gallon that neighboring towns, groceries are astronomical. I have lived in Boulder for 3 years as a graduate student and most of that time I have been locked in a constant struggle to keep my head above water financially. Thank goodness I own my car and can live in a shoebox of an apartment.

Posted by: calib at 08/14/2010 10:14:59 PM

Dear torotx, Please stay!!! there. Thanx.

Posted by: RL at 08/16/2010 03:19:56 PM

Microsoft has ber profit margins but they're certainly not ber innovators. Considering the hyperbole in the Seattle review, I'm surprised it's not listed first. "Brain city" LOL. As others have commented, this list has a disproportionate number of cold weather cities. I would add it's overloaded with towns having a major, if not dominant university presence e.g. Austin, Seattle, Boulder, Salt Lake City. That can get old very quickly regardless of one's age. But since the list likes cold weather and colleges, how could it leave out Ann Arbor?

Posted by: Beth at 08/16/2010 04:01:20 PM

These numbers are clearly unreliable. Fayetteville, AR beat every one of the top ten for Creative Workforce, had a lower cost of living than 9 of 10, higher employment growth rate than 8 of 10, and higher salary growth than 7 of the 10. The only area it didn't beat the top 10 cities was in median household income BUT barely and our cost of living is much lower than those cities SO in reality you don't need as high a household income to live BETTER...

Posted by: Sharon Woolwine at 08/17/2010 10:01:45 AM

Boulder? I was fooled by that once too...not again. And as for Rochester...couldn't get out of there fast enough!!

Posted by: Doug at 08/17/2010 01:30:18 PM

Topeka? I grew up in Kansas, I would say Lawrence, the university town, would be a better choice; it is only 20 miles from Topeka. There was at one time a bumper sticker saying, "Suicide is redundant in Topeka." I haven't been there for a very long time.

Posted by: chaustin74 at 08/17/2010 01:50:24 PM

Many of you are missing the point...If you're relying on research like this to decide where to live, then you may as well just shake up a magic 8 ball. The bottom line here is this: stop relying on crap you read on the internet as your source of information! If you really plan to move some place, then save up the money and the time and go visit! See it for yourself!! That's the ONLY way to make the right decision for YOU! Good day and God Bless!

Posted by: dougrad at 08/22/2010 06:50:38 PM

i'm glad to see that Salt Lake City is on this list. the place is like a mini version of Denver, with plenty of things to offer everyone. i think there are too many misconceptions that Utah is a "Mormon state" or that Salt Lake is a "Mormon city," but in actuality Salt Lake now has many more non-Mormons than Mormons, and non-Mormons are moving to all of Utah, which is one of the fastest growing states, all the time. i'm glad that SLC and Utah are finally getting the recognition they deserve.

Posted by: Peter wolf at 08/23/2010 12:36:40 PM

So in all the categories that supposedly the 'Golden State' of California leads in; innovation, new ideas, etc., not one California city makes the list. Austin I can understand because Texas is the best run state in the country and the most business friendly. But Des Moines? Washngton D.C? If this isn't a scathing indictment of 35 years of unbroken Democratic control of the California state legislature then I don't know what is

Posted by: Volcanic-Diva at 08/23/2010 02:44:54 PM

Finally!!! California is NOT on the list!!!! We don't need anymore insane people, welfare recipients or potential Department of Corrections members or returning members! We don't need anymore lazy, crimianal or insane people - our legislature is full of them. Our state is the most BEAUTIFUL in the world and we know it and love it. The rest of the Union (except my home state, Hawaii) can only try and catch up with our progressive living so STAY WHERE YOU ARE!!!! Glad you Texans, No & So Carolinians, Floridians, New Yorkers, etc., etc....STAY WHERE YOU ARE AND BE HAPPY! Thanks! KEEP CALIFORNIA OFF ANY LISTS!!!!

Posted by: You Crazy at 08/23/2010 05:12:58 PM

Wow, I guess whoever conducted this survey has not been to Portland, Oregon (stumptown)! By far the best city in the US. Over 10 percent of the downtown workforce commute to work via bike! The music and arts are better than austin and seattle put together! Check out portland and don't waste your time in Seattle! People are much more friendly and Portland is much more laid back with great beaches 45 minutes away!

Posted by: Mike D at 08/23/2010 06:35:08 PM

I live in and love Austin TX!! Topeka KS tho? really that's a joke.. makes me wonder how legit this study was

Posted by: whatever at 08/26/2010 11:43:21 AM

Des Moines, IOWA and vicinity are great, and hospitable, like you said ... IF YOU'RE WHITE. If you're black, Iowa is probably not such a great place to live. Racism is totally rampant, especially in small town dead-end communities. You WILL be treated like an outsider. If you're mostly white, part ethnic, you will still run into difficulties on par with blacks. I was absolutely appalled on my visit to this horrid state within the past two years. I can't believe how many times I heard the N word, and slurs towards all non-whites in general, either explicitly said or implicitly implied racism. If you're a female, expect even greater problems. Remember that movie "Bridges of Madison County" set in Iowa? Well, being a stay-at-home housewife that has no sort of education beyond high school drop-out, and never ever gets out of the house or family farm, who just lives on miserable in a dead marriage isolated from any opportunities to start over afresh ... that is still kind of the norm out there. Iowa is modern, like the rest of the US, though gender roles have not changed much since nineteen fifty-something. It's not a "melting-pot" kind of place. Amazingly, with Iowa's renowned low-employment rate, even the high-school level only education people, seem to have a solid work ethic; that does not equate to culture and sophistication, however....There is always some kind of agricultural-related work to be had; and nearly everyone is somehow related to agriculture outside the major cities...there is is no perceived need, desire, or time left over from draining manual labor work to want to experience anything more in life...The culture you experience will be the product of American mainstream mass-media...If, like me, you're used to living in major US cities with many-millions plus populations and extreme diversity and cultural variety, I do think you will experience culture-shock in this environment. Many other places on this list, I would not recommend either ...

Posted by: Nancy at 08/27/2010 12:38:44 PM

i totally agree, Austin is one of the best cities to stay in the US.....i stay in NJ...how i wish i cud stay in Austin....sigh :(

Posted by: Warren at 08/28/2010 07:48:20 AM

There are plenty of reasons NOT to move to Austin: 1) It's HOT! 2) Rattlesnakes 3) It's HOT! 4) Scorpions 5) It's HOT! 6) Tornadoes 7) Traffic 8) Extremely high property taxes 9) It's HOT! 10) Really bad traffic 11) Water rationing 12) A city council out of touch with reality- see the Austin Metro Train for details 13) Limited public transportation- see the Austin Metro Train for details 14) It's HOT! 15) Lots of hippies who don't bathe, or at least don't believe in soap 16) Spanish is spoken more than English 17) Fire Ants 18) Try finding a home that is NOT part of an HOA. 19) Austin is full of bloodsucking insects like mosquitos, ticks, chiggers, noseeums, and the worst of all, politicians! 20) It's HOT!

Posted by: Richard J deVarga at 09/01/2010 11:17:12 AM

! AUSTIN + TEXAS !

Posted by: Tim at 09/01/2010 07:42:59 PM

Topeka?? Topeka??? Really... Topeka?? It is the arm pit of the midwest. No culture, low paying government jobs, muddy river, nothing. You can eat at Wendy's, Subway, or Pizza Hut. I hate it.... (and I have to go there a few times a month). Lawrence is better if you like whinning liberals.

Posted by: Joe at 09/01/2010 11:25:06 PM

I graduated from UT so I know how nice Austin truly is. But it gets HOT in the Summer and wet/cold in the Winter. I've been to all 50 states and all of the major cities. My pick overall would be the small city of Walnut Creek, California. Perfect weather, close to San Fran, Napa/Sonoma, Tahoe, Yosemite, etc. etc. You can grow anything you wish. The neighborhoods are full of orange, apple, plum, and peach trees. Other than it cost a fortune to live there, it's the most perfect spot.

Posted by: Margaret at 09/02/2010 09:19:54 AM

You need to take a look at Kings Mountain North Carolina..........great schools, 30 minutes from Charlotte, two gorgeous State and National Parks filled with Revolutionary War History, cute downtown area and Historic District, low crime, Mountains all around us, i hour from Asheville, "shorts" weather 10 months of the year, cheap golf, new YMCA, and affordable housing with very low property taxes......and no "sprawl".........y'all........

Posted by: Gary at 09/02/2010 02:53:01 PM

No problem with the list, as it is just a list based on a few items. No CA cities doesn't surprise me either. This is a screwed up state. I'm sure the politicians and residents are figuring out that you need money to run a state that gives away everything and then some. The bills coming due are off the charts, and the ability to pay by those folks and businesses left behind will fall ridiculously short. Probably true for most cities/states these days, but CA leads the way. Big cuts will have to be made or this state will fall into the abyss. You'll soon be taxed on breathing and walking. It is never enough... once they take more of your money, they'll use it all somewhere and then they'll be short yet again. SMALLER GOVERNMENT !!

Posted by: sharon gordon at 09/03/2010 09:47:33 AM

sharon at 9-03-10-People please ,I am in New England ,every place has it's negatives and positives.Be grateful to be an American.We people can make any place a plus.Get up and make what you want changed to make your lives a plus.I am blessed to live where beauty is everywhere.

Posted by: mike at 09/04/2010 07:44:22 PM

Boulder, Colorado is SO overrated!!! There is NOTHING special about it. You have 2 types of people that live in Boulder. The homeless tree huggers that haven't seen soap and water in years, or the high society snobs that think they are somebody just because they live in Boulder. Both groups are sad and pathetic. However, it is a good place to visit if you need a good laugh!!!

Posted by: ROB at 09/04/2010 09:15:23 PM

I HAVE ALWAYS WONDERED WHO CAME UP WITH THESE LISTS. CERTAINLY, NOT THOSE IN THE "KNOW". THE ONLY TWO WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION, ARE SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH AND BOULDER, CO. NO DOUBT, EACH HAS SOMETHING POSITIVE TO SAY, BUT SO DOES DETROIT, DEATH VALLEY, NOME ALASKA AND LOS ANGELES. THE POLLSTERS OR GUESSERS WHO MADE THE LIST, APPARENTLY WERE CONSIDERING THEIR OWN, INDIVIDUAL "HOT SPOTS", AND THREW THE BABY OUT WITH THE DIRTY WATER. LOOK AT THE CRIME IN SEVERAL OF THESE CITIES. SEATTLE, RAINS 300 DAYS OUT OF THE YEAR. WASHINGTON, D.C., TRAFFIC, CRIME, ETC., VERY SMALL SMSA'S THE LIKES OF TOPEKA, WEST HARTFORD, BURLINGTON, DES MOINES, ROCHESTER SEVERALLY LACK THE "BIG CITY" AMENITIES, WHILE AUSTIN, YOU CAN COOK AN EGG ON YOUR PATIO, 8 OR 9 MONTHS OF THE YEAR. PERFORMING ARTS ARE NON-EXISTENCE IN THE SMALLER SMSA'S, BUT FARE WELL IN D.C.,AND SALT LAKE CITY HAS A FEW THINGS GOING FOR IT, BUT WHEN YOU COME TO BOULDER, IT SHOULD BE # 1,OF THE LIST. WHY? NEXT TO DENVER, BIG CITY ATMOSPHERE, GROWING WITH DENVER AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES, HAS ALL THE BIG CITY AMENITIES, HAS WINTER ACTIVITIES, HAS A UNIVERSITY, RECOGNIZED AND CREDITED PERFORMING ARTS, UNLIKE MOST OF THE OTHERS ON THE LIST, HAVE NONE. WHEN IT IS COLD, YOU STAY IN. SALT LAKE CITY, IS A WEAK SECOND. SO WHEN YOU LOOK THIS LIST OVER, AND PUT THE THINGS THE ARTICLE WANTS YOU TO THINK ABOUT, MAKE A SECOND PAGE FOR ALL THE NEGATIVE THINGS, I THINK YOU WILL AGREE, THE LIST IS A FARCE BEYOND APPROACH.I AM NOT SAYING I HAVE A BETTER LIST. HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT IT. BUT I DID THINK ABOUT THESE 12, AND IT DID NOT TAKE A ROCKET SCIENTIST, OF WHICH I AM NOT, TO GIVE THE "GUESSERS" WHO DEVELOPED THE LIST, A PASSING GRADE. NO, I AM NOT AN EDUCATOR EITHER. JUST A PERSON WITH GOOD COMMON SENSE. THAT IS ALL IT TAKES TO RIP THE LIST IN SHREADS.MAKE UP YOUR OWN LIST. IT HAS TO BE BETTER THAN THIS ONE, AND THIS ONE ACTUALLY GOT PRINTED ON THE INTERNET. GRADE: TWO F'S. ONE FOR FAILING AND NOTHER FOR FARCE. ROB

Posted by: Steve at 09/05/2010 12:56:49 AM

I live in an awesome community in south Jersey. I am an hour from the beach, 30 minutes from center city Philadelphia and 2 hours from Times Square, NYC. 4 hours from DC and about 2 hours from the inner harbor of Baltimore. NJ gets such a bad rap, but it's the place to be if you are so inclined.

Posted by: design243 at 09/20/2010 04:46:24 PM

Austin home of low pay (too many grads with too many degrees) unilimited hours for limited salaries, no job security. Your best job bet here will be competing with companies like Dell who are outsourcing to India. No mountains, almost no water and allergy capital of the USA. Get real!

Posted by: just me at 09/21/2010 11:53:52 AM

I wish you could see more than just 10 cities.

Posted by: Joe B at 09/22/2010 05:48:15 AM

Based on readers comments I would stay away from Topeka, Hartford, Des Moines, & Seattle. I've been to Washington DC and it's not a place where most people would want to go. It's unbelievable that our federal government is based there and crime is unbearable....It goes to show that our leaders aren't about fixing America but catering to their special interest groups. A very nice place to live not mentioned in the list is Glassboro, NJ. The city and surrounding towns are booming. There are plenty of decent jobs above minimum wage. You're close to Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Wilmington, DE. The air is clear. People are friendly. Lots of churches to choose from. Entertainment galore. Theatre, theaters, Music venues, sports for kids and adults (even volleyball leagues). The best healthcare in America is located nearby. Superb beaches and amazing shore towns like Cape May, Ocean CIty and Wildwood. If you haven't been to the Jersey Shore, you're missing a lot! Glassboro is also home to Rowan University - one of the fastest growing Universities in the nation. I graduated there and my children attend there. It is a top ranked school with more majors than most other colleges - every from engineering to education, business to medicine. Glassboro has a great police force and superb EMT squad.

Posted by: GetmeoutofATX at 09/26/2010 08:04:15 PM

Austin s*cks. There are no jobs here, the weather is horrible, the people are homogeneous, the public transportation is a joke, and oh yes, there are no JOBS. I've lived here more than 20 years and am dying to escape for good. Also, Austinites are way too keen on blaming their problems on Californians, New Yorkers, or other "outsiders". Get over it, Austin...


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