100 best places to live list

[pstokely]

http://money.cnn.com/best/bplive/top100_1.html

Are of these places progressive? most of them (like Lees Summit, MO)are repuke burbs

[rawtribe]

1. Louisville CO

is in Boulder County. Very progressive. Don't know about the rest.

[donco6]

41. Louisville? Progressive?

Ha!

Boulder *city* is progressive. Boulder *county* is full of conservative white Repug type folks.

[Pachamama]

2. Cool...Mill Valley, Ca is 10 min's from here at #10 - I personally like it

even better where I am in Ross, CA...its just as beautiful and we don't get the fog in like Mill Valley. I'm walking distance to both the town of Ross and San Anselmo from my house and we have great hiking and biking trails nearby. And even though Mill Valley is closer to San Francisco, I can take the hi speed ferry there and be there even faster than the folks who live way up in the hills of Mill Valley.

I also saw some of the other "lists"...I checked out the "most educated" and found where I grew up and where my family is from top the list - Chevy Chase and Bethesda, MD!

:bounce:

[progressivebydesign]

47. Love Mill Valley also.. don't have 900k for a starter home, tho.

Damn, that is a pretty place! But it's definitely a Best Place if you have a few million in the bank.

[Pachamama]

72. Unfortunately $1Mill in Mill Valley gets you a Fixer Upper!

A small one at that! Its unfortunate that such a beautiful area is so expensive...the only people who can live here in Mill Valley (and Marin County in general) are those with lots of money, those that have been here awhile and those that rent....

But I guess thats the price for living in Paradise...that and earthquakes...

[TaleWgnDg]

3. Burlington, Vermont . . . n/t

.

http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:LqD6CdAGI1EJ:www.burlingtonvermonthomes.com/positions.htm+%22Burlington,+Vermont%22++%22best+place%22&hl=en

[garybeck]

4. that's where I am :)

although I must say i've lived in some other places that are also nice, like colorado and oregon.

[TaleWgnDg]

5. Tis a great place to live: Burlington, Vermont! n/t

[bliss_eternal]

6. I can weigh in on a couple of the southern CA places named

Yorba Linda, CA is part of Orange County California. Though it is changing, as far as I know it is not progressive. Nor is Chino Hills, CA. They may have little pockets here and there that I am not aware of--but from a majority standpoint I think you will find them to be Freepervilles.

:(

More of the northern California areas (probably) may be progressive, though...

What are they basing these lists on?

[progressivebydesign]

49. Yorba Linda and Chino Hills.. lovely if you love smog!

I was amazed at the selections. I guess choking smog is considered a non-issue to the editors.. and only tract home size is apparently a factor.

[mr_hat]

59. And fires! Don't forget the fires!

[doubleplusgood]

65. Yorba Linda (AKA Nixongrad)

My fundie, Freeper sis lives in Yorba Linda, as does my elderly mother, formerly a member of the John Birch Society. Mom now lives in a, well, it's sort of like a buch of storage units with nice landscaping. Her townhouse (or whatever it's called) is right next to a dreary 4-lane county road, which is next to the railroad tracks, next to an industrial park, next to the concrete-lined Sanata Ana River channel, right next to the perpetually traffic-choked 14-lane 91 Freeway. Sounds inviting, doesn't it ?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

71. But it's Nixon's hometown!

That should count for a lot with readers of Money magazine.

[bliss_eternal]

73. That's right--thanks for refreshing my memory...

Geez- what would make them suggest Yorba Linda as a great place to live?

:shrug:

[fleabert]

7. there's some shitty towns on that list, IMO.

you couldn't pay me to live in Boerne TX...or Powell OH.

[pstokely]

10. how did they end up on the list?

[fleabert]

15. averages, it appears,

crime rate and proximity to a Chili's and an Old Navy perhaps...

:puke:

[kerry-is-my-prez]

21. Lutz, Florida - we always laughed at them for being so backwards.

n/t

[Ayesha]

8. I would love a list of...

the best LIBERAL places to live. My partner and I want to move in the next couple of years and need a place that has a mid-priced cost of living, available 5+ acres of land within an hour of a city, is VERY gay-friendly including for adopting kids, and where we won't freeze our butts off in the winter. So far Portland and Eugene, Oregon are looking pretty good.

We need to compile a list like this, seriously! I have found one online but it is fairly outdated.

[soup]

16. Try this site

to help find what you're looking for.
http://www.findyourspot.com/Default.asp

[XemaSab]

23. This site wants me to live in Arkansas

I don't really WANT to live in Arkansas.

[fleabert]

43. little rock arkansas came in second for me, after Portland!

weird. I will have to read a bit more to see what a bleeding heart like myself could love about AR.

[Ayesha]

46. It suggested Arkansas for us too!

and Louisiana, in addition to several cities in Oregon and CA. I guess it's because of the weather issue.

[crispini]

68. That thing came out Arkansas for me as well.

I am beginning to suspect it is being sponsored by the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce.

[GreenPartyVoter]

20. Well Maine is out for temp reasons. I think you are on the right track

looking at the morthwest pacific US states or Candian provinces.

[SmokingJacket]

74. Ithaca NY would fit the bill...except

you WOULD freeze your butt off, and the city an hour away is Syracuse, a place you don't want to go to (except for the barbecue).

It's practically a mecca for gay families. My sons' classes have always had one or two or three kids who have gay parents, about half of whom are adopted. It's so racially and socio-economically mixed, it's amazing.

[bliss_eternal]

76. For a list of the most liberal/progressive places in CA

see this archived thread from the California area of DU's board.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=141&topic_id=5977#6015

There is a bit of a disagreement that occurs at one point that was resolved away from the thread--but other than that, it could be informative.

Also, Welcome to DU, Ayesha! :hi:

[EFerrari]

9. In CA, it's about an even split, and mostly north/south. n/t

[XemaSab]

24. the bigger split in California

is coast/inland.

The Bay Area has FAR more in common politically and culturally with LA than it does with, say, Redding or Fresno.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

11. And at the opposite end of the spectrum...

Crap towns!

http://www.craptowns.com/

[Flubadubya]

12. Sugarland, TX is 46th...

Tom "Bugman" Delay territory! Wretch... who would want to live there?! :puke:

[pstokely]

13. how did it get on the list?

it's polluted

[Flubadubya]

14. How does anything connected to Tom Delay...

get "Tony" consideration?? Hmm??

[dogday]

37. It's where the Imperial Sugar Factory is located

not to mention there is a prison off the main highway... It is more upper middle class....

[gkhouston]

39. LOL, upper middle class prison

the Imperial Sugar Factory is closing, btw. beats me as to why they think Sugarland is such hot shit. It's not bad to look at, but damn, unless you work out there, too, forget it. Driving into Houston on the Southwest freeway is a bitch, these days.

I'm trying to figure out why the "most affordable" housing is in NY and NJ??

[obreaslan]

17. I live in the next town over from #1 on the list, Moorestown, NJ...

And I would say that that town is probably about 70% Repug and 30% Dem/Liberal.

It is a very upscale town, and a stand out from the surrounding area which is probably 60-70% Liberal and 30% Conservative.

If you plan on moving to the South Jersey area try Maple Shade, Merchantville or Mt. Laurel. :)

[pstokely]

18. how did it end up #1?

is this list based on income?

[GreenPartyVoter]

19. I am still shocked they passed over my beloved Maine.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

22. I always wonder if the calculate the results based on the # of registered

Republicans.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

25. Most educated are all on the East Coast, of course (4 is Mass)

1. MD Chevy Chase 48%
2. MD Bethesda 47%
3. MA Brookline 45%
4. MD Potomac 45%
5. MA Newton Center 43%
6. NY Larchmont 42%
7. MA Lexington 42%
8. MA Cambridge 41%
9. VA Mc Lean 41%
10. NJ Princeton 41%

[pstokely]

26. all places with high incomes

like Sugar Land, TX

[LostinVA]

27. Where I live is -- Charlottesville, VA

But the housing is through the roof...

[Ron Green]

28. YAWN ... another meaningless list

There are quite a few hellholes on this list, and many nice places are left off. This thing has as much credibility as that "Greatest Americans" thing on TV a few weeks ago.

[pstokely]

31. what is the criteria for this list?

looks like high incomes

[Mizmoon]

29. Once I saw East Amherst NY I knew this list was crap

I've lived there. It was nice, but not particularly fantastic. And they do get several feet of snow every winter - a winter which lasts from abotu october to about May. No kidding.

[in_cog_ni_to]

30. Top 10 MOST polluted. LOOK at OHIO!

State City Index
(100 avg)
1. FL Valrico 248
2. FL Lakeland 242
3. KY Burlington 211
4. OH West Chester 211
5. KY Florence 209
6. OH Mason 209
7. OH Springboro 209
8. OH Loveland 207
9. OH Maineville 207
10. OH Springfield 204


OMG. That's disgusting. 6!!!!!! of the most polluted cities. Now that's something to be proud of. Maybe they should concentrate on cleaning up their environment instead of spending all their time on how to steal the next election?

[Ayesha]

44. Huh?

Where is LA on this list? Last I heard we were the smoggiest city in the country, followed by Houston, TX which isn't listed either. :shrug:

[in_cog_ni_to]

57. I have NO idea how they came up with these lists!

I've been to LA and I know the smog you're talking about. We went there to see the beach one day and the smog was so thick, we couldn't see the water! :(

I got the lists from the site the OP posted.

[ChiDem]

32. I live very close to #3

Yuppyville USA, If you like cookie cutter McMansions that are 20 feet apart

[pstokely]

35. isn't that home of Denny Hastert?

[in_cog_ni_to]

33. Top 10 LEAST polluted cities. IL, PA., NY, KY and NJ

State City Index
(100 avg)
1. IL Barrington 11
2. NY Babylon 18
3. KY Ft Mitchell 18
4. IL La Grange 20
5. PA Wayne 20
6. IL Grayslake 23
7. PA Jenkintown 25
8. NJ Shamong 25
9. NJ Southampton 25
10. NJ Tabernacle 25

Illinois has 3 cities on the list! Wow. Is that because we're a BLUE state? :) LaGrange, IL? That's interesting. I wonder how they pick LaGrange and not Orland Park, Tinley Park and all the CONNECTING cities around LaGrange? Hmmm.

[ChiDem]

38. Well, in all fairness..

Barrington has lots and lots of money, all huge lots and huge houses, they don't allow alot of business in their circle, it's no wonder the town is clean, it is loaded with some very old and giant trees.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

34. Note that they're all suburbs/exurb leaching off the big cities that their

residents fled from so that they don't have to pay taxes to support people who "aren't their kind."

The only way Chanhassen, Minnesota, an exurb, has 24 institutes of higher learning is if you count the ones in Minneapolis and St. Paul. If it weren't for the cities, it would be corn fields, as it mostly was 30 years ago when I lived in the area.

[SaintLouisBlues]

36. As usual, Lydia identifies the big picture.

I'm a fan!

[stevedeshazer]

45. Exactly, and as you know, the same for Vancouver, WA.

Ugh! I have to go there today.

No offense to any Vancouver, WA -ites (Vancouverwites?)

[progressivebydesign]

51. Yep. Vancouver, WA.. not really my top pick.

Not that there's anything wrong with the people.. but.. not a top 100 to me.

[donco6]

54. Yes yes yes - Louisville CO is exactly that! eom

[donco6]

40. Louisville, CO = White Flight Suburbia.

Horrid place.

[AX10]

42. Thanks for clarifying that.

[donco6]

48. Yes, if you value new tract homes as far as you can see,

an SUV in every driveway, new schools that are all charters based on Core Knowledge, a golf course in every backyard, and utterly unsustainable lifestyle, Louisville is the place for you!

[maveric]

50. San Diego not on the list! Coronado is though.

Coronado is a community of millionaires and retired admirals. Big houses with no yards and tons of traffic from the navy base. Half of the island is nice. The other half is the North Island Naval Air Station.

[sentelle]

52. BI, WA (#2)

Is definately Progressive. Not as progressive as Seattle, perhaps, but any town that tries to forbid Starbucks (and so close to Mother Seattle too) can't be too bad.

(I live there BTW)

[PlanetBev]

53. Newbury Park, CA

Right next to Thousand Oaks, both just south of Simi Valley.

Knuckledraggers, all.

[LibDemAlways]

58. Saw Newbury Park and had to shake my head.

No one knowledgable about the Conejo Valley would put Newbury Park ahead of Thousand Oaks proper, never mind Westlake Village, Agoura, and Oak Park. Knuckledraggers, indeed.

By the way, hi Bev!

[doubleplusgood]

64. good hiking around there

With Point Mugu State Park & the Santa Monica mountains right next to Newbury Park, that's probably what got it on the list. I used to live in T.O. & would hike or mountain bike thru Point Mugu S.P. all the time.

Other than that, though, yeah, the Conejo Valley is pretty much a social/cultrural wasteland, dominated by RW'ers.

[Gormy Cuss]

55. Who's in and why

A little methodology info from Money. Bold highlights are mine:

Money magazine and CNN/Money teamed with data researchers at OnBoard...

OnBoard maintains a database of nearly 40,000 cities.... we began by considering only those with
population above 14,000,
above-median household income ,
population growth and
real estate appreciation over the past 5 years.
Those restrictions led to a list of 1,321 places

... we eliminated places that aren't
within 60 miles of a major airport and
30 miles of a major teaching hospital.
... eliminate towns with low education scores or
that fall below the 25th percentile in any two of the following: unemployment, income growth, crime, or arts resources.

That left 100 towns,.....

We limited any metropolitan area to one or two places.

********
The 1321 "contenders" did not include any locations in four states (ME,ND,WV, WY).
The 100 finalists excluded another 10 states, including Hawaii,Vermont, South Carolina, and Oregon.

Above-median income would explain why so many toney suburbs made the grade, and the limitation of 2 locations per metro area for the finalists would definitely skew the results.

[EnfantTerrible]

56. New York City

It's the best place, IMO.

[SmokingJacket]

75. I agree, if you can afford it.

I fantasize about retiring there.... but I doubt it will happen.

NYC is the best, hands down.

[11 Bravo]

60. I live in Vienna, VA (#4) ...

and I've got to say, I love it here (except for that troublesome Red State thing.)

[linazelle]

70. Vienna is beautiful...but definitely "Red". nt

[NewJeffCT]

61. For Connecticut... some surprising towns

Greenwich is a nice town, if you're a millionaire...

But, towns like Tolland, CT and Colchester, CT are barely in the list populationwise. Tolland is nice, and my wife & I almost bought a new home there... but, it's not that nice. It's not convenient and the nearest movie theaters are 20-25 minutes away in Manchester. The schools are above average, but no great shakes for Connecticut when compared to neighboring just Ellington, Glastonbury & South Windsor... let alone towns west of Hartford like West Hartford, Avon, Farmington or Simsbury, or most of western Connecticut.

Guilford is a nice town, too. But, I don't know enough about it.

[Garfield Goose]

62. #3 Naperville, IL. That's my town baby.

And we're livin' large up here! Yeah!

[Im_Your_Huckleberry]

77. old wheaton man, here.

[jmatthan]

63. Summer - Oulu, Finland

Winter - Kottayam, Kerala

Jacob Matthan
http://jmpolitics.blogspot.com
Oulu, Finland

[kittenpants]

66. Did anyone look at the most polluted?

almost all of the places are in southern Ohio. What's going on down there? Coal maybe? Tire fires? geesh!

[KamaAina]

67. All 100 of them are on the mainland?

You have got to be kidding me. That alone makes the entire list suspect. And it isn't just the high housing prices, or CA would've been wiped out, too.

[Freedomfried]

69. Negros Island, Philippines

Moved here after the 2000 elections, great place to live and raise a family.