Best Places to Live and Launch 2008
From Cathy Sarah, Charlotte, NC VENTURA, CALIFORNIA…So glad you recognized it and included it. I lived there 26 years and loved it for its proximity to ocean and mountain alike, and small town feel and historical value, no matter how Los Angeles tried to "modernize" it. Sorry I had to move to rejoin family.
From Bobby, Spokane Washington Hey bud let me tell you about Spokane WA. its a fantastic place when I get out of the damn Marine Corps I will live nowhere else! anyway the more pressing issue, Salt Lake? number 15?! Ive been to that awful place and i will NEVER return!!!
From Anonymous hey buddy let me tell you a little something about Spokane WA! its fucking awesome soon as i get out of the god damn Marine Corps im not going anywhere else. anyway the more pressing issue is Salt Lake? number 15? how?! Ive been to that place and i will never return!
From Spokane, Wa Lies! iT'S A HORRIBLE PLACE TO LIVE! sPOKANE IS TERRIBLE. CAN'T BELIEVE IT MADE TOP 100.
From Pat Omah Nebraska Apparently you've never been to Heartland of America park. Like most people who say there's nothing to do in Omaha, they simply never look.
From George Powell We could use a new mayor and city council
From erin, houston, tx suburbs, by their nature, are not in city limits.
From Randall Robinson, Fort Lauderdale, Florida I moved to Fort Lauderdale after 20 years in Miami Beach. In spite of the economy, this is a great time to be here. It feels a bit like South Beach did 20 years ago in that the potential has become palpable. It is urbanizing, yet retains its easy-going town-like character. It's one its way to being something. Come shape it. The time is now!
From ST Sarasota is nice, but… it's a slow place. I would suggest Naples, FL. Still lots of very rich, retired or not but more options for middle class folks too. I have lived in both Sarasota and Naples and Tampa and Bradenton. Napes is the best of all those choices!
From Max Jones, Boise Idaho Boise has Boise State University with 22,000 students, not University of Idaho.
U of I is 300 miles north in Moscow, Idaho with about 9,000 students.
From Nikki, Pittsburgh PA Pittsburgh is #1 in most categories. EDUCATION (great colleges, univ.) MEDICINE (#1 hospitals and research centers) COST OF LIVING (among lowest in country) CULTURE, ARTS, RECREATION (tons and tons of great museums, GREAT BARS and restaurants, natural history, )…. and above all SPORTS!!! If you like to have all the amenities of a big city with a small town feel, enjoy a good night on the town without breaking your budget and see the best football and hockey teams play then MOVE TO PITTSBURGH!! As a people we are very friendly and down-to-earth and extremely loyal to our great city. God Bless!
From Dave Houston, TX Stafford, TX as #36? Your 'scouring' must not have included violent crime stats. Per capita violent crime is very high. I would choose nearby Sugarland or Katy for the same pro's AND the peace of mind in knowing I wouldn't get robbed in the parking lot.
From Seth , Ft. Collins , CO Fort Collins Colorado is by far the coolest town I have ever lived in. There is live music seven nights a week there. It has beautiful surroundings , wonderful weather, great swimming holes , and the absolute king of bike paths. I can't wait to be back in Fort Collins !
P.S. Our Breweries are world class as well !
From Jerry Orlando is a great place to start a business and it is also a great place to live! The weather is great, the community is very supportive and the Disney Entrepreneur Center is a great collection of resources for the entrepreneur.
From Robert, North Liberty, IA @ David, Iowa CIty, Iowa : August 19, 2009 2:47 pm.
Always a plug for your company isn't it?
From David, Iowa CIty, Iowa Iowa City, IA ranked #21! – Just look at the Inc. 5000 list for the past few years. As a University of Iowa Alum, the area is great for entrepreneurs. Iowa City headquartered company, TMone ranked in the top 1% for growth for 3 consecutive years. Young, intelligent, successful workforce is the backbone of this growth.
From Mrs G Hamden, CT I am so proud to see my town as number 33 of the top 100. Hamden is a GREAT town with shops and beautiful trails and yet a short ride away from city night life. The schools system is great with a partially new state of the art high-school. This is a wonderful place to visit, but be warned once you're here you may never want to leave. It is one of New england's best kept secrets!
From kcmo I just moved back to KC after 4 years in the Bay Area. This place is a joke, no one with any sense would launch here. The infrastructure here is the worst that I have ever seen for business. The roads are horrible. It's overtaxed. The people are good, but have zero ambition. Joke. How they ranked 97, is a mystery.
From Ben, Boise, ID This is just the sort of comment I love to hear about Boise. As far as all of us here are concerned we would prefer you tell everyone you know how horrible it is in Idaho. Stay where you are and we will continue to have the quality of life I've had here for 27 years.
From Mike, South Jordan, UT I've lived in New Orleans, New York City, Rochester, Boston, Portland OR and Seattle, now Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City is by far the most accessible to the outdoors. One can quickly get into mountains, canyonss, valleys and deserts. Great cycling, hiking, climbing, water skiing, fishing, kayaking, snowshoeing, and of course, its world-renown skiing. Plus it is easy to get in an out of, and there are cheap flights to Las Vegas, San Fran, Seattle, L.A. and Denver.
From Tim, Colorado Springs, CO I wish there was an easy way to evaluate cities on 5, 15, and 50 mile radii. So many cities seem to tweek numbers good or bad by the size of their city limits. Cities like Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Miami, are tiny concentrated cities their numbers often are scewed to reflect high urban problems. While cities like San Antonio, Oklahoma City, and Phoenix are huge and benifit from having their suburbs within city limits. So, not all the stats here are apples to apples.
From Mr. Gray – Manteo NC Virginia Beach has its issues and the very same has sadly crawled onto the NC Outer Banks. Virginia Beach ruined their own beach, now they are ruining NC's beaches with a terrible influx of sterile habits, brightly lit gaudiness and over-priced real estate – destroying what made Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk areas a wonderful and mystical place. Go Home Yankee!
From Ernest Grumbles, St. Paul, MN How about mentioning St. Paul? Minneapolis and St. Paul are one metro area (of over 600,000) and St. Paul has more colleges that Minneapolis and the capitol. Takes 2 to tango.
From Caitlyn, Corvallis, OR Corvallis is a wonderful place to live. Its really small and cute and has a lot of really great shops and locally owned businesses. There is always something going on here because of OSU and its a great place to raise a family.
From Bev, Ottawa Illinois I agree with the person from Madison. I went back there 3 years ago for a few days in the summer. first time back in 25 years. Its a very down and out place and depressing. I was sad that I had to see it like that. The Capitol Bldg. was dark, seemed like no street lights were on and I was nearly mugged at a mall in broad daylight by two young asian men. Have no desire even to visit there again.
From KATHY, CEDAR GROVE NJ School system not very good.
From SUSAN, WEST CALDWELL NJ are you kidding? Lyndhurst NJ? Not a place I would recommend.
From Anonymous Rochester is the best place to raise a family!!!
From Yvonne Bentley, Fort Lauderdale, FL This is so true about Florida. I just got back from vacationing with my daughter and son in-law in Jacksonville. The house next door, which originally sold for the mid-$240,000's was bought after foreclosure at about $100,000.
From gentlemaneyecandy Raleigh is a damn good city!
From James, Monterey, CA Proof that whomever wrote the article about Boise, ID did not do their homework.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/235/story/826821.html?storylink=omni_popular
From James, Monterey CA Apparently, whoever wrote the article about Boise, ID has never actually lived there. Micron is a Failing tech company that constantly loses money and was way behind the curve on SD memory, which is a big factor as to why they are constantly laying off workers. Boise is an OK place to live if you like Republicans and Freezing @ss winters, which seem to last forever. I lived there for 8 years built a portfolio of rental houses, and lost my @ss. That's why I left and went back to California. Some things are nice there but a 19th ranking is way off. Do more research. Not to mention, HP keeps cutting back on employees too, so if you want to work for Target or WalMart, it's just the place for you, just bring a warm coat, you'll need it.
From Jim, Carlsbad, CA Before choosing to relocate my video conferencing business from Las Vegas, NV to California, I had the opportunity to invest in Dave's Auto Service & Repair, 3235 Roosevelt St. in Carlsbad Village. I don't know why I was surprised how friendly everyone is here, or that I was able to find a few choice commercial lease options just blocks off the beach.
People safely walk the streets at night, I have all the banking centers I could ask for, shopping, fine restaurants, affordable gas, superb hotels and of course, Carlsbad even has it's own airport nearby.
I'm a lucky duck! As a matter of fact, I am planting my new transportation company right here as well.
The Shuttle 5 Group will join hands with Sea Breeze Transportation and Advanced Airport Shuttle to secure the residential market along the I-5 corridor from San Clemente to Lindbergh Field in competition with Veolia-owned companies seeking to expand services onto Camp Pendleton.
From Kate S. Brown, Sarasota, FL While we've experience a huge hit from the real estate meltdown, I still find Sarasota a great place to live and run a business. Small enough to be a "community," large enough to have all the arts and amenities. And despite the economy, the weather is still wonderful (hurricanes are much over-hyped), the beach is still white quartz, and the people are still friendly. The best part is that many, many of our recreational options are free or nearly free. So, I'd rather go through a recession here than anywhere else I know of :)
Kate S. Brown, a happy Sarasota resident & Sarasota business owner since 2004
From GM, American Canyon, CA I strongly disagree with Akerwin from Santa Rosa. That is a disgustingly racist statement.
American Canyon, CA is a vibrant, multicultural community of families. The growth of the city shows that there are many people attracted to not only to the features & houses in the city, but the people who live there as well.
From Jeff Forgit Franklin MA Franklin MA. I have lived here for most of my life and love it. Less than an hour to Boston, Providence and Cape Cod.
Winter can be a little tough, but certainly not like Syracuse or Rochester.
From Mike Noblesville, IN Minneapolis is located in one of the coldest areas of the country — and not just temperature wise. It is one of the ruder parts of the country I have lived in.
Maybe it is because they are locked in their homes 10 months out of the year (due to the cold). Maybe it is because they are just plain rude people. I am not sure, but I have found Indiana and Tennessee to be much friendlier. The cost of living in Minnesota is outrageous, as well, compared with Indiana and Tennessee.
From Akerwin, Santa Rosa, CA Well, I have to disagree with your choice of American Canyon as 1 of the top 100. Please. It is overrun with illegal immigrants. It's a gang ridden low life community outside of Napa.
I have lived in Northern Cal all of my life and can offer better choices by far ie., Sebastopol, Cotati, Pleasanton, Roseville, Placerville, Lake Tahoe to name a few way better places than American Canyon and Novato for that matter.
From Mo, Santa Fe, NM When you comment on housing prices you should check what it costs to heat and cool. This is a significant expenses in some of your best choices.
From Dan, Savannah GA Savannah is the Secret Destination in the South
If you are full time resident you are on vacation 365 days a year
I am on my 9125th day of vacation
From Arovy, San Antonio Texas FYI
The homes for sale in Blue Ash Ohio are Arkansas properties. Even the map is incorrect.
Thank you
From Jay Jones,Portland OR One man's failure
is
another man's opportunity.
From Lauren Cotter, Pleasanton CA Manchester is a great place to raise a family. Entrepeneurial and traditional business mix with most destinations like ocean and mountains only an hour away. Dedicated leadership.
From Anonymous Ann Arbor is truly an economic island in Michigan. The people are highly educated and the unemployment is relatively low. The public school system is excellent as well. I can't think of a better place to live.
From Basil Voicy, Fort Lauderdale, FL After the real estate bust, property values have hit rock bottom in Fort Lauderdale. Some property prices are no bigger than the price of the land on which they are located!
From Carlos Valle, Orlando, Fl "Greater Orlando is relatively insulated from Florida's real-estate crash."
With this statement, you truly show you don't know what you are talking about.
I moved to Orlando from Dallas, Texas, 6 years ago. The housing situation is deplorable here as it is in the whole state. Look at your past CNN Money reports to see Florida is a chaotic real estate mess.
Please, do your work before you give your opinion, of which ignorant people who don't research believe! Geee Whiz!
CV. Orlando
From George, Pittsburgh Pa. Pittsburgh has transformed itself from a tough blue collar town to one of the greenest cities in the US. If I were starting out in my carreer, I'd look hard at Pittsburgh. It has all the big time amenities (sports, education, medicine, arts, culture etc.) and housing is very reasonable.
From J Braxel, Escondido, CA Fort Collins is a phenomenal place to call home. The University (Colorado State), the outdoors, proximity to a "big" city (Denver), the high tech talent with companies like HP, Intel, Anheuser Busch, etc and the small town atmosphere make this a special place.
From MC, Haverhill, MA Add to this list Haverhill, MA (part of the Lowell-Lawrence-Haverhill corridor) – a small, diverse, business-oriented city with a strong history yet lots of land and open space. We have over 50 public parks, several lakes and our own castle! Property taxes are low, and the overall tax burden is lower than might be expected. The riverfront/downtown teems with great restaurants, bars and shops. Two commuter rail stops and easy access to US495 make commuting easy. Beaches, scenic seaside towns and stunning countryside are minutes away. The people are typical prickly New Englanders – until you get to know them – who just may be friends for life. We take nothing for granted here except our resolve, tempered over the winters which build our hardy character.
From PK, Boston MA Give me MA or NH any day, North County, CA is a terrible place to live, this means Carlsbad, Oceanside, etc. Two towns north of Carlsbad is a Vista, a total dump.
From Ruthanne Whalen – Va Beach, VA Virginia Beach, VA – what they don't tell you about is all the traffic you have to get through to even get to the oceanfront! Where is all our lottery money going??? supposedly to schools and road improvement – NOT!
From John S. Keene NH Be careful of the factor property taxes plays in the education of your children in NH! Be very wary of the communities you choose to live and while homes may be favorable, your property taxes in NH are extremely high! Schools in this state are feeling the crunch. Some neighborhoods are building new schools and bringing in good teachers. Some are floundering and the infrastructure is failing, with no end in sight. Two communities, Claremont and Franklin have sued the state over the way it is funding education. A settlement is still in court.
NH is the only state in the lower US that has no sales tax. There is also no income tax. Where do you think the money comes from to do anything? You got it – property taxes. NH also has the largest house of representatives in the country (OVER 400!!!) talk about to many cooks spoiling the soup! Nothing progresses in this state. So move in if you'd like and if you don't have children then the business can prosper. But if it's a family you want to raise, the age of being a great place to raise a family is sadly coming to an end.
From Lori, Raleigh, NC Raleigh has high unemployment. Please do NOT come here if you want a job. There are lots of professionals out of work, and they are taking the hourly jobs. It's bad for everyone.
If you want to start a company and HIRE people, please come here. However, small businesses here are hurting, just like everywhere else.
I am not sure what is meant by the reporter writing that Raleigh has no "local income tax." We pay state and federal taxes like everyone else. What do you mean no local income tax?
As far as Durham, go to some of the crime websites and see the unusually violent crime that occurs every day there. It's disturbing. And the photo used as an illustration? I worked at that location (American Tobacco Warehouse complex) for a very long time and never saw it from that unusually appealing perspective. Don't believe everything you read and see. Do not make life-changing decisions based on something you read in a magazine. Do research, in person, yourself, and talk to the people who live here.
From CJ, DE Yes, I live at the beach in DE and we are being "invaded" in the last 5-6 years, I am orig. from Wash DC area, that and the NJ,NY pop. are moving here with their stressful mentality…is there a slower, famiy friendly, wave to each other again, eastern shore town I could move myself, as a single mom to, anyone know?
From TDKD, Wyoming, DE I am a native Delawarean and agree with your listing. It use to be that Delaware was the best kept secret….but now with folks from NJ, NY, & PA moving down because of low property tax and no sales tax, we are becoming way too popular. Many folks that are stationed here while in the Air Force complain at first…but it's funny to see how many of them end up retiring here.
From AGH, Fayetteville, AR Pros: Beautiful summers, family oriented, great colleges/universities, decent nightlife and arts scene. For an outdoorsy person like me, just not enough time (or good weather) to avoid depression October through May.
Cons: Way too cold for too long! I don't find it all that affordable – high housing costs, high taxes
From Josie, FL Sarasota is a beautiful place and I love to visit. But for the average Joe/Jane is has not been an affordable place to live. This has mostly been a retirement and tourist town and before the recession housing was overpriced. They know people from the north pay more than the south and that is reflected in everything from groceries to restaurants to housing.
From anymous CT Obviously you have never been to Hamden, CT. That is a joke at 33.
From Anonymous Atlanta GA How can Syracuse be in the top 100. I lived there for 2 years. The weather is miserable, the lakes are poluted, the economy dead… People are nice, but they don't know any better. Come on, Syracuse????
From Gary Blue, Prescott AZ I live in Prescott, moved here 2 years ago from Phoenix and it is great, super weather. There will be an exodus from Phoenix the next several years and that will make it a prime place for a business. We even have our own major concert/sports arena next door in Prescott Valley. A very growing area as a business owner I highly recommend it.
From Kelly, Redmond, WA Spokane… Don't you mean Spokompton because that is the nickname the rest of the state has given it. Come over to Bellevue or Seattle – much more fulfilling and fun.
From Julie Kane, Anchorage, Alaska Obviously, the person/people who did the research for this article did not include Anchorage, Alaska. We are America's best kept secret!! Thank you!!
From wendy, pgh, PA In response to fellow mentioning militias: it's more fair to say Pittsburgh's notably a melting pot of different peoples. You won't see as much outrageous offensive lifestyles as you see in other liberal college towns. It's safer due to the number with weapons, plus bridges narrow the entry. The greenery is beautiful, more park area than most towns. Foreigners note they never see the flyover greenery on CNN and are shocked at how much there is. Most residents avoid town's snarled traffic in the bankrupt Democrat town, choosing rather the suburbs of Pittsburgh. 45 min north and south of town have industrial park areas (Southpointe is one) that are great business locations. The Governor handed 42 million to Comcast to come here, just enough for the execs, huh? That's business friendly.
From Tom VanHorn Kalamazoo, Mi is also a great place to start a business. It has an excellent State University and private college. Many medical science firms are opening their doors in Kalamazoo, MI. It also is the home of the Kalamazoo Promise.
From David, Philadelphia, PA I moved from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia for work in 2006. When I get the chance to transfer back to Pittsburgh I won't think twice, Pittsburgh is a wonderful city that offers high quality entertainment, a slightly laid back friendly life style and is very livable with a much more modest cost of living.
From Natalie, soon to be back in Ann Arbor YES, Ann Arbor! To all you former U of Michigan grads now living elsewhere, come back and help get Michigan out of this "one state depression" category. You remember how fun it is to live there…
Thanks for including this great city on your list.
From Anonymous I am happy to see Madison fall out of the "TOP TEN". This will stop all the folks from Chicago/Milwaukee from coming here and destroying our wonderful way of life.
From John, Manchester, NH Manchester, New Hampshire being number 13 doesn't surprise me. It's a great place to work, live and own a business. Lucky 13!
Access to Boston is easy and close (within an hour), the ocean is 30 minutes away and some of the best outdoor activities either spring, summer, fall or winter are just minutes away.
The quality of life is amazing and with infrastructure like our highway system, Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, the Verizon Wireless Arena, Fishercat Stadium (baseball), soon to be built railroad corridor and the inexpensive tax burden here makes it all work. We may have high property taxes but the overall tax burden on the average person is the lowest in the country (no income tax and no sales tax).
New Hampshire is a place, especially Manchester, where you can create a business, find a niche that isn't being covered or one that isn't being covered affectively and do it better than the other person. It's very easy to start a business here, those you need to get permits from are more than willing to bend over backwards to help you and guide you. You have to do the leg work but it's so much easier when you've got the City and the State "on your side".
Housing costs are down here just as they are anywhere else. You can get a great house for any price you want to pay. It's not expensive!
The crime rate here is one of the lowest in the country, our healthcare system is the best in the country, we have one of the healthiest populations including children in the country.
All this and less than an hour from Boston, four hours from NYC or be able to fly anywhere in the eastern US to the midwest non-stop right from Manchester. Long term parking at the airport is $8.00 a day. How can you beat that other than it being free which you can get if you're smart, get a friend to drive you the 10 minutes to the airport and leave your car at home.
And it seems it's always getting better and better here. It's a small city and state but one of the things I really do brag about to friends and family out side the region is that if you want to get involved and make a difference you can.
From Phyllis KC MO Kansas City is a great place to live!
From Linda Calorie Provo, Utah With all the railroad tracks and the air base, Cheyenne is just TOO noisy!
From Sephanie Baytown, Texas Baytown Texas is one of the fastest and least expensive places to live in the South. If you don't mind the occasional hurricane or two this is the place for you. Country town but only 30 miles or so from Houston and it's great theatre and night life. There are professional sports teams, rodeo, and one of the best medical centers in the world within 45 minutes of Baytown.
From Grif, Brunswick Maine Have lived in Brunswick for 30 years. Love the town, if not our long winters…the ocean keeps us warm in the fall while we enjoy a long foliage season after summer days on the beautiful beaches in the area. Lively, young: Bowdoin College sets a tone. The park in the center of town that we call The Mall, is a good place it sit and get a quick take: Farmer's Market 3 season, skating in the winter. A good mix of ages. 1/2 hour from Portland, 1 from Portsmouth, and 2 from Boston. Amtrak coming to town. It's a good life. You can always head south for a winter vacation…unless you are a skier, March is tough.
But ah, the rest of the year…and real estate has dropped a bit with news of the Navy base closing. Now's the time. Bring your brain, and your family!
From Steve Furbish Manchester, Nh I've lived in Machester for 3 years and really like it. Always something going on but the "woods" are just minutes away. Love the airport, you couldn't drag me back to Logan.
From Bob, Lemay, MO I was honestly kind of surprised to see Lemay here. I live here (and my family's lived here for generations), and I really don't see much going for it economically but the casino. Business is stagnant because the population is largely elderly and poor-ish, and the kids and grandkids who might have lived here mostly sprawled out to "nicer" western suburbs.
That said, Lemay isn't some irredeemable pit or anything like that. Property costs are low, and the crime isn't anything worse than you'll see in the city proper. Also, like other really old inner-ring suburbs, Lemay was planned on an efficient grid, which makes it much friendlier to pedestrians and bicyclists than the loopy, winding highway/road nonsense you see out in the atrociously planned hinterlands. So, with those bits in mind, I suppose my much-maligned home 'burb would be a decent place to start a business. Now, keeping your business open – there's the challenge.
From joe broke Bend,oregon has imploded. Moving here to start a business or live would be foolish. Seventy percent of employement in this town was directly related to construction industries.
I'm hearing Bend has more foreclosures and bankruptcies per capita than anywhere in US.
From lee, miami,fl businesses are there to stay in leesburg
From Michael Egan, Blue Ash, OH Blue Ash can only be on this list because of the aggressive marketing of the city by the city government. Blue Ash is pro-business, residents second.
From Ben, Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh has much more to offer than anyone can imagine. The arts, sports and universities provide more than anyone could possibly find time to do. The city and its rivers are beautiful providing a vast amount of outdoor activities. The cons on Pittsburgh are not true and should be clarrified. It's the city school district which is sub-par but most in part to the massive decline in the city's population, much of the cities population moved to the suburbs in 80-90s. The districts just outside the city limits are the best in the state by ranking, not Philadelphia. As for crime, if referring to statistical figures it's one of the safest cities in the country. I left for four years and am very glad to have returned to this city in acceleration into the 21st century.
From David Uhlig, Charlottesville, VA No place anywhere in the world beats Charlottesville, Virginia. We are the home of UVa, Bodo Bagels, the West Main Street Market and Gearhart's Chocolate. One visit here and you wont want to go home…so please don't come.
From Tim, Colorado Springs, CO Compared to all the cities I've been to , Pittsburgh is surprisingly nice. Skiing, Whitewater, Caving, Biking, tons of golf, profession and college sports… Plus good, unique food, museums, old European culture, history, scenery, and many city organized events (that are FREE) in the summer. On top of that, a bus pass can take you to a world class amusement park, a couple water parks, shopping, inclines, river boats, and to excellent Universities. And, if you're still bored: It is an easy drive to Chicago, Toronto, New York, and DC, plus many other big cities and Niagara Falls. I've been to almost every large American city, and don't any other one, that packs so much in one package.
This might sound out there, but in all honesty, that city would do itself a huge favor, by adopting a new name.
(like St. Petersburg, New York or Chennai). I've seen it in person, I try to describe the city, and people don't envision a beautiful urban skyline at all, instead they struggle to not envision 'a pit'. It is a bad first impression, and some people never get beyond that.
From Vi, Bozeman, MT I have been in Montana for 30 Years, originally from PA. I'm moving back to PA. This whole state (MT) dropped dead. I owned a small biz and it's gone. It was based on the construction industry.. so go figure. Business owners beware! DO NOT MOVE to Montana anywhere unless it is to retire!
From Joe Public This area is a particular favorite of White Supremecits and anti government militias historically.
From Genevia, Durham, NC I relocated some 20+ years ago and find Durham, NC a wonderful place to raise a family, build a business and find a church home.
From Quincy Richter Vermillion SD sioux falls is just as bad as fargo idiot
From Mona Lawrence, Little Rock, Arkansas Sarasota is a beautiful city…but I lived there 10 years and went bankrupt with a small retail business there. The rich retirees there are rich for a reason – they don't spend much money! Young people either work in restaurants or retail stores, etc.
Really you need to be rich or retired, or at best, both, to live in Sarasota. The arts scene is wonderful and there are many good restaurants although you can't get into any of them without a long wait between December and April (snowbirds).
It is a beautiful town. White sand beaches and a downtown on the bay. But our annual taxes on a modest home (value was $225,000) in Sarasota County were over $4,000.
If you have money – or if you are retired – or if you have an art based business…Sarasota might be great for you.
From Vic O, Spokane, WA Spokane is tagged under the "CONS" as gray skies. The editor has this place confused with the #1 pick Bellevue which is 250 miles away in the Seattle area. Spokane has the perfect 4 seasons. Please change your CON statement.
From Owings Mills md Owings Mills is the worst. Don't move here.
From Bryan Huntsville, AL Biggest "Sleeper" on the list is the "Rocket City"…
From Peter, Novato, CA I noticed American Canyon on the list, very strange. I lived there for a year, it's a nothing town. It's a hole in the wall that grew rapidly with new homes that peaked and tanked. It's on the way to Napa, that's about the only good thing that I can say about it. The bad is, it's just north of 'almost bankrupt' Vallejo (and some neighborhoods that are a little unsavory) and west of the characterless Nut Tree /Fairfield I80 corridor sprawl.
There is a nice view of the Napa River wetlands if you can get a home on the west side of town, but then it's a bit damp and smelly sometimes.
The Safeway store is easy in easy out and has cheapest gas for miles. That's about all I can say.
From michael, covington, ky I have lived in many parts of the country and now currently reside in Cincinnati (Kentucky side). In addition to this article not mentioning Cincinnati, it failed to mention Covington, Paducah, Louisville, Lexington or Bowling Green as great start up towns. All of these town are gorgeous with thriving colleges and industry. You obviously didn't do your research.
From Laurie, KC MO My husband & I started a small wholesale sales business in Salt Lake City, and did moderately well. SLC is predominantly Latter Day Saint & we weren't, but being non-smokers who didn't drink, and were tolerant of other faiths to a fault we thought we'd get along fine with the general populace. We were wrong.
We noticed that in business and socially the first question we were apt to hear is "Are you L.D.S.?", meaning, "Are you Latter Day Saint?". We have ample reason to believe that not being members of the church hurt us.
SLC is great if you are LDS,but occasionally socially & professionally toxic if you are not. If you love the outdoor sports such as fishing, skiing, snowboarding, rock or ice climbing, hunting etc., Utah is for you. It's a physically breathtaking state, and there's lots to do outside. As for the arts, Sundance is okay, & there is the odd art or cultural fair, but more often tha not, I found more culture in the yogurt in my fridge, than out and about in SLC. And on Sundays, everything is CLOSED. Not much fun there.
From blacksburg VA Blacksburg Va, is nice but they need to open up more jobs for people and small business / contractors here that need work… And I mean new business with spinish worker , It seens that its a very tight nit clan and new comers are not to welcome in the construction world and are business has sufferd greatly here.. Andrea
From Troy Holden- Portland, TN Nashville is a great place as is the surrounding towns to launch. I have launched three facilities in the area for different companies as their General Manager and all three are prospering today, the latest in growth due to diverse automotive ties and not laying it all out at Nissan which seems to be hurting some of the suppliers now (having all your eggs in one basket so to speak). The beauty of the area is ability to reach other areas in a rush. Only a few hours from so many major cities and access to so much is a plus.
The smaller towns surrounding provide a great labor force and having worked with the State and local governments on these 3 start-ups I can say to anyone thinlking of coming here be prepared to know what hospitality truly is. The state, county, city all are knowledgeable and cooperative and will actully make you feel WELCOME versus making you feel you have to earn the right to be here.
Tennessee is a great choice…
From Phoenix, AZ Conservatives appreciate people for who they are? I didn't know tolerance was a Liberal/Conservative issue. Usually people just don't like people who are different from them regardless of what they are.
From Spokane, Wa Your comment on Spokane, Wa. having grey days is not all that true. You make it sound like it is grey all the time. We have sunny days all the time, especially in the summer, fall and spring. The summers are dry and we have beautiful evenings with no bugs.
From Gina Folsom CA I currently live in Folsom, CA and have lived throughout the US, as well as Germany and Mexico.
Folsom is my favorite place that I have lived.
The article forgot to mention that Folsom is near many excellent hospitals (University of California, Davis /Mercy/ Kaiser and Sutter).
In addition, there are 2 beautiful lakes in Folsom for sailing, fishing, and canoeing.
From JOEL, LEHIGH VALLEY, PA Bethlehem, PA and the Lehigh Valley is an excellent overall choice for living/working, but is an acquired taste. It still retains much of its "steel-town" roots (read: "blue collar") but it has excellent access to transportation with the interstate cutting through it (and limited traffic congestion) and a great regional airport that has direct flights to some major cities. Taxes (property and county) are not cheap but housing is relatively affordable when compared to neighboring NJ & Philly suburbs. If you love rural, rolling hills and their associated recreation, then the outskirts will satisfy just about every craving (as will most of PA – which is just a beautiful state). If you're looking for a culturally diverse, quasi-metropolitan influence -then it's not going to be your bag.
From Anonymous I don't know much about Boise. Montana is good for vacation. Wyoming is nice up north. Depending on what your hobbies are and if you feel comfortable with friendly people. I also liked Dewitt Mi. Family and community oriented. Education is important there and the schools seemed really good. Texas has a lot of friendly people too. Salt Lake is not just ok if you are a Mormon. I am not from here only have lived here for 3 1/2 years. It has been tough as an LDS person from somewhere else to get use to being hated so much. I don't understand the division. Where I grew up we all from every religion spent lots of time together and were close. The first year I moved here I was yelled at cursed at threatened and at one job the women locked me out and would not let me in to work. They were in their 40's. I am not angry at them I just wonder what happened to them that they hate LDS people so much. I am so sorry if someone has hurt or offended you here because I know what it is like to be an outsider.
From Burt, Philadelphia PA Radnor PA? Are you kidding- have you seen the traffic & taxes in this area. This is the definition of Suburban congestion.
I truly doubt this should be on the list.
From Virginia Beach, Va Virginia Beach is not a nice place to live, property and city taxes are very high. Crime is very high, police are not very responsive. Seems like every other minute emergency services vehicles are screeming buy with sirens whailing It is also expensive to live here. The one redeeming factor; the weather, the weather is great. The ground is also not very tenable, its a hard slimy clay, good black dirt cannot be found. Personally, I cannot wait to move back to Michigan or Florida.
From Marc Manchester NH Manchester, NH should be higher than 13th oon this list. Great schools, low crime and lots of activities. Love me some Manch-Vegas!
From Bill in Cedar Rapids At Ames, Iowa, you can live next to one of the most beautiful university campuses in America, the 2,000-acre campus of Iowa State. The Iowa State Center is a beautiful complex of cultural and athletic facilities. A growing biotech business park abuts the campus. Main Street Ames is a thriving shopping district. Good restaurants abound. Business and industry is growing. It's a great place to live and raise a family, in part of the Ames/Des Moines metro area.
From Madison, Wisconsin I lived in the Madison area for 35 years after living outside Chicago for five years. It is a beautiful city whose natives are very friendly and very intelligent! The city however, has gone through a change where it is no longer safe to walk the famous State Street alone or even with one other person. Madison has a great police chief and force however the influx of down and out folks has changed this city forever. I would no longer encourage any student to come to the University due to the rising crime rate in the city and near campus!
From Andrew, Gainesville Florida Gainesville, Florida is a great place to live. The community is close nit and very accepting of new comers. I moved there on a whim 12 Years ago and hope I never have to relocate. The reviewer wrote that the lack of Airport was a big draw back. He must not have flown into Gainesville Regional Airport(GNV) which has jet service to Atlanta, Charlotte and many other locations.
For a small town Gainesville has some real big city flare, a thriving nightlife, and the community that includes all and rejects little. Heck, if you want your only 10 Miles from one of the best Drag Strips in the country.
Anyway, if you're thinking about moving here, great. Just don't forget your Orange and Blue…Go Gators!!!
From Anonymous Santa Monica is really great. Fun! Fun! Fun! But super expensive. Venice is really nice too as long as you are west of Lincoln Boulevard. Become a Venetian!!!!
From Anonymous The only good thing about San Antonio is the Riverwalk. Once you've done it once…the only other good thing is leaving.
From Randall Duck, Winston-Salem NC I used to live in Asheville, NC and the pollution there is extremely bad. Asheville is a valley and traps pollution that floats in from midwestern factories. In Winter, every tree on every mountain looses is leaves and it is very dead brown and depressing. It is beautiful in Summer. With a population of 70,000 it has grown only by 10,000 since 1960. That should tell you something.
From Eric, Virginia Beach I disagree with Virginia Beach. Property Taxes are high, the beach government does not care about the navy( Oceana on BRAC list, Carrier going to mayport). City like many has a huge deficit but continues to invest in contractor projects(town Center??)
From linda, hicksville, ny I agree, Timmeh!
From Ashley, Billings, Mt I have lived in Billings, Montana for 5 years now moving from the South. I think the biggest problems in moving to any new area is the climate and the people in the area. Billings gets cold compared to the south so that was hard to adjust to. I never seen a door freeze shut before where it takes a blow-dryer and some heavy pulling to get open, lol. The people have slightly different mannerisms, attitudes, and humors than those in the south. It has taken some getting use to and learning how to adjust. I miss where I grew up but overall happy with the change, I do miss the night life the east has (if you don't dig country music you don't have much options).
From Chris, Atlanta, GA I'd love to move to the Sarasota, FL area, but at #90 on the list I just don't see it. Maybe I can buck the trend? Oh, and the same goes for Charleston, SC. Two amazing cities that make me wonder why people aren't fighting to get there.
From p Cedor Rockwall TX If Rockwall Texas isn't in the top 25 on this list then you have no idea what you are talking about.
From Catherine, San Jose, Ca We moved to San Jose from S.F. for the high schools, expecting to leave when the kids finished school. My kids are ready to fly the coop but are hooked on staying in San Jose and so are we. The very diversified population (1/3 white, 1/3 Asian and 1/3 Hispanic are unified behind the Sharks hockey team, genuine friendliness and mutual respect. Downtown square has events from electric cars to blues and Latino dancing. People can dress up or down, young and old, everyone returns a smile or a kind word. From the Tech museum to the yearly car races where city streets are closed, San Jose has something for everyone. Although designated a "green city" you aren't sniffed at for driving an SUV or eating meat. Perfect weather and attitude.
From Eric, Colorado Springs, CO I spent most of my life living in Bradenton/Sarasota area. That area is not and will not weather this depression well. Beautiful beaches/tourism and education is all Florida has. I had to sell my home in Bradenton, value dropped from $295K to $125K. Property taxes more than make up for having no state income tax. Florida is NOT the place to start a business, not the place for young working professionals like myself. Many professionals with college degrees work in restaurants/ service industry.
Having relocated back to Colorado Springs, am doing much better now. Have a great job/ career, things can only go upward.
Perhaps in 40 years (if I'm so fortunate to live so long) I'll relocate to Bradenton/ Sarasota. I'm sure the area will have been improved.
From Anne, So. Portland, ME Local Mainers actually refer to the two seasons as Winter & the Fourth of July. August is not considered on it's own.
From Rosalyn – Stafford, TX I live in Stafford, TX – Go Stafford!
From Anonymous, Bend, OR I've lived in Bend, OR ever since I moved here with my family in 1999. It's a cool city with a wealth of outdoor activities, but the city council here is bent more on expanding our failing real estate market, which is the most overpriced anywhere in the nation. Traffic is far worse than it used to be, many of the high-end restaurants Bend is famous for are closing and being replaced by more commercial low-end restaurants, and few jobs are available for anyone, even those who're high-skilled and experienced. Plus it has a large year-round tourist/out-of-state population, even during the winter. I don't recommend anybody move here right now. In fact, I expect to be leaving here within a year.
From Rick – Bellevue Wa. SYRACUSE- Syracuse's best years are ahead of it – it has a wonderful old history – much of the city has been renovated, it is smack dab in the middle of everything to do in the East – 3 hours from everything .. Montreal, TOronto, D.C. NYC etc. It is the only place in the US worth living where you can buy a home with your credit card .. Syracuse U has fantastic academics and sports – the weather is probably the worst in the US ..
From Nigel I think where I live; Portland,Oregon is the best places I have ever ever lived. Albuquerque,Fairbanks,Ak Fayetteville, Ark,Denver, Houston, San Antonio,Seattle/Tacoma Las Vegas, Los Angles area and northern Florida. I will be moving back to Fayetteville, Arkansas where my aging parents reside. I promised myself when I graduated in 1981 I would never return. It belongs to a religiously oppressive state although it has dramatically grown and changed. The christians may be tolerant as they gossip behind your back but they will pray for you and that is a good thing isn't it? Besides I realize change comes in as little as one person. So lookout Fay-Town I'll be back!
From Timmeh boy there are a lot of anti-religious haters here. I keep reading that a lot of cities are great – except for the Christian zealots. I'm sure there aren't as many – In your face militant Christians as we're led to believe. Just that the people who don't like religion, find anyone who practices it as militant or in your face. They're the intolerant ones. I beg to say that the locations that have a religious presence are much more tolerant and peaceful than the actual militant liberal and blue cities that are going down the drains.
From Omaha, NE Closed minded conservative people? Liberals are much more close minded than conservatives. They don't like your opinion, unless of course, it meshes with theirs. You're another hater (liberal buzz word) of those who aren't shallow minded like yourself. You all center your beliefs on race, gender as well as other top-level indicators. Conservatives do appreciate people for who they are. If you're white or black and a dirtbag, you're a dirtbag. If you're white or black and a decent person, as a conservative, you're a-okay with me. Omaha is a very conservative city, but this closed-minded bunk that comes from liberals is an insult. But that's typical of liberals. It's a good city to raise your kids. Not exciting, but a good city with very friendly, conservative people. The libs are a little kooky, as seen here with the enlightened Kate.
From Tanu, Raleigh, NC We recently moved to Raleigh from Philadelphia, easily the worst decision of the year, maybe the decade.
I strongly advise against anyone coming to this lifeless city.
From Jack Greco, Canandaigua NY Rochester benefits from the high technology core of Kodak, Xerox, Bausch & Lomb, University of Rochester, RIT and Gleason Works as well as a multitude of small, start-up clusters in imaging, diagnostics, MEMS, medical devices and materials science. Seed capital is available for good opportunities and local talent levels are strong.
From Frank Lehnerz, Laramie WY Cheyenne is not as isolated as the article states. How could a city on the intersection of two major interstates (80 and 25) and a major railroad (The Union Pacific). It also sits about 30 miles from the booming Front Range, and is 100 miles from Denver. Colorado State University, University of Northern Colorado and the University of Wyoming all sit within under an hour. Not to mention, Ft. Collins, only a half hour away is on the list too.
From Tim, Charlottesville VA Leesburg is full of self righteous, sanctimonious bastards. It is a little town that thinks more of itself than the outside world does. The old town is real nice, but the rest of it is a nightmare. The Civil War battlefield you talk about is Balls Bluff and most of it was paved over years ago. There is just a small section left along with the National Cemetery. Gridlock wasn't invented here but they sure have it perfected. Roads are horribly marked. Hate it.
From Anonymous Winters are long and painfull for business here.
From rowdy, NKC missouri I live in KC and have two small businesses here. The only thing good about KC is its cheap to live in and its airport is quick and easy to get out of town. We are the king of cheap and the queen of tire kickers. What a hick town we are. If it wasnt for travel to real cities my business's would be out of business.
From Mel Omaha, Ne That is crazy talk. Two restaurants? Are you serious? Omaha has fabulous places to eat everywhere, everything from casual to fine dining, ethnic to American. This city has direct access to the best steaks in the world! Omaha has a variety of entertainment as well with a number of performing arts venues, local live music venues, not to mention holding one of the top concert venues in the world with the Qwest Center. This person clearly doesn't know Omaha.
From Corpus Christi, TX Corpus Christi is great !
From John Sacramento, CA American Canyon? Sounds so bucolic, "southern entrance to Napa"? Why not mention the very ugly commute that can be found any afternoon in any town that depends on Hwy 37 as an escape route.
From Wade, Oro Valley, AZ We moved from SoCal to Oro Valley, AZ in the spring of 2007. It deserves these accolades. It feels like country in that there is space, good people and local government, yet is close the metropolitan Tucson, U of A, Airport and hundreds of good restaurants. Healthy people as well. Great air quality and a sense of community prevails.
From Asha, Atlanta, GA. I don't understand how Orlando made the list. I lived there for almost 17 years and it was terrible as far as business climate and they only decent thing there is that weekends can be fun if your loaded and can afford to spend hundreds of dollars Friday and Saturday. No decent museums, or galleries. Moved to Atlanta not much better. I wish I could withstand the cold would move back to Boston. I miss home!
From C. Powell, Colorado Springs, Co Colorado Springs– With Neo's bias [May 13] a lot of room may be needed in the rest of the country. I suspect the many fine churches here are also a turnoff. I have lived here 22 years and love every minute of it.
From Andy They only list two cities in FL? Doral and Gainesville? One is largely ethnic and the other is a boring and sleepy college town with a lot of drinking and is in the middle of the state where an ocean isn't close by. Boring. They should investigate more FL cities along the coasts. FL has the nice weather when the rest of the country is freezing to death for months. That should bring more businesses down here.
From Babaganush, Plaisnboro NJ No. 52, Plainsboro, NJ,is not a good pace to launch a business, but it does have great schools. The area has a large conservative Indian/Asian demographic, upwards of 50%. Many of them do not participate in mainstream culture and buy contemporary clothes or eat at new restaurants.
From M, Kansas City How did Kansas City make this list? Who paid you? This is one of the most boring places to live. Unfortunately I've lived here all my life, done everything and now there's nothing new to do. If you come from a small town and have nothing to compare it to, sure it's good. The housing is overpriced, the public school system is ridiculous, and public transportation is atrocious. And don't let me get started on the sports franchises–another joke.
Again, how did KC make this list.
From s.mersereau, dsm, ia I have lived in 5 states – CA, TX, LA, GA, IN. I LOVE Des Moines and all of the surrounding areas including West Des Moines. Moved back here to have access to anywhere in 15 minutes. I've lived in bigger cities. Des Moines metro is over 500,000. In the bigger cities, you may think you'll go to all the free activities but when you have to drive forever and sit in traffic, you don't go. Here, it's the best of both worlds. Great live theatre, wonderful one-owner restaurants, great shopping, concerts, children's activities. We're in a recession but it hasn't hurt Des Moines as hard as other cities. Come find out for yourself.
From C.S. Tumwater, wa just a clarification on comments below.. Chuck S. Tumwater, WA…
I have no 'fiends' in state govnrnment.. they are indeed 'FRIENDS'
.. no 'pun' was intended..
From Chuck S. Tumwater, WA Statements by 'sara' from Olympia (Nov 25) are unfounded. Olympia's business failure rate is less than 1/2 the national average. The business resources here are better than anywhere else in the NW, including King Co (Seattle).. I have close personal fiends at high levels of state govrnment that tell me less than a 7% cut back in state labor force could be expected thru fall '09.. Maybe that was just a 'rumur' that sara heard..?
From Chuck S. Tumwater, WA I have operated a service co. in Olympia, WA for the past 20 years and have found it to be very beneficial to be in a government 'hub'.. The economy here does not fluctuate as much as the rest of the state..
From max franks west des moines iowa i think ames, iowa city, and west des moines are the best choices.
From soulnspiritjazz,asheville,nc Asheville has complete change into a nice metro town. It continues to develop by adding restaurants, stores, and etc. It does have draw backs such as the real state market. Taxes are 6.75%. Small business are favored here. Downtown offers alot of entertainment. I am opening a jazz supper club in a few months.
From Ruth Neely, Mount Holly, NC We flew in and out of Spokane for vacation at Glacier. We spent 2 days at the end of the trip exploring Spokane and we were delighted! We found a great, walkable downtown, wineries, musuem's (The MAC was wonderful!) excellent variety of resturants and more!
From Sunshine, Dallas, TX What about Malibu? Santa Monica? La Jolla? South Florida? Hawaii?
From peter wyckoff, Louisville,co I live in louisville,co. we moved our business from Boulder, co to louisville because Boulder was to expense for our manufacturing facility. Boulder(thirty square miles surrounded by reality). Louisville-great schools,no crime,close to Denver,affordable housing. do I need to say more.
From Hoyte Phifer, Jr. I have lived in Greensboro for 56 years and I can truly say Greensboro is a sleeping GIANT. I feel good about where the city is headed. It is basically a people friendly city where change is on the increase. Join us!
From Anonymous no way….racial tension high intellegence low in DOVER DE
From sara, oly wa the biggest drawback to olympia, wa is high cost of living?? you must be joking. high business failure rates, provincial attitude, state govt. teetering on the edge of laying off 1/4 of the work force, suckzoid weather, provincial attitude, small-town backstabbing rumor-mongering, oh, and did i mention provincial attitude?
bleah. i don't have a choice but to be here. i wouldn't start a failure doomed business!
From R.N. Kirkeby, Shelton, CT High cost of living, business and state income taxes high. Home values inflated due to being in NYC area
From Michael Dean, Fargo ND "ve lived in Fargo North Dakota for 9 years now. I moved here 1999 and loved it so much I bought my first house here. Coming from Colorado Springs where I could never afford more than an apartment I found the coswt of living here to be equal to if not below the wage scale here. Thi allowed me to finally grow. THe winters are long but bearable if you're a Polar Bear. But I love it here none the less
From annoymous, worcester,ma Worcester is starting to re-do everything and it is begining to look nice. But there are stil some places like south main and some parts off of park ave that definitely need work. Plus once you get into worcester you basically get sucked in and never move out. You can also notice how worcester is starting to become a lot more like boston just way more affordable. Its give or take sometimes you love it and other times you can't stand it.
From Cheryl Kaysen, Naperville, IL As a resident of Naperville, the city needs to stop building and get back to the "small town" feel again… the traffic conditions will be a factor on our leaving the city. It has more than doubled in the last 10 years.
From Keli-St. Petersburg, FL I lived on the Hill above Folsom actually looking down over it for a year and a half, I absolutely think Folsom is nothing special, nor even worth stopping at on a road trip. I have NO idea why it's on this list!
From CJM I moved to Winston-Salem a year ago and I love it. i think it a great little city with a thriving art scene, and about everything you could want. Friendly people, affordable housing. the onyl thing that concerns me, which is a little contrary to this report is the rising unemployement rate. while the biotech, medical and other professional fields seem to be okay, the closing of local factories (Hanesbrand, RJ Reynolds and other manufacturing in the area) has increased the unemployement rate quite a bit recently. But overall it is a great place to live.
From Mike, Savannah, Ga It's pretty interesting to see what people see in different locations. Some hate, some love it. I prefer a milder climate, coastal, and green. As for crime, it seems to be pretty widespread, except for maybe Iowa. But I'll take my chances on getting mugged. So all of you folks that love it in Michigan, New York, and other northern climes, please…Stay There!
I also prefer lighter traffic.
From Pat, Cleveland, Ohio Thanks for the respond, I plan on moving soon. What is the third city in the triad.
From Peggy & Brad Maunsell We live in Colchester and we love it.
From natalie,omaha ne I've lived here in Omaha, NE all my life and LOVE it. I will never move. I've traveled all over the place but I'm always happy to come back home.
From J Simon San Antonio, Texas San Antonio, best place to live. Not really. We have been here for 8 years and can't wait to leave. Highest County taxes (compare to the west coast). Crooked and corrupt city government, High crime rate. Mexican Mafia. Murders daily, home invasions, 98% from Mexico, very dirty. Schools have highest drop out rate in the nation. Gang violence evident in all areas. Few sidewalks, little community exercise, no place to ride bikes, hit and runs daily.
Good: Home prices are very reasonable, great style. People are nice. Lots of culture.
From JK, Carlsbad, CA You all can stay where you are… just don't come to Carlsbad, CA. Ever. Please… stay away.
From machester nh sucks so anti business its unbealible .small town politics. very curuped!!!!!!
From AlentheGreat, Redmond, OR I lived in Montana too. Sucked!!! Not as bad as Boise/Nampa, where if you're dumb enough to move there, it'll take years to save enough money to leave. Salt Lake is OK if you're a mormon, but I am not. I liked the Carolina's, but I think Oregon is the best, as long as you stay out of the Willamette Valley (Bend is very nice, but it is pretty cold in the winter.)
From Craig, Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh is one of the best places in
America. People are #1. Lived in Seattle
which was outstanding, only negatives are the cost of living and the weather.
Charlotte has great weather and the only
downside is all the historical structures have been torn down, but Charleston SC is close enough if you need a dose of history.
From Dale Stinson Vinterhaller, Denver CO The dirty little secret about Salt Lake City is the out-of-control regulation, licensing, and multitude of ridiculous fees and other business-sapping minutia that are required seemingly to breathe air in Utah. I have never seen anything like it in my free American life.
What makes it exponentially worse are the endless recurring fines and penalties that one is hit with if you happen to miss any of the billion strands of this choking spider-web of regulation and government involvement.
Enter at your own risk; have your attorneys do extensive research before moving here, the cost of the legal hours will be far exceeded in prevention.
From Valerie, Winston-Salem, NC I'm so proud of the great progress made by Winston-Salem, especially the downtown area, over the past 15 years. Organizations like the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership have made the city such a great place to live, work, and play!
The article also mentions that there are so many various sources of funding, which is so true. There are so many foundations in the local area that are willing to take a risk on a good business plan, so come join us here in Winston-Salem!
From S.F. (Mac) McCormack WINSTON-SALEM is a great place to start a business! Greensboro (#50) is only 20 miles east which will allow this area (aka "Triad") to grow…. FedEx will open a major facility (1 million sq ft+) in 2010 right in the middle of the Triad.
Great public schools, low taxes, low crime, arts, great home values, NO TRAFFIC, colleges and sports year round….
Come join us!
From toepoejeejoe Bendover Oregon Bend Oregon
I Can't wait to get out of here!!
From P. King Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis City Council needs to get friendlier. I have two start-ups, one restaurant the other a an auto-repair shop, near my home. The City constantly harassed both of them, regarding various issues, and still is in the case of the auto-repair shop, during start up to the point that both of them just about gave up the process. The auto-repair shop is owned by an immigrant who didn't ask for a dime from the City, State or any other sort of hand out. He is the model immigrant who just wants his fair chance and I now will only take my car to him as I find him so completely fair! He's just the kind of business Mpls should want, and they constantly harass him about parking. You see, the problem is he's too busy because he does too nice a job and the meager parking area they approved for him is too small! Way to make him feel welcome Minneapolis!
From Jonathan Kovens, Cedar Hill, TX I have lived in Owings Mills before and i still have family who lives there. If you want your kids to grow up drug free and not spoiled then stay far away from OM. My high school graduating class had at least 85% using drugs and alcahol on a constant basis. I had a teacher who used to get hi in the parking lot and shoot up in her office. DEFFINENTLY NOT ONE OF THE 100 BEST PLACES TO LIVE!!!
From Anonymous Yes, Ilived there, and I appreciate your comments.
From Marissa, Fallbrook, CA Um, I think that is a horrible over statement. Maybe the natives are unfriendly and the weather sucks on the western side of the state (Seattle/Tacoma), but not in central or eastern washington. I grew up there, and moved to California in high school. Talk about unfriendly locals! Spokane, WA is a great place with great people. If you don't like winter, it may no be for you since the winter season is long. However, the spring, summer, and fall are fantastic!
From James Highland, Il Lemay, Mo? Is that the Lemay next to St. Louis, MO? Ya right. The whole St. Louis area including Lemay is a joke. There are more people and businesses running the coming. I guess if the businesses get in here quick they will have a huge pool of people to pick from at cheap rates with all the businesses closing and leaving town.
From Carlos McCauley, Palm Bay, FL I grew up in Owings Mills. I left nearly 30 years ago. The Mall was not yet built. And true, the picture is not what Owings Mills looks like now, but was probably taken near the Sagamore Farm, in Worhtington Valley, or Green Spring Valley, were the rich folks live. All my childhood friends have moved from Owings Mills to Westminster or Hampstead, or to downtown Baltimore. It seems to me, if you want anything, you will probably have to drive there to get it, unless you choose Chartley, Country Club Estates or Cherry Valley (these names might have changed in the intervening years).
I am surprised to see it make CNN's top 100 places to live.
From Bethany P. I agree 100% with Helen S. We live in Oro Valley and are raising 3 children here. We love it! great schools, we feel safe and the views from all over town are beautiful!
From John, NYC, NY Ann Arbor is a great trendy city. I live in NYC and found this to be a great and trendy city. Very clean and full of places to see!!!!
From jimmy from Minnetonka Minneapolis is pretty fabulous. Bright people generally honest except for your occasional billion dollar ponzi scheme. Agree with comment that it isn't the most friendly place for outsiders, (anyone who didn't go to Blake together).
From Sherri, Pittsburgh, PA Ha, Pittsburgh winters are not ULGY, I know first hand, I lived in Minneapolis for 2 years where winter starts in November and ends in May…yes, last year there were still piles of snow at the beginning of May. And the people are friendly and welcoming in Pittsburgh. In Minneapolis, we made no friends, no one was welcoming, they all hung out with their high school friends and didn't branch out and these are people in their 30's and 40's!!!
Pittsburgh has potential, we all need to work together though!
From tdawg, VA BEACH, va VAAA BEACHH SONNNN
come check it out when you get a chance
From Jeff, Syracuse, NY Syracuse is a DUMP! I live there, if you want to live in a place full of segregation where the Chancellor of the University bullies city planners to finish her bidding than I am sure you would love it. Let's not forget about the growing crime rate. THERE is no commerce here and downtown is starting to turn into a ghost town. This piece is not honest, they are hoping that some idiot will read it and move on in.
From Mike, Eugene, OR Eugene is a liberal hell-hole. For a place with a university (even if 2nd rate) you would think the average intelligence would be a little higher. Anti-business climate and a degree of stifling self-importance ice the cake (which is damp, very damp).
From Chiquita, Boise, ID I live in Boise, and while I do love it here, the pay scale is the pits! It is practically unliveable to work F/T for the State of Idaho and own a house here. I agree that there are many advantages to Idaho, but fair wages aren't among them.
From Johnny Thief Savannah is the worst place I've ever lived in forty years. It's so racist, you could signs over water fountains tomorrow & have full on segregation. Crime is rampant & worse than NYC per capita. Yes, it's beautiful, & draws lots of out of towners, but once they're here, the attitude is 'Go home, damned Yankee'. They fight change in this city with the same dedication that Olympic athletes train for greatness.
The Creative Coast should be sued for fraud, nothing sticks here unless your grandfather was a civil war veteran. The best thing that could happen to it would be a class 5 hurricane,… look at what Andrew did for Miami!
From F Bauerle Richwood KY I spent 40 years of my life in Mahwah, NJ and then came to the Cincinnati area. Let me say it's a real disappointment!
F.Bauerle Boone County KY
From Anonymous Pittsburgh PA is the best town to live in WE HAVE THE STEELERS AND THE PENGUINS
From Michael, Albuquerque,NM I lived in Savannah for 2 years and loved it even though there was no Borders or Starbucks or the kind of retailing like Banana Republic that I like. But, I was getting my Masters and in historic preservation but what a place to study historic preservation. I did not find any racism there and did walk the streets at night.There is a problem with homelessness in the downtown area but hey, there are tons of cities and communities with homelessness issues.
From Buster Omaha Nebraska Omaha is a great hidden secret. While financial and economic quakes strike the coasts with regularity, by the tiem they get to the middle of the country, they have largely dissipated. The start-up community here is incredibly strong, with a major incubators and lots of talented professionals. Combine that with a well heeled population, and you have a hidden gem.
From Bill, Omaha Nebraska I lived in FLorida for 24 years, half in the Sarasota area, and half in Orlando. Sarasota is beautiful, and an idyllic spot to live. VERY retiree oriented, although moneyed retirees. Orlando, is a one-horse town not to be confused with Miami or other media-generated perceptions. If you like humidity, bugs, and apartment-like living (you hardly ever know your neighbor since they are always changing) then it's OK. No one wants to pay much because you are living the Florida life. If you have to be in Florida, go to the coasts, preferrably the West coast.
From CARRIE, MISSOULA MONTANA YES, I WOULD AGREE, MISSOULA MONTANA IS GREAT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. PLUS THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA BUSINESS SCHOOL IS ONE OF THE BEST. IT IS ABLE TO COMPETE ACROSS THE BOARD. I HAVE LIVED HERE MY ENTIRE LIFE…GREAT PLACE!!
From H. Bohlschied Gainesville FL. is a clickey little college town with dedlusions of grandure. Anti-business anti-groth stifeling regulations. Do you know what you get when you mix a small town with a bunch of academic wants to bee? Gainesville.
From Anonymous I live about 30 miles from Durham and I can tell you from experience Durham is a terrible place to live. Crime and drugs are horrible.
From Brandon Raleigh, NC There is a top school in Raleigh, it's North Carolina State University. It might not be the absolute top overall compared to our nearby rivals (Duke and UNC) but it has one of the best Engineering programs on the east coast. Raleigh is a growing town and the population changeover is so rapid due to it's large universities that the sense of community has some trouble getting traction. Launching a business here is great considering the 3 top ACC schools pumping out cheap, talented and eager workers by the thousands. Settling here is a different story in terms of community and infrastructure problems, the daily commute has become a huge issue causing location to be more of a volatile determinant of business success.
From J. Frances, Nipomo, CA. Don't go to Washington State–the natives are NOT friendly and the weather sucks!
From J. A., Lakeport, CA. Carlsbad, CA. is a wonderful place! The people are friendly, educated and polite on crowded freeways.
The promanade along the beach is great, no sand needs to get between your toes (unless you want it to do so).
The only con–pollution from L.A. sometimes drifts into S.D., even out over the ocean.
A train runs close to the ocean, that is not good since it can run right next to your home too.
I'd live there in a heart beat.
From Sam, LOWRY HILL, MINNESOTA Minneapolis (and the whole twin cities area) HAS to be the best place to live in the United States. Minneapolis has a very very stable economy and has very few problems.
Sure they're are your bad neighborhoods, but vs. every other major city, Minneapolis doesn't even come close to scrubby.
And, anybody can afford to live here, whether you make 45k a year, or 750k+. And, you can actually breath here, no smog in the twin cities!
And the Mall of America, that seals the deal.
From Minneapolis Minneapolis is may be one of America's best kept secrets. Sure its cold during the winter, but this city is awesome! Great for singles, or couples. Everyone that comes here is impressed! Great schools, no major traffice, great public transportation, sports teams, etc. What else could you want?
From Keith, Raleigh, NC I can't believe Raleigh made the list. What a hole! And the infrastructure thing…yeah, huge problem here. I work 20 mi. from my job, and it takes me an hour to get there every morning. Traffic is a huge problem. Water supplies are too small for the huge influx of homes that they have built. The job situation is meager unless you're in IT, software development, or any other tech/engineering field.
And there's no top university in Raleigh.
And the downtown renovation? Poorly managed and overly hyped. This is not a great place to live if you're single, but, arguably, is probably decent for families and married couples.
From TRAVIS, LAS CRUCES, NM I believe anyone from any of these areas should know that this is BS. I personally am from New Mexico, w/Santa Fe listed as a population of 65K(#17). This number alone is so out of whack that the whole article reaks of BS.
From Pam, Pullman, WA I live relatively near Spokane, WA. It's a great place because it is a decent sized city, but still maintains a small town feel. To me, the downside is the winter snow, and the gray skies aren't an issue at all. It's fairly sunny all year round.
From Bradley, Seoul, South Korea Iowa City
I lived there for four years. Attended school there and have moved about 40 times in my life, so far it remains at the top of the charts for me. It's clean, progressive, affluent, and host to a multitude of amenities. Whatever you want is there, and you don't have to fight traffic to get it.
Bars, restaurants, one of the best shopping malls in the country, and a top university make Iowa City a killer place to live. Oh, and the cost of living is relatively cheap when you consider the package you're getting. If I wasn't in the industry I'm in right now, I'd move back.
From Peg Hughes, Sarasota FL I have lived in Sarasota for 11 years and can honestly say that you will have a hard time finding a better or more active arts community anywhere. For a small city, Sarasota has everything from opera, to film festivals, to symphony, museums, street fares and tons of beach. I check AnythingArts.com for a calendar of the arts and am only limited by time and money… not options.
From PGHPA611 Pittsburgh PA Well, its been nearly 25 years thado It the worlds greatest industrial city was brought to its knees. The unmemployment rate at the time was 25% and ofcourse the country watched as this once proud industrial giant fell to its knees. What city do I speak of , PITTSBURGH PA. Pittsburgh continues to reinvent itself into a world class city. I have travelled all over America living in Manhattan, San Francisco , and many others but honestly I choose Pittsburgh as my home for its amazingly low cost of living, incredible universities and colleges, its art community and its world class health facilities.
From Marie, Los Angeles, California I am from a small town outside of Iowa City. I ran from the area when I was 19. I currently reside in Los Angeles and have been here for 11 years. I visit Iowa City frequently and love it! Iowa City has a very open and liberal community(very different from the rest of Iowa). In the last 10 years fabulous restaurants have opened and there is a very lively arts scene. If you can stand the subzero winters … I highly recommend it! If my husband were not in the entertainment biz, I would move back in a heartbeat!
From G,Collins Miami Fl. South Florida is great if you have money already. Not a easy place to make money. The income level of south florida is low and with large communities from other countries it is very hard to work pricing and advertising models. The communities a unique way of purchasing and way of doing business. Not a easy market out side of Tourism.
From Jimmy Mack Omaha is home to the Strategic Air Command ?
SAC was inactivated June 1, 1992.
From Timothy Johnson Have you been to Colchester? 1. We have sidewalks, and 2 we are outside the biggest city of VT.
From Timothy Johnson Although VT is mostly anti big corps, we are for the little guys thats why it would be a great place to launch a business.
From Linda, Leesburg, VA Hello, We moved here 7 years ago and this place has not stopped growing. It is very crowded & expensive.
From gregg, Missoula, Mt Missoula like montana has a lot to offer however good jobs that pay half way decent are few and far between. Cost of living is high, pay is low. The "music scene" is far from great and has gone doun hill in the past decade. Outdoor activites are dampned by long grey winters and summers are always cut short due to wildfires. Smokey summers, grey winters and most of all the WORST drivers in the US. Taxes are far from friendly and even more unfriendly to home owners and business owners. Limited liquor licenses per county closes off many oppertunities including dining and quality of life. Very unfriendly to non-local businesses and customer service is nonexistant. Located far from a major airport causes travel issues not only in the winter but all year long. Spokane and Billings are both over three hours away which are not easy drives in any weather. Try another city. Public schools are far from the national average and lacking public funding which leads to workers with little skill and therefore unhireable.
From Kevin Morgan Excelsior Springs, MO The best opportunity isn't in Kansas City proper, but about 25 miles northeast in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. Google it and you'll see.
From Marisa, New Haven, CT Does anyone ever look at the government websites public posting info on individual communities and the average and median income vs cost of living and average disposable income? Is this type of article based on no intimate or even immediate knowledge seriously a deciding factor for some? This is hardly useful. It's the opposite of informative with all sincerity it's due. Sorry CNN, I expect more from my news media, it seems like a random search on any search engine could be more useful and/or inspiring.
From Marisa, New Haven, CT Hamden, CT? Well it's not the part of Connecticut I think most lovely, artistic, historic or well even that green? Connecticut is a far-hit and far-miss state, it's breathtaking or the dilapidation over time is sad and feels criminal. Hamden is not where I would go for anything including shopping, dining or site seeing. I have noticed that it is quickly sprouting mini-malls full of insulting discount type shopping stores and chain eateries that are not typical in building a lasting community economy. If I was at all bright I might think a 24 hour venue with any creative or entertaining value would really do well here in the state where everything closes at 8pm. But hey that's just a thought from an observer living in a Connecticut Ivy League college town. What is special in Hamden, in Connecticut standards this observer sees nothing.
From Marisa, New Haven, CT I grew up in SLC, Utah and it is a visually beautiful place and it is also primarily LDS. Growing up there 15-20 years ago was rough. I moved away at age 15 to suburb of Las Vegas, NV. Guess what primarily LDS. My family generations back all from SLC and not LDS but still we have all managed and flourished most staying put in the safety of the valley the mountains provide. My cousins are beautiful well rounded young people, the education system is very progressive for those blessed with brains. Everywhere you go you can find yourself a minority or majority. Who cares! Life is about learning to live in harmony with yourself as well as others. Diversity builds character! In SLC I focused on school and my childhood passions and I was more than fine, in Vegas I was the girl that choose not to gamble or party and focused on my course of life, now in New Haven I still focus on what I am and do have rather than what I am not (no degree from Yale, no masters degree from anywhere) I more qualified than 'most' college grads at my profession because I have lengthy experience in my chosen field not just a studied knowledge of said skills. What I have found across the country universally is that if I just do what I love and try not to focus on what I am not or the negative aspects of my surroundings I am happy and successful (both in spirit and in terms of my bank account). My last visit to SLC was a nice surprise the Mormon influence is still there but it is less 'in your face' and the community not focused on religion is thriving; artists and brilliant community theater, culinary excellence all of these and more are just stronger and more vibrant! Life in SLC is more than LDS or be persecuted and to say otherwise is novice. Just like life in the Las Vegas area is more than gambling and 24 hour drinking and partying (people live and work here too, outside of Casino's! I don't honestly know a lot of job arenas that are not easier to get into if you know someone in the company or field. Is it a surprise that church goers know one another and can offer recommendations? (No I have no religious affiliations) The majority of jobs I have held I got from a friend recommending me for the position. Everything really comes down to who you know not only what you know. Hey I know no one in CT and have a great resume but I still am searching for a job near home. Where as I do know some New Yorkers and have several offers and prospects there. Go figure. I would imagine a when starting up a brand new independent company a person might look into the area in question and find what people appreciate and not saturated that one might even have a passion for. Supply and demand is true in many definitions! If a business opened it's doors in SLC the LDS would not likely boycott it unless they found it offensive in a manner in which a business owner would never want to offend the majority of population surrounding said business. Kind of basic. Be kind to your neighbors, do what you love, focus on the positive aspects in life and maybe life anywhere isn't all that bad.
From Marisa, New Haven, CT I have to agree I recently moved to the East Coast and visited Plainsboro, NJ wjen visiting a friend and his family. It is stunning and lovely. The family I stayed with had lived in the area for over 30 years and was comfortable monetarily speaking but not the obvious and obnoxious wealthy sort that are obvious in parts of the area. Still they were happy and loved the community. The children raised in the area I met were beautiful down to earth individuals. Perhaps the most amazing aspect for me was meeting people that were so welcoming and not the typical 'East Coast" snobbish type that makes up large parts of these small and varied states. I got a lot of the history of the neighbors and the neighborhood during this visit. It's a quaint and lovely place with charm and elegance but not too stuffy. This is a place I would consider living when I decide it's time to raise a family. Beautiful!
From Dan Vacaville, CA True American Canyon's downtown is not up to par but they have this little thing called San Francisco, Sacramento, Sonoma, Napa, and other beautiful areas within arm's reach. The con should be the cost of living, taxes, and commute for people to work. It's a beautiful area otherwise and people in California are willing to spend.
From Dan Vacaville, CA Yes Omaha's affordable but for businesses and residents, the taxes are high.Google is 10 minutes from Omaha but it's location is Iowa because of taxes.The politicians in Nebraska are too conservative and do not want to expand.That's why I would never return there.
From Wendy, Coral Gables FLA Are you crazy? English is a second language here. In Doral you are surrounded by some of the worst areas of Miami. It's unfortunate. You had better be bi-or trilingual (Creole) if you want to run a business of any kind here. Taxes and cost of living, including Windstorm Insurance are through the roof. Who came up with this list. This listing makes me doubt every other city mentioned. Yikes!
From Bill Richardson You must have been smoking some Chimayo product when you wrote about Santa Fe. In case you didn't realize it, the reason the population doesn't grow is that all the "new" businesses are just filling the gaps left by the many failing ones. Santa Fe is a third-world environment — a few very rich folks riding on the backs of the generally subsistence level masses. As one of my neighbors (when I lived there) said: "Everyone here has either 3 houses or 3 jobs." The social climate is just as hostile as the natural environment: allergies, stickers, and even the junipers throw "smoke" that is toxic. Santa Fe may be a great place to live there if you arrived in the 16th Century, but as for the 21st, just come with lots of money and prepare for your new "friends" to fleece you out of it. Enjoy Santa Fe — go there as a tourist, have a romantic time, and go home. But as for a business climate, just grab your ankles.
From Jonathan, Normal, Illinois Only one city in Illinois on the list, Naperville, and it may well be the wealthiest place in the state.
And I was wondering when people were going to start noticing how competitive North Dakota is.
From Oklahoma City, OK Re: Stefon in PGH – If everywhere you visited in America is a 'crap hole' as you put it, it probably is time to return to your native country as you said. You've obviously been to places that were in your comfort zone.
From Sheila Thompson, Greensburg PA. Ahhhhh…..He wasn't talking about Pittsburgh!!! State College is 2 1/2 hours away, and I heard it is a nice area to live. I live near Pittsburgh and it's at least 2 hrs from State College which is really nice there. You might as well say you live about 3 hours away from Columbus Ohio as well.
From Clark, Anchorage AK I'm suprised no location in Alaska made the list. It is one of the few states that still has a booming economy, and we still lack many of the businesses the lower 48 has to offer. Sure we have cold winters, but (Anchorage) is mild in comparison to locations in some of your Minnesota picks. With the growth of the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, I think there should be some honorable mention for Wasilla, AK.
From Morris Valentine Salt Lake City has some very nice areas, like Sugarhouse. But the air quality can be poor (worse yet in winter, when there is often a thermal inversion, bottling up smoke and exhaust near the ground), and traffic on I-15 and other major arteries is a mess. Wages are low, and have not kept up at all with rising housing costs.
My biggest complaint, however, is the stranglehold the Mormon Church has on Utah in general and Salt Lake in particular. Mormons all too often are some of the most bigoted, narrow-minded, cliqueish people I've ever met. Hiring practices can be sneakily and silently stacked against you if you're not LDS.
If you want to find out what it's like living in a theocracy and having to kow-tow to the LDS ayatollahs, try Utah and Salt Lake City. I'd much rather live in a more diverse place where people don't care what religion I belong to, but instead value me for my abilities and my character.
From jorge,Carlsbad California Carlsbad, California has one big con that you did not mention. The housing costs in Carlsbad and in the surrounding areas are very high. It is a very nice place though.
From Mike, Cincinnati OH Blue Ash ??? It's an 80's style office park surrounded by dated McMansions and 35MPH speed traps. I can think of at least 10 other Cincinnati neighborhoods that would make for a better startup location.
Much of the same could be said for Zionsville, IN as it relates to Indy.
From Anil Redford, michigan Any body has any comment for DETROIT michigan?
From Tim, Hamilton, NJ While Plainsboro is a relatively nice place to live it has — like all of New Jersey — expensive real estate and out of control property taxes. It has a highly regarded school system that it shares with neighboring West Windsor. It also has a Gestapo police force that harasses motorists. As far as a good place to start a business I disagree; there are very few small or medium sized businesses in town. No gas stations, only a few banks and just a few basic stores. The new town center will add a few more amenities but it's not the nostalgic downtown that some would have us believe. And Merrill Lynch, after a protracted legal battle with the town over disputed taxes, has relocated to Hopewell, NJ, about 15 minutes away (unless you go via Route 1 and then it's about 45 minutes.) Blackrock (of which Merrill owns half) has taken over their corporate campus and Bristol-Myers Squibb remains.
From stefon Pgh, PA have not been to many places in america that was not either a crap hole or priced so high as to keep it from becomming a crap hole..time for me to return to germany where i am from
From Bob Buxton maine sounds like a place to move with my family. what is nthe housing costs, and general cost of living?
From JG Sandy Utah We moved to SALT LAKE from Miami Florida 3 years ago. We grew up in Miami and that was all we knew. My husbands job brought us here and we took a leap of faith. What a beautiful state! The views are breathtaking and downtown is so clean! We are not LDS but we have been blessed to live in a beautiful neighborhood and have the best neighbors and friends! We do not have small children so I cant comment on the LDS vs Non-LDS children freindships. We love it here in this friendly and beautiful state and have more friends in the 3 years here than we ever had in 30+ years in Miami.
We could not have made it without our new friends and neighbors! PS… we dont ski but love the change of seasons!
From Larry Blanchard, Washington I like Bellingham. 300+ islands to get lost in. 10,000 foot plus mountain hovering over the city, sailing, scuba diving, snow skiing, waterskiing, hiking, alpine mountain climbing, University, and situated between two big cities if you need some culture. Life is good.
From Anonymous Omaha is a frozen s**thole. There are two restaurants. No sports. The people are nice.
From Anthony, Durham NC I'm glad to see Durham on the list. As someone who was raised here, I can say that I have grown more proud of my city. Sure, the doubters always look at the high crime rates, but I think there are far more positive aspects in Durham. Downtown is taking advantage of its "tobacco warehouse" personality and offers a uniqueness that no other mid-sized city has. And Duke University / Healthcare is in the planning stages of new expansion and development.I truly believe that in less than 15 years, people will see how far Durham has come.
From Bill B. Salt lake City UT Salt Lake city is a great place to live with few draw backs. One of the main ones is the environment the non mormon relocators and children of non-members move into. Mormon communities can be quite un-friendly to those that don't believe the way they do. Often not allowing their children to associate with non-memeber friends. However, as a member of the Mormon (Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints) faith, and having moved around the west and the bible belt as a child and adult, I've found that same mentality towards me from the locals in other states. Human nature to be with your own. But, it can be hard on the kids who feel lonely. Membership can have it's priviledges.
From Dan Kondor, Carson City, NV I am sorry to burst anybody's bubble about Reno Nevada. However, the fact is the cost of living, especially housing costs, has far outpaced wages. The high costs of every service, from utilities to car licensing (& insurance) far outweigh not paying state income tax.
The population tends towards high transience. Good employees are as rare as good wages. After all, the majority of jobs are in the low paying service industries.
Rush hour traffic rivals much bigger cities. Plan to spend an extra half hour just to cross town!
Gang and drug activities are comparable to many larger inner cities (per capita).
Since Reno is in the high desert, there is great concern for future water reserves. Increasing demand on this commodity often causes shortages in the summer. Plan on brown yard grass every third year. Expect a rate increase just as often.
I have never before lived in a place where so many people have drug, drinking, gambling, violence and prostitution (legal nearby) issues.
Furthermore, most area schools are below average. This is not a good place to raise a family!
I have lived and worked in northern Nevada for ten years and simply CANNOT believe anybody, particularly CNN Money, would purposely choose this area for a top 100 list. They sure didn't ask anyone I know!
From June Parr, Temecula, CA 92592 Danville, California 92596 is a wonderful place to live. I was fortunate to live there for several years and wish I was there today. If it becomes possible to relocate once more in my lifetime, it will be to Danville, CA where I still have friends. My heart may be in San Francisco, for I love the entire San Francisco, East Bay region, however, my soul still resides in Danville, CA. The sycamores, the mountains, Mt. Diablo, the shops, Mr. Lino, Cafe Esin, the surrounding communities and especially the people and friends. It's all there.
From David, Houston, Tx Salt Lake is a nice city in many ways. The people are friendly and the recreational oportunities are out of this world. There is a definite four season climate that seldom becomes severe.
My main problem is that the wages are poor and the cost of housing is ridiculous. The only way you make a good living is if you are a doctor, lawyer or you are lucky enough to work for an out-of-state firm that pays non-Utah wages. Yes the Mormons run the place but at least they care about their community. Liberal would be surprised to find out that SLC is not a cultural wasteland by any means. There are many worse places to live.
From Joe, Sterling, MA Having been born over 60 years ago in worcester, and lived in the area all but a few years of military service – it is sad to see someone dwell on the poor aspects of any city – worcester with 10 colleges, Mechanics Hall, the Hanover center, sports at the DCU center and much more present diversity at it's best – I am sure this writer will be berating NC in a short time
From Jon Osterholm, Winter Park, FL I was born in Worcester and lived in Oxford till I was 12 at which time the family moved to Florida. Daytona area. Oxford is truly small-town. Consider this the experience of someone who perhaps had idealized Central Mass. and it did not come close to the remembrances.
I managed to get back to Worcester once in 20 years. Yet I was disappointed by reports by relatives who visited there, of the condition of things. Aside from those reports I once contacted an artist who did work for the city/state. He expressed his disappointment that things seemed to be left to natural disrepair; when he was involved there it was looking promising, he reflected, but not over time, he told me.
Worcester had earned a bad reputation for a few reasons, notably a do-nothing governmental leadership for perhaps decades. I cannot say enough about how encouraged I am by the report that leadership is not leaving the old city to collapse. So, keep up the work, current gov't and business leaders!
From Max Baucus Washingto DC Billings all the crime of Detroit and make $4 an hour.
From Dick Cheney Washington DC Cheyenne Wyoming is the best. You forgot to mention there are many draft dodgers and lesbians here too. Take me and my daughter for example.
From George W. Bush Washington DC How did you pick these places–A DARTBOARD. I have been to many and they suck.
From Dr. Patrick Smith Scottsdale Arizona scottsdale Arizona is a shit hole. Dry and full of silicone.
From Neel Kumar, Sunnyvale, CA I love Iowa City. I am a graduate of U of Iowa and lived in that city for many years. But to say that Iowa City is better than SF Bay Area for startups is, well, CRAZY! Quick! How many startups can you name from Iowa City?
Silicon Valley and its surroundings continue to be a hotbed of innovation. That is something your article has completely forgotten.
From Jim Bult, Madison, Alabama Huntsville Alabama and the surrounding area is truly a great place to live. Being currently stuck in Vicksburg, Mississippi, I have some perspective on the situation. Don't forget, with Division 1A college and a minor league pro team, it's also known as "The Hockey Capital of the South"
From Dennis Harris, Toledo, Ohio GREAT places to dine!!!!!!
From Luke Hill, Billings, MT Billings is a wonderful city with a lot of things to do and great opportunity to accomplish whatever it is you need to do. Billings has great shops and attractions, with plenty of outdoor scenery. She has cold winters yes, but the low wages compared to let's say Kentucky or somewhere like that is not as low as you would think. Overall I personally think Billings is a great place to start a life and even a small business with a possibilty to become even bigger. Billings really is a city of opportunity.
From Jennifer Dorsey, Cambridge MA I was born and raised in Worcester. Growing up in the seventies and eighties, the majority of my friends parents were upper middle class individuals who worked hard and did very well for themselves and their families. Unfortunately many people have a negative perception of Worcester as a apathetic low-income town. However, if you really know Worcester, it has some of the most beautiful neighborhoods that rival any upscale area in Massachusetts with homes at 1/3 of the price. In addition, Worcester has a very well respected Art Museum, Antiquarian Society and Horticultural Society. The first Ryder Cup tournament was held at Worcester Country Club. And, most importantly, the famous yellow smiley face was created by a Worcester office employee.
From anonymous – moved from durham DURHAM HAS REAL CRIME AND GANG PROBLEM.
The police force acts impotent at times to lesser crimes (like breaking & entering, which IS a felony).
The once best schools have gone by the wayside due to gangs.
The city/county governemt (combined) has a constant host of proven corruption; and plays the RACE CARD whenever challanged.
If you're seriously thinking about this place, LOOK WAY BEYOND any "fluff" photos.
Many have left. Many are trapped.
From Anonymous Your really going to P__ O__ a lot of Bronco's with your comment. The U of I is in Moscow. Boise has Boise State.
From Sean, Worcester, MA The Boston area IS unaffordable, forcing people, like me, out west to Worcester. That doesn't mean that Worcester HAS to change. The people will come whether Worcester wants them to or not. The Worcester natives do tend to be a bit blue in collar and frame of mind, but that's changing as quickly as Worcester is. Worcester is a quickly evolving city because it wants to become world class. It is, in fact, very centrally located to other major cities, notably Providence and Worcester. And the links to those cities are growing day by day. There are plans in the works to add even more public transportation to and from Boston, and there is a movement in Worcester, started by the Sierra Club, to reopen up and revitalize Worcester's portion of the Blackstone Canal to Providence. In fact, if you are in the area, there is a Canal Fest on September 6, where you can learn all about the effort. For more information on the street festival (which will include a 75 foot long, 18 foot wide, 4500 gallon recreation of the canal), go to: http://blackstonecanal.org. For more information on the canal revitalization project, go to: http://www.freetheblackstone.org. Worcester is going prime time, and that may not suit those that like the rural seclusion of places like Indian Orchard, but for the rest of us … hold on tight and enjoy the ride!
From anthony brandt, seattle, washington I cant believe that spoke-compton was rated. I guess if the aroma of homeless people and meth-shelters is a positive thing then perfect. Venture two minutes outside of the city and you have one nice neighborhood which is the south hill which only doctors and lawyers can afford those 300K houses. Spokane sucks and never buy a car from those gypsy ass people either because they run the those cold mean and cruel streets of shitstownville.
From Ann Arbor, Virginia Beach, VA Virginia Beach should be rated much higher than 14th as there is so much more potential here than one could ever imagine.
From John, New York, New York Hold your nose? maybe you haven't been in a few years. I visit Savannah frequently and think it is one of the most beautiful cities in this country and haven't had trouble with the pollution/smell in years.
From Carole Vay, Beaverton, OR I have lived all over the United States, and traveled to almost every state, and Montana is the best place to live, have fun, and enjoy people. I now live in Oregon, big mistake – I am in the process of living Oregon and going back to Montana.
From Anonymous nashville in an incredible place to live. great food, atmosphere, overall just a great place.
From Rick McKeever, Rochester NY Please… who writes this stuff???
I want to move to Asheville to escape the Hell called New York. I have visited Asheville numerous times. While I do agree that the area is culturally rich, it really is a retirement area for the very rich coming in from Florida and the North, who incidentally are displacing many people who can no longer afford to live there. Unfortunately, I need to find good work for several years and I don't believe there is much to attract a professional workforce, other than medical and hospitality services for the rich folks. Are you sure you didn't get Asheville confused with the eastern part of N.C.?
From Sioux Falls, South Dakota Fargo, ND, you've GOT to be kidding!!!! Have any of you ever BEEN to Fargo, or the midwest for that fact. There are more cows than people. You mention only 250 miles to larger communities.. ah, yes with nothing else between the two (literally) but prairie grass, farm land and cows. I wouldn't think that would be the ideal place for a new business that needs to thrive (unless you're a computer programmer).
From Chris, State College, PA State College is a great community for business, but also for family. I moved here from San Francisco to marry and start a family, and I have no regrets. There is vibrant culture for a community of this size, and access to nature spots is very good. It is pretty accessible to most major cities, and the weather is a bit warmer in winter and cooler in summer than the major eastern metros. All in all, it may lack some of the sizzle, but it's one heck of a great steak.
From Duane Pellman Pittsburgh, Pa I think you are being alittle to generous putting Pittsburgh in the top 100. Pittsburgh is now the 59th largest city even below Wichita, KS and the population continues to decline. The politics is standing in the way of any turnaround along with the union issues. Please let me know what I am missing since at this point I am still a resident of Pittsburgh, Pa
From Greg from Novato, CA Novato does not have very good high schools and also not many good restaurants in comparison to the nearby cities
From Donna, Indian Orchard, Mass Worcester, Mass. is making strides to change, that's true, but it has to because Boston is so unaffordable. Boston has a housing shortage which is forcing people to move farther and farther out just to be able to afford living expenses.
There are many parks and great Colleges/Universities in Worcester but the locals still have a "small town" mentality. Many have never been outside of Worcester, never-less outside of Mass. There's very little for teens to do and downtown closes early. It's not a night-life friendly place. Even the restaurants downtown close early. The school system here also leaves much to be desired. Unless you can afford private school, it is not a place for children. (talking from experience with my son starting school there)
Moving from Texas, I lived there for 12 years while working in Boston and attending college. The transportation system is great. You can get anywhere in the city and easily to Boston. But the culture there is typical New England close-mindedness to change. If you don't mind working somewhere else and continuing to pay for the big dig in your taxes year after year, you may enjoy it. Being centrally located in New England, in a couple of hours you can be in any of the surrounding states.
From John R., Buffalo, NY Rochester NY is quite a letdown. High crime, corrupt politicians, and poor business.
**HOWEVER, if you invest your business in the suburbs of Rochester (such as Penfield, Fairport, Pittsford, and Perinton) your business should perform quite well! In the suburbs, you have that small town atmosphere which presents much potential! People here like to support the local businesses! If you come here, we have a ratings system by the people where they rate their favorite type of business (such as favorite burger restaurant, favorite auto parts, favorite salon, services, you get the picture). When the newspaper releases the polling results, you will come to find that local business beat out nation wide business giants in the pleasing of customers. With median house prices from 150k to 200k and people making steady incomes (50k-100k), people are majorily financially stable. Crime is never a problem, we get our occasional 100 degree days, but the weather is just plain comfortable. No worries of hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, winters never produce large, earth shattering threats. In conclusion, Rochester's suburbs are certainly places to consider.
From John, Ann Arbor, MI Ann Arbor is a great city, although its expenisve to live in, matched with rather low wages and a struggling economy. there are a few surrounding towns that are more affordable, probably worth the commute if you work in ann arbor. Overall its an energetic, safe, fun and awesome city
From Donna, NY Northport is really nice…very scenic. The people are lovely, too. It's got that small town feel in a suburban setting.
From Anne, Fargo, ND I have lived in Fargo, ND for the past seven years and I love it! It is not too big and not too small. It's just about perfect. And believe me, you get used to the winters.
From Raul, Shakopee, MN I have lived in the Twin Cities for 7 years already, and every year it gets better. Minneapolis is a city that has been growing in a very balanced way, and you can plan long term if you want to own a business there. Taxes are not that bad, considering the great infrastructure that exists.
From Jeff Yarbrough, Richmond, VA San Jose has to be one of the safest big cities in the U.S., it also has some very beautiful areas to live such as Saratoga and Los Gatos. One of the best kept secrets in the U.S.
From cindy, Sarasota, FL I agree! Venice and North Port are even worse! Get out now!
From Cindy, Sarasota, FL Are you an American or foreigner living in Ann Arbor?? It's been ruined!
From Sean, Worcester, MA I grew up on the 128 Belt in the Boston area, and I moved out here to Worcester a few years ago. I've got a gorgeous condo in a beautiful old three decker. The price I paid even then, before the housing market crunch, still can't buy me half the size anywhere in the 495 belt area. I've got wood floors, original wooden fixtures and pillars, three bedrooms … my condo is wonderful. I live right on Vernon Hill, in just about the center of the city. In the middle of the night, I can hear a pin drop. The city has poured untold amounts of money into revitalizing Worcester. Last year they redid my street and my sidewalks. Highway projects have finished, and they are putting in trees and shrubs and grromed lawns in place of construction vehicles. Worcester has numerous trails available in the numerous green areas throughout Worcester, and Worcester is working hard to make people more aware of this great treasure. Worcester is also working hard to create bike paths and urban walking trails. Run-down areas are quickly giving way to new construction. The Worcester Tornadoes are a baseball team that is enjoyable to watch and really affordable to see in person. The Hanover Theater is finished, and it is spectacular. The train station has been renovated, and it is dazzling, like the new courthouse is. The Independence Day celebration at East Park every July 3 — with the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra playing live in accompaniment with a spectacular fireworks display — is far more enjoyable than any of the displays I've been to on the Charles in Boston. Heck, the lieutenant governor is the former mayor of Worcester, and he is heavily vested in its revitalization! There's only one thing keeping Worcester from becoming a world-class city, and that's naysayers like those that have misrepresented Worcester on this comments board. Worcester just needs people and businesses to believe in it. This summer, spend a day in Worcester. Visit the numerous museums … the art museums, the Higgins Armory Museum, the Ecotarium, and others. Go to some of the best restaurants around, like Racha Thai. Hit the many parks and trails. Worcester has an incredible amount to offer if you are brave enough and smart enough to shake off a very outdated stereotype. Like I said, spend a day here this summer. You won't be disappointed.
From SL, San Antonio, TX I recently moved to San Antonio and I am SO glad to see it on your list…even at #34. I have lived in many places, spread out all over the US and was glad to find comfort and good cost of living in a warm, southern climate.
From Bellingham,WA I have lived in Bellingham, WA off and on for 25 years. The last couple of years the weather has done a huge downturn. It has always been a rainy and gloomy climate, but you could count on summer, but last summer and so far this summer, rarely are their sunny days that even reach 70 and because of the wind from the ocean it is always chilly. Bellingham is great if you like to stay indoors alot. Wages are poor and jobs are scarce.
From Yvonne Bentley, Fort Lauderdale, FL Response to Joe Black, March 26:
Your criteria list is flawed. Low housing cost & low cost of living (#4) does not go with educated & skilled workforce (#5). When you have an educated and skilled workforce, you have employees in more professional and business (even clerical/office) fields earning from the mid $30K's to $100K's. They would not consider living in low-cost housing, aka "the projects" or Section 8 housing. Even when I was earning $30K in the mid-1990's and raising 3 children alone after my separation, I wouldn't subject my children or myself to low-cost housing and everything that comes with it. Rampant crime, teen pregnancy, and social apathy are part and parcel of areas with low cost of living and low housing cost (even low cost homes).
From timgoodwin,weskan,kansas I live in Kansas less than 10 miles from Colorado. The access to COMMERCIAL airplane flying is better at Colorado Springs, Colorado is the best I have seen. I have flown into more than 50 large cities, but that is not very many among the hundreds in the U.S. or the world.
From Yvonne Bentley, Fort Lauderdale, FL I entirely agree with your choice of Plainsboro, NJ. I lived there 3 years, moving there from Jersey City, NJ, and I absolutely LOVED it.
Plainsboro can be an expensive place to live but that is relative. If I were earning at least $10K more at the time I lived there, it would have been "reasonable". It does suffer from the one thing all of Jersey suffers from–high property tax. But given Plainsboro's low crime rate, pleasant greenery, clean air, incredibly beautiful scenery, safe and clean roads and gorgeous housing, I would definitely move back from my warm and sunny perch here in Fort Lauderdale if I won the lottery!
I'm only here in Florida for the weather!
From James, Sausalito, CA Novato? You have got to be kidding! No research must have been done in compiling this list, because it is nearly impossible to do business in Marin County with the communists at the County level government, who are increasingly gaining ever more control over local governments and taking even more taxes.
This list is obviously flawed. WHat about the numerous (and yet even more attractive) cities OUTSIDE the United States?
From Victoria, Saint Joseph Missouri I think it was a smart move putting Kansas City on the top 100 list. They are everything you love about a big city but still have the small town feel. The only downfall I can see is the lack of a light rail system (which is in the works)and since Kansas City is a little more spread out than most big cities it really is a necessity. But Kansas Citians don't mind driving to get to where they need to go.
From Dan Hicks, Byron MN Re Folsom CA you forgot to mention the weather in the summer: 110 in the shade.
From Skye, Kansas City, MO Kansas city has its perks, but there is nothing spectacular about it. Yeah the sports stadiums are housed right next to eachother, which in return causes constant traffic. There is an amusement park that is overpriced. Also, kansas city is GHETTO and full of drug related people. The one thing that is worth seeing is the new Power and Light district, but even that is crazy busy. Its just a slow paced city with a need to be faster.
From Tammy, Baltimore, MD I was born and raised in Huntington, NY. My first apartment was in Northport, NY. Long Island was a great place to grow up and live… Now I reside in Baltimore, I moved here for a job. If I could affort Long Island, I would definately go back.
From Tony, Chicago, IL Why does the Naperville, IL photo (#29) make it look like an Amish community?
From Ryan Warburton, Boise, ID Boise is great! However, I believe the article mistakes the major university that is present within the city. It is actually Boise State University (BSU), not the Univeristy of Idaho (U of I). U of I is up in Moscow, ID.
From Jennifer Lee Busto, Honolulu, HI Aloha from HONOLULU! Absolutely should be in your top 100! Having lived here for almost 25 years, I can tell you it is a wonderful place for raising a family and pursuing a healthy lifestyle. Honolulu has excellent food, weather, air quality, educational facilities, and is an outdoor playground for recreational athletes. The outer islands provide additional opportunities to explore our unique environment–from Volcano National Park on the Big Island to the rainforest of Kauai. The diversity of cultures is celebrated and should serve as a model for the rest of the U.S. Mahalo nui loa for recognizing Honolulu!
From Mike F Gainesville, FL Gainesville, Florida does have a small regional airport, but I think overall most people in the area drive to Orlando, Tampa, or Jacksonville to catch a major flight. I think that the metro population of Gainesville combined with about 300,000 people in the Ocala metro area (40 miles south) should get together and have a combined international airport.
From MLB, Sandy, Utah As anyone who has kept up with these lists over the years – they are simply the kiss of death.
Madison was #1 in 1996. This year it slipped to #89. Having grown up there (and subsequently left) I've see the changes and they are not nice. But most people who live there would disagree.
Having moved (32 years ago) and lived in SFO and Los Angeles – and since relocated to Northern Utah (for the past 18 years) …. I've gone back to Madison – and love it for what it was to me. But it'll never be the same.
But the comparisons? Not valid. Each community has it's own flukes, culture, wierdos (yes, Madison, I'm talkin' about YOU) and tax structures. You move – you adjust.
Where I live now? #80 something on the list. Economic Development is the mantra – gotta be the BEST! (yuck).
I dread the changes in the coming years. We're already seeing "California Refugees" in the thousands… and NO, they're NOT ALL LDS.
And for those of you who fled Utah because of your Religious Neighbors? Trust me, I'd take that over gangbangers any day.
Growth Sucks. Uninspired Growth Sucks even more.
From Ken Briggs, Gainesville, Fl. 32606 Gainesville #47: You don't have to drive to Tampa or Jacksonville to catch a plane. Delta has daily flights out of Gainesville to Atlanta and another airline with flights to Charleston, Miami, etc.
From Tom, Boise, ID I can't stop laughing at this article on Boise. In a side article: "I flyfish at lunch." Um, no you don't.
Here's the lowdown on Boise – it's great if you're one of the lucky few in an executive position, or are bringing money from somewhere else. For everyone else, plan to get by on 25,000-40,000/yr., or the starting hourly wages of 9-12/hr.
The traffic sucks. Granted, it's not Los Angeles, but realize that we have ONE connecting interstate that runs from downtown Boise to the commuting suburbs of Meridian, Nampa, and Caldwell. All other traffic is directed through tight, congested two lane roads.
Like the view of the mountains? You can't see them during the winter because of the toxic inversions, and you can't see them during the summer because of the fires, the haze, the smog, and the stale air. Our air quality is often times worse than LA, a place that has 13 times the population.
Like hot weather? Late June, all of July, and most of August the temperature soars between 90 and 105. Like cold weather? The temps don't get above 40 from December to March, and usually stay in the mid 20's to mid 30's.
Like homogeneous, all-white Conservative Christian culture? Because that's almost all you have here.
Like weeds, yellow and brown cheatgrass? That's what Boise is. We're in a desert. It's brown and yellow here almost year round. Granted there are world class mountains hours to the North and East, but have fun competing with everyone else getting to those camping spots on the weekend.
I love it because I was born here, and it is definitely a niche place for many people. But don't believe everything you read in these articles.
From Kevin, Van Nuys CA Where's Austin on this list?
From Karen, Atlanta, Ga. Thank you Jennifer for your comment. I live in Atlanta and was thinking of moving to Asheville! Back to the drawing board…
From Derek The University of Idaho is the flagship institution for the Boise Valley and the entire state, she has been pioneering and providing ROI for the residents of this state for over 100 years.
From Chuck, Winston-Salem, NC I am very surprised to see that Winston-Salem made this list. I do not live there, but I do work and shop there and I can say that the city is both a haven for crime and a hotbed for racism (both anti-black, and anti-white, depending on which side of the street you are on).
I would never live there and am looking for a position in Greesboro which is a much more level-headed city.
From Jamie, Spokane, WA Not only is Spokane a great place to live but business is thriving and new businesses are doing well. In the next ten to twenty years the Spokane Metro area will be better than any Western Washington town.
From William Leighton, DC on great city to consider that's not on the list is Asheville, NC.
Buford should not be on the list. Replace Buford with Marietta or Augusta.
From Linda from Seattle What the world needs now is love sweet love, no not just for some, but for everyone.
From Jake, New York NY So many people on this blog keep talking about how great Durham is. Are you playing me??? That is the worst (big) city on the entire East Coast! The only decent part of NC is Charlotte. Wilmington and Fayetteville are both drug-infested armpits, and aren't too far from the "Triangle." Go drive through some neighborhoods off I-85 in Durham and tell me it's nice. What a joke…
From Nate, Spokane, WA I have lived all over the US and I have fallen in love with Spokane. This is a great city that has blossomed the last few years.
From Rachel, Greendale, WI Brookfield, WI is one of the nicer places to live around the Metro Milwaukee area, but the schools come up short. A few months ago Milwaukee Magazine did an entire article about schools and Brookfield ranked near the bottom. Greendale, WI ranked #1 I believe. It could be that Brookfield is in Waukesha County and Greendale is in Milwaukee County. Milwaukee has wicked high property taxes!
From ciz elason, louisville, co What happened to Louisville, Colorado? It was #3 last year and complete fell off the list???
From Mike, New Haven, CT Hamden, CT? I guess it's like New Haven, but without the great public transportation, trains to NYC, culture, interesting people, or city green.
Plenty of restaurants in the center of town in Hamden? Sure, if you like Applebee's, DUI Friday's, and assorted fast food. New Haven has unique restaurants with food from all over the world, Hamden has chain restaurants with food that you find in every other suburb.
I wouldn't want to live there.
From David Dill – Old Lyme, CT Fairfield, Connecticut?
Cons – very high cost of housing and living expenses in general. Highest cost of living of any county in the state. State government is not very business friendly. Dense population means long travel times on major roadways. Cold weather.
Pros – there are some very nice towns within short distance of Fairfield. Weltheir part of the state, so your client base should have more income in order to buy your goods or services.
From Scott, San Francisco, CA How about an ocean or bay, and some real forests? Jobs that pay more than $10 an hour would be great, also!
From Dean Wilson, Birmingham, Al Santa Fe- I lived in Albuquerque for 6 years and worked in Santa Fe many of those years.If you're hispanic or rich and white Santa Fe is a dream. It has a lot of art museums and cool places to shop.If you're black, Asian, or poor and white Santa Fe is the last place you want to be. This is a vacation spot, like Vail nothing more. The city is not a place you want to me unless you're on vacation.
From Ex Nebraskan Omaha is one of the best places to live – it is a big city with a small town attitude. The people are fantastic and the cost of living is really reasonable. The restaurants are incredible! The only drawback is the weather – winters can be brutally cold.
From Anonymous Des Moines is beautiful. Some of the nicest people in the country live in Des Moines.
From Anonymous Iowa Rocks!
People that live in Iowa are great – Des Moines is full of new restaurants, bars, music venues and outdoor activities!
Affordable and fun!
From Gary, Eagle Idaho Do not Read if you want to stay Miserable, Idaho does not want you too bring that here!
After spending my youth in the SF Bay Area and relocating to Tahoe during my 20's I happened to visit a friend in Idaho for a weekend and came across a place that has everything I have wanted in place to live. As many of you know CA is great place to live with diversity and all the site’s to see, it will always be my home town!….As I have kept it touch with many of my school mates and friends over the years, I have found that the dream of living a comfortable life has all be diminished and turned into survival.
I know you can make good living in CA but, that’s not the point I’m trying to make.
I have been there and life seems to accelerate day after day with a few weeks of vacation crammed into a couple crazed days only to return 2.5 day’s later to the same dam thing, up at 5:30am to drive 20 miles while sitting in traffic for 2hrs pissed off and inhaling someone else’s carbon footprint.
Every so often I call my buddy’s back home and I recently attend my 20 yr class reunion and was shocked to see the misery and frustration of struggling with the urban prison. For GOD sake people have you no urge to life the better life!
What was that?…..Why would I leave Tahoe?…..Well, my years of being a winter snowboard bum and summer tree hugger was not all that it was cracked up to be, don’t get me wrong it was a great life but, after meeting my wife we stumbled upon Eagle ID and were amazed to find happy family orientated people with the golf to enjoy life! Eagle before the real estate boom (not actually a boom per CA standards) more like slight increase in price. If I said we paid $170,000 for a 2000 sq ft home on a large city lot .35ac on a cul-de-sac, eye sight from a park, next to the foothills, close to town w/good schools and the price of the home went up a cool $100,000 in two years would you believe me?…. the only down side is the housing crisis has brought our value down $20,000 – $30,000 Big Freaking Deal….My car payment with gas is more that my home each month.
If you enjoy hiking, biking, river rafting, fishing, snowboarding-skiing, walking along the river, long summer nights, hot springs, good food and more parks than you will ever need I suggest you come take a look at Idaho. Income?…. who cares live life ya fool!
Gary Hamilton
Eagle Idaho
From Anonymous B-Honolulu: Start a business in Honolulu and not be from Hawaii; Locals rule here. Not sure what business you would start here taking advantage of the time zone.Speaking with New York or Japan. Maybe selling Hawaiian Trinkets on E-Bay. I not sure that is possible. I've been here 2 years. Accepted a transfer to a new job. I came from Calf. and now miss all the rules and laws in that state, that people often complain about. Basicly in Hawaii there are laws but if a law is unpopular or unhawaiian it is not enforced by the police. For example: People crossing the streets are often hit because it's the car vs. the pedestran. The police sometimes get involved; but if it's not a local, it's always the pedestran's fault. Right of way laws are not enforced here. Also homeless is a real problem here. Alot of homeless are driven by the police to the other side of the island to keep them out of sight of tourist. Hawaii is a place of have and have nots. Or a local landlord said to me when I was looking at a place. We live on the hill and have our dogs; to keep the "bad" people out. If you are the kind of person that likes to feel superior because you have it and the other person does'nt and lock your doors, and go to work and drive home. Then Honolulu is your town. My ignoring skills have improved since I move here.
From Nick, Boise ID Boise is a beautiful clean and green city! I lived just 40 min's south of there for 4 years while i was stationed in the air force. everything from skiing, cycling, natural hot springs, beautiful clean parks, friendly people, ultimate frisbee,… Boise is the #1 best kept secret in the US. if your thinking about moving there DO IT!! there is very little violence and unlimited things to do with your family. If your flying solo there is great night life with BSU(undefeated Boise State Broncos) being right in town vegas is a day drive away aswell as saltlake city. and sunvalley is like 30 min's north! countless movie stars and a great day trip.
From Anonymous Ha ha ha. I am second that. I lived in Worcester, MA for over 10 years and found out that there aren't anything. how in the world is worcster get on the list???? airport is shutting down, city is like crap and people refused to change to make it better. section of 290 is taking for ever to finish and it is been 2 years since they started…which is why I left and move to Raleigh, NC better over all especially weather. you lucky if worcester give you 2 months of summer above 80…
From This list is silly RIGHT??? I am orignally from MA. How on EARTH is Worcester on this list? It's a DUMP!
From Josh, Madison, WI I've never met anyone from Brookfield, WI who wasn't mentally damaged. It seems like everyone there is a character from "American Beauty." But I can see how that would create some good business opportunities. As for Madison being business friendly, guess again. Their answer to everything is, more taxes. Many houses in Madison are currently selling below assessed value and have been for close to two years now. They don't always tax fairly either. Walgreen's just won a settlement against the city for half a million dollars in back taxes because the city wanted to tax on lease value in stead of property value. You can be others were being screwed the same way and will now seek restitution. There's plenty of damaged people here too, just a different kind of damaged.
From Justin L, Chicago IL Salt Lake is an amazingly beautiful location, and the snow and mountains are amazing, But there are many drawbacks that led me to leave. After spending my college years at the University of Utah and a total of 8 years in Salt Lake and Park City, i had to leave the religious state that is Utah. The morman church runs everything. people say it doesn't but once you leave you realize that Utah is not a normal place. Also the pollution is getting out of hand. there are many times that it is worse that LA to the point that children aren't allowed outside for recess.
But go visit for the skiing/snowboarding. its the best in the west.
From Lee Verkist Bellingham is great if you like to make $9.00 an hour.
From Joan, Gainesville, FL Gainesville, FL is a great place to live and work. The city actively pursues being "green", we have the nickname "Tree City USA". Very family oriented. Lots of Arts for the artsy, nature for the nature lovers, bike trails for the bikers, the list goes on! Downtown is being rediscovered and is a great place to have a business (I have one!). The University of Florida provides for excellent educational opportunities, and is a "generator" for new business. Not to mention the various tech complexes and the progress park. The folks at the Chamber of Commerce will welcome your inquiries, and I've made plenty! Come visit, we love our town!
From Sarah, Georgetown TX I was very surprised in a way to see Georgetown TX listed as #2 but proud to say it deserves to be in such a spot. I was raised in Georgetown and have been almost all over the world due to being a military spouse and I have always been priveleged to be raised in such a community. Georgetown has been seen as a modern day Mayberry. The schools are excellent, a great diversity of people, low crime (everyone in TX knows to beware of Wmsn. Co.) and it is perfect for raising a family. For such a small place, businesses boom and remain successful, the housing market is wonderful and we are blessed to have great retirees with tons of experience and knowledge from Sun City Georgetown who reach out in the community and share their experiences to help others grow. Most of our school mentors are highly successful people. Georgetown residents take great pride in welcoming new neighbors in town and proclaiming them as new Georgetownites and not many who make their homes here leave. Georgetown has history but not attractions like larger cities and towns but the greatest history we all take pride in is city history and everyone's very own family history. If you are ever seeking a place closely knit…Georgetown is that friendly place. You make friends easily anywhere from the gas station to San Gabriel Park to garage sales to special events. I used to think all we were known for was being the Red Poppy Capitol of Texas and SU but looks like we are making our mark. I am living in Europe now but still as Dorothy would say, "There's no place like home!" Military spouses move so much it's said we forget where we are from but not those from Georgetown, TX. Oh and did I mention how much military support and pride that community holds? Probably because some of the greatest servicemembers and veterans call Georgetown home. Soldiers love it enough to commute daily to and from Ft. Hood. Keep up the work Georgetown and if you have not been there, pay it a visit soon!
From Emily, Orlando, FL I was going to comment on how the writer of these locations were way off on Orlando. But as I see from the other commentors, he was way off on the other locations as well. I wonder where he is getting all his research from.
Orlando is not a business friendly city and worst is not friendly to needy people creating more homelessness amoung families with millions in charitable funds going unused. The city allowed for too much development with the only demand for it coming from wealthy retirees from other states, leaving locals to suffer in an overpriced housing market with no new job opportunities.
And thanks to the theme parks who pay close to minimum wage, they keep wage compensations low.
As for the writer saying that Orlando's real estate market has not been effected as the rest of Florida, he could not be more wrong. On my street alone there are about 15 houses for sale, most are emply and bank owned. It is a great market to get a house for cheap and rent out since the rents are high (Orlando has high cost of living with low median incomes).
From Kristin Taylor Hello,
I'm astounded that you didn't include in your assessment of "lifestyle factors", the topic of population diversity. To me, being a minority, that's one of the most important determinants in lifestyle quality – a feeling of blending in with a community. You could live in the most gorgeous surroundings with food options galore but if you're a nonwhite, moving into a white-homeogenous environment, I hardly imagine that one's sense of citizenry let alone a small business, would thrive.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Warmly,
Kristin Taylor
From CA, Durham, NC Savannah??? Just hold your nose the whole time you are there. Can you say, "Pulp Mill Pollution"? It smells like sewage all the time.
From Jerry Raleigh has had 4 murders last month. Think I will stay in Durham where it is safe.
From Elaine M, Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh suburban schools are ranked very high compared to the city schools
From Sunnie Ford, Co Spgs, CO Colorado Springs as I recall it was once a cowboy town…downright friendly & fabulous. Now we have Doug Bruce, the slum landlord of all time, demanding no taxes of any kind so the city is in a financial quagmire; plus we have Focus which pays no taxes…but tells us all how to live & think & we have Ted Haggard, yep, he's back in town. Whatever culture we had seems to be eroding, but we do have a wonderful downtown area which has a drug ridden nightlife full of criminal activity. The Symphony Orchestra is begging for help to continue; the Fine
Arts Center is a showcase for a limited few artists from out of state; the climate in general is not the same, and high-tech comes and goes in droves. Where are the jobs? Town is notorious for economic upheavals and yet I stay on & on. Why? The beauty of nature all around & dear friends.
From Andrea W, Fort. Lauderdale FL I've lived in Fort Lauderdale for almost 5 years and find it to have a lot more "cons" than on your list. The crime rate is outrageous and traffic congestion rivals most major cities. Florida drivers are terrible and with over 40 years of no accidents (NY, Nebraska, Puerto Rico) I've been hit 3 times here! The beaches are nice, the weather is hot and humid, and jobs are hard to find. Look again.
From Pat Hanners, Brandon, FL. I don't know how Sarasota, FL made any list. With all the crime and traffic, it's not a good place to live. Only recentlythey have been experimenting with camera's to identify redlight runners. It has to be the worst red light runnung place in the US.
From Black Scholes, San Francisco, CA Honestly, this list leaves almost everything that matters out. Reno California?? Greensboro NC?? Have you ever visited these places? Where are you going to raise capital in either of these cities. The economy is Reno is terrible and the city is depressing. Good luck attracting new, smart, graduates.
From Mojo Clearly whoever wrote this never lived in Syracuse. It's possibly the dreariest city in the U.S. The locals only step out of pubs for S.U. games and for the infamous 2 weeks of Summer.
It's depressing to say the least.
From Andrea, Hanover, MD Rochester, NY was my home for 23 years. I was born and raised there, and was there for my collegiate years of education. There are truths and stretches in the description. I can say that the Kodak, B&L and Xerox is misleading. They are not hiring and are heavily laying off. The best professional job would probably be in the medical field in the University of Rochester; small companies are they way to go for technological jobs. There are also universities for technological jobs. Rochester is a very good place for small company start ups, because there are plenty of opportunities and plenty of people in the work field.
For living, Rochester is best to raise families. I agree with the article on this. Be careful about the good schools — they are only in certain areas. If you're in the inner city, there's all sorts of problems, such as drugs, poverty, crime, STD's. You would have to go to the suburban areas, such as Brighton and Pittsford for the best schools (i.e. their public schools have made it in the top 100 list)
From cheryl, Ogden Utah We relocated just north of Salt Lake City, UT 2 years ago. The city is not as great as advertised. The job market is great, wages are better than average, We think, But housing is extremely overpriced and hard to find. Also it is very polluted, The advertisements talk about clean air and describe Park City, but it is not feasible to live in the mountains and enjoy skiing and low pollution and work in Salt Lake. After being here 2 years and surviving all the red alert pollution days and crazy religious people, and yes being an outsider moving here there are alot of extreme religious LDS people here, We are more than ready to move,
From Lee, Blue Ash, Ohio The BLUE ASH interactive map is waaayyy off
From Ed McClelland, Albuquerque, NM I live in Albuquerque, and it is a growing, smallish city of 500,000. Lots of opportunity for business, witness Eclipse Aviation. Great climate, Rocky mountains, great food, what else is there???
From Steve Brown … they are all in America! Common sense would suggest maybe there are
some outside of USA. Parts of Europe or parts of Asia, maybe? Israel?
(Seriously, in an international world, the paradigm has shifted a bit.)
Steve Brown
From Toronto Looking to relocate from Toronto (Canada)to Carlsbad any comments?
From Scott, Raleigh NC I agree that Durham has (albeit latent) character. I live in North Raleigh but now work on the American Tobacco Campus. For years I avoided Durham (other than visiting Duke, Bulls games, Carolina Theatre, museums, et. al.) and considered Durham a slum… but now that I can walk all around Durham, I've truly grown to really like and appreciate the culture of Durham.
From Anonymous To J in Los Angeles ca — do not move back to Virginia Beach..are you kidding affordable housing near the water. What are you smoking? There is no affordable housing here. While it may be cheaper than Ca. on what they pay here it is not. Trust me..Also everyone knows about all the beaches here. Pick a different place. You have been away to long to know what is really going on here now!!
From Anonymous What was Angela from Charlotte Nc talking about. It is clear she lives in a fantasy world. Virginia Beach is very expensive. The housing market is way out of wack. They keep building 400-500k homes that people hear cannot afford. We are run by a terrible local gov. We have a terrible road system, that only gets worse. She is also very wrong, most people that join the military do so because they have no choice. Look at how many neighborhoods are run down due to their familys living there. The jet noise is terrible. The school system is a joke now, kids cannot even pass simple sol tests anymore. I think she should get her facts straight before she comments. Taxes are not low at all, very high property taxes and you need a permit or license to do anything. It is a terrible place to live..PERIOD!!!
From KC I think you're wrong. Downtown KC, is a newly developed area and will soon be the hot spot for the metro.
From Pilar, Rochester, NY I grew up in Rochester and lived there for 28yrs. Rochester is a beautiful city for family and business but not that great for singles. The crime is in certain areas so it's not difficult to move into an area where there is not so much crime, but then the police may harass you. Overall a nice small city.
From Rochester, NY Rochester ain't perfect. Are you stupid? Rochester is not a perfect place to live in but no place is perfect. Don't compare Rochester to Detroit. I have been living here for 11 years now and relocating out to vegas for jobs reasons, but if given the choice between Rochester and Detroit I would pick Rochester in a heart beat. Because Rochester is such a small town crime is more noticeable, comparing it to NYC where I come from. But we have been rated #1 for the best looking men. And the cheapest real estate….You can search it on line.
From Nicole, Raleigh, NC Raleigh? Durham? The problem with these places is education. There are plenty of people streaming into the area but once they realize the terrible conditions of the Wake Co. school district, it as if you can hear the breaks screaching as they turn around to go back to their original (and often) Northern homes. There are simply not enough schools for the tremendous growth and people are unwilling to put up money for new schools. The children suffer and ultimately, so will the region.
From Anonymous not to mention Durham has one of the highest crime rates in the nation. Have you even driven down a Durham street? Because i don't think you actually live in Durham to write that.
From Owen Zhou, Canton MI I lived in Rochester NY for 4 years (for school) and it is by far one of the worst cities I have been to in the US, I would say it is somewhere around the level of Detroit. I laughed so hard when I saw that Rochester made it to #80 on this list. Obviously the person who compiled the list didn't spend enough time in the city.
From Desiree Ortiz, Doral, Florida Doral is becoming a great city indeed, lots of investments in parks and excellent schools.
Love living here!
From Catherine Chamberlain, Colchester, VT I live in Colchester VT and it is a wonderful place to live. The community is wonderful and everyone is very friendly. We all watch out for each other. The school system is terrific too. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in relocating.
Also, the photo was taken and is copy righted by Catherine Chamberlain (me) of Vt Scenic Photos in Colchester
From HW, Eugene, OR I'm 22 and from the sunny Eugene, OR. I've recently moved to St. Louis, MO.
The last time I was in Eugene it had just finished constructing one of the most interesting pieces of public transportation… The transportation system in Eugene goes farther than just having bus lanes, they've taken those concrete medians and transformed them into bus lanes, where the busses can travel free of the regular city traffic. There are what look like miniature station platforms amidst these bus lanes that serve as bus stops so the busses do not always obstruct the traffic flow. Also, Eugene is the only city I've seen that runs the monster sized double-length busses.
The city of Eugene had just finished putting in their commercial size airport the last time that I flew home to visit. It still runs Alaskan Airlines flights in the propeller planes, but that is not the only type of plane they can land on the air-strip now. The city is growing as evidenced by the airport expansion.
The charm of Eugene can be found in its 5th Street Market, its Saturday Market. Every Saturday, almost without fail, you can find every kind of vendor you can imagine (stained glass, hand dyed cloth/clothes, fresh fruits and veggies) at the Saturday Market near downtown Eugene, not too far of a walk from the Eugene Station (bus station).
Aside from the two malls you have in the area, the 5Th Street Market is one of the better places to go shopping. It is in an area of Eugene that its shopping experience isn't limited to what's inside the building. It's located near many niche shops and family-owned businesses. You can find a very diverse range of shops in a small area of the city.
Also, Eugene has a very awesome Costco going on, and I didn't see a Sam's Club the last time I was up there, so that's a definite up side. (I grew up on Costco/Target and I'm dismayed to find that there is not a convenient Costco in my area here in St. Louis)
Eugene is a very college football kind of city and I find that the attitude in Oregon (at least as I've observed it) is a general 'which side of the civil war do you fall on, ducks or beavers' kind of attitude.
When I was asked if there were many 'black people' in oregon I couldn't answer the question because I didn't know. I, like many others, didn't grow up viewing the world as black and white and asian and mexican, but rather grew up viewing the world as 'Ducks or Beavers'.
The whole city makes a big deal out of the 'civil war games' because our two rival colleges play each other. Oregon State University (Beavers OSU) and University of Oregon ( Ducks UofO). I don't know how many black people lived in Oregon when I grew up there, I never noticed, because it didn't matter… as long as they weren't a beaver fan all was right with the world.
If you are EVER in Eugene, you need to head into Glenwood, in between Eugene and Springfield, and before you get to the bridge over the river, head south and you'll come across a Castle-shaped card shop and across the street you'll find one of the best convenience stores in the area that sells Biscuits and Gravey. It's called The Duck Stop, and is painted Yellow and Green to match the Ducks' colors.
Also, headed that way out toward Seavey Loop Road and Mount Pisgah is Me & Moore and several other farms where you can come out and pick your own fruits and veggies. For all you health nuts out there that want organic foods. In the fall you can head out to the mountain for the Mushroom Festival, or head to the pumpkin patches at Me & Moore to try and find the biggest pumpkin of the batch.
As with any city you will find those people that are junky, or trashy. You will find the health buffs who will ride their bikes everywhere. And you'll find those homeless people by the bridge who ride their brand new bikes home at the end of a hard day's begging.
Eugene and Springfield have a flavor all their own, and is a very acquired taste for some people. But for people like myself who have spent a long time there… It's in my blood and I don't know if I can ever let go of that small-town atmosphere that seeps out of the two cities.
From PAM SHIBA ORO VALLEY, AZ I HAVE LIVED IN WYOMING ALL MY LIFE. I LIVED IN CHEYENNE FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS. LAST OCTOBER I MOVED TO ORO VALLEY, AZ. TO PURSUE MY NURSING CAREER. IT IS TRUE, CHEYENNE HAS BEGUN TO PULL IN A FEW MORE EATING EXTABLISHMENTS, AND THEY ARE TRYING TO BUILD UP THE DOWN TOWN. LETS NOT FORGET THE BIG DADDY OF EM ALL, RODEO. BUT WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE, I WILL NEVER GO BACK. THE WIND AND SNOW IS BEYOND BONE COLD. THERE ARE ONLY A COUPLE OF MONTHS DURING THE YEAR THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY SIT OUTSIDE. CHEYENNE HAS SOME GREAT THINGS TO OFFER, BUT HONEY, NO THANKS….ALL I CAN SAY "ITS A GREAT PLACE TO BE FROM"
From Roshanda Smith I only bought my home in Lemay, MO because of the new casino. My house is a beautifully rehabbed home near a bunch of 100% white trash who do not have a clue on how to clean up after themselves. The St. Louis County came and gave a ton of notices on ordinance violations, and most of my neighbors went bolistic. I personally feel that this town can become a very nice and safe place to live if we can rid the town of the trashy. We need to raise our taxes to get them out. My 3 bedroom house is only $600 a year, comeon make it $1250 and most cant or will not pay their taxes. Sorry to rant, but this area has potential.
From Julie Carpenter, Bellingham, Washington Bellingham has historically lagged behind other West Coast housing prices, and in the past few years, we've started to catch up, with double digit appreciation in home prices. THAT said, we have an average home price of $280K+/-, an abundance of waterview homes available in the $400K+ range, and for the first time in a long time, an abundance of modest homes priced under $250K to choose from. We appeal to people who appreciate "Green" values, people who appreciate our natural environment and who become active volunteers to make our community a better place. We have become so popular on so many "Top 10" lists that many people are shocked at our new traffic & pollution and all the growth our area is expected to accomodate. The "liveability" of ALL of our cities and our one & only planet is directly related to the exponential growth of our human population, and how we agree to conduct ourselves. I encourage everyone everwhere to dig in, stay put, and to work locally whereever you may be to make your city a better place to live. If you want to join us doing just that in Bellingham, Call me! Julie Carpenter, RE/MAX Realtor and business owner, Bellingham, Washington.
From Larry, Milwaukee Naperville is so expensive, no middle class person can live there.
From Kansas city kansas city downtown is a war arena of gangs,made lot busnises lock on their doors and run away to other places more safe
From Mimi Zepp I have lived near the Virginia Beach area for over 50 years. Geographically it's a beautiful place. The ocean is wonderful. Housing prices are over inflated. THe local government is so conservative and punitive that the laws border on nazi-ism. No cursing signs are posted everywhere and it's a misdemeanor which is punishable by their laws. It is a NO FUN ZONE. The jet noise over the oceanfront from the base is head splitting. If you visit, be on your best behavior or act like the walking dead.
From Liz, Bethlehem, PA I love Bethlehem, PA. I go to Moravian College and I enjoy the city so much. It's a nice place to live and I would reccommend it to anyone.
From Mrinda Stafford,Texas Stafford,Texas has very high school taxes and Fortbend co. taxes. Their zoning laws are restrictive of residents. They have yearly licence fees for everything. They want businesses in Stafford but they do not want upscale homes.
From Anonymous I love Salt Lake City. Those Mormons are some of the friendliest people I have ever known. If you love mountains and outdoor activities, Salt Lake City is in a great central location.
From DC, Rochester NY Rochester and Syracuse NY are two of the best cities in the US to live and start a business? OMG….I want what you are smoking. The tech market is oversaturated. There are layoffs all the time…..literally every week one of the big companies (Kodak, Xerox, and B&L) is laying off. Xeros just announced a HUGE layoff. So you get people with tens of years of experience starting businesses and vying for the same jobs as those with less experience. Top it all off with terrible winters, high taxes, less than 100 days of sunshine, heavy traffic, high crime and poverty and you have less than a desirable place to live. Syracuse and Buffalo are among the ugliest and run down cities in the nation. Throw in corrupt governments and an overzealous adherence to affirmative action taking away opportunities for white men, and, well, you get the picture. If you area minority and don't mind dilapidated buildings, roads and other infrastructure, then you're golden. Upstate NY may be beautiful in places, but for anyone who desires a better way of life, think twice about living here. Top it all off with a statistic of something like 80% of young people leaving here for better opportunities, you will find that this is a terrible place to start a business. Don't know where these people got their info, but this place is awful.
From Eric, Valdosta GA I totally disagree with this list, more research is needed, I have moved from some of the "top cities" stated
From Jennifer, Asheville, NC I just wanted to shed some light on Asheville, NC. Everyone thinks that moving here is such a good idea…but in retrospect the growth creates negative returns. Basically the more people move here ..the more it destroys what makes Asheville unique and beautiful. Ten years ago the skyline was barely scattered with buildings and new construction. Now it is everywhere. Cost of living is through the roof, there are no affordable places to live, the pollution is increasing year to year which kills the wildlife. The art community is supportive, yes, but you cannot afford to live here as an artist. Studio spaces for artists are raising high and higher. More retirees and people with money are moving here and turning it into a mini Atlanta. Suburbs with homes in the 1/2 million range. To make things worse..crime is increasing, the job market is failing and the homeless rate increasing. Yep, sounds like a great place to move to doesn't it?
From C.T. Collins There are a slew of "Haters" when it comes to the Durham Community. Especially coming from the surrounding areas. I guess people don't understand objectivity, seeing as how this is a completely unbiased opinion of Durham. With the largest research park in the world (Research Triangle Park), Tremendous shopping/dining centers (The Streets at Southpoint with the 1st Nordstrom's in North Carolina, Brightleaf Square, The Old tobacco District, and more coming soon), Number 1 ranked minor league baseball franchise (Durham Bulls), ranked best place to watch college sports and nominated for title town USA (ESPN.com), One of the top airports in the country (RDU International), 4 major area universities(Duke, UNC, N.C. State, N.C. Central), One of the Top 5 hospitals in the world ( Duke University Medical Center), Ranked #14 smartest city in the country (Forbes.com Feb. 2008), top 5 best city for African Americans (black enterprise), and the #16 greenest city in the country (bestplaces.net), why would anyone be surprised that it is in the top 15 for best places to live??? Just be true to yourself. American tobacco trail, Nasher Museum of Art, Duke Gardens, Museum of Life and Science. Numerous movies were filmed here (including but not limited to "Kiss The girls", "The Rookie", and "Bull Durham".) Durham is a great place to live! Period.
From Ben, Detriot, Michigan I am from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and I cannot believe you would even consider as a good place to live. Pfizer, the world's leading Pharmaceutical, let Ann Arbor because of Michigan and their incompetent political and economic infrastructure. Mary Sue Coleman, the President of the University of Michigan, instead of running an institution of higher education, is busy fulfilling a social agenda that is contributing to Michigan's economic decay. Last, it is a testimony to Ann Arbor and you lack of understand about the city that the picture you show on your Website to represent the city is a photograph of one of the cities gay bookstores. How unfortunately appropriate.
From Missy Walton, Scottsdale, AZ Mark Smith, are you from Wichita Falls (originally)?
From Oro Valley AZ Oro Valley, great place, bicycle friendly, clean, scenic, great food.
For the guy who mentioned Oro Valley, I believe he is from California, I see many plates from California here. I work part time at the Hilton Country Club, (Golf), and Californians just love it here. we also have a great police force, the Catalina mountains, Mt. Lemon, just a two hour ride, if you like to ski, the white mountains, four hour ride. We have access to California, New Mexico, Mexico,Vegas just to mention a few. We have the Tucson Jazz society, plenty of jazz and entertainment all year round, plenty of outdoor fun, hikes, trails, etc. We have great hospitals, forgot to mention, the Tour the Tucson, catalina ten miles north, the Biodome, Dove mountain, the Gallery, if you like golf, this is the place to be, Tiger Woods has played here twice, also the Ritz Calton will be opening in 2009. The weather is wonderful, lots of sunshine, a little hot for a few months, but since Oro Valley is a little further north, it's a little cooler.
JB
From Jim, Anchorage, AK Anyone think of Anchorage, AK? A rapidly growing city with zero urban sprawl, zero traffic (relatively speaking), zero sales tax, zero state income tax, $1-2k/person for living here from oil revenue, a booming economy (read this as good jobs, housing market holding steady), affordable housing, good schools, unbelievable scenery, incredible fishing/camping/hiking/biking/rock climbing/skiing/rec areas, perfect summers (70s and light out until midnight), mild winters (yes it snows, but not like the NE US), and a white Christmas every year. The city offers everything a normal city of 300k offers (if not more), but with none of the negatives. Its a little dark and cold in Dec/Jan, but it's only two months. The rest is great! Check it out on city-data.com
From Wade Bove, Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis,
Years ago Minneapolis would have been a great place to start a business. Minneapolis used to have good roads, quality education and a supportive government. Times have changed. The Liberals have diverted tax dollars to unresponsive, irresponsible sectors. Instead of building up roads and education, the Liberals have used these arenas to syphon off money for their political cronies. Minneapolis punishes the most productive, raising taxes even as the economy tanks. Minneapolis is playing the fiddle daring businesses to leave. And guess what, businesses are leaving. Honeywell, Northwest Airlines and other major companies realize that Minneapolis can't compete with lower cost areas. Now Government is the largest employer. Listing Minneapolis as a "good place for business" is somewhat absurd and shows that the editors of CNN who wrote the article must not live in Minneapolis.
From Scott and Nicole, Brookfield, WI Brookfield, WI is a great town with every retail business you could ever need at your finger tips. Combine that with great schools, low traffic and well kept homes it is a perfect place for any family or new business. Also, when you want to visit the big city, downtown Milwuakee is only 15 minutes away.
From Anonymous Too crowded and traffic on a good day is awful! Downtown use to be a nice midwestern town area. It is becoming over taken by Chicago chain businesses. Its lost alot of its home town charm and appeal. More resturants than shops.
From Greg Duch San Diego, CA San Diegans have a compulsive need to justify/rationalize paying the extremely high cost of living here, so they convince themselves that San Diego IS PARADISE ON EARTH, any evidence to the contrary.
As far as sunshine goes, ask a
San Diegan what the terms: "MAY GRAY" and "JUNE GLOOM" refer to. Answer-(The daily presence of fog that never burns off for the entire day during the months of May and June.
From Matt, CVille but shopping I've live in a bunch of these cities and my opinion is that a lot of people are missing the point of this list. It is supposed to be centered on being a good place to start a profitable business venture. So my top 3 list would be of the cities I've lived or spent a lot of time in:
1) Austin, TX: High Tech is HUGE here. Newish airport. Pretty good infrastructure. Public Ed is good here. UT has HUGE engineering school in town and is generally a 1 stop shop for recruits. Cost of living not insane. Can't beat it.
2) Triangle Area (but maybe not Durham yet), NC: Highly educated work force. Lots of multinationals in town. Great higher education w/ UNC, Duke, NCSU. Low taxes most places. Drawbacks: Durham (w/ the exception of the new downtown), politics which is leading to terrible infrastructure w/ highways, airports, etc.
3) Central VA – Charlottesville, Richmond, Lynchburg, Williamsburg: UVA, VT and W&M are premier universities providing very good workforce especially at the graduate level. Air travel could not be easier. None of the airports in this area are at capacity. Cost of living is good, except maybe in the city of Charlottesville. Main problem is public grade school education and absence of the big Multinationals. Most business you'll do will be to DC and NYC or maybe NC.
From Wally, Tampa Bay Area I beg to differ on Syracuse at #59. I started 4 businesses in that area in the past 20 years (all still operating). Two years ago I moved two of them to the Tampa area. NY TAXES at state, county, city, and school district levels are what pushed me out. Tampa's real estate bust made buying an existing house affordable and my total tax bills are now 25% of what I was paying in NY. Also, I fly alot for business and Syracuse has to be one of the most expensive airports to get anywhere. Tampa airport on the otherhand is pretty darn good. Oh yea, did I mention it does not snow here?
From Regus City, London Minneapolis is bland and boring. Plus, it's bloody cold in Winter. The landscape is drab and the architecture grey and uninspiring. And the locals are not particularly welcoming so making friends is hard work.
From Alise, Albuquerque NM Santa Fe??? Quaint, but the cost of living is outrageous and disproportionate to other areas in the state and nearly rivals California. I should keep a good secret a secret but Albuquerque rivals Santa Fe any day in term of commerce, good housing stock, business incubators and culture and a good quality of life.
From Gregg Madison, WI Madison's business climate leaves a lot to be desired. The liberal City Council is of the mindset "If you don't like our rules – leave". Large companies are leaving left and right. Unaffordable mass transportation has been proposed for the few who would actually use it. The city has turned into not much more than countless new condos, and turns away from drawing any new business in. Taxes continue to escalate regardless of the economy, housing continues to escalate despite the national trend. That is one plus here, your house is guaranteed to be worth more (to the tax asessor) every year.
From Johnny Desert Hills AZ How can a beach be "too sandy"?
From Mark – Edmond, OK Edmond, OK is a good place to live, especially for affordable housing. It also has well-rated public schools and a large state university that will probably become better-known for the new "CSI" school.
Ecomonically, the energy industry is booming. Several of the the country's biggest independent producers are headquartered nearby, businesses in wind power and biofuels are starting to grow. So is medical research. On the down side, wages and salaries, even for some professionals are significantly lower than the national average. The state sadly ranks low on the "quality of life" issues like physical and mental health and number of people without health insurance. For students, seniors, and the disabled, there are few if any public transporation options in Oklahoma. The automobile is still worshipped. People will sell their souls for a tank of gas. Only recently have the basics for a healthy lifestyle, like availabilty of sidewalks, become an issue.
New people from all walks of life need to move here to add to the diversity and vitality of the area. That is what will provide the transformation that is needed for the future. I have lived in the area for most of 30 years.
From Frank On Rochester, you left out is influence in High Tech. Including high end optics, nono-technology. It should also be mentioned that it has many big city items including five professional sports teams, sveral ski slopes, many high end gulf courses (one of which has hosted the US open and Rider cup), it is surrounded by outdoor recreational activities including world class hunting and fishing.
From Cindy Gompper-Graves, Chula Vista, CA Enjoyed reading best places in America. Would love to have you come to South San Diego County and check out what we have to offer. Possible?
cindy
From Michelle, Napa, CA I have never heard of American Canyon referred to as AmCam. The stores referred to in the profile are together in a strip like mall. There is no downtown; businesses are along the very busy 6 lanes of highway. American Canyon is the through=fare between Napa and SF/Sacramento. The photo is in American Canyon but you are most likely looking at Napa. American Canyon is considered worse than Vallejo, which is known as the armpit of NorCal.
From Nathaniel, Durham, NC My wife and I recently moved to Durham from Madison, WI and we love it! We can jump on our bikes and be downtown, at the ballpark, American Tobacco Campus, Duke or Brightleaf Square in minutes! We live in a centrally located neighborhood that is safe and clean (Duke Park). We looked at Raleigh and other areas to live but we didn't want to have to drive everywhere and my wife's job being only a few miles from our home doesn't hurt either. Durham has an energy that the other cities in the area don't have!
From Gail, Carlsbad, CA Wow….I walked on the beach this morning at about 7:30 am in Carlsbad, California and the weather, as usual was sunny and about 64 degrees. The beach was empty, except for a few surfers. After an amazing walk, I enjoyed an inexpensive breakfast ad "Don's Country Kitchen" and wandered around the village. I thought about getting a great massage at the La Costa Resort & Spa, but decided to take a Yoga class instead. Carlsbad has a small town feel in a big San Diego City. It does not get much better than this!
From Eddie From the #62 Blue Ash page:
Blue Ash, which essentially sits inside Cincinnati, is home to a number of corporate satellite locations, including offices for Proctor & Gamble,
CNN/Money should make it an interview question to spell ProctEr correctly. Geez guys, it's only one of the largest corporations in America. I want to see how you botch the spelling of IBM next.
Maybe you should pick up a copy of Fortune to see their Fortune 500 list, and memorize the spellings.
From Katrina, Lake Stevens, WA We lived in Rochester , N.Y. for eight years, owning and operating a business there as well. About a year and a half ago, we relocated to the Seattle, WA area, and the price of homes and cost of living here is definitely making us second guess our decision. If you can stand the long winters, upstate New York is a wonderful place to raise a family!
From Spangler PhD. Coto de Caza, CA WOW!
Its NOT Bellevue WA…… It maybe Irvine, CA
It maybe anywhere near Irvine, Ca today. Moreover anywhere in (OC) Orange Country CA.
Today the world has changed, today you need everything to get a business off the ground. Bellevue WA, has lot of uncontrolled growth. Moreover low support for new business. Traffic will soon be a parking lot. This is the worst planned out city in the world for traffic growth!! They are building like fools! They have dozens of 40+ stories condo high-rises going up this year. However, no plans for traffic, transportation or education.
Irvine still is the most planned out city in the world. Even with high RENT and lot of rules to open a business. This makes it harder to get started! But you will be around others that can make it!! That is a big in retail and industry. Irvine is growing hi income jobs and homes faster than anywhere in the world!! GET a CLUE!!!
Today's Cost of living value of Bellevue to Irvine is the major key!! Most cost of living calculators are wrong and out of date by years!!
Today a 3 bed and bath house is over million in Bellevue and less in Irvine. Better yet, average income is more in Irvine and less in Bellevue. So where would you want to open a business. I suggest where people have the most amount of money to spend on your business, not on their home and transportation cost.
From KC, Plainsboro, NJ Lisa in Plainsboro: I am sorry you don't like it here. I think the problem is that your expectations are incongruent with what we have, and therefore, you are bored. Plainsboro is a small burg, a bedroom community for the big cities (NYC and Phila), a boring, quiet place that is a good and peaceful place to raise kids. If you are not raising kids and looking for excitement, you will not find it in Plainsboro. I don't know if you have children, but if you do, you have to at least acknowledge that this is a good place to raise them, even if the schools are a bit crowded.
From Anon. Stafford, Texas! You HAVE to be kidding! Yes – no city property tax – but the converse of that is you get what you pay for. As a resident for 30 years, I can say the mayor and council do not care about homeowners' interests – only bringing in businesses to pay for running the city. It may be a good place to start a business but the employees of those companies are chosing to live in Sugar Land (where they pay property tax – and have wonderful ammenities). Thanks to the un-planning – many residents can't get their money back on their homes.
From Jeff B, Lambertville, NJ As a lifelong East Coast dweller, New Mexico has always appeared to have the allure of an environment for a better quality of life (pace, weather, great food, skiing and other outdoor fun, and cultural activities). I am in the process of relocating my family to Rio Rancho and from what I have already experienced it is everything that I imagined.
From Cliff Sarasota FL Sarasota FL is on the list! We have a tech business here. Finding science or engineering talent is very hard. Mr wolf is correct about local economy,housing prices here are depressed and that makes it easier to import people from places with a larger talent pool. That wont last forever.
From Kathleen K I agree–Durham is great! We have great sports and entertainment, natural areas and parks, world-class food, 2 hours to beach or mountains, shopping, and downtown is finally coming back. Duke! (says it all) We are the "City of Medicine" in case we get sick (people come from all over the world for treatment). Plus low unemployment, decent priced homes and plenty of history and cultural events (like the American Dance Festival). I'm from the midwest and I love it here–will never go back. Good call–I'm not surprised we're #12.
From R. Smith, Omaha and Tampa, NE and FL Currently a dual resident of Omaha, NE and Tampa Bay Area, Florida and there sure is a contrast. Omaha, with a metro area of 825,000, while not in a 100 year boom is flourishing with business growth, commercial building, forward looking developments, great job market, etc. Afer returning from a recent trip to the Tampa Bay area (Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater and more) they are in the midst of a full blown recession and possibly worse. I think they are all watching too much CNN, FOX, MSNBC because there are great possibilities, but too much negativity about the area in the local news. This area, like most of Florida is beat up from real estate overbuilding and bubble prices, but otherwise there seems to be business growth and some underlying vitality. I say turn off the news and grow to Florida. Good articles on all the communities I have looked at.
From AJP Charleston is a great city, but it is difficult to visit. I was there recently and the traffic and congestion was incredible for a city that size.
From Bob Johnson, Fort Collins, CO One of the best kept secrets for individuals/families wishing to move to a safe and conservative community. Given there is no state income tax in Wyoming, no sales tax on food, and some of the lowest property taxes in the entire company, your dollar certainly goes farther here than just across the border in Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah and Montana!
From John M, Owings Mills, MD Alex Wolf is right on the money about Owings Mills, MD. The portrayal in this list would have you believe that Owings Mills is a small, cozy little town with rolling green hills and farms. Not so.
Due to changing demographics, Owings Mills Mall, which used to be a premiere destination for shopping, is actively being abandoned by retailers.
Schools are indeed overcrowded and your children will not have the best of peers.
Worst of all, LA gangs are making a major move into an adjacent city, and the gang members are starting to come to Owings Mills to play. NOT GOOD.
Buyer be ware.
From Jaci, Kansas City, MO I cannot believe that Omaha was so high on the list. What was the criteria? Omaha and Nebraska as a whole have some of the highest tax rates in the country. The school system is ranked as one of the lowest. I think people who have never lived anywhere else think it's fantastic, but those are the only people. I would hardly call it cultural. And yes they may get an occasional big name concert, but the only other thing they have is Husker Football. The only reason Omaha is growing is because people who live in other parts of NE are moving there – not other parts of the US.
We moved from Omaha to Kansas City and currently live right in the heart of Kansas City proper. If you are a young adult, it's a great place to live. Tons to do, tons to see and its a shame the school system is so poor because that is it's ONLY downfall. I would much prefer to live in KCMO than on the Kansas side. The Kansas side is almost as dull and lifeless as Omaha!
From Donna Pazienza, St. Louis, MO LeMay is fine just the way it is. Do we have to put a casino everywhere? Just because it will create approx. 100 jobs., it will bring the whole guady, showy image to an already beautiful, natural appearance. It has the power to corrupt and damage way more lives than the ones it will help to employ. We need to start finding other more productive ways to encourage the growth of a city.
From Rick, Sarasota, FL Ladies and Gentleman, we have a winner! Thank you, Ray Dobson, for showing your ignorance in amazing ways! First of all, Longboat Key is two words not three and the only trailer park left in Sarasota is the one you live in. You probably lived in Bradentuckey anyways. Oh, and btw, Tampa is only an hour away and Miami is 3 1/2.
From Ron, Sarasota, FL Never heard Sarasota referred to as 'Sar'. Only SRQ for short. But my sentiments are the same: Sarasota is a great place for younger peeps. The waters of the Bay and Gulf are awesome, the fishing is fantastic and the beaches are beautiful. We need to do something about that pesky City Commission however.
From Ron, Sarasota, FL The new Sarasota is a younger, more tech-savvy crowd. With projects like the Proscenium coming to town from Lion's Gate Construction, which promises to bring with it the Waldorf Astoria, things here are definately on the up and up. As long as the City Commission doesn't interfere with our growth and the housing market rebounds in a timely manner, Sarasota should move within the top 50 by 2010.
From Geoff, Charleston, SC I have lived here my entire life and have seen it grown from a sleepy military town to a world wide destination for tourism. The climate is great both weather and business. Real estate is still affordable, unless you have to live on the water. Come on and join us in Charleston
From Rob from The ROC Upstate NY (Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany) is the best-kept secret in the country!
From Alison, Lake Placid, NY You live in Jordan,MN- of course you don't like Minnesota. There is nothing to do in your area! There are so many ways to make friends in MN its ridiculous. There are tons of sport and common interest groups you can join. It's not just about finding friendly people but its also your attitude that counts. I no longer live in MN but no matter where I've lived (WI & upstate NY) I've always been able to make friends…maybe it's my "Minnesota Nice" attitude.
From Josh, Cary NC I lived in Worcester, Ma, all of my life. I just recently had the good fortune to move away. It is a very run down city. Living there for any long period of time has a very depressing effect on your mood. There are an awful lot of people living under the poverty line. I worked for Rentacenter and got a very good look at all the people struggling in this city. There is however 10 colleges, but just the overall feeling of the city is rundown, and ugly. I have recently moved to the triangle area in NC and am thrilled to be here, or maybe just to have left depressing depressing Worcester.
From Michele, Blue Ash, Ohio Blue Ash, Ohio —- come on!
Blue Ash is no different than the rest of the Cincinnati burbs. You can drive through Blue Ash and never know that you were there. Everything around there looks the same. A start up needs a lot of things but none of what it needs are any more available in Blue Ash then they are in any other sub of Cincinnati. Geez.
Posted By Dave, Fort Wayne, IN : April 6, 2008 8:24 pm
I have lived on Oahu for 3 and a half years, I'm from Detroit and lived in Europe… I live in Blue Ash, Ohio for a number of reasons. All of them are fantastic (I would have to say that the awesome public school system is my #1 choice though).
$70/year recreation center cost for the ENTIRE family. Gorgeous and clean city. Safe community. Fantastic restaurants. Great civil services for residents and employers. Very affordable taxes. Again, awesome school system. Community services out the wazoo… Summer festivals with free concerts weekly (just about!)…
Ya… whatever, Mr. Ft. Wayne. You can stay there and I will stay here – and not in any other suburb in Cincinnati – I chose Blue Ash specifically.
From Marty Mazurik Portland is a great place to start a business if you can network quickly to the dyed-in-the-wool old boy network of Portlanders that will not open up quickly to your new scheme.
The terrain is changing, however, with influx of many younger folk.
Taxes are high (Mult. County) for businesses, highest compound taxes I think in the country. Real Estate is way higher than average wages, and Min. wage is higher than national average.
So besides highly educated people that won't work for peanuts (can't afford to), some stuffy old school, old money people that rule the business climate, lack of many large employers and high prices to get settled,
I think its a great town to get going in (just don't even think of a Restaurant ~ there are so many great ones, it is a tough competition esp. in this economy)
If you are unique enough, driven enough and Kashi enough (or wear Birkenstocks and hug trees) you may be able to get off the ground here.
Just don't expect a lot of people to support or notice.
Their pretty ego-centric, and flakey w/ regards to any loyalty of brand or business.
From CS in California Carlsbad, CA is sooooo overrated. The layout is awful and so is the "beach" which lacks sand. There is crime and gangs but you can get an ugly house built in the 70's for $550,000+!!!
From Suresh, Fairfield,IA Have a look at Fairfield,IA in your next research.
From Michael, Friendswood, Texas Stafford(#36) is a DUMP. I live in the Houston area and the only thing there is a tiny little theatre.
From Sarasota and loving it SARASOTA, SARASOTA, SARASOTA!!! THE BEST. We have it all…Really. Sar should be in the top 10…the jewel of the Southwest coast of FL…believe it! The jobs are all coming here and in Manatee county…many are relocating from ALL OVER THE WORLD! We just had a sunglass manufacturing firm relocate from California to Bradenton (they were originally a German corp)..talking multi million dollar corp. and it was not because of the (as some like to say) housing bubble…it was because the "friendly" business environment, low taxes, perfect weather and real good working class…this place is no longer for retirement but for business and pleasure..you have both. No need to go anywhere else. I know I moved my small business to Sar and loving it. Further since gas is not going down soon why not move somewhere where you can work and play and stay.
And that is not all. Sar has a great downtown you can walk everywhere, bike, swim all year round. I would say yes now is the time.
From Atoya Hill, Owings Mills MD I moved from Charlotte, NC to Owings Mills, MD five years ago and I love it. I love the diverse environment and its close proximity to DC, Baltimore and Philadelphia.
From RW, RUTLAND, VT COLCHESTER, VT # 100? IF IT'S IN VERMONT IT'S ANTI BUSINESS. DO THE RESEARCH.
From GR Mitchell Durham? High Taxes. Insane School Board. High Crime. Crazy City Council. Dangerous Mall. Just read their newspaper, The Herald Sun, and you can see for yourself. I think the list compilers omitted a few facts from their fact finding.
From WRAL: "Since 1999, five people have been killed or injured on Northgate Mall property."
From The Herald Sun: "The state Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld a first-degree murder conviction and sentence of life in prison without parole for Lamar Dameian Bass, convicted last year of pumping three lethal bullets into the back of a teenager outside the former Hecht's store at Northgate Mall."
Downtown Durham does have some charm and lots of room for redevelopment and renovation but it is definitely not the best place to live or do business in The Triangle. Perhaps the results of this list will cause in influx of new residents who can cause change in the City and County governments. Good luck.
From Edison McIntyre, Durham NC I'm a 22-year-resident of Durham N.C., and proud to be a citizen here. I'm also pleased to be a citizen of the N.C. Triangle, and while I live in Durham I also enjoy the amenities of Raleigh, Cary, and Chapel Hill. (For that matter, I also hang out in the Triad area — Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point — and Burlington/Elon, easily accessible via I-85/40.)
The partisan remarks posted here by various Carolinians about their respective cities are amusing but also infuriating. Every city has its good points and bad. I live in Durham because housing costs here generally are lower than in other parts of the Triangle, and because I like the political tension between the "progressive" and "conservative" communities here. In combination with the rest of the Triangle, job opportunities remain reasonable (if you have a car), and arts, food, and entertainment offerings can keep one busy seven nights a week. Four hours to the Atlantic Ocean, three hours from the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Durham's crime problem is exaggerated by outsiders (including, I believe, realtors in neighboring Wake and Orange counties who want to sell homes to newly arrived employees in Research Triangle Park). Yes, there are a few residential areas where I wouldn't go at night, but I feel safe downtown after dark.
Durham still struggles with two sad legacies of the early 20th century: racial discrimination and the tobacco industry. African-Americans make up about half the city's population, and black voters play an important part in local and state government. Unfortunately, some black leaders here are always ready to use the race card as the ultimate qualification for public office, and there is a reverse "good ol' boy" system in Durham that seems to protect, or at least excuse, poor performance on the part of certain local officials because they are black. Many black citizens continue to live in substandard housing, and some struggle with gang violence, illegal drugs, and a disproportionately elevated school dropout rate. Other N.C. cities have similar problems, but they seem amplified in Durham because of the high proportion of African-American citizens. The excellence of many local colleges and universities (including N.C. Central University, an historically black school in Durham)is not easily accessible to many Durham residents (including Latinos, who make up roughly 10 percent of the population).
Cigarette manufacturing (and to a lesser extent, textiles) made Durham a fairly wealthy working-class city by the 1950s. The subsequent decline of tobacco and textiles in N.C. has probably been a good thing for many in Durham, because of the new emphasis on higher-paying tech jobs in the Triangle area as a whole. But a lot of citizens here, white and black, have been left out of the Triangle's tech boom, in part because of inadequate, racially divided school systems (predominantly white "county" schools and predominantly black "city" schools, before the two systems merged in the mid-90s) and in part because of inadequate public transportation. (The entire Triangle badly needs a light rail system, or something like it, but the component cities have not worked hard enough to come together and make it a reality.) Durham's downtown, mostly a relic of the tobacco boom times, struggles to find some relevance to the lives of many citizens who live in outlying areas of the city and who seldom venture downtown. The American Tobacco/Durham Bulls Athletic Park complex has made a start in that direction, but there remains a lot of work to do to bring retail businesses back to downtown, which would make it much easier to attract middle-class residents there.
Despite its problems, Durham is moving in the right direction to improve its educational system and infrastructure. The work force is eager and the resources are here to train it. Office and manufacturing space are reaonable and available. As a place for new and enlarging businesses, Durham offers a lot of promise, if not exactly paradise.
From cc Durham, NC Raleigh and Durham are great places to live and launch a business thanks to the help from organizations like the Council For Entrepreneurial Development. The collaboration in the Triangle is something you won't find anywhere else.
From CC Durham NC We moved to Durham almost 11 yrs ago, after having lived in Canada, England & many very nice cities in America, we fell in love with Durham & decided to make it Home! The comments about being the armpit of NC are ridiculous, they obviously have not visted Durham in a long time. It is as safe as many cities it size and most of the crime occurs only in certain areas. This city has culture galore, some of the best dining in the State & a restaurant that is consistantly voted among the top 15 by gourmet magazines. The archtecture of the old tobacco warehouses is amazing & they are not being torn down, but instead being adapted to mix use developments. Durham Rocks!
From AJ Jordan, MN Minneapolis is a terrible place if you want to have friends. I have lived in Houston, San Francisco, and Indianapolis and have found them much more welcoming. After three years, my wife and I only have friends who have moved in from out of state.
Schools are good, but they shame you every election year into raising tax levies or else "our fabulous Minnesota schools will fail".
I wish I could say something good about Minneapolis, but after three years here, we are frustrated with a state that turned a 2 billion tax surplus into an $800 million deficit in a year. We are ready to move.
From mm Durham, NC Moved to Durham from NYC 10 years ago, and love it. Crime is better than where we used to live; if we want to experience what Raleigh and Chapel Hill have to offer, it's a 30 minute drive. Durham is the underdog in the Triangle, and we like it that way. I don't understand what these other posts are complaining about with Durham. Sour grapes.
From Neo McKennedy Colorado Springs – Beautiful but using Focus on the Family as a SELLING point?? HA! Only if we can get all those people here together and put a fence around it to keep them from breeding with outsiders!
Ya PLEASE..Boulder? Ummmm not unless you enjoy lack of personal freedom….
Honululu? Home of the $29.95 Value Meal? Local on White discrimination and lack of everything except salt water.
I think Rapid City South Dakota should be included, but then again it seems these people didn't do their research.
Why do so many of us (me included) live places we HATE? I'll tell you this, I'm moving in the next 4 months, somewhere I can be PROUD to say I love.
Everyone else, move to Colorado Springs and make some room around the rest of the country..for me!
lol
From BAH Durham, NC It is about time Durham is being recognized (#12)- I have been living in Durham, NC for five years now and it is a beautiful place to live. There are bad parts of every city and you can't judge a city by those parts. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA (#60) and needed to get away because of the mentality of the area. It is a very old – slow growth place and high priced to boot. Durham is much better place with lower cost of living with an upward mobility of young people with fresh ideas.
From Charlie, Raleigh, NC I would like to know how much money you were paid and by whom. Durham NC is a freakin joke to those of us who live in the area. Even most people who live in Durham know that this is a joke. The crime rate is outrageous. Apparently, Fortune does not care about their creditability …
From Amanda, Pgh, Pa I have lived in Pittsburgh, PA all my life and there are plenty of places and ways to start a business, but it all comes at a price. Bars and resturantes generally don't do well in their initial years, especially if they pander to the upper class. To some it's considered the confederate capital of the north because of the mentality of a considerable amount of the working class. It has been and will always be a union town, which has both its positives and negatives.
The crime really isn't as bad as the article would have you believe. I feel that the education the state offers is very good in the suburban areas around the city and we have plenty of post secondary education institutions.
It's just all about the demand for your type of service and your customer service.
From joe orlando, fl Orlando is a war zone. I want to move back to New York City–where it is safer!
From Rob, Queen Creek AZ They call Durham the arm pit of North Carolina for a reason. I lived in Durham in the late 90's, most people that have their choice live in Raleigh or Chapel Hill. High crime and scary unkept neighborhoods take away from the quality of life in Durham. The cost of living was nice and low though.
From N. Williams Detroit Lakes MN Native of Montana and longtime resident of Missoula. The influx of population and the inability of the infrastructure to support it was the primary reason we moved away in the early 90's. Home prices quadrupled in a decade, the only jobs left for those of us who have to work are flipping the proverbial burgers, the geography (mountain valley) is incapable of processing the wastes of what has become high density living and the people who are moving into the area seem to have no sense of community. The goal is to buy 8 acres, put a fence around it, call it some cutesy thing like "mother's load" , dress up like a cowboy and threaten to shoot anyone who tresspasses or steals the water. It is beautiful if one can see past the mansions of the neuvo riche and celebrity, but sadly it seems to attract those who are more concerned with where they are than who they are. Missoula is the place indeed if one wants to look at beautiful scenery and choke in high density living.
From Liz, Lyndhurst, NJ #30. Lyndhurst, best places to live in New Jersey: I've have been living in Lyndhurst for 7 years now and I love it here. We have our own city in the suburbs. Everything you need is in walking distance and the recreation department has wonderful programs for the children. Anyone you meet who grew up here here makes you feel like you did too. A lot of people who have 9-5 jobs volunteer their time to the community. The schools and teachers are great. Kids are respectable and curtious. Taxes are reasonable. Police officers are involved in the community and do a great job protecting it. Your neighbors watch out for your children and you do the same for them. Our neigherhood is clean, neat and free of litter. You're in driving distance of all the major malls, shopping centers and highways as well.
I'm greatful to be able to raise my 4 children here.
From ExHonoluluan, San Diego, CA Honolulu isn't as business-friendly as this article would have you believe. It's a double-taxation state in which the tax advantages listed apply only to a certain tiny sector of the market. The more interesting fact is that a little over half the businesses employ 4 or less employees – the article doesn't state that these are generally family-run, some reaching back 3-4 generations. Recent global speculation in real estate in Honolulu has driven home prices out of the reach of most residents of the city, forcing adults in a household to work two or more jobs to fund their mortgages.
Agriculture is limited to just a few types of crop; and there are precious few places to build anymore. It is a city with gorgeous beaches and tropical views that has a density of high rises that stagger the mind.
I hardly agree that it belongs on this list, and sadly, it used to be my home town.
From Charlotte, NC Greensboro – i lived and worked there for 12 years (school from 1991-1995, then worked until laid off in 2003). Greensboro is for college students (flee when you graduate), older folks that live comfortably, couples with children that live comfortably, or the "old money" rich. It's not very progressive and I was bored to tears (literally at time) when I was there. Work was the only thing that kept me in the area. I did a commute for a year (from my current city of Charlotte to Greensboro) and the first day reminded me of why I hated the place so much.
Raleigh – I'm from Raleigh and I like it. It's got a lot of traffic for no good reason but it's a nice place whether you are a college student or a young family with children starting out. Still country though…
Charlotte – out of the 3 i like it the best. have been living here for about 5 years. It may not be the most culturally rich place there is but it works for me at this point in my life. The traffic is a bit much at times as well but it's trying to be a booming city so that's what you get. it's like a cross between Raleigh and Atlanta – and that is a plus for me. I like places like Atlanta and Chicago and New York but they would eventually eat me alive.
From Jim – Iowa Google is NOT in Omaha, NE. Google is in Coucil Bluffs, IOWA…
From Kate Fowkes, Winston-Salem, NC Winston-Salem, NC is a great little city which features lots of arts and culture–and the living is easy compared to many other cities with similar amenities. We live in a historic neighborhood near downtown and can walk to almost everything we need–restaurants, clubs, bank, library, etc. I grew up in N.Y.C and have lived in Seattle, Portland OR, London, Paris, Austin and Berkeley. Sure, W-S is a small city but that's part of what makes it nice and it's certainly come a long way since I moved here 15 years ago. I'm happy to say that it's moving in the right direction, controlling sprawl and big box development. The downtown is being revitalized and that is very exciting. Lots of theatre, music, art, and festivals of all kinds. The weather here is wonderful –four distinct seasons but winter is mild. Spring here is heaven on earth. Dogwoods, azaleas, weeping cherries, flowers everywhere. Unbelievable.
From Dianne Columbus Indiana Columbus Indiana is known for Cummins and its architecture designs, yes. However, one of the best-kept-secrets is the difficulty newcomers (people who transfer to Columbus) experience when trying to acclimate to the city. The city does not send out the Welcome Wagon. In fact, often, it is down right impossible to fit in. People in Columbus have an ethnocentric viewpoint of themselves and a lack of appreciation for new ideas and new people. Columbus has a "Get-er-done" mentality.
From Anonymous Rochester Minnesota is the SHIZNET! It pretty much puts all other cities to shame…especially Omaha. I believe that you all need to get your rankings straight, starting with the Rock Town as numero uno. Ra, Ra, Rochester!!!
From Jack Reichenthal, Houston, Tx Santa Fe and its surrounding area is really a paradise on earth. Anyone who never been, has truly missed one of the great masterpieces of city management respecting mother nature.
From Kirk, Houston, TX Stafford, TX? I guess if you like a town that epitomizes suburban sprawl, laced with a bit of good 'ol ultra-conservative, church going, xenophobic conservatism, then Stafford is your place.
Well, maybe Katy or Spring would bypass it on the suburban rating.
The Houston area definitely is a bargain. But if you are willing to put up with the heat, humidity, mosquitoes and ocassional hurricane, then perhaps living out on US 59 in Stafford, and commuting in some of the worst traffic in the US, isn't that much more of a bother.
However, if you are going to put up with those environmental issues, you might think about living centrally in Houston (Heights, West U, Bellaire, Rice Military, Garden Oaks, etc) where you can take advantage of the arts, music, sports, restaurants and international flair of the city.
From Nashville I guess I don't understand your ratings. I lived in Charlotte, NC for over 8 years and now lived in Nashville one year. I have to say. The culture in Nashville, ie, restaurants, nightlife, music, sports, downtown areas are far better (I believe) than Charlotte. In addition, the Karst topography in Nashville, and rolling hills provide for some of the most magnificant landscape. Don't get me wrong, Charlotte was a nice town, but its such a superficial place to live. Charlotte has absolutely no cultural identity of its own. Honestly, most of the people I met were from NY, NJ,PA, and Ohio and it seemed like everyone worked for Bank of America or Wachovia. Most of the houses being built there are all cheap "cookie cutter" homes due to the greed of large developers. Subsequently, Charlotte's lack of control of their development and lack of adequate planning has resulted in some of the most impaired rivers and streams in the country (ie, the Catawba River – Google it).
From Cody, Oro Valley, Az Lived in Oro Valley 4 1/2 years. Good roads. Great mountain views. Town blends in with the natural features. Bike paths and hiking trails all over the place. Lots of roadside art. Well manicured. Golf courses all over if you golf (not me). Catalina St Pk close by. Good library. Lots of saguaro cactus. Well planned master communities. Lack of shopping and restaurants a problem but getting better. New hospital. Super Wal-Mart and shopping center coming which will decrease driving miles. CON: Local cops are not friendly and zero tolerance (they have a reputation in the area for that).
From Betty, Tarboro, NC A well-kept secret in eastern North Carolina is the small town of Tarboro. Start with a well-maintained historic district of very affordable homes, a semi-revitalized downtown ready for business, add an influx of artsy-trendy entreprenuer types and grassroots activists, then top it off with an excellent infrastructure for internet-based businesses. What you have is a great place to get in on the ground floor and help grow the town into exactly what you want it to be.
From Sue, Asheville, NC What do I think about Asheville? Well, the "diversity" is a joke – don't ever believe it's here if someone says so. The job market has hobbled for years, and wages stink. Add to that the fact that New Englanders and Floridians drive up our property values (by buying homes at inflated prices), making it hard to young families and professionals to find affordable housing. Then you have greedy developers who want to destroy our natural landscaping to sell half-million dollar lots. It's a travesty.
From Scott- Salem NH Seeing Manchester NH on the list only solidifies what most Granite Staters already know about this changing city.
A former mill town that was a depressed area in the 70's and 80's has made a massive comeback due to the friendly NH business climate.
It also helps that NH has been recognised as the best place to raise a family, has one of the best education systems in the country and one of the lowest crime rates etc.
The Manchester area, as opposed to southern NH (below exit 4 on I-93), is more affordable in housing and property taxes and does not have the influences of a creeping Boston high cost of living mentality like Nashua, Salem and Portsmouth.
With a rapidly growing regional airport, a massive highway expansion and eventual commuter rail between Boston and Manchester, the entire Manchester-Boston corridor is going to become a prime market for expanding businesses needing the right climate of low taxation and educated workforce.
The down side is our cold winters, if you don't like the cold, then it's a long 5 months for you.
The only New England area that surprised me was Worcester, its not much better than Lawrence MA and I have NO IDEA how it made itself onto this list.
From Kathy, Brookfield, WI Brookfield, Wisconsin is a great place to live. We are right in the middle of Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago and Minneapolis. It is a beautiful community with shopping, parks, lakes, etc. and our taxes are less than surrounding communities.
From Linda E. Plowman Thanks for the article – as a Pittsburgher, always good to read good things about our beloved city.
I’m one who was born here, left after college for the bigger cities (Dallas/TX, Los Angeles/CA, Portland/OR, Boston/MA area) and returned – twice now – this time probably to take root.
The national media exposure for the PA Primaries this past week gave us an additional insight into how we are “branded†– I didn’t hear ‘rust belt’ or ‘steel city’, but I think I did hear ‘hard-working’…and that’s a proud tradition, be it blue-collar, white-collar or no-collar (techies unite?!)…
I’ve been in the higher education world in the ‘burgh now for the past six years, back at one of the schools from which I earned a very valuable degree, and in addition to it being a joy professionally (melding my art, science, law and business backgrounds), it’s an investment in the next generations, whom we all hope will invest their talents in our fair city.
Sometimes you have to leave to appreciate what you had, and I’m a good example of that, as are many others now back in ‘the ‘burgh’.
Thanks again for the exposure!
Linda
From Rob – Birmingham, MI Note: I already filed this comment under the story about Buford, GA. But I wanted to repeat it here, in case some of you missed it:
As a former resident of Suwanee, GA (which is also in Gwinnett County), I can tell you that the whole metropolitan-Atlanta area is highly OVER-RATED. Aside from the fact that if you take a wrong turn you will quickly end up in ‘Hazzard County’, here are some other things to consider: The traffic is absolutely horrible, the building standards for new/newer homes are very low (meaning the house will look good when it’s brand new, but you WILL be putting money into it within a few years), and the shopping and retail areas are not very convenient (mostly just a bunch of strip malls). There really aren’t any of the interesting and fun ‘downtown’ areas that you find in Greenwich, CT, Santa Barbara, CA or Birmingham, MI. And let’s face it – as far as cities go, Atlanta can’t really measure up to great cities like New York, Chicago or San Francisco.
When we first moved down there, Lake Lanier was touted as a great boating/ vacation/recreation area. What a joke!! Most of Lanier is a third-rate dump at best (when it actually has water), and can’t hold a candle to Michigan’s Great Lakes or other magnificent lakes and waterways around the U.S., such as Long Island Sound, or the inlets and harbors in the Pacific Northwest.
Furthermore, speaking of water, there is an ongoing drought that is expected to continue for some time. I don’t know what criteria you're using to establish Buford as a top location, but access to adequate water is pretty high on my quality-of-life index. Especially in an area where the summers are very long, very hot and very humid.
I realize that your organization is biased toward the area since you’re located in downtown Atlanta – but beyond that, I really can’t understand the appeal of the place. There are many places throughout the U.S. that are much, much better.
You really need to re-think your rankings. There are many of us that just don't find droughts, hurricanes, wildfires and other natural disasters very appealing.
From Rik Murphy Syracuse NY Syracuse
Are you kidding.
Nine months of winter and three months of poor sledding. With the exception of a few mocked up downtown streets. The rest of the city is surrounded by getto. Parking will bleed you dry and the cost of living along with high property and every other NY tax will drain your pockets real fast. Utilities are more then anyone should have to pay. Nothing more then organized crime. But then there are some really greedy companies here waiting to pounce on anyone with a paycheck. Insurance cost reflect on winter accidents. And when you do file a claim they try to scam you. Automotive repairs and cost are effected by the crappy weather which never seems to end. You wonder, where the hell is Al Gore when you need him. It seems every morning you turn on the news and someone else has been shot and killed. Standing on the corner makes you feel like a one legged man in an ass kicking contest. I, took my car to three different shops for an inspection and got 10 different reasons why they could not pass it and had a need to get all my money. All the shops findings were different. Looks like they are scamming people too. Good thing the government regulates these companies or we might get taken advantage of. Try finding a job that pays over $12 bucks an hour. They keep dropping the average poverty level to compete with the amount of people falling into poverty. It is amazing the wages drop and product doubles but the average income stays above poverty. Numbers game. As soon as the weather breaks they close off (for repairs) just about every major thrufare to the city so it takes you twice as long to get anywhere. And why does it take the road crews months to fix a road they fixed last year? Road rage is everywhere. It seems to have become common practice to wave with your middle finger. One guy actully strted blowing his horn at me because I would not run the red light so he could run the red light. He started waving at me, so I of couse, waved back with both fingers many times out the window. Did not want him to think I was unfriendly. So there you have it. If you are thinking about killing yourself. Syracuse is an excellent place to consider.
From Chris Spackman, Boise, Idaho Beloved Boise!! I was born and raised, been away and came back. Real quick on the "Outdoors" which was vaguely mentioned in the Boise clip. Within 1 hour drive of downtown (some <20 minutes), here's a few rec activities to contemplate on any given day:
Epic….Fishing, Camping, Backpacking, Day Hiking, Hunting, White Water Rafting/kayaking, Snow Skiing (down/cross), Bird Watching, Cave Exploring, Mountain Biking, Paragliding, Sky Diving, Waterskiing, River Jet Boating.
Boise is truly soul food, with 4 distinct seasons providing all you would want during each one.
From Steve Vessle, Los Gatos, California San Francisco is a sewer with the dirtiest downtown in America. That's why it's not on the list
From Kate To those of you who think Minneapolis is terrible: I feel sorry that you are unable to embrace such a wonderful place. I am a female, 24, who currently lives and works in Omaha and can't wait to move back to Minneapolis, where I am from. Sure, the weather is cold, but by having gruesome weather, it retains truly hearty, down-to-earth people. There is a lot of diversity, culture and opportunities. It has a great education system, corporate scence, awesome healthcare and a lot of community service opportunities.
Omaha is one of the worst places for any single twentysomething. It's impossible to meet someone who is not your old classmate's, cousin's best friend. (You get he picture.) The town has zero culture and is loaded with close-minded conservative people. Intelligent conversations are hard to come by, as the majority of the people here don't know anything outside of the Cornhusker State. I applaud those of you Omahans who have lived elsewhere and I respect you for having loyalty in your hometown by coming back. I admit, most people are extremely nice as I have a lot of friends here, but the majority are very close-minded.
From k, Georgetown, Tx I've lived in Georgetown my whole life (21 years) and LOVED it up until recently. It is growing so fast, I don't even recognize anyone anymore when I go to the store. Used to, you could go to HEB or Walmart and see many friends. Now they are all strangers. Our high school is over crowded, although they are building another. I believe Sun City ruined our nice town. Now we have a shopping center on almost every corner. People drive around town like we live in a big city, fast and rude. Having put us on the #2 spot will just make it worse.
From Marcia Yudkin, Goshen, Mass. I enjoyed the list of where to live and launch, but your writers misspoke in using the word "towns" to describe your top 100 places. All of them are *cities.* For a 2 1/2 minute look at what it's like to run a business in a genuine town of 920 people, please see my video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-HgjPdfGiE .
From Alexandrine Godleski Brunswick, Maine is a great little town with wonderful cultural events. I love being close to a great city like Portland, too. The area is adjacent to rivers, ponds, lakes, and the ocean. Oops, I may have said too much. Mainers want tourists not a major influx.
From Brandon Williams, Boston, Ma OK for those of uou that don't know about Coeur d'Alene i feel bad for you. It has one of the top alpine lakes in the worl (national geographic), it has the worlds only fully floating green, it has the worlds longest flaoting boardwalk, it is host of i believe the worlds third largest Ironman competitions. It is also was named the best city to retire young n all of america. It really is one of the most beautiful areas in the world. There are so many lakes near by and it is called the lake city. The resort is beautiful and there is a lot of money put into the city. It is easily better city than Bosie but you have to see it to believe. There really isn't a better area you want to be in if you like to go out on the lake or ski in the winter. Come and visit you won't regret it cause you might not leave it.
From Lali Castillo My family and I love living in Stafford (22 years). It's got a small-town feel with and up-town venue. The taxes are the best and we have Mayor Scarcella, City Council and all of our City Government departments to thank for making Stafford a great place to call home. And I can assure you, it is only getting better!!
From Al Mink, Leesburg, VA LEESBURG VA – I live here and moved here from the DC beltway for just the reasons listed. What's not stated, though is the unique aspect of Leesburg — it's at the boundary between the Appalachians (the trail is 20 minutes away) and metropolitan DC. So you can enjoy horse, hiking, white water rafting nearby. Also, we're at mile marker 34 for the rail-to-trail bike path that leads into DC, and out further west for cyclists and hikers. On the other hand, DC — and all its culture like shows, concerts, museums — are very accessible as well. Finally, the county offers this premium buses to DC — the type of coaches used for tours — at a low price. They even allow coffee on board. Great 45 minute commute with a chance to nap or read the paper. LOVE THIS PLACE. "The Minks"
From Colby, State College Pennsylvania State College is an amazing town.
1. Public School system is amazing
2. PSU campus has in amazing
3. Everyone is smart
4. One of the best business programs in the naiton at PSU, very business oriented town.
5. Every resource a business would need can be found here.
6. Huge room for expansion and business start ups.
7. Opportunities for everyone, from high school to the retired.
8. College minded town
9. Liberal, yet businessly conservative.
From Austin, Zionsville, Indiana Zionsville Indiana is an AMAZING place to live. The school system is one of, if not the best in the state. It is a great place to start your own business. Not to mention the beauty and zeal of the town. I have lived in 10 different states and could not imagine myself anywhere else than in Zionsville.
From HATER BEWARE OF COPS IN NAPPERVILLE IL> YOU WILL GET A TICKET FOR GOING 40 in 35 MPH zone>
From Jos Fort Lauderdale is a very nice town. I live here and absolutely hate it when I have to drive to Miami. The traffic in Fort Lauderdale is smoother, people are more polite, and there is a good economic diversity. Yes, the subprime fallout has made its mark, but my area of town is doing well (single family home area with little speculative buying). It's a great community for diversity of belief, race, and orientation. The current Mayor is a doofus but he is on his way out. The metropolitan area as a whole is well run. What we do need is a light rail, and I hope the plans will come together soon
From Matt Hamden, CT I am so happy that the town of Hamden is finally being recognized as one of the premier places to live in this country. The blend of suburban and urban neighborhoods is what makes this town great. The diversity of cultures in Hamden makes it a place for eveyone to live. Business in Hamden is always bustling, and it seems like new businesses are relocating to Hamden every day.
In response to JF of New Haven, I am having trouble seeing your point. New Haven is where I was born, and I love the city, the Green, the businesses, and the atmosphere. But on the other side, New Haven has rough places that have to be driven to like every other American city. It is funny you mention Wal-Mart and Home Depot because Hamden did not have those places until recently. And I'm sure people driving through New Haven don't see the big, ugly, blue and gold IKEA building sticking out like a sore thumb. Take a drive down Whitney Ave in Hamden, and you will find private businesses and town landmarks just like any other New England town. And as for the center of town, Hamden was a part of New Haven until 1786. The collection of neighborhoods formed to create one town; Hamden. So that is why there isn't a distinguished center of town like the New Haven Green. But I'm sure you already knew all of that.
From Joe, Omaha NE I have to agree with Omaha at #22. I was recently part of a Young professionals conference here in Omaha and we had over 1000 people attend. I have lived in New York and Chicago and Omaha has a community that is much more willing to embrace small businesses (I am working on starting one as well so I know what I am talking about). This is a great place to be.
From Deb P, Worcester, MA I've been in Worcester since 1979 and have seen it go through incredible changes. Like so many other cities, there are two sides to the equation. If you're living above the line, you're enjoying an enormous variety of ethnic cuisines in inexpensive restaurants, the benefits of a world class art museum, the advantages of proximity to nearly every major city in New England, a poetry/live music circuit that's just amazing and relatively low rents and housing prices (on the way down now, actually, as investor landlords are finding that they can't keep charging Boston rents for Worcester housing, and can't get out of the properties they bought for $300k when the housing market has tanked and the market values are $100k less).
Unfortunately, there's also a down side of being the second largest city in the region. There's a gang problem that no one wants to admit, and a job gap that catches both the young and the 'overaged' worker squarely in the middle. All these lovely folks who live here because 'it's a short commute to Boston' have driven housing prices out of the range of most long-term residents who rent, and sky-rocketing heating prices over the past few years have made it a challenge to pay the rent and the bills, put food on the table and take advantage of all those wonderful advantages.
From Fran, currently Cincinnati, OH I grew up in the Midwest, a large part of that time was spent in Fargo, ND. I think if you were to narrow the idea if best place to live to number of business and average cost of a home, Fargo, ND would rank #23, I think quality of life should also include some diversity, in which you will get very little to none in North Dakota, also most college graduates move away from the area for lack of employment opportunities, the opportunities that are available are middle management, dead end, and under paid. There are only a few major industries in the area, one of which is customer service. Tack on cold long winters, overly conservative, secluded, and alienating, low cost of living just isn't enough; Fargo, ND ranks in my top 5 worst places to live and raise children.
From lees summit mo Give me a break, there is nothing for younger people to do in KC MO or KC, whether you reside in the burbs or not. We relocated here from Chicago Suburbs and I hate it here. I feel like this is a tour of duty I don't like and waiting to ETS.
From andria, WA 98225 I live in Bellingham, WA #27 and absolutely love it!!! There is beauty everywhere–Anyone who appreciates the outdoors would just love it here. All winter there is Mt. Baker to ski/snowboard. There are endless trails for running, hiking, mountain biking. The lakes and bay for swimming, boating, kayaking, sailing, ect. Not to mention it is an hour from Vancouver BC which is an amazing city, and 100 miles north of Seattle, which is an amazing city as well. There is always something to do. I came here to go to college and have yet to leave, after 7 years, I'm looking into buying a home finally. I just don't want to leave here!
From Mike, Raleigh, NC I am so glad I do not live in a city where all the residents claim it to be the "gem of the south." (Charlotte, NC) Give me a break. We who live in Raleigh let our city speak for itself. It's a great place to live.
From Tracy Wehringer I love raising our son in Plainsboro. The town is truly a melting pot of diversity which allows my son to learn so much about other cultures, etc. The new area of resturants and shops is a nice addition and a great place to eat if I'm getting home a little late to make dinner. Our son has had such exposure in the school system with amazing, creative teachers.
From denise,Sarasota Floirda Sarasota is on the list at 90 it is a beautiful place to live but there is absolutely no work here and it will be a very long time before this area rebounds. If you have and money and can afford to buy then now is the time. There is no working class here only rich and retirees Medical is about the only field here. I have lived here give or take 20 yrs and this is the worst I have ever seen it.
From Michelle, Austin, TX Austin, Tejas, is a great place to live and work. The traffic and summer heat SUCK, but you will never run out of new things to do here and the people are very friendly. It's affordable, compared to most places, and the "vibe" is very positive.
From Andrea, Greensboro, NC Moved to Greensboro about 2 years ago from NJ. If you like a society where you do not mind being with people around you, don't come here. If you are retired and bored with your life, please do(its cheap too). Closed minded people are welcome here…I cannot wait to get out of here.
From Harold Shinsato, Stevensville, MT Missoula, #71, is a wonderful technology town with one of the top webhosting companies, not just the U of M. There's also going to be a technology conference in April, Missoula BarCamp 2008, which the Missoula Area Economic Development Corp is helping put on. There are also active einformal technology discussion groups, and the Montana Web Developers Association.
From Colin McDonough, Hamden,CT I am a student at Hamden High School in Hamden,CT(#33 in the list). I was voted Most School Spirit and I also love the town I live in. The town has great businesses and it seems like more are built everyday. In Hamden city and country blend, which makes the town more unique than any other town in Connecticut. I am so proud Hamden,CT made this list.
From Jeffrey Griffin, Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh.
I recently moved back to Pittsburgh after graduating from university in 1993.
I am looking forward to engaging the resources for starting a technology company here.
Business revenue will have to be generated nationally or internationally, not locally, as Pittsburgh's local economy is stagnant.
Property/income taxes, unions costs and the city's provincial mentality are Pittsburgh's biggest detriments.
Pittsbugh's small town charm, affordable housing, green belts, and cultural offerings are in the plus category.
From Emily Smith Batavia IL I live in Batavia IL which is near Naperville It is a great place to live. It should of made the list. The schools are some of the best in Illinois. I raised a family of 6 and I loved every minute of it. Plus its so close to Chicago. To all you young couples I highly recommend it.
From Luis Lyndhurst, NJ Lyndhurst, NJ is a great town to live in. My Wife and I moved to Lyndhurst from a crime infested neiborhood in Brooklyn and we never looked back. Lyndhurst is a working class town and people live modestly. It really is a slice of heaven and we are happy to live here.
From Keith, Minneapolis Minnesota You have to be kidding me. I live there, Minneapolis is a hole.
From Shari, Olathe,KS Kansas City, MO, live on the Kansas side in what was describe a KC,MO suburb, assure you it is not. While KC, MO has many advantages for the business community, it has many disadvantages as well, the city itself suffers from a failing school system, crime and violence. However, the suburban areas and counties surrounding the city have some of the best schools, communities, and resources in the nation. It is a very family oriented area, with a great deal to offer anyones interests an needs. However keep in mind that its best to live outside of the KC, MO city itself with the exception of the upper class.
From Melissa, King of Prussia, PA There's a photo of Bethlehem, PA, but not of Radnor Twp??? Odd. I noticed that Radnor and only one other town out of 100 didn't have photos… What's up with that?
From Rachel, Washington, DC Ft. Lauderdale is, in many ways, has the best to offer to those who enjoy the S. Florida lifestyle. And, now is a great time to find some incredible real estate deals. Areas in the center city, especially the South Middle River area, offer incredible opportunities with modest early 1950s houses solidly constructed with gigantic yards, perfect for remodeling and expansion, and excellent location. No Miami-Dade hassle here. The area is lacking is small upscale restaurants.
From karen, rockville, MD Does anyone know anything about Oro Valley, Arizona? I'm thinking about moving there for a job transfer but would like to get info on the community.
From Mark Smith, San Antonio, TX (for now) Um, gee whiz, when locals pronounce Coeur d'Alene as "core da lane", it's because that's how it's pronounced. Anything else is just, I don't know, stupid?
From Linda, Durham NC I was a little surprised to see Durham, NC show up on this list, especially at number 13. I've lived in Durham for 4 years and while it is a decent place to live, I'm not sure it really belongs at number 13 on the top 100 list. Durham has lots of opportunity – arts, good restaurants, good sports events, great weather, great diversity in its people. Durham is in the process of a major revitalization and with continued investment and change will be a great place to live, work and operate a business. It is true that crime is a concern, but I haven't encountered any problems personally in 4 years and there is recognition by the city that if Durham is to truly be revitalized and reach its potential, serious efforts will need to be taken to reduce crime.
From Brunswick, maine Brunswick is a fabulous community in which to live and work whether you are raising a family or retiring or anywhere else in you life. The combined advantages of being a college town (Bowdoin), located on the ocean and two major rivers, along with the tremendous recreational opportunities and the relative saftey of the town Make it a wonderful place to live and work
From Carl, Denver, CO Madison, "chilly"? That is an understatement, but a reasonable foundation for an intolerable weather situation. If you like the color gray, this (and much of the Rust Belt) is the place for you. Hot humid Summers, short pleasant Falls and nasty wet Springs make this the place to visit, but only in October.
From Raoul, Bloomington, IN I read this list to make sure Bend didn't show up, but sadly, it did. I lived there several years, working in startup companies, until I realized how much I hated it there. I found the people unpleasant and the city incredibly boring but self-congratulatory at the same time. The population is simply made of two groups: 1) retirees, and 2) trust-fund kids who want to go skiing and rock climbing. The city claims to have a thriving arts scene but it's really quite awful.
That said, if you're really in love with the outdoors, extreme isolation, and the desert climate, and you don't care about the arts/music scene or the lack of a diverse population in terms of ethnicity and demographics, it might be perfect for you.
Good luck attracting talent, though — it'll be hard to find younger skilled workers, because they would rather live on the other side of the Cascades (say, in Eugene).
From bud. rochester ny Rochester NY is a dying city … actually it's probably already dead.
There is no real effort to resurrect this city. Kodak is demolishing 1 building after another and sending work off-shore.
This whole article is a joke.
Rochester has been a well-fare city since the riots in the 60's.
From Scott Danville, CA Danville, CA is undoubtedly one of the best places to live in the world, let alone the USA. I've lived elsewhere and traveled the globe and Danville is hard to beat. The only reason that our City seldom makes the Best Places lists is due to cost of living with many houses costing $900K+. Schools, Outdoor Activities, Weather, …. all are top-notch. The City's not very diverse, which is either a benefit or detracting point depending on one's preferences.
From Ross Rylance, Nashville TN After toruing the world for 28 years with entertainers and I have lived in Chicago for most of my life. I was looking for a place to live that had business opportunity, a quality of life, low overhead, great topography, centrally located to the east coast… I came up with Nashville. My wife and I purchased a home in Green Hills four years ago and have made well over 10% on our investment per year. There are some growth problems currently here in Nashville but our new mayor Karl Dean will shape the city into one of the finest in the country. Come on down for a visit, ya'll!
From Leesburg.Virginia I Live In Leesburg,Va. Yes there is a lot to see, but what it is? Just new developments, residential and comercial, It is a shame. The beauty of nature is gone, is to over crowed, the roads remain the same to contain the volume of trafic during rush hours, to may bussines, and homes and very few schools, and no plans for more.
From J. F. New Haven, CT Hamden, CT
Well, Hamden is a suburb, if you like driving everywhere you need to go I guess that this is an OK place to live. I find the people that I know who live in Hamden have to drive into New Haven to have breakfast on the weekend. We walk. If you are moving to the New Haven area and enjoy culture don't move in next door to a Home Depot or Wal-Mart, move to New Haven, there are very good neighborhoods within the city limits. Doesn't it sound nice to walk out of the front door and to a farmers market at the local park on Saturday or Sunday morning? By the way, New Haven was just named in the top 20 of pedestrian friendly cities in the U.S. To me, Hamden looks like any suburb in the country; if you were blindfolded and dropped off there it would take you having to ask someone where you are before you could figure it out from landmarks. Also, I would not say “plenty of shops and restaurants fill the center of town†it is more like a few. I am not even sure you would consider what Hamden has a center of town, if you blink you will miss it, and then you will have to turn around in that Applebee’s parking lot up ahead to go back and find it.
From Tom, Bellaire, TX The best place to live and work are places that have a diverse economy.
I live in Bellaire (Houston) Texas and find it to be one of the best places to live. Houston has enery and medicine. Two sector that are pretty much resistant to even the worse recession.
It is a small town in a big city. It has everything that a person or a family needs for both personal and business.
I highly recommend it even though it is not listed on the top 100.
From Andrew Christiansburg VA Don’t fall for any of these surveys. I have been reading them for years and laughing because anyone who moves ANYWHERE without spending time there can be making the mistake of their lives. There are no perfect cities. In the United States there are problems everywhere especially in the last 8 years. I like where I live because it is away from almost all “lemming mentality.†I am not going to mention where it is because I don’t want anyone finding out about it. As long as it goes unnoticed then the bottom feeding developers will stay away. They are partially responsible for the ruination of the entire country.
Posted By Mary Beth, Chicago, IL : April 6, 2008 9:12 am
your a stuck up snob
From Liz, Winston-Salem, North Carolina I moved to Winston-Salem over twelve years ago after growing up in Manhattan and living in the Boston, D.C., and San Francisco areas. Winston-Salem has been a great place to raise a family. It has a broad and deep arts scene, including many arts education opportunites. It has been a place that is easy to get involved in the community and work to make a positive difference in the development of the city. There are a lot of different kinds of people here, including academics and musicians, and the place has a very down-to-earth, friendly feel. This is not the glamour lane, but it is the "real" America I had been searching for. The area is physically beautiful, located adjacent to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We are the gateway to the burgeoning Yadkin Valley Wine region, and it is fun to visit the wineries for day trips. There is a lot of value for the money here in terms of quality of life and housing. Most of all, it is much lower stress than I had been used to. I'm glad to see that Winston-Salem is getting the attention it deserves.
From Dana McBride, Fort Collin Co. Fort Collins………………..Co.
Fort Collins boomed in the 90's because of the tech growth at HP and we had incredible real estate inflation, now the last 7 or 8 years the growth has been flat but steady. A lot of layoffs in the tech field with many of those people sticking around trying to start businesses here because they don't want to live elsewhere. Its much nicer since the growth slowed down, the
traffic seems to actually have gotten a little better. No doubt we have just about everything a small to medium sized city could want including cultural and wilderness minutes apart. Housing prices are reasonable but that may be because there isn't much of a good paying job market here. I don't want to go back to the double digit housing inflation that the national builders love to exploit, rape, pilage and leave, taking there profits to other localities. We have brain gain here and we will see if we have the create business brains to create good paying jobs, but I don't want to go back to the go-go 90's. Slow steady growth is best. I love living here, hope I can continue to find work here.
From Richard A.Staab, President, InterMed I enjoyed your article in this months magazine and it got me thinking about how great Gainesville Florida is. I apologize if you are not the person to contact with any comments regarding the recent article published on the 2008 Best Places to live and Launch a business.
I want to share my thoughts and experience on this topic because I feel strongly about where I have chosen to work. I live in Gainesville/Alachua Florida. I grew up in Chapel Hill North Carolina before they cut I40 through to the coast and the boom of RTP(Research Trinagle Park area). Having watched the explosive growth at RTP, I could attribute it to the research that was being fed and supported by the area schools such as UNC and Duke. The area I am in now contains the largest bio-incubator and is being fed by the local University(Florida) and Santa Fe Community College, another top ranked institution. I moved my business into the Progress Corporate Park here in Alachua in 2002. I have seen explosive growth in the past few years and even more to come. The city works very hard at promoting and bringing in new businesses. The chamber of commerce is probably the best one I have ever been involved with. My office sits in front of many acres of green space in the San Felasco State Preserve where we ride many miles of mountain bike trails. The environment lends itself to some of the best activities in the world for young entrepreneurs including the best cave and spring diving in the world. The best thing about this area for starting a business is the focus on the biomedical research. I am a firm believer that our nation and the world will experience a drastic shift into biomedical research. With advancements in stem cells, genetics, RNAi, and a myriad of other biomedical and biological research our fastest growing industry will be curing diseases and creating biomedical solutions.
From Tyler, Phoenix, AZ Colorado – I used to live in Colorado for a year and I lived in Colorado Springs and Denver. Colorado Springs was horrible. forget housing, the jobing market there is enough to deter and kill anyone from living there. The city is surrounded by nothing but the military so all of the military folks have taken all the jobs and Jobs are extremely hard to find there. Plus they dont take kind to outsider folk. if youve lived there your whole life or are military, then you'll have no problems. Denver on the other hand is slightly better. No military and the cities much bigger, so jobs are better and housing is reasonably priced. Now if you cant handle the city life try the suburbs of Denver like Aurora, Littleton, Lakewood, Englewood, Arvada, Westminster, Thorton, Centennial, and others. However, even with a little bit better jobs and housing Denver is still hard to live in. Remember, Denver is a winter haven. It gets mighty cold there at times and it can get blizzards there. The only real thing Denver has going for itself is The Denver Bronco's and the Colorado Avalanche! Go Bronco's!!
From Tyler, Phoenix, AZ Prescott,AZ – To even think that Prescott made the list is horrifying. Prescott is run by nothing but the old folks in the community. At one time Prescott was a great place to live and there was traditions and an expanding city. But now days the old folks have come in and pretty much turned the community into an old folks community. Its not even friendly anymore to the younger generation like me, who is 26 or to the rising young generation. I used to live there for almost 10 years, so Ive seen alot of the changes. There used to be 4th of July waterfights downtown.. not anymore. The old folks killed that one. U can do it on the outskirts of downtown but who wants to do that? Its just not as fun or the same. The courthouse lighting used to be fun. not anymore, the old folks killed the fun of that as well. The only thing Prescott has going for itself is Whiskey row and im sure the old folks are trying to kill that one as well or at least make it more old folk friendly. Besides the old folk killing off the fun Prescott used to be, the housing market is sky high and jobs are hard to come by. Because of that, families are moving out and moving to the nearby cities of Prescott Valley and Chino Valley. Prescott Valley however, would be better for the list as it is steadily and rapidly growing and housing is relatively low and jobs are abundant and because of the rapid growth, Jobs continue to grow!
From P&D, Huntington Beach, CA WE LOVE BEND!!!
We bought land there in Feb, 2008 and we are moving. We are soooo tired of California, the crowds, graffiti…..
Bend is clean, uncrowded (compared to California) and everyone is pleasant! And Bend has sunshine!
Housing is still affordable and all the best shops, restaurants and services are there.
From Mary, Georgetown TX We live in Georgetown, TX (Sun City). It is like coming home to a resort every time you drive in.
From Bryan Kramer, American Canyon, CA I have lived in American Canyon(also known as AC or AmCyn to us locals) for all my 18 years it is a very small town where most everything is within walking distance. Most residents either know or have heared of almost everyone here and it very close to San Fran, Lake Tahoe and is continuously growing. Everyone here ia very nice and it is a very close knit community. Some may say its not that great, but hey we beat Orlando & Walt Disney World!, along with 88 other cities so we must not be that bad after all lol.
From Dave, Fort Wayne, IN Blue Ash, Ohio —- come on!
Blue Ash is no different than the rest of the Cincinnati burbs. You can drive through Blue Ash and never know that you were there. Everything around there looks the same. A start up needs a lot of things but none of what it needs are any more available in Blue Ash then they are in any other sub of Cincinnati. Geez.
From Dave, Fort Wayne, IN Zionsville?? To start a business??
Maybe an Art Gallery but that's about it. Zionsville is about the last place I'd consider in Indiana to start any kind of business unless it was an Art Gallery or high end Antique store.
From Linda Danaher Hamden CT is a great place to live! I graduated from Quinnipiac University in the 80's and chose to raise my family in this town. At one point we considered moving to the more affluent shoreline when my children were entering middle school, however despite what a previous comment that was made we compared the High School curriculum with these towns and found that Hamden's schools had more to offer. Our children are know in college and doing well. We know Hamden High School Students who are now attending fine institutions such as Yale, Harvard,and Emory. Another positive that few towns can state and what has helped make our decision to stay, is that Hamden has 3 large state parks and a state forest within it's borders, the Farmington Canal linear bicycle/walking trail that runs the length of the town is also a great asset. The neighborhoods throughout town have their own charm, with Yale 10 minutes down the road we have residents who have moved from all over the world into the area, making the town and schools a culturally rich community.
From Mary Beth, Chicago, IL Don't fall for any of these surveys. I have been reading them for years and laughing because anyone who moves ANYWHERE without spending time there can be making the mistake of their lives. There are no perfect cities. In the United States there are problems everywhere especially in the last 8 years. I like where I live because it is away from almost all "lemming mentality." I am not going to mention where it is because I don't want anyone finding out about it. As long as it goes unnoticed then the bottom feeding developers will stay away. They are partially responsible for the ruination of the entire country.
From Scott, Cheyenne, WY To respond to Dave, saying Cheyenne goes to all of the power to get no major businesses here, you are wrong!!! When is the last tiem you drove through Cheyenne, let alon Wyoming? We have gotten a Olive Garden, first one in Wyoming, a Chipotle, yet another first in Wyoming, a Kohl's, Yet another first in Wyoming, Bed bath and Beyond yet another first for Wyoming!! We also got the Wal Mart Distribution Center, which has more than 2,500 employees and we are getting the Super Compting Center, which will create about 2,000 more jobs. Also Laramie County Community College, is becoming the 6th or 7th school in the country, 2year and 4 year, to get a wind energy program!!! I am from Cheyenne and I am so happy to see us on the list!!! Hope everyone comes to Cheyenne, WY to see all of the history that we have!
From Tres Bien, Sarasota FL I am not sure why you rate SARASOTA, FL "90" as you had another article about the best places for small businesses IN 07 and you had this wonderful city rated in the top 10!!! OK so make up your minds!
Anywho I can tell you that pour moi a person that has just moved a small business from another area of the country down here to Sarasota, FL, this place is FANTASTIC and I have made up my mind. Sarasota is it and it HAS everything. Yes it gets a little hot during just the summer months but it gets hot everywhere. Sarasota area has great beaches the best. Great rivers. Lots of trees beautiful vegetation everywhere. Great restaurants and great people from all over the world. Down here the locals they don't consider themselves just from the South of the USA but as part of the Carribean. See my drift yes southward the only way.
From Anonymous Georgtown is not a suburb of Austin and it isn't South it is North of Austin.
Thanks, B
From Karen Commuting from Carlsbad into San Diego is brutal. Nice if you can stay North though.
From Melissa Hedwall, San Diego, CA Carlsbad, a suburb of San Diego, is beautiful. However, a MAJOR con for this city is extremely expensive housing. Average home prices in San Diego county are in the high 500,000's. Carlsbad, being a coastal city, is close 1 million for a house.
From P. Williams, NY NY Blacksburg, VA is an absolutely amazing place to live and visit. Surrounded by national parks, white water on the New River, hiking, caving, rock climbing it is a smart-center with a rapidly growing non-university technology industrial base – literally thousands of new jobs in the past few years. It's at once quaint and clearly bustling with new commercial amenities currently under construction to serve the growing region – the entire county of Montgomery in which Blacksburg sits has grown exponentially. Roanoke – a 30 minute drive is about to open the Taubman Museum of Art in the fall which will throw the national spotlight on that city and VA TECH is in the process of building and planning state of the art performance arts spaces + a complex is in the works to bring more cultural amenities to town as well.
From hamden, ct Hamden is a great town. finally it is getting noticed. the hockey around here is amzing hamden high is one of the if not the best team in the state.
From Can't wait to go back, Miami, Fl Living in Ft. Lauderdale for 9 years, Tampa for 1, then relocating to Orlando for the next 12 you see the difference as clear as night and day. The non-congested "City Beautiful", parks, diverse economy, healthcare services, retail venues, and quality of life is by far better than any city in South Florida. Having returned to Miami for the last year due to business needs, I have seen that unfortunatly "The Magic City" has lost its magic and grown irresponsibly, led primarily by greed of developers, city leaders, and the irresponsible acts of those supporting them. It is by far worse now than 13 years ago. I long for a quick return to a city that clearly has earned the distinction of "The happiest place on Earth" not just by the theme parks but rather by its diversity, cleanliness, people, and way of life. The opportunities in Orlando abound for those who are looking for a better quality of life in tranquile and serene settings. If family life is what you want, then the best place for up bringing is Orlando, Fl.
From Yadgyu, Harkeyville, TX HARKEYVILLE, TEXAS IS THE PERFECT TOWN.
From Val, Sarasota, Florida As a young person living in Sarasota (Sar) is NO LONGER just for retirees as most that truly do not know this area always like to point out. Sar is a wonderful place to live, work and as I did launch a business. The real estate downturn has been really over exagerated we are the only place in Florida that is selling maybe not as high as in 2004-05 but we are selling..and I should know just sold 2 prop equalling millions. So please next time prior to writing anything about Sar do your homework or better yet come down here and see for yourself…no one is ever disappointed!!!
From MP You were right tolist Georgetown, Texas at number 2. It is a great place to live and to start a business. The quality of life here is amazing, and the cost of living is low compared to most of the country.
Local property taxes are the lowest in the region, and the workforce is excellent. The city offers a range of incentives and works hard with both newcomers and existing employers to assist with relocation or expansion. We have a great Economic Development team, shich won the Community Economic Development Award for citeis under 100,000 in the entire state last year.
The Chamber of Commerce is second only to Austin is our region in total membership and provides a wide variety of valuable services to its members. We've created the Texas Life-sciences Collaboration Center in the last year, which houses three very exciting companies: RADIX Bio-solutions, Orthopeutics, and Quantum Logic Devices.
Southwestern University is the state's oldest institution of higher learning and is consistently listed by the Princeton Review and Barons as a best buy and best value in education. Our local public schools are excellent and very progressive.
The Healthcare sector is strong and getting better every day with four maajor hospitals and numerous specialty clinics within fifteen minutes from anywhere in town.
Our historic downtown, is like a picture postcard from the Vistorian Era, and the recently restored Williamson County Courthouse is a neo-classical gem with lots of history.
Local festivals are among the best in the state, and our faithfully restored Palace Theater features wonderful live theatrical productions to sell-out crowds year-round.
New shopping venues abound, and are among the most attractive in the area. Our City Lights Theatres offer the finest movie venue in the area, and one of the very few that is truly an engaged partner in its community. The Planned Hotel and Convention Center will further establish Georgetown as a major center for regional commerce.
In case you can't tell, I love it here, and wouldn't want to live anywhere else. If you are considering a relocation or looking for a great place to lve or launch a business, you should really take a close look at Georgetown.
From Orlando, Florida Dear Editors: I lived in the Doral, Miami, Area, that is no place to live and raise a family, let alone to really start a new business. The area is very cyclical, business strengths are few, and the layout of the city is very awkwardly zoned. You left out orlando, central florida a booming market and widely diverse in industry, technology, medicine, and fast growing population, with huge land space unlike south florida.
From Victor R, American Canyon American Canyon, CA is aka "Gateway to the Napa Valley". I have lived in town for over 19 years. Open space, fresh air, walking and bike trails is only enhanced by the small town closeness of the residents.
Being driving distance to entire Napa Valley, San Fran, Lake Tahoe etc. is just icing on the cake.
I have the best of all worlds: living and working from home!
From Melissa, White Plains, NY I don't know if you looked into the Northeast at all, but 30 minutes north of New York City, is a wonderful city to live, work and play, the City of White Plains. It is a clean and safe city that has recently seen major revitalization. The downtown boasts top notch dining and entertainment facilities, a Ritz-Carlton, Trump Towers, high end shopping, and it's own White Plains Performing Arts Center that hosts shows like Ain't Misbehavin' and Man of la Mancha.
In the summertime, the city hosts outdoor concerts in the downtown during the weekdays and nights and the Business Improvement District closes off the Main Street for various festivals and events. There is something for everyone in this great city!
Please check out http://www.cityofwhiteplains.com for more information on the Renaissance City of New York State.
From Kevin, Alexandria, VA One place that is always on the "best" places to live is the DC metro area. Are you kidding me?? The housing costs are enough to leave this place. Most decent apartments are about $2000 for one bedroom and the average house costs around $600,000! I am college educated and work for the federal government and most apartments won't even look at me because I don't make enough money. I have no idea what people do for a living here because most federal jobs start you at around $35K. I now make about $60K with raises but still can't get by. Plus the commutes here are horrible and the traffic is unbearable. As soon as I can transfer out of here to somewhere cheaper I am.
From Arlene Drucker I am enjoying living in Carlsbad since I moved here in June from NJ. It certainly is beautiful however, it is sorely lacking in cultural arts, there are no art museums, no ballet, no opera and only a few decent restaurants. For these things, I need to drive into San Diego. I wish the planners would focus less on golf and parks (we have enough) and spend more time and money on other cultural activities (you would also save on water that way). This new plan to charge for parking at the beach is terrible; some people only park there for 30 minutes; should they have to pay $8?
From Marie Kearns I am so happy i live in the township of Lyndhusrt New Jersey. I was born and rasied in this great town even if i hit the million dollar lottery i would live in Lyndhurst.The town is like having one big family.
From June Cheatwood, Norfolk, VA Charleston, SC, is so beloved for its almost European atmosphere in addition to the Old South feel, plus the thriving of All the arts. But how could you have failed to mention–speaking of high-paying jobs!–that Google has recently opened a facility in the area!
From Les, Quakertown, PA We just moved with our business from West Virginia to Quakertown, PA. We are seriously considering locating our office in Bethlehem, PA. We are currently home-based with one employee and planning on hiring more.
From Matt, Syracuse, NY I have either lived in or visited a lot of these places. I moved to Syracuse from Atlanta eleven years ago, so I'll just comment on Syracuse.
First, let me disagree – no kid NEEDS snow. I grew up fine without it. It is fun to spend 30 minutes stuffing your kid into a snow suit to spend 15 minutes outside buried in snow. One of the joys of parenthood!
OK, so the weather is downright horrible here. If that bothers you, you won't like it. I don't blame the weather for any of Syracuse's problems…just if you're thinking about moving some place where the sun hardly ever shines…you could probably do better in Seattle. This ain't no place for the seasonally depressed!
On the other side of the coin, there couldn't be many nicer places to spend a summer. Most people here have a family lake house or a boat, and most people not from here could probably afford to rent or buy one…not that you'd need to. There is PLENTY of outdoor stuff to see and do from top class kayaking to fishing to hiking to horseback riding. Within any given 20 minute drive, you can get to probably 20 golf courses or a lake or two. If you're motivated to get outdoors, you can have a good time from May to Nov…although it often rains a lot here, too!
I think it is a great place to raise a family. There are tons of festivals throughout the year (for kids and adults). In 10-20 minutes, you can be apple picking, at a pumpkin patch, the zoo, or some animal farm. The city schools aren't great, but that's typical of city schools everywhere. Living in the suburbs here may mean just living one street over…so a good school district awaits.
Housing is very cheap. You can build a brand new 2500 sq ft house with a decent yard for probably $250k. An average 4br, 2000-2500 sq ft house will probably run you $175 to $200k. However, we have the HIGHEST property taxes in the whole country. A $200k house may cost you $600/mo in taxes. In some towns that could be double!
The economy here is based on small businesses for the most part. When the rest of the world is booming…Syracuse isn't. When the rest of the world is busting. Syracuse isn't. It's stagnant for good or bad. The "big" business here is the University systems and health care and hospitals. There are some good-sized union type shops that are hold overs from when Syracuse was a boom town like 40-50 years ago. They pretty much close up and/or move away on a weekly basis. That leaves a mature work force with a union mentality. For the most part, this is a TERRIBLE place for a kid out of college to get a good job. There aren't a lot of corporations here that roll out entry level positions. A lot of the entrepreneurial initiatives are very small companies (1-5 people). I wouldn't exaggerate if I said a good 25% of the people here wished they could just work for the government…which is a pretty good career option when you take a look at the want ads in this town (they take up maybe a page in the paper). On the other hand, it is very easy to meet people, network, and get established in this town, and I believe there are a good number of incentives out there for people who do start and maintain businesses here. P.S. you can't walk 100 yards without seeing vacant commercial space either.
The people here are actually very friendly. Not polite. Friendly. The difference: they'll welcome you into their home, but they may not say hi to you when you walk by. People here are often cranky and often pessimistic and resistant to change. It's a generalized statement, and it doesn't mean people here are not nice. As one comment said…Syracuse is a negative place. I would have to agree. It doesn't mean that you have to be negative, too, and it may not affect you personally…but there is a negative air about everything here, which I don't think helps business or social initiatives. The people that live here…let's just say…they're also "from" here. You can find a lot of well educated and worldly people here, but for the most part, folks here focus on the basics in life. You may not be able to fill all your seats at a dinner party where you discuss foreign films, but you don't have to deal with a lot of pretension and garbage that comes with cosmopolitan life.
From B, Quincy, Massachusetts (1) Re: taxes, you get what you pay for and in the long term, sufficient taxes to maintain a decent infrastructure is better for living (city services) and businesses (quality public education and public transit) that pay long term dividends.
(2) Moving somewhere only because of a boom economy may not make you happy (you'll miss the family!) in the long run. When one area becomes bloated, companies and people will move to another cheaper areas so what goes around comes around. I believe even Ohio and Michigan will rebound somehow from the loss of manufacturing simply because it's so cheap there and there's a great underutilized infrastructure (schools, roads, buildings, culture) and unbelievably cheap high-quality housing there.
(3) Sarasota is unexpectedly cool town but it's still astronomical to iive in close proximity to the shops and beach and probably not enough to keep you occupied if you're used to a bigger city.
(4) Worcester really has done a lot to get itself together. It's relatively close to the beach and mountains and offers all amenities and services of a large city. You can quickly commute to a number of Norman Rockwell looking yet very progressive towns around it. Although Worcester has benefited from Boston's success (close proximity, yet cheaper) it's now got a cluster of biotech that makes it strong on its own. Way to go.
From Joe, Charlotte, NC I was amazed to see Winston-Salem on this list. The only thing in that city is Wake Forest. It's a dreary, run-down place. I live in Charlotte, about an hour or so South and the difference is ridiculous. Charlotte's growth is dominant. It's the only U.S. city with property values higher now than last year. Charlotte is the gem of the South and with companies such as Wachovia and Bank of America headquartered here, a major world economic player.
From Matt, Boise, ID I'm a 3rd generation resident of Boise and have a little different view of the town than this article portrays. Yes Boise used to be a well kept secret but articles like this one have definitely let the cat out of the bag. The sudden increase in population has spoiled some of the once enticing reasons why so many have moved here in the last 10 years. For one, the housing market is crashing right into the ground. This has left anyone seeking employment in the residential construction industry is scrambling for work and those who jumped ship from their former jobs to sell real estate and flip houses are quickly finding themselves in massive debt. I have friends in the mortgage business that haven't been able to approve a mortgage for almost 6 months! The economic downturn has also lead to mass layoffs in our budding tech industry. I've had two neighbors in my apartment complex alone get laid off in the last 2 months. Notice that I mentioned that I live in an apartment complex. I make a very decent living but wouldn't even dream of attempting to buy a house in this volatile market, yes it's that bad. Sure the city is clean and the mountains are close for those interested in recreational activities, but who can afford it with the ever increasing cost of living brought on by the housing market crash? I know I can't. So if you're looking to move to a nice clean city with unstable job opportunities and a housing market that has reached its breaking point, go ahead. Please, feel free to add to the problem by moving here, buying nice new house on an adjustable rate mortgage, then foreclosing 2 years later after a job layoff.
From Vassy E. Carlsbad,CA Hey Steve from Carlsbad, I agree with your remarks 100%. They should take Carlsbad off this list, bad weather all the time the beaches way too sandy. Overall not worth the trip.
From Judah, Stafford, Texas I am glad that someone is finally making mention of our town. We have a thriving business hub here, lots of jobs, very little crime, and it is a good and inexpensive place to live. Think of Stafford as an upscale environment without the costs usually associated with upscale communities. We have some of the best shopping and restaurants you would ever want, good schools, and are surrounded by parks and golf courses. We have excellent city services, but do not have to spend a boatload on taxes to pay for it all.
From KTR, Charlottesville, VA Charlottesville may be lively and in a beautiful part of the state but prepared to pay alot for housing, gas, food, etc. as well as put up with an inferior infrastructure. Middle income people have a difficult time in Charlottesville and the gap between the middle class and upper class is widening. Definitely a town where a single person needs to make 70k+ otherwise you'll struggle. Local government makes for bad comedy, at best–for more than 20+ years they have talked about and still talk about building a "Parkway" to ease traffic congestion even though it is now long obsolete and very expensive. But they welcome all developers who don't have to contribute to any of the city's infrasctructure needs to support their projects.
From Anonymous I have lived in Boise Idaho for almost 9 years- the housing market was WAY way over priced when we HAD to move here- houses are made of wood and cheap and rot in winter months which is long 6 months of cold,snow etc, 60 days of summer to grow a garden, low paying state, Micron has laid off tons and so has Albertsons- no big companies here and the real estate market has gone to shit Where do you get your FACTS- look up Micron- There are no high paying jobs here at all
Try buying a ticket to fly to the east- will cost and arm and a leg
Only 2 things good no crime and no traffic but where do you go– no restaurants- one mall to shop
The town is like living in the 50's
From Dean Amhaus A friend just called me and read me a sidebar story entitled “Cool Spotting†which appeared as part of the “Best places to live and launch†article in your April 2008 issue. I literally laughed out loud in the office (my officemates can attest to it) when she read me the statement “Milwaukee’s seedy Third Ward.†The piece goes on to quote someone who states that “there are rats bigger than our children†in the Third Ward. Of course, it being April 1st I thought that my friend was pulling an April Fool’s joke on me. She faxed me the story as proof. Whoops, my surprise – no April Fool’s joke.
Seedy??? Actually the word should have been “trendy.†Not sure about the rats thing – all I have seen is continuous growth and development in the Third Ward.
In fact the “Historic Third Ward boasts the highest concentration of art galleries in the city, numerous restaurants, unique specialty stores, architects, advertising agencies, graphic designers, artists, the Milwaukee Public Market, the Broadway Theatre Center, the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design as well as condominiums, office buildings, and industrial space.â€
I can appreciate a good laugh but please, come visit Milwaukee’s Third Ward and discover a very “hot†neighborhood.
P.S. While you are in town I would enjoy taking you to see our neighbors in Oconomowoc which is just a short distance west of Milwaukee and which is also mentioned in the sidebar. You will be in for another great surprise that reaffirms that the Milwaukee region is TRULY COOL. Trust me – no April’s Fool joke.
From Neal Simpson I would be interested in adding to your list, or another list you may be researching about our town, Pendleton, Oregon. I can give you information and make my case. We actually have jobs going unfilled here because we need people moving into town.
From Joe, Ashburn,VA Ashburn, Va – clean, safe place to live
Close to Dulles Airport, great amenities and lots to do. Love the golf courses. Jobs are plentiful and Virginia is a great beautiful state to live in.
From Sean Stanelun, Spokane, WA Spokane Washington, a great place to live! I have lived here for the past 8 years, and I have seen it grow dramatically. Downtown has a vibrant night life with plenty of clubs and restaurants to choose from. There is a bold attempt to keep many of the historic buildings, while bringing in new businesses to occupy them. There is a new convention center for large venues. A bustling Riverfront park that is family-friendly. A huge community of churches. Many outdoor activities are only short drive away: hiking, rock-climbing, kayaking, skiing, boating, biking, camping and the annual Bloomsday run. I grew up on the "other side" of the state, and only go back to visit. Spokane in a growth spurt, but it still maintains it's small-town charm.
From T Z Lee Billings is fabulous. Mild winters, almost no snow and average of 325 sunny days a year. My family lives in Denver and Billings is always 10-15 degrees warmer in the winter than they are. Summers are divine. Downtown is thriving, as is all of town. The schools are great, lots for the kids to do, and skiing, fishing, hiking, biking, camping, etc are all minutes away. There is a strong business community that supports the arts in all forms.
From Jeff, San Francisco, CA Durham might be vibrant for business, but beware of crime. When you plan to move there, first check out the Crime Mapper to see if the neighborhood is safe. My girlfriend moved to Durham less then a year ago: her first house had a dead body in the backyard in the week she moved in, so she decided to move. Within 0.5 miles of her new house (supposedly a safer neighborhood), already 2 people have been killed this year. She used to walk and bike around town, but now only travels by car. As another commenter mentioned, it might be better to work in Durham but live in a neighboring town.
From Owen, Missoula, MT SPOKANE, WA – UGHH! Lived in Spokane for five years 2000-2005. Blue collar business mentality (way different than Seattle), terribly bad air quality, gray winters, and was burglarized twice in a new and well-lighted subdivision. Crime is rampant there! Meth problems and gang problems are rising. When I lived there, Spokane was in the top 20 cities in the nation for auto theft. Granted, there is lots of recreation around the area and they are doing their best to promote the the area, but look to Coeur d'Alene or Sandpoint, Idaho for a safer place to live. Whatever you do, don't take my word for it. Instead, check all crime and business statistics before making your move. Me, I got fed up and moved back to Montana.
From Steve, Danville CA The fact that Danville, CA made the list seems obvious to someone who lives and owns a business here. There could not be a better town, one more devoted to its quality of life than Danville. I look forward to it rising up your list in future years.
From RD Robertson, Austin, Texas Santa Fe, New Mexico
Pros: Where the Sangre de Cristo mountains meet the high desert, elevation 7,000 feet ASL. One of the sunniest places in the US – many people walk around with a perpetual tan/sunburn. Summer nights are cool; winter days can be bitterly cold, but usually sunny. Comfortable – very low humidity. Very cold winters, but some of the best all-round weather in the US.
Close to outdoors recreation in all directions – mountains, desert, hot springs, skiing, hiking, etc. Most beautiful scenery imaginable.
Many art galleries, good restaurants, a few pretty cool bars.
Cons:
High crime rate: larceny, car break-ins, burglary, etc. Large numbers of unemployed/underemployed young people, mostly Hispanic natives. A fair amount of hard drug use. Drunk, uninsured drivers abound, especially on Saturday night/Sunday evening.
Big socioeconomic divide between haves/have nots, white/Hispanic, east side/west side residents.
High cost of living: For the past 30 years or more, yuppies and new-agers have flocked to Santa Fe, from both coasts, to groove with nature in
their new $3 million dollar, territorial-style adobe homes overlooking the city.
Demand has driven property prices (and the price of everything else) skywards.
Food, gasoline and services are considerably more expensive than in Albuquerque, only 70 miles to the south.
You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a crystal healer or some other new age therapist.
From Jim Smith, Houston, TX Stafford, Texas
You mention no property tax… which sounded good to me. However, when I linked to an available home in the area, the tax rate was 2.35. Needs a correction.
From RD Robertson, Austin, Texas Salt Lake City
Pros: Close to outdoors recreation – mountains, desert, skiing, hiking, etc. Salt Lake is full of smart, hip, talented people. Lots of beautiful, unattached women.
Cons: Summer can be hot and stifling. Utah state politics is dominated by more than 90% Mormons. Beer with more than 3.2% alcohol content or wine, liquor, etc., is available only from state-owned liquor stores, for premium prices. The Mormons must figure that the best way to discourage vice is to make it expensive.
From Darius Aidala, Bethlehem PA I moved to Bethlehem PA 4 years ago from New York City, and found a gem of a small town blindsided by progress but refusing to die. they have doggedly persevered on a path of reinvention and are succeeding in attracting new people and culture. I've lived in Los Angeles, San Francisco and NYC and rate Bethlehem right up there with those towns.
Darius
From Paul, Palo Alto, CA How ironic that the largest employer transitioned from a tobacco company to a hospital. Keep up the good work RJ Reynolds!
From Chris, Philadelphia, PA I used to live in Worcester, MA 10 years ago and go back every year to visit friends there. It has made a lot of improvements in terms of modernizing its economy. However, some areas along Main Street look shabby and the only mall in the city has closed. But as others have mentioned, there are regular trains going into Boston where a round trip ticket is considerably less than parking in Boston.
From Mary, Alexandria, VA Billings, MT: I lived there for 20 years and still visit (my parents live there). Here are my pros and cons:
PROS:
Excellent personal health care. Best and friendliest doctors and nurses in the country. Great facilities, easy to get to and easy to park. If you are sick, move to Billings. They are also building a brand new cancer center.
Great for families. Cost of living is low. Plenty for the kiddies to do. Plus no sales tax so shop away. Affordable skiing is an hour away in Red Lodge (although the snow seems to be less and less each year). You could also go to Big Sky which is a few hours away. Plenty for the nature-loving people to do. Friendly people for the most part.
CONS: TERRIBLE freezing cold weather Oct thru May. Hot hot hot in the summer.
Billings is a very gloomy depressing city most of the year.
Downtown is more of a ghosttown. They have tried to revitalize it but it hasn't drawn a lot of people. Too cold to shop outdoors. People don't like to buy condos downtown due to the noisy train whistles – train still runs right through downtown.
The arts scene is terrible. 2 museums and very small.
Nothing for the young people to do. Most get so bored they move away. Dating scene for people in their 20s is also very bad.
Most bars are smoky and play country music. Billings is still very redneck with a small town mentality.
Schools are good but they could be so much better. They need to focus less on sports and proms and more on business sense, financial planning, international awareness and the development of arts as a profession and not just a hobby.
I didn't like Billings at all but my parents loved it. Visit first and do lots of research before you decide to start a business there.
From Martin Cuse, Syracuse NY Lived in many places. There is nothing like living close to family and friends.
You should be able to get jobs almost anywhere. Find a place that you can enjoy after work, has good schools for the kids and whatever else is important to you and yours.
From Clarson You get what you pay for. Higher taxes mean more amenities and it shows in Minneapolis. Great parks and cultural sites. The winters can be long and cold but it is all relative and you get a lot of work done when the weather doesn't temp you to play. We have the second highest concentration of Fortune 100 and S&P 500 companies. They are here becasue they started here and becasue of the great work ethic.
From Sandy, Columbus IN Columbus Indiana – Unexpected and Unforgettable – that's what you will find here. Unexpected architecture and unforgettable people experiences. My city is one of those places that no one really believes all the hype about. But,it's all true – we study, prepare and work towards the future. We have a class A park system, good schools, excellent police force, low crime, good available jobs and the people care and work for the betterment of their community.
From Fred Dever Washington, DC Syracuse is a GREAT PLACE! Good size Metro Area 700,000, International Airport, Great Housing: Lofts in old warehouses, solid Neighborhoods, Downtown with independent shops, little italy, Big-time University Sports, Minor League teams: AAA Baseball and Hockey, excellent recreation: Skiing, running, swimming..natural beauty Finger Lakes and a cosmo-feal for a medium city. NYC is just a Jet Blue short flight away. Oh, Major business too: Welch-Allyn, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lockhead Martin,Cooper, Stickley… Go Syracuse..Live Syracuse!
From Kathy M., Buford, GA As someone who just moved from New England to the #3 area on the list (Buford, GA), I am amazed at how many New England areas are listed. Franklin, MA? Are you serious? Do you have any idea how much it costs to buy a nice house there?! Property taxes? Commute times? Winter heating oil?
There are many lovely cultural aspects to New England, and the Fall is breathtaking, but seriously… Worcester? Franklin? Manchester? We left those places because you have to make well into six figures to live comfortably, and those jobs are few and far between.
From Anonymous Get Real!! The US isn't the only place to have a buisness!
From Elisa, Dry Ridge, KY Retired to the town of Dry Ridge in the beautiful state of Kentucky…close to Lexington, Louisville and Cincinnati, Ohio…close to the International Airport, shopping, cultural events…wonderful people…the best of 4 seasons
From Sandi, San Diego, CA I lived in San Luis Obispo in the eighties. I graduated from Cal Poly in 1985. It was a great experience. I developed a love for running and cycling while there. The terrain is difficult but beautiful. I always felt safe while out on my adventures. Now, my daughter has been accepted to Cal Poly so I am looking forward to showing her the beauty of the town and it's surrounding areas.
From Ken Trager Greensboro, NC Moved to Greensboro from Syracuse 3 years ago. Am a retired teacher. Weather in Greensboro is fantastic. Housing is very reasonable. Utility costs are much lower than Syracuse as are the taxes-but I cannot complain since teachers in NYS are well paid and in NC teacher pay is awful.
Syracuse, CNY, is a prettier region-weather permitting-and I miss the Finger Lakes, Pastabilities, Dinosaur and Antonios. I do not miss the incessant stagnation, pety politics where nothing gets done, reliance on a filthy mall and an area trapped by negativity.
Greensboro has its issues, particularly the public schools which just luckily had its superintendent go to San Diego-what are they thinking? There is economic change in the air with Fed-EX and 18000+ jobs coming in next year + Honda Jet + Dell computer already in the area.
The positive attitudes towards the many fine colleges is excellent. I love it here.
From R Bodelli, Worcester, MA I don't know why Joe says that Worcester Mass is a dump – maybe he hasn't visited the City for sometime. I have lived in Worcester, Mass for over 15 years now and think that it has had incredible changes. We have some of the best colleges around, affordable housing as well as the DCU center, Art Museum, awesome restaurants, ethnic food, movie theaters, parks, lakes,etc. We have several hospitals, biotech parks, I have no idea why Joe says there is homeless people sleeping all over – (in malls ?? – I haven't seen one in all my time here). We are one hour from Boston, 45 minutes from Providence, One hour from Springfield, three and a half hours from NYC, an hour and a half from Hartford, 2 hours from the mountains and 2 hours from the Cape. It makes sense why Worcester Airport isn't working when you have so many airports so close. The competition is fierce. We also have a train that commutes daily to Boston and other cities. The City has changed so much over the past few years. It is starting to look really good from the highway. I am very happy here.
From Sarah, Boise, ID This is for Kelly of Baltimore who says Boise, ID is a great place to live:
You are right, Boise is not expensive. But it is if the only jobs available pay $7 – $12 an hour. Can you live on that? You mentioned Micron and Boise Cascade as companies in the area. Micron is well known for its lay offs. Boise Cascade is struggling to make ends meet (I have a friend who worked there). BSU may be a great university but they will not consider hiring you unless you are a former student or you have a masters degree. You said: Salt Lake, Seattle and San Fran are all only a couple hours away. That is a lie. Salt Lake is FIVE hours away. Seattle is EIGHT hours away. San Fran is TEN hours away. Boise is smack in the middle of a wasteland.
Many Headline concerts come to the area – sure, but can you afford two tickets for more than $100?
I can't even begin to tell you how many people I know are considering leaving Boise. They came on the promise that Boise had jobs and a healthy growing city. Then they found it wasn't true and are unable to leave because noone will buy their house.
True, Boise is great for families and especially relaxing for the rich and retired. However, let's tell the truth about the job and business situation here.
From Mike Kronschnabel, Omaha, NE Omaha – I'm glad to see it on the list. I have lived here almost my entire life and have always found it to be a great place to live. Plenty to do (live music every night of the week in a wide variety of locations around town from small neighborhood pubs to large venues), plenty of parks, exercise trails, restaurants by the ton, both locally owned and all the large chains, minor league pro and Division One college sports – hockey, baseball, and basketball(football – Huskers – 55 miles and 2 1/2 hrs away by interstate), cultural attractions like the Henry Doorly Zoo (one of the World's Best year in and year out), Did I say anything about the music? We have a great live venue district in "downtown Benson" with 4 clubs offering music almost every night and several others at least 3 to 4 nights weekly. Slowdown, the nationally acclaimed club recently opened by SaddleCreek Records (Bright Eyes, The Faint, Cursive and more) is on the north end of downtown, just a few blocks away from the Qwest Centre(Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, Paul McCartney). I can think of a thousand ways I'd rather spend a lazy Sunday afternoon than on the gondola on the pond on ConAgra's corporate campus… Try Rick's Boatyard Cafe, just a short walk away and with a plethora of adult beverages to quench your thirst by the shore of the Muddy Mo…
The job market is steady here, unless you're a mortgage broker. Good pay, affordable housing (and a pretty stable housing market),good schools – both public and private (read-Catholic)and most parts of town are only a 25 minute commute away (worst case scenario) from most work centers. The real downsides are real estate taxes, less diversity in the culture than on the coasts and the summer's are as hot and huimid in late July as anything Florida can throw at you and we get at least a couple of Winter days that are on par with the Twin Cities in the Winter. Spring and Fall each last maybe 15 minutes.
Warren Buffet lives here – a plus
He doesn't talk shop where you can overhear him – a minus.
From Bryan Madsen, Corona, California Salt Lake City, should have been ranked higher. The article did not mention its large, educated labor pool.
From Carol, Carlsbad, Calif. How great – I just moved to Carlsbad from L.A. Feels like "old" California here. Have to say there are a lot of friendly people, but I've found the older residents grumpy. My 1 year old and I were kicked out of a salon, Chizel Hair Design in the Village, because my baby was fussing a bit. Other than the quality of life is pretty nice
From Cheri M, Raleigh, NC I lived in the Winston-Salem, NC area from 1994 to 2005, and I have to say, I hated most of it. People were not particularly friendly, the evangelical Christian influence was militant and in your face, the city is bady segregated. It's almost a plantation mindset, from when RJR Tobacco ran the town – it's all about knowing your place, very clannish. I found a lot of racial discrimination, homophobia, anti-northern sentiment, and just general intolerance for outsiders. The weather, though, is pretty good, and the scenery and geography aren't bad.
I moved to Raleigh, NC in 2005, and like it much, much better. People are more welcoming, friendlier, more tolerant, and there is much more to do.
From Amy Shocket, Sparks, NV The Reno-Sparks area is a great place to live. I moved here with my husband and 2 young children 13 years ago. We are so happy that we did. This area offers both small town benefits like knowing many of the residents and large town benefits like great shopping. The proximity to Lake Tahoe is another huge plus.
From Ernest, Raleigh, NC I moved to Raleigh from NYC over 16 years ago and never looked back. I wasn't looking for a NYC-type of place, and Raleigh proved to be a wonderful city to live, work and play. I love the native population and while some of them may feel a bit overwhelmed/threatened by the large number of people moving here, I have never experienced a bad behavior towards me.
Not a big fan of summertime in Raleigh, but the city offers a lot of other things to offset its "negatives". Strong economy, good options for living, working and playing, and definitely a good place to raise a family. Not the best place to visit as a tourist, but if you do, check out Cameron Village and Glenwood South.
From Julie Stueve, Council Bluffs, IA I live in Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri river from Omaha and Google is setting up in Council Bluffs, not Nebraska, and it has barely started construction. Council Bluffs is one of the reasons Omaha is survivng because of our three well known casinos, hotels and the fairly new Bass Pro Shop, among other things. I wish just once that Council Bluffs, Iowa would get the credit for what they offer Omahans.
From Charlottesville, Va Be cautious how you use lists like this. They often don't even scratch the surface, and are generally driven by local special interest groups. These local groups seem to convince the editorial staff that what they are projecting is truthful. When you finally do relocate always reference lists like this and compare them over time to your own results. I have personally found lists like this generally not very accurate, and can set you up for making a complete 180 on your decision. My advice is if possible spend at least a vacation in a place you are seriously thinking about relocating to. Work over that vacation time uncovering the truth about the area. If you choose to move there rent for the first year. It can save you a lot of trouble, and will be money well spent if you choose to stay or go.
From D.T.,Gainesville,Florida I live in Gainesville.
Pro: Good for small business in the service area.Stable housing market.Moderate to low crime.
Con:Sadly segregated.West side for rich caucasian and asian, east for poor and working class whites and african-american. People in the west rarely sponsor business in the east side of town.
From Andrew – GSO, NC Excruciatingly boring place unless you are a kid or have kids. Coma inducing.
From Frank, Reno, Nevada I've noticed a commonality among many of these posts that have negative reviews of their respective cities. First, I believe that the author(s) of this article have used local governments or pro-relocation forces (real estate agents, chamber of commerces, etc.) for many of their sources. This is neither objective nor accurate. Obviously, the authors cannot visit every city, but it would be nice to know how they arrived at the rankings. Like others that have posted reviews of their respective cities I've posted a review of Reno, NV and I can assure you that the review is way off mark.
What I find interesting is that so many of our cities seem to suffer from the same maladies…illegal immigration, crime, high taxes,traffic,schools in disarray, poor infrastructure, and unresponsive local or state governments. Do cities ever talk to each other to find a best practice? It seems like every municipality is trying to reinvent the wheel. I realize this might be a lot to ask for an entity that doesn't have to meet a payroll or create product like a free market private business, but I think it be should be explored. Unfortunately, I see a once great country being marginalized and nibbled away at the edges by the very government that we vote in to find solutions. I see no hope for change no matter who wins the White House in 2008. I give the United States 50 years.
From Josh, Edmond OK Edmond, OK is a great place to live. The area is growing with good jobs, the housing market is stable, and schools are great. It is a friendly city with good giving people. And the best part of living in Edmond is that traffic is almost non-existant when compared to the bigger metro areas in the region, like DFW.
From Tim in Minnesota Minneapolis is a beautiful town and is quite receptive to new business, small or otherwise. Lived here all my life, and I must say that you HAVE TO enjoy winter activities or the long, drawn out freezing cold will drive you insane. People up here are used to these winters and are a hearty bunch, but by late March folks are getting kind of antsy about the spring and all of those water activities. The political landscape is progressive with a regressive tax structure.
From Tim, Redmond, WA The con with Spokane having gray skies is completely erroneous, and likely comes from the editors thinking that because Spokane is in the northwest, is must be cloudy. Turns out, Spokane, where I grew up, is on the far side of the Cascade mountains, which block the clouds. Spokane actually has >300 sunny days a year! I have lived in several other places (Jersey, Philly, Minneapolis, and Seattle) and haven't seen a place sunnier except SoCal and Arizona.
From Kevin Rodriguez Kansas City is amazing. I grew up in New Orleans (Which would unfortuantely make top 2 worst places to start a business) and I've traveled to just about every major city east of Denver. The Kansas City area has an incredible amount of museums, very affordable housing, awesome schools, etc. I mean the list goes on and on. The unemployment rate is stupid low, and on the Kansas side of the border, crime is almost a non-issue. Not to mention Kansas City has more highway miles per person than any other major city, so traffic is almost nonexistent compared to other large cities. Not bad for a 2 Million + size metro area huh?
From Alice in Spokane, WA I lived in Novato in the mid-80's, specifically new (then) construction in Bel Marin Keys, a housing tract development on a man-made canal system that links with Novato Creek. Too bad I had to sell that house because I could have retired on the equity by now. I remember the hellish commute to SF, but the natural beauty of Novato and the low crime were well worth the hassle of getting south to downtown. Too bad a train to SF hasn't been funded because that would mitigate the biggest obstacle to economic growth for Novato. I still miss that area and think it well deserves a place in the top 100 best.
From Paul, Novato, CA Robert Bauer wrote about Novato:
"with a population of over 500,000 people"
Robert, there are only 250,000 people in Marin, it is second most sparsely populated county in the Bay Area (after Napa).
"Additionally, the upper class residents of this county … have repeatedly voted down any sales tax increases that would provide additional public transportation in the form of commuter trains."
For everyone else who may read this, Robert is referring to SMART (Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit) project which was a train to nowhere, ending in Central San Rafael, several miles shy of the ferry to San Francisco. Anyone else want to ride a train that stops 15 miles shy of the main employment hub? Robert, I don't think I am upperclass, but I do suffer through this commute and I am all for trains but one that does not actually go to SF is a waste of money.
Regardless, commute to SF aside (which can be up to 90 minutes on a bad day), this backwater seems to be showing signs of life. I have been here 10 years and while Novato's charms are not immediately apparent, people here are the friendliest in Marin and there are more and more upscale shops moving to Grant Ave. The 1000 of acres of cheap 60s tract houses (at $600-$700k a pop) are hard to make attractive no matter what else gets built here. Compared to the rest of Marin, it ain't that special, compared to most of the Bay Area, though, it isn't bad, especially with the low crime and (relatively) low house prices.
From Kelly, Rochester, MN Rochester, Minnesota is a wonderful place to raise a family, especially if you're in the medical or biotech fields. Rochester is safe, clean and friendly. The healthcare can't be beat (we are not home to a "branch" of the Mayo Clinic, we are home to THE Mayo Clinic) and the schools are great. It's true the winters are cold, but the other three seasons are beautiful. I grew up in Phoenix – I would put on a coat if it dropped below 70 – and I adjusted to the winter temps quite easily. It's also true that we don't have much to offer for singles, but that should start to turn around in the next few years. (Our four year university is just getting established). However, Marilyn's post about a lack of culture is just hogwash. Mayo is the big fish around here; It was here before anything else (save the sisters of St. Francis) and the city has grown up around it. I came here intending to stay one year. I've been here for eight and I just signed up for another four. Just can't bring myself to go back to the crime, traffic, pollution and high cost of living that Marilyn must miss about "real cities". Maybe she'd be happier if we had a P.F. Chang's? Because if it's good food you're looking for, we're no New Orleans, but we don't go hungry.
From MICHAEL RAE SOUTH CAROLINA MINNEAPOLIS IS A GREAT CITY OTHER THAN THE COLD THAT LASTS ALMOST 6 MONTH. CURRENTLY LIVING IN COLUMBIA SC, WHILE THE WEATHER IS GREAT, I MISS THE CONSTANT ACTIVITY OF THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS. ONE OTHER THING THOU I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION IS THAT RACIAL PROFILING IS BAD BECAUSE AS BLACK AMERICAN YOU TEND TO STICK OUT IN MINNEAPOLIS AND WAS A MAIN CONSIDERATION ON ME MOVING FROM MINNEAPOLIS ALSO CARS ARE NOT REALLY THAT SAFE PARKED IN THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS WITH THE CONFUSION AND PREDATORY PRACTICES OF THE CITY COLLECTING FEES FOR PARKING DURING SNOW EMERGENCIES AND HOW YOUR TREATED AT 51 N COLFAX IMPOUND LOT.
From Susan Hutson, Columbus Indiana COLUMBUS INDIANA
I was a little surprised to see that our little city made this top 100 list, but after thinking about it; it really doesn't surprise me.
I originally moved from a suburb of Western NY because the cost of living in Indiana was more affordable and the job opportunities were better.
I found myself in the little city of Columbus and I am very happy to call it my home.
Columbus has MANY employment opportunities. The unemployment rate is very low compared to other areas in the country. It is a smll city, but we are located right between Indianapolis and Louisville.
The people that live in this community are wonderful and caring. This is one community where people do pitch in and help others when needed.
The crime rate is low compared to other areas of the country. If a crime is committed, the residents here will work with each other and law enforcement, because we all want a crime-free community.
If you are looking for a place that has the traditional small town values and laid back way of life, but has the advancements in business and industry; then Columbus Indiana is definitely the place to call home!
From K.A., Fargo, North Dakota Fargo, North Dakota
1. LOW TAXES and TAX INCENTIVES
Not so much on the property tax side of things (compared to just across the Red River in MN), but the low state income tax makes up for the property tax difference. See http://www.nd.gov/tax//genpubs/business-incentives.pdf for current state tax incentives for businesses. Learn more about funds to hire interns at: http://www.ndworkforce.com/uploads/resources/164/internship_expansion_program.pdf and tax benefits for investors to invest in ND business at: http://www.nd.gov/tax/taxincentives/income/seedcapital.html. Check with the local EDC first because doing so may be financially beneficial.
2. MINIMAL REGULATION
Check out the ND Secretary of State and Dept of Commerce websites.
3. NON-UNION, MOTIVATED WORKFORCE
North Dakota is an at-will employment state.
4. LOW HOUSING COST & LOW COST OF LIVING
Check with a ND local board of REALTORS to find out the average house price in a given city. Cost of living seems to be about what it is every where else, but we don't have the traffic congenstion/commute which cuts down on the cost of living.
5. EDUCATED & SKILLED WORKFORCE
a. NDSU (local)
b. MSU-M (local)
c. Concordia College (local)
d. Rasmussen College (local)
e. Minnesota School of Business (coming soon)
f. ND School of Science (50 miles)
g. University of North Dakota (75 miles)
f. Other colleges, both private and public within 1 hour driving distance
IN SUMMARY, we have a very well educated population
6. LOCATION CONVENIENT TO RAIL, AIR, AND HIGHWAYS. Intersection of I-94 and I-29; Amtrak stops and other railroads (i.e. BNSF) run multiple times daily; for airport information, see: http://www.fargoairport.com/
The winters are a bit cold, but we do have 4 distinct seasons and the winters are only about 4.5 months long (Nov-mid Mar)…A real plus is that during the winter there is always a reason (i.e. too much snow, roads too icy) to not go and spend time with the in-laws. :)
Need I say more?
From judy, Bend, OR You have to be kidding me about Bend. Sure it has nice weather but there are no jobs here and it is quickly becoming the next sub-prime capitol. The unemployment rate is inching toward 9%. The city has enormous budget issues. The realtors have tremendous influence over the local newspaper so any articles that have negative information related to the housing bust are eliminated. A writer for the Bulletin was fired for not keeping the happy BS real estate stories alive and well. Go to Oregon Public Radio's website for more information. Skip it and go to Boulder!
From Mary, Yorktown, NY North Carolina-Gang violence is turning up everywhere. Google for Chapel Hill and ML-13 gangs and you'll be very disappointed. Do your research!
From Catherine Coeur d Alene, Id I am originally from Southern California, and our grandchildren are the 7th generation born there. 14year ago, my husband and I had an opportunity to move to Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. This city and surrounding areas are 2nd to none. It has been named Camolot, and if you have ever had to opportunity to come here, I have no doubt you would fall in love. Now I am talking about just visiting, nothing more.
From Candy, Sioux Falls Sioux Falls is NOT a family friendly town. I lived in Sioux Falls for ten years and plan on moving this summer to Texas. I am sure it is great for business owners but for a family it is not good. Downtown is crime ridden and drug infested. As far as the arts and culture goes, plan on spending a lot for tickets. (ie $78.00 per ticket for the Doodlebops) The schools are horrible as wel as the teachers. Just not a good place to raise a family.
From Kelly, Baltimore, MD Boise is a great place to live. I find those who say it is a horrible place to live or that it is expensive to go anywhere, are ignorant to the city. I lived there for over 30 years. Not I live in Baltimore and visit my family there all of the time. I find flights all of the time for under $300. From there it is easy to travel anywhere. The family environment is great. Crime is relatively low. Many large companies are in the area, HP, Micron , MK & Boise Cascade (among others). BSU is a top university. Plenty of Culture in the area with Salt Lake, Seattle and San Fran are all only a couple hours away and a reasonable drive to Salt Lake.
Many Headline concerts come to the area. Plenty of outdoor activities with Biking, Hiking, Skiiing (water and snow) boating, fishing…..
Beautiful Mountains and Rivers. Plenty of good IT jobs. Great laid back jobs, great people and just a great overall experience. If you have really experienced Boise, you will know what a great city it is and a great area to grow older.
From Betsy, Ellsworth, ME Maine is in a financial mess caused by an amateur house and senate and a grossly incompetent govenor. Taxes, already high are going up and services are being severely restricted. The electric utilities are deregulated, electricity is obscenely high and poised to jump higher thanks to the federal government making Maine shoulder part of the burden to send power to souldern New England. Heating oil is at record highs and not expected to drop and propane is through the roof.Sure, we have tourism for a few months a year but, with the high cost of gas, even that is shrinking.Maine is a great place to live if you enjoy a simpler lifestyle that is similar to the way life used to be but don't expect mega bucks since they just aren't here. As for starting a business here, sure if you don't expect to become a millionaire and if you plan to roll up your sleeves and do the work required.
From Lars, San Antonio, Texas I moved to San Antonio a few years ago. There are many, many things to do for persons of all ages. The city not only has an hispanic flare but the less mentioned strong German influence.
I see no sign of recession here. Growth everywhere.
From Joe Wudyka, Bedford, NH How could Worcester ever make it on this list. A defunct airport, run down neighborhoods, a mall that is home to the homeless, and a generally dirty and dismal look. ANY of the other New England sites on this list run circles around Worcester.
From Joe Wudyka, Bedford, NH Worcester MA is a dump. How did it ever make it on this list?? A defunct airport, dirty neighborhoods, and a generally run down look.
From LJR, Boulder, CO Louisville, CO is a nice enough place, but most people would prefer to live and start their businesses in nearby Boulder. It's astonishing that Boulder is omitted from the list (as well as much of Silicon Valley).
From Park Warne Pittsburgh, PA have lived in many areas of Pittsburgh for 25 years and have found it to be a good mix of small town and large city. It is, to be sure a provincial town with much "local" flavor and neighborhoods but not to it's detriment. The local economy is' well' local. It has very affordable housing and is a good place to raise a family. County politics and the residual union mentality limit the dynamics of the area but you could do worse. My business is not local so I do not depend on the mechanics of the local economy, if did, I would live eleswhere.
From JayeAdam, Albany NY Gainesville, FL: Lived there for many years. A very nice town, but not a place where I would open up a major business. It is very college-oriented, so life does rotate around the academic schedule. I remember not driving on Gator home game days because the traffic was so bad. So if you have $$ and are looking for a good place to retire to, or can telecommute, Gainesville is for you. If your spouse needs gainful employment, or you need a large pool of skilled, experienced workers–good luck! (I commuted from Gainesville, FL to Orlando, FL because I could not find employment in Gainesville…) Oh, and you would not go to Tampa for a flight–Orlando is closer (check your FL state map).
Orlando, FL: Ahhh, Orlando. What can I say? Have real mixed feelings on this one. It is more business-friendly than the rural Gainesville, BUT there are some big negatives: (1) With the housing bubble, the price of Orland homes just got all out of whack–the prices were well above what the normal Orlandian could afford. Now housing prices are coming down, but they've got a ways to go. As other posters have noted, its hard to convince someone to move to an area with prices that are still very high and are looking at several years yet of correction. (2) Property Taxes/Homeowners Insurance: This is an issue for all of FL — yes, there is no state income tax, but the legislators make up for that by screwing you over with the most insane property tax system. It penalizes newcomers disproportionately–way to attract business! (3) Crime: Crime, particularly violent crime, has risen quite a bit in Orlando. With the downturn in the economy, I think you will see more "marginal" individuals moving to FL to find work–and the crime rate will rise as they arrive.
NY Cities: surprised that Rochester and Syracuse made the cut and not Albany NY. We've had quite a bit of new high-tech initiatives start up here, and we are in close commuting distance to NYC, Boston and Hartford. Oh well. It will be our little secret!
From Mike Y. Spokane, WA Having moved to Spokane about 5 years ago from Orange County California, I cannot believe how great a place Spokane really is. I wish I would have moved my family here earlier. We have four distinct seasons that allows for all of the wake boarding and water sports on our 70+ waterways and lakes within 10 minutes to 2 hours from town in summer, and allows snow skiing and snow boarding at our five ski resorts all for real reasonable prices, and the beautiful Spring and fun of Fall. We have it all. Great life style, enough upscale shopping and dining, but a small town comfort. The area has tons of activities for families and singles alike. Perfect world in this placed coined as Spokane, Near Nature, Near Perfect!
From W. Searles, Colchester, VT I'm amused at Colchester: High property taxes, Poor water and power utilities. Poorly run airport (flights to Philly are nearly $600, no direct flights to Boston). Healthcare and Hosp. are suspect. Nice people though…
From Russ, Kansas City, Mo. Kansas City is a wonderful place to live and do business. Get in the suburbs and the schools are great. Cost of living is low compared to other parts of the country. I am visiting Kids in the Orlando area as I write this and find it depressing. High cost of living and the kids can't sell their house. It is a nice place to visit in December, January and February.
From Joe Crossville Tn I lived and worked in Blue Ash for almost 20 years. I rented the entire time due to high real estate prices.The city s recreation choices were excellent. The dining experiences were outstanding!! The city s planners did their job very well.
From PS Omaha I cant understand why people love Omaha, it has one of the highest tax rate in the US. Wait until they build the new ballfield for the CWS, then the taxes will go up again.
From Eddie R, Seattle, WA I went to college at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC having grown up in western NC. It's my favorite "large" city in North Carolina, because you'll find the people just friendlier and more down to earth than in Charlotte. Also, the fact that you can zip to Chapel Hill or Durham for even more excellent restaurant choices is great. The only con: traffic (because so many people want to live in the Triangle Area now).
From Fort lauderdale, FL I agree that Fort Lauderdale is a great place to live and start a business, however, I cant understand how anywhere in New Jersey, Maine or Michigan cane out ahead of Fort Lauderdale??? Check out my company, http://www.velocityjets.com we offer a private jet membership program in addition to aircraft charter, sales and management services.
From Amy, Denver, CO I was born and raised in Omaha. I could not wait to get out of Nebraska. The universities are ranked in the bottom third and the high schools are not much better. Hot and humid in the summers. Ice cold and windy in the winters. The taxes are OUTRAGEOUS! The state has a total population of 1.5 million people. Therefore, state and county revenue has to come from somewhere. (ie. the high property taxes, the gas tax, the wheel tax, etc.) As for recreation, you can boat in the muddy Missouri river or go deer hunting. The art and culture scene is almost non-existent. Omaha is too small to attract mainstream events. You want culture? Drive to Kansas City, Minneapolis or Denver. These cities offer much more for the Midwest and they are not far from Omaha. Due to these reasons and others, Omaha cannot attract big business. The job market has been stagnant for years. Omaha has a high crime rate considering the city has only 600,000 people in it.
From PGHPA611 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh.. This is a city which has unlimited potential. Have you ever been fortunate enough to say you truly got in on the ground floor of anything? Have you ever said I wish I knew then what I knew now? Well, Pittsburgh is America's Growth City of the next decade. This city with its abundant colleges and universities has an abundant workforce and an affordable cost of living. Situated in close proximity to Manhattan and Chicago , Pittsburgh provides the ideal location for any business. If you are an entrepenaur looking to expand or launch a startup Pitsburgh is your ideal location.
From Matt Holmes, Greenville, SC This list is a joke. Do any of you actually know what you are talking about other than regarding possible tax laws
From Robert Hyatt – Eugene, OR Eugene,
you must be kidding. This is about as anti-busienss as you can get with local taxes added on almost daily. If one of your employees farts there is a demonstraTION OUTSIDE YOUR BUSINESS WITHIN HOURS PROTESTING THE AIR QUALITY.
From TJ, San Ramon, California Forgot to mention that I booked new home from Lenner in San Ramon,around 3000SF delivery on July, 2008 about 860K, it is next to 3 acre park and walking distance to elementary school.
From TJ, San Ramon, California I wrote comments yesterday about my story of being able to afford new home at San Ramon, CA. The price of new home in the area dropped a lot in the past year, now new single family home with 2500SF is about 800k including a lot of upgrades, new townhouse between 2000sf to 2400sf is between 520K to 590K. There are many home builders in the area, check http://www.visitwindemere.com/about/, call builders to ask the price. The price in the web is not properly listed.
From Tom, Sacramento, CA FOLSOM!? What a joke! It's urban sprawl of track homes and ghettos with run down mom & pops everywhere. Sure there are some big corps. there, but this area is one of the hardest hit by the subprime ARM collapse and all the small businesses in the area are evaporating in sync with the forclosures.
Whoever wrote this piece must have thrown darts at a map after #20 or so.
From J, Los Angeles, CA I believe the article on Virginia Beach is a bit misleading. The area may be diverse, but I don't believe there is as much high-tech industry as the author might think. When I graduated from Virginia Tech I had extreme difficulty finding work as a computer engineer. I was finally able to land a job in the aerospace industry out in southern California. The funny part is, I got a job with the same defense contractor who happens to be the one of the largest employers in the state of Virginia. I was always told by their recruiting teams that they didn't do the kind of high-tech computer work in Virginia Beach that I was looking to do. The majority of the engineering work I've noticed in the area is in support of navy vessels. I believe this type of engineering results in a large amount of blue-collar work. Not that there is anything wrong with that type of work, it just wasn't what I was looking to do.
I left the area before purchasing a home so I can't really speak for the taxes. I do agree the area is a nice place to raise a family as I believe my parents did an excellent job raising six kids on one salary for many years. Now with my wife pregnant we are considering a move back to Virginia Beach, but we are unsure about the job prospects. I admit the desire to move there is most likely due to our desire to be around family which still lives in the area and having an affordable house close to the water. I like that the water is warm in the summer and there are plenty of beaches the tourists don't know about.
From Collin Rayes, Mancester NH Manchester NH? Pu-lease! Manchester NH is about as conducive to starting a new business as Jack Kevorkian is opposed to euthanasia. High property taxes, below national average school systems, bad roads, and worse politicians are just the tip of the iceberg here. I’ve lived here for over 10 years now and the only reason I stay is because of my wife. Try opening a small business here and you’ll more than likely have to grease a few of the selectman’s hands just to get the city council to consider issuing an easement or a permit. The city government is one of the most corrupt I’ve ever seen and after 22 years in the military, I’ve seen a few. It’s nearly impossible to get this city to approve any type of business without a huge bankroll and a ton of patience.
The city is nearly bankrupt right now from poor planning and financial management. The fact that a large number of city workers are getting ready to retire and the city never held back enough money to cover it’s retirement promises doesn’t help and now the good citizens of this pothole infested city are facing double digit tax hikes during a nationwide economic crisis. In addition to that, there are more bad sections of this city than there are good sections and though our police are one of the few shining parts of this city (Our cops are fantastic, community minded people) they are to few and overworked for the amount of crime this city experiences. And to add to this financial pain, the city government ahs decided to place some really nice wrought iron archways over the main streets leading into some of the worst parts of the city. As if that will make the drug dealers and gang members take a little pride in their neighborhood. It’s like outing lipstick on a pig. The funny thing is, the pot holes on those same street are still there and growing larger every day.
Sure you can catch minor league baseball game or hockey game here, but try finding parking in the city within walking distance of the arena or the ball park that doesn’t cost about the same as it does in downtown Boston for a Sox game. And if you DO find parking that you can afford, you’d better hope you don’t get mugged between the parking lot and the arena. Seeing Manchester NH on this list calls the integrity of the entire list onto question for me.
Manchester NH as a great place to start a business? What a freakin joke!
From JJ, Denver Colorado Brunswick, Maine – it's not a joke, the weather really is as bad as they say. And it's not just the weather itself, it's the bugs, the ice, the concrete they call snow, the mud. Visit in September but don't fall for the marketing that Maine is a great place to live. Life is too short to be miserable 9 months of the year. And good luck finding a decent job.
From Robert S Having lived in Orange County, CA, the Jersey Shore, Toronto and Montreal, and having traveled extensively I could live anywhere but I choose to live here. Spokane and especially Spokane Valley is a great place to live and raise children, with the best schools I have seen. New Jersey is a close second. Outdoor opportunities are endless with awesome hiking, biking, skiing, fishing and hunting all nearby. Cabelas has also come to Post Falls, which is 5 miles away from us on the Idaho side.
From Nicole Tedesco, Seattle, WA A quasi relative of mine had moved to Charleston after his tour in the Navy and hasn't left since. I hear he enjoys the "high tech" business atmosphere and has been involved in startup ventures to a satisfactory degree. I hear he loves the beach front.
From Nicole Tedesco, Seattle, WA The Guinness Book of World Records had, back in the early 1970s, listed Rochester, NY as one of the most livable cities in the world. The decline of Old Industry had hit the entire New York state area hard, like a lot of Rust Belt areas, and shapes the current environment a great deal.
The upside of Rochester is the talent pool that comes out its universities and continue to work for places like Kodak and Xerox. Compared to the rest of the country the cost of living is very favorable, which has got to count for something. I know Hillary Clinton has done her best to try to make New York state more business friendly, but I am not sure the degree to which she was successful from a cultural perspective. The problem with starting a business in New York state (outside of the NYC area) is that the people who have remained there are so darned apathetic at best or even downright pessimistic. I am not sure how to fix any of that in the near term.
There is one other oddity of New York state that I feel needs mentioning: the I-90 corridor that connects Buffalo to Rochester to Syracuse to Albany to Boston (going west, even ultimately to Seattle). Keep in mind that New York state troopers make a decent living catching speeding commuters along this straight and very boring ride. Personally, I wish they would raise the speed limit predicated on weather conditions (the I-90 can be deadly during blinding snow storms). I think their policy and unprovable fear of "killing fields" during the summer season actually harms business. Highway politics in New York state are something to behold.
From Nicole Tedesco, Seattle, WA I only stayed a night in Missoula, and found it a quaint, small town. I used to work for a guy who grew up there but now lives in the Seattle area–he loves that town and enjoys going back frequently.
From Nicole Tedesco, Seattle, WA Syracuse, you say? I didn't expect any city within New York state (save NYC, possibly for the talent pool and financial businesses) to make it in to this collection. As a friend of mine once said, New York state's best export is well-educated people. New York state has suffered a massive brain-drain in my life time, and has gotten a very bad reputation for its high taxes and generally non-business friendly atmosphere (places like Niagara Falls have been downright business-hostile). The upside of this generation-long problem is that real estate is dirt cheap, and the cost of living is very favorable compared to so many other places in the country. It is just a matter of time until these conditions are exploited by business once again, and Syracuse would not be a bad bet for a city for that would benefit first from that exploitation. The nice thing about Syracuse is that it is smack dab in the middle of the state so Buffalo, Rochester, Albany and even NYC are within practical reach.
Being north of not just Cornell University, but also the Finger Lakes wine area and the marvelous Letchworth State Park (with is marvelous in the fall) are serious pluses.
Be warned: it is the Syracuse/Utica area and areas north to Fort Drum which are the hardest hit in the winter by the lake effect snows the region is famous for. Then again, I am strange and I miss snow like that.
From Nicole Tedesco, Seattle, WA O-o-oh, six miles to Tucson! (I can hardly contain my sarcasm.) Tucson is a nice city, in that Denver/San Antonio way. If you like hot/dry summers and pleasant winters, then Arizona is the place for you. The presences of the University of Arizona in Tucson will surely provide a well educated work force to recruit from. Desert living certainly has an appeal–I especially enjoy the smell of sage after the brief nightly rains during the "rainy season."
From Nicole Tedesco, Seattle, WA The cost of living gets lower the further you move away from Seattle (with the exception of the northern and more trendy area of Bellingham), which is one of good many reasons people are opening up shop in places like Olympia and Tacoma. The nice thing about Olympia is that one is close enough to both Seattle and Portland, OR to drive to either location for whatever reason at night or on the weekends.
From Nicole Tedesco, Seattle, WA Worcester (pronounced like "Wustah" for you non-New England types), is not far enough from Boston, in my opinion, to be "non-Boston." For that, you will need to travel further east to Marlboro. However, I don't find it strange that Franklin, Cambridge and Worcester have found themselves in this collection.
Oh yeah, as for the winters–yes, it does get cold. Yes, it does get snowy and in fact blizzard conditions can be downright dangerous from time to time. Having grown up in the northeast (Niagara Falls/Buffalo, NY) I personally find I miss the winter season with "real" snow! In terms of weather however, what I do not miss is the hot and humid summers of the northeast (or the southeast). Some people thrive in the heat, I don't.
Also keep this in mind: I also do not miss the summer mosquitos and poison ivy (otherwise known by my husband as the Massachussets "state flower"). The Seattle area has surprisingly little in the way of summer bugs. Ni-i-i-ice!
From Mark A Candido Hamden,CT I could not agree more with your choice of Hamden ,CT as the 33rd City in the Country to live and launch a business .We Just opened a Start-up Commercial Bank in central Hamden known as Quinnipiac Bank & Trust Co .Having raised $11.6 million dollars from 385 local investors .We are thrilled to be open and thriving.Check out our web- site www,quinnipiacbank.com .Thank you
Mark A Candido Pres & CEO
From Nicole Tedesco, Seattle, WA Really, you can't beat Cambridge and the surrounding areas for mental stimulation and even good food! If you are a short attention span kind of person, Cambridge and the whole Boston experience is the place for you. The nice thing about Boston, like NYC, is the subway system which can whisk you from Cambridge, to Harvard Square, to the financial district or the theater district, even during lunch! Both Boston and NYC however are old cities and very populated areas, but for me that is an attraction. Call me strange.
From Harold Edgerton, Blacksburg, VA Blacksburg Virginia lies in Montgomery County, which has nearly the WORST public schools in the state. Nearly all the faculty at Virginia Tech car-pool their kids to private schools in Roanoke, 40 miles away.
From Nicole Tedesco, Seattle, WA I worked in San Antonio for a few months in the late 90s. It reminded me of Denver in some respects, but with much warmer weather and no mountains. San Antonio is OK. Personally, I enjoy the hub-bub of Boston and NYC more, but that is me. If you don't want such hub-bub, and you want to avoid "snobby" and "trendy" places like Seattle (and even Austin), then San Antonio is a nice "normal" town.
From Nicole Tedesco, Seattle, WA From people who have been there, I have heard many positive things about starting businesses in Boise. The con I hear about is that the city is really just being built in earnest. That is, cellular coverage can still be sparse and the entire information infrastructure needs some maturing. That being said, many who have lived there liked it.
From Nicole Tedesco, Seattle, WA I used to live in Methuen, MA which was on the border of New Hampshire and just a few minute's drive from Manchester. Manchester is not a big city, so it is a nice break from the Boston and surrounding area hub-bub (which tends to end near the New Hampshire border at the end of the older rail line). If I were to move back the area (my husband and I talk about doing just that once in awhile) I would be tempted to startup in New Hampshire, and Manchester wouldn't be a bad place to be. Housing is also much cheaper than one would find as you continue to get closer to Boston.
From George, South Lyon MI When I see these lists, I usually first check its validity by going to something that I know. In this case I checked Ann Arbor Michigan, and have to say that if it is indicative of the level of research, the whole list is basically worthless.
How can you mention the Michigan business environment without mentioning the word 'union' – the scourge that is currently killing Michigan.
Ann Arbor a high-tech area?..compared to where – certainly not any state out west. Looks like your buying the Granholm line based upon a few hundred Google jobs coming in the next 5 years. Michigan is a manufacturing and operations talent pool.
How is eco-friendly area a positive for businesses? Alternately, a struggling state economy has a lot of benefits for new businesses in terms of talent pool and negotiated tax credits.
The SBT tax was repealed… for ONE DAY. The new tax code that the politicians wrangled over for months was in place for less than 12 hours before it had to be repealed and the old code put back with different rates. This episode brings to light a another big oversight of this article – the dysfunctional political environment in Michigan.
Ann Arbor is a shell of what it was 10 years ago. It is hard to see it in the mix of other great cities I see on this list.
From Sarah, Boise, ID I totally disagree on the selection of Boise as a great place to start a business. I have lived here in Boise for almost two years. Businesses are struggling here big time. There may be low unemployment but that doesn't mean anyone is making more than enough to survive. I made nearly $50,000 a year living in Washington, DC. I am educated and I have nine years of great experience. Now all I can find in Boise are jobs that pay $7 – $12 an hour, part-time, no benefits. And believe me, that kind of pay will not buy you an "affordable" house of $250,000. A new store opened here: Anthropologie. I work there for a month before they dropped me because they were not getting enough customers and not making enough money.
People fight over jobs in this town. For every job there are 100-200 good applicants. The shops downtown are always empty. Even constuction of new homes has slowed to a crawl. Homes on our street have been up for sell almost a year.
Sure, if you have a tons of money that will you keep you afloat…start a business in Boise. However, for all those regular, middle-class people who can hardly make enough money to pay for gas to get to work. FORGET BOISE. I hear Texas is much better.
From Katie, Hawaii OH PLEASE, how did Honolulu get on this list? For openers, the excise tax here equates to an approximate sales tax of 15%. Transportation costs also add to our ranking as the number one highest cost of living state in the nation. And you don't EVEN want to talk about the housing prices.
The public school system is a disgrace, and health care is in shambles, but then again, what else would one expect in this "banana republic" state.
From Rodger, Germany I lived in San Antonio for about 6 years while in the military. The winters are very nice, the job market is large and diverse, very nice homes in nice subdivisions are very affordable when compared to other locations, there are many large-city amenities, festivals, and events, and I have never met anybody that did not love the neighboring Texas Hill Country. On the downside, drivers are impatient and reckless, many people must use the interstate to get anywhere or do anything at all. People in SA seem polite but are very independent minded which means lots of loud car radios and loud barking neighborhood dogs – even in nicer neighborhoods. SA has a high rate of traffic accidents. The crime rate is less than many large US cities but still too high. However, many small communities in SA have very little crime. Summers are excruciatingly hot but the worst temperatures only last about 4 months on the average, which gives SA about 8 months a year of mostly pleasant weather. Despite its shortcomings, the salary/house price equation is very attractive and if you visit, you will run into person after person that came here temporarily and ended up staying permanently.
From Tara, Worcester MA Dan, Edgar and Jason, perhaps you all are very negative. Worcester MA is likely any other major cities going through the revitalization period. Try Boston 10 or 15 years ago!!! And NYC..what a joke!! And see the transformation now. Unless you all are living in a dump in Worcester there are part of the city that are beautiful and quaint. Excuse me but most of my neighbors and myself included are well educated people main from the Boston area. We migrate out here because 1) it's only 40-45 min from Boston and the housing are more roomier and 2/3 the price in compare to Boston overpriced housing market. Shut up and be grateful that YOUR city made the list.
From Howard Sheinfeld, Charlottesville VA The picture of Cambridge, Massachusetts shown in the article is actually a photograph of Boston as seen from Cambridge. Buyer beware!
From Val, Syracuse, NY Syracuse has many fine suburbs, suburban school districts, lakes, wineries, golf courses and affordable housing. The city itself is plagued by pockets of gang violence. There are incentives however, to bring people back to city living that may help revive it during the next few years. I have had enough of the winters – not being a skier – and will look forward to spending my retirement someplace warm!
From Cynthia Mattingly, Alexandria, VA Spokane? I called it Spo-Vegas when I lived there in 1992 while at Gonzaga Law School. You could get your car filled up with gas, get a cappicino and have a sweater dry cleaned all at the local gas station. The food was completely in-edible! Also, one of the most racist/sexist towns I've ever been lived in. Gays underground, African Americans living on the other side of the railroad tracks, and any other race but white was harrassed by skin heads. Don't forget: Crime is high or wierd (however you look at it)…look up Bundy, Manson, South Hill rapist, Son of Sam, etc….all have connections to Spokane. I went screaming out of there! The place gives me the creeps!
From Aric H. Bopp, Blacksburg, VA Blacksburg is great – don't know about Charlottesville though – sounds like the Scottsdale of the East with all the stuck up people! However, if you like a nice college town with down-to-earth people then Blacksburg is the place to be. For more info visit http://www.nrva.us or to check out our own "research triangle park" go to http://www.vtcrc.com
From Kelley, Tooele, UT I've lived in Utah all my life and I would never again live in Salt Lake. It's too crowded and housing prices are way too high for the average wage. The freeways are a mess, there are not enough of them, and they don't go where they need to. If you must live in Utah, try the little-known town of Tooele. It's 35 miles west of Salt Lake. Very nice town, housing prices are really affordable, and the commute into downtown Salt Lake is shorter than from the south valley. Now that I've said that, everyone will move here and ruin my secret. Oh well.
From Jen, Syracuse, NY I saw an unflattering commentary on Syracuse, NY, and I must disagree. Personally, I love snow. Every child needs to build snowmen and have snowball fights and make snow angels- my son did all three for the first time this year- and there are plenty of hills for sledding, and you can't do that without the white stuff. And if it happens to be a sunny morning after a snowfall (admittedly rare) the trees positively sparkle. There is a lot to do here if you will look for it and it is gorgeous from late spring through autumn. The Adirondacks are only a few hours away, the NY State Fair is right in town, there are apple orchards everywhere (yum) and it's maple sugar season (another yum)! The economy is getting better here, and it was mentioned in the news recently that it is one of the 4 places in the US that is NOT in a housing slump! Not to mention we love our sports- SU is on the hill- Go Orange! We also have minor league baseball and hockey. There are excellent community choirs here, if that's your thing (it's mine!), a professional symphony and opera company (also my thing), and a decent sized volleyball and beach volleyball population (also my thing but more my husband's). Education is excellent also (important to us since our oldest is autistic), and the tech population is growing. We moved BACK after a stint in FL (yes, FL as in Florida!) to raise and educate our children here, and I love the family friendliness of this area. The short commute was mentioned in the piece, very true. You can be anywhere within 20 minutes or less. My husband's commute is a grand total of 7 minutes! Upstate NY is great- give us a shot!
From Tara Ulrich, Orlando, FL Orlando, Florida: No way, it should not appear on this list. The housing market here has been rating as one of the worst in the nation, and the housing bubble recently burst, leaving many homeowners unable to sell because they owe hundreds of thousands more on their homes than what they are worth. Not to mention we have one of the fastest growing crime rates (particularly violent crime) in the nation and were rated #11 on the list for cities with the worst crime. Almost everyone I know here must work multiple jobs to keep up with the high cost of living when saddled with the low salaries. I am a professional with a Masters degree who works a second job 30 hours a week, and I am not alone by far. I can't wait to escape this place! I hope no one reads the list and is enticed to move here. Most people want to get out and return to where they moved here from. This city should be taken off the list and added to "Rat Holes of The United States" list.
Ann Arbor: Great choice. Great place. I lived in Michigan for awhile and absolutely love this city. Michigan has a great cost of living, despite its current economic troubles. I'd live there in a heartbeat.
From Bend Gurl, Bend, Oregon Bend? You the Bend where unemployment is near 8.2%? Where home prices have dropped and there are foreclosures on every block? read: crime attractants)
Is this the same city of Bend which is 20 MILLION dollars short in the budget?
Um, yeah… let's just say that the tax incentives aren't going to be around for long, as the city council does quite a few "behind closed doors" deals that have bled us dry.
Stop drinking the "Bend is great" koolaid and start reading one of the local blogs who are NOT pimped out to realtors.
http://bendbubble2.blogspot.com/index.html
http://bendoregonbubble.blogspot.com/
http://bendbubble.blogspot.com/index.html
If the links disappear, just google Bend Bubble and blog. You'll see them.
From Jay, Lawrence, KS Kansas City is really a wonderful city. Someone above said it best: a small town feel with big city amenities. I would add that its definitely not a boring place if you take advantage of what it has to offer. The $4 billion renovation of downtown is impressive – and if you haven't seen pics of the new performing arts center, you need to.
Its suburbs like Overland Park and Olathe are nice and all – they all look about the same, but The Plaza and downtown areas are where things are interesting and happening.
From Mike, Savannah, GA If you plan on moving to Savannah, remmeber that this ain't Mayberry. Bring a gun or two, and plan on using it. The crime and racial hatred here are worse than anywhere I have ever lived.
From Matt Kimes, Mulberry Arkansas Fayettevill, AR. I lived there for four years…there is a flood of unsold houses and layoffs happening in the construction markett. Fayetteville has thrived off of this for many years. Banks are getting leaner on loaning out money for those trying to get thier foot in the door. The traffic is terrible because they voted in a minor league baseball stadium instead of a highway 540 expansion. Tyson Foods was downgraded to a junk stock status last time I checked and was getting battered with revenue losses. JB hunt is getting crunched with the fuel costs and walmart postponed raises last time I heard from a friend whom works for them. The economy is trashed and there is top 100 depression-proof city to run to. Most college kids are graduating from this city with student loans that is unjustifiable with their post graduate salaries.
From Dave House, Newark, DE I enjoyed reviewing your list of best places to live because I am familiar with many in the Northeast,Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Specifically, I wanted to write in and enthusiastically agree with the assessement of West Des Moines, IA. I lived there for eight and half years. My two children did very well in the school system and thoroughly enjoyed their summers at the three new aquatic parks (all for a $200 family pass). Even with the rapid qrowth of WDM that we witnessed, it was done logically. It's a gem in the Mid-West. We also enjoyed the fact that it was two hours to Omaha, NE for the Henry Doorly Zoo visits and three and half to the north for Minneapolis and the Mall of America or three and half hours to the south for Kansas City and Country Club Plaza. Great quality of life. My only complaint would be lack of lower cost, direct flights out of Des Moines.
Since relocating back to the East coast, in Delaware, I was also glad to see our state capital, Dover, mentioned. The beaches (Rehoboth, Bethany and Ocean City, MD) are close and our favorite place to be.
From Albert I lived in the Sarasota Bradenton area for 2 years. The cultural atmosphere that they mention here is if you are rich and live on Long Boat Key. Other than the downtown area which is a small strip it is dead. No culture to talk about other than retirees and trailer parks. It is deep south country. I don't know what the lady that commented was talking about it is 1.5 hours away from Tampa and 5 hours from Miami. I moved away as soon as I could. The real estate crisis really killed it for any young professional looking to live there. If you are retiring then you should see the property tax that is making elderly work as greeters at Walmart stores. Good Luck.
From JB, Ann Arbor, MI I have been in Ann Arbor for 9 years now and it is definitely a nice place to live and the University is able to shelter the local economy from the downturns the rest of the state has seen. That said, the best places to actually live our just outside Ann Arbor proper where the schools are better and there's a bit more room – Saline, Dexter, Chelsea or Brighton.
Unfortunately Ann Arbor's startup scene, as well as conventional employment market, is not as nice as is often presented. The same liberal, exclusive government practices that keep the schools well funded and the parks plentiful also prevented Google from building or renting the building space they wanted, resulting in their downgrading the quality of jobs placed in the area and moving them completely outside of Ann Arbor to Troy, it also prevented A.M. college from expanding, resulting in their moving to Florida. Additionally, Pfizer recently pulled everything out of Ann Arbor with speculation it was largely due to recent government practices and property taxing methods that also played a role in General Dynamics building their new facility in Ypsilanti after buying Veridian – although it now seems this office is being utilized at an ever decreasing level anyway with more of the work typically done by them ending up in Boston. Simply put, the sword cuts both ways and makes for the promotion of a very elite focused environment, wonderful if you can make it into affording the pleasantries but it's resulting in the disappearance of the middle class in the area.
As is the case in many places the money, while available in Ann Arbor, is actually controlled by a pretty small number of very cliquish groups which considering the total size of the pool here can make for a challenge. Outside of automotive services you often will also have to go outside of the immediate region to make sales and generate revenue – especially with the current condition of the state economy.
From TJ, San Ramon, California I just moved to bay area and found amazed that I can afford new home in San Ramon. The area is new with great schools and the nature is so pretty just next to Mt.Diablo. Besides numbers and numbers of parks, there are miles and miles of trails. San Ramon is very family friendly and great place to raise family. It is about 38 miles to SF downtown and next to Danville and Walnut Creeks.
From Anonymous Try to get a cheap flight out of Boise Idaho to the south- you pay big bucks to try and go anywhere and the housing market is so expensive and you get crap for housing
From Darren, Iowa City, IA We were hesitant when we transferred to Iowa City last year, but have quickly realized why it's so difficult to leave! The public schools are top-notch, no traffic jams, and the options for eating out…WOW! What a hidden gem.
From Anonymous Boise sucks- the cost of housing is unreal way too expensive- and you get wood houses that warp in the 60 days of dry summer- winter is long, no jobs, low paying jobs if any- Micron has laid off tons no big businesses here- restaurants sucks- like living back in time and try and find someone who can keep up with hair styles- a joke- safe place and no traffic are the only 2 things
From brad, new haven ct Fairfield CT: great if you like overpriced everything, and you MUST secretly love martha stewart but pretend to hate her with all your posy neighbors.
Hamden CT: Whah? Its ok. Just pk
From John S. Cincinnati, Ohio Blue Ash Ohio really is a lovely city. The relative higher cost of living comment is a bit surprising given Cincinnatian enjoy a 20% better cost of living than the average Americans. I lived in the Bay Area for almost 10 years and really miss it from time to time; but every year when I visit I meet many people complaining about everything. The only thing they agree on is that they "couldn't live anywhere else" like the "great flyover". Too bad that attitude isn't aptitude, or people like that might acutally do something.
I for one am thankful for less traffic, affordable housing, and a lower population density (yes, a high percentage of Californians are dense.
From troy, Saint Cloud, mn Saint Cloud, MN? High Taxes, small town attitude towards outsiders, latent racism, a crumbling school system and infrastructure and a refusal to admit the University is what really drives this town. The "Manufacturing base" consists of low wages and backbreaking labor with the ever constant threat of leaving for Mexico hanging over the employees heads. On the plus side, crime is relatively low, public schools are good in the suburbs and we have a beautiful new 30 million dollar, sales tax financed public library!!!! (Text does not allow reader to hear sarcasm)
From Angie, Savannah GA It's nice to see Savannah on the list. We moved here from Canada last year because we are in love with Savannah. It's beautiful, funky, fun, and completely quirky. One thing the reporter got wrong. Savannians wouldn't pop over to Hilton Head for a beach experience. They'd go to Tybee, less than 10 miles away.
From Tony, Lyndhurst, New Jersey As soon as I saw Lyndhurst, New Jersey on the list I knew it was a joke.
From Ed, St. Louis, MO St. Louis should be on more of these lists. It has great cultural amenities, beautiful historic neighborhoods, a very diverse economy, a reasobable cost-of-living, and friendly residents. I have lived on the West Coast, East Coast and in the South, and St. Louis is one of the best overall places to live when you consider what you get for your money.
From Tim Datria, Peoria, AZ As mentioned earlier, Camelback Mountain is in Phoenix, not Scottsdale. There are other cities in the Valley of the Sun with 5 star restaurants. And, you can barely drive down a street anywhere in the valley without spotting a golf course.
BTW, if you want to attend or entertain a client at a sporting event you can no longer do that in Scottsdale, they lost the Coyotes several years ago. But, Glendale has a NHL hockey stadium and University of Phoenix Stadium, the location of the 2008 Super Bowl.
Not that Scottsdale isn't a great place to do business, but so are many cities in the Valley of the Sun.
From Jo from Boston, Charleston, SC My Top List (From experience):
Charleston, SC: the population is more like 500,000 people, not 100,000; 5 area colleges; infrastructure is growing and poised for growth; job market is not bad for trained or non-trained people; light traffic, beautiful beaches, lots of outdoor activities, great weather, nice friendly people; music/theatre/art is very accessible and affordable, great public schools in Mt Pleasant/West Ashley/Summerville, low real estate prices, very low property taxes (I pay $1400 on a beach house)
Cambridge, MA: beautiful city, but for the cold weather; lots of education opportunities, liberal minded people, wide demographic, access to beaches, culture/art/theatre/music (expensive though), the mountains, colleges, public education is great; great public transportation.
Santa Barbara CA, Beautiful, but not for the wary: High real estate, High taxes, not such a wide demographic.
Asheville, NC: Great liberal-minded city; lots of small businesses; easy going; great weather; High property taxes, no beaches, 4 hours away.
From Cambridge, MA wouldn't it be wise to show a picture of Cambridge not Boston?
From drleahtransformationrevolution #74 Columbus, IN
I'm thrilled to see my community, Columbus, Indiana mentioned on the Forbes 100 Best Places to Live and Launch. I couldn't agree more!
Having been part of Columbus for 15 years, I can attest to the warmth of the people. But there are wonderful people in all types of cities.
What I believe differentiates Columbus is the intentional vision building and forward thinking that takes place.
This community does not simply respond to changing situations – it predicts them and prepares. This is a community that drives to be on the cutting edge, strategically planning the city's future direction(s).
This morning as I left a meeting at the Cummins Corporate Office Building, a father and son were out front taking photos. I thought again about how lucky I am to live in a community that people come to visit for its beauty and architectural interest.
Thanks for noticing us!
From Patrick Thurlow, Oro Valley AZ Moved from Jersey 10 years ago and boy has this area grown. Tons of things to do and opportunities galore. I work for Zip Realty and would love to hear from anyone looking to purchase in Oro Valley
520-241-2427
From Mike Marzetta, Spokane, WA I think that David from Boston has perhaps seen a very small and isolated portion of Spokane, and has drawn some wrongful negative conclusions about the area as a whole from his brief experience. I for one have lived in Spokane much of my life and find it to be most absent of rubble and crack dealers.
In comparison to other cities, Spokane is a paradise in many ways. I have family in the Boston area and find it to be a beautiful city, but one in which traffic gridlock of road rage is the norm. I spent a number of years in Minneapolis pursuing my Masters Degree at the University of Minnesota and I found it to be a great city, but one in which big city congestion and the presence of crime was commonplace.
My experience with big city’s led me to come back to the place I was born, Spokane. I find it to have all the advantages of large metro areas with none of the pitfalls. Spokane (for the most part) is free of congestion, pollution, gangs, and crime. It also has all the family entertainment value found in large metro areas; such as Broadway plays, theme parks, fine dinning, professional sports, and great careers in just about any field of desire. All these advantages, yet one can still afford to buy a few acres of property and an amazing house for much less than half the cost of the areas aforementioned.
Few cities can match Spokane’s closeness to nature. There are lakes, mountains, major ski resorts, fishing and hunting right in our backyard. One can reside in a highly rural suburb like Mica, Nine-Mile and Newman Lake (to name just a few), and only have a 20 minute commute to their Downtown profession.
Most importantly are the hometown culture and the people. People are friendly just about everywhere you go, and many neighborhoods still leave their doors unlocked. These are the reasons I chose to come back to Spokane after college and why I now choose to raise my family here.
I don’t doubt that David from Boston had a bad experience when visiting Spokane, but I’m confident that his experience was an unlucky snapshot of the ugliness that exists anywhere humans co-exist in society. I encourage David to consider giving Spokane another chance…else he will be missing out on one of our countries most glorious cites.
From Len, Hamden, CT HAMDEN??? It is a dangerous, lowlife slum town. There are only a few nice neighborhoods left in Hamden and the taxes are so outrageous that everyone that lives in those neighborhoods feels ripped off! There is an old saying about Hamden. It is in the world records book for having the longest street in the world. It is Dixwell Ave. It goes from America to Africa. Hamden has been invaded by low class people from New Haven and the school system is terrible. How can a town that employs 4 police officers just to work at and patrol the hallways of our highscool and middleschool even rank in the top 1000! They should make 8-Mile part two starring snoop dog and make the movie right here in Hamden.
From lee waye Too much rain in Seattle. The skys are always gray (different shades of gray depending on the time of year). We lived there for 4 years and the people are very kind and the housing was affordable and the schools were fantastic. Driving in the rain on the busy freeways was very scarey. Boise is a different story. My family and I left the high cost of living in San Diego in 1994 and moved to Boise. We have seen it grow tremendously in the last 13 years. Mostly Californias come here to live. Housing has gone up and there are more restaurants, shopping ,schools and doctors offices popping up all over the place. We wish the tech industry would grow. We feel extreamly safe here and didn't living in California. We travel to California when it gets too cold or boring up here. We miss the ocean and the amusment parks the most. The only difference is now after leaving Cali's high cost of living we can afford to go to the amusment parks there.
From JB, Salt Lake City, UT I love SLC! I moved here from Columbia, SC (another great town)and while it took me a while to acclimate, I am so glad we decided to move here. My husband's company gave us two choices (SLC or Colorado Springs.) I have never ever felt out of place because I am not LDS (Mormon). I was able to get my dream job because it's just not as competitive here as it is on the east coast. I'm just out of college and on the east coast people doing my job tend to have 5-10 years experience. I think my salary is great. Plus I love that SLC has lots of affordable downtown housing in cool neighborhoods like Sugar House, 9th & 9th, and The Avenues. I am all the time discovering cool restaurants, bars, coffee houses, art galleries, and shops hidden in these quaint neighborhoods. The parks are amazing.Shopping at Gateway is the best! And Trax (light rail) is awesome and highly dependable. There's this whole vibe going down here and you don't have to be a church member to enjoy it. It's awesome. I also love that we're only 20 minutes from the ski resorts and great spring and summer hiking. The weather is really not that bad. Though we've had a lot of snow, we don't get that freezing winter of the Midwest or Northeast. Summers are hot, but not humid, and this SC gal can appreciate the difference for sure.
From David, Savannah, Georgia Savannah is a great place to live… if you like mugggings, shootings and violence. If you like walking outside at night, live somewhere else, or bring a gun.
From Eric (formerly of Lemay) What? Lemay, MO is #85? You've got to be kidding me!
Lemay is one of the festering blights of St. Louis.
The majority of people there are low class (both financially and in personality), the average resident doesn't care enough about his property to bother with proper upkeep (a large portion of properties across the area are run down and in desperate need of repair or condemnation), and the school system is atrocious.
Having escaped there, myself, I know this from first hand experience. Apathy runs rampant across Lemay. A majority of residents, it seems, don't care about the poor state that Lemay is in. Some revel in it, in fact, and enjoy the "hooligan" stereotype that people from Lemay have received from everyone else in the surrounding areas.
Drugs are rampant in the area. Far more so, in fact, than most areas.
In the St. Louis area, we use the word "hoosier" to reflect a person who is "white trash" and/or a hooligan/thug type personality. People in surrounding areas tend to assume that someone from Lemay is a "hoosier," simply because of the reputation of the neighborhood… and -in general- Lemay residents do nothing to dissuade those thoughts.
Lemay should not be anywhere NEAR this list.
From Dennis J. Cleary, Folsom, CA Three key facts about Folsom omitted from the article on Folsom: it has one of the best city trail systems in California. When the trail system is completely finished there will be over 150 miles of trails for biking, running, and hiking will be in place. It also has a convenient grid system for getting around town quickly with no gridlock. It's laid out like a centipede with Bidwell Street being the spine of the centipede! It's school system is top-ranked in the country with the Folsom High School Jazz Band ranked No.1 in DownBeat Magazine, the nation's top jazz magazine and review!!
From Jason of Minneapolis, MN 1. LOW TAXES and TAX INCENTIVES
2. MINIMAL REGULATION
3. NON-UNION, MOTIVATED WORKFORCE
4. LOW HOUSING COST & LOW COST OF LIVING
5. EDUCATED & SKILLED WORKFORCE
6. LOCATION CONVENIENT TO RAIL, AIR, AND HIGHWAYS
Using these criteria from Joe Black maybe Fargo, ND should have been rated higher. I think the only reason it wasn't was because of the frostbitten winters, but since that's not on this or Fortune's direct criteria maybe it shouldn't have been held against them. As it stands, the only thing wrong with Fargo economically is the absurd property taxes on the ND side of the river. On all other counts this city shines. Low business taxes, low income taxes, strong and educated workforce (metro of 210,000 has about 25,000 college students in the city at any given time) and the airport options are getting better every year. And yes, with the two interstates crossing the city you can get out quickly in any direction should you wish.
From Garry Iowa City, IA As a non-native who moved to Iowa, Iowa City was a hidden gem when my wife and I arrived here nine years ago. Since then, the gentrification of it has led to an affordable housing problem that inhibits opportunities for labor to live within the city limits. Also, while it has many bright, talented young minds, it does a poor job of retaining them.
It is a town with a cosmopolitan feel to it, where culture thrives, and is a great place to grow older in place, or raise and educate children.
like all college town, it has its town/gown issues, but it is a beautiful community on rolling hills and has a river that runs through it.
The other confounding variable is that the weather can be highly changeable, meaning that there are winters with very little snow (this winter we were pummeled).
From Chris Clarke, Apex, NC While Raleigh, and the entire "Triangle" area of North Carolina is a great place to live and work, saying that it is "conveniently nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the beaches of the Carolina coast." is a bit of a stretch. It is two hours to the nearest beach and nearly three hours to the mountains, so "nestled" is not exactly the word I would use.
From Dan Caffee, Salt Lake City, UT Salt Lake City is a great place to start a company if only because it's a great bargain. My company Neutron Interactive has amazing loft office space in downtown Salt Lake City for less than it would cost for Dilbert-style space in Los Angeles or Seattle. That's great incentive when you're trying to lure talented folks to join the company. Plus you can buy a 4000 square ft. luxury house for less than the price of a run-down 1 bedroom condo in Silicon Valley or Santa Monica.
From Michelle, Seattle,WA Scottsdale,AZ is a great place to vacation but not to raise a young family. Yes, you can shop til you drop, dine at some of the best restaurants, golf (not during extreme Summer heat) and stay at luxurious resorts but it has more of a Las Vegas mentality. The people come here to play not to invest & support families. The schools need to improve as well. We lived there for several years and 9 couples w/children divorced. The streets are empty during the summer where in most states children are playing outdoors after a long school year. Everyone tries to escape the oppressive HEAT (June-Oct). Yes, do visit Scottsdale but not the Best Place to Raise a Family!
From Christopher, Boston, MA Gainesville,FL is my hometown. It is a city that is good for small, growing families, or college students. Other than that it has nothign to offer, no culture, just frat parties and football games. The whole city shuts down during game days, and that is all everyone focuses on. It's a dead city.
St. Cloud and Orlando, Fl are cities that are good for one thing….vacations. Disney, the theme parks etc. The rest of the city is full of traffic and being destroyed by crime everywhere. Violent crimes on top of it.
You can't get by in Orlando if you DO NOT speak spanish. Its the main langugage there.
From Sheridan, Phoenix, AZ As s former resident of Cheyenne, WY for 20 years, I have to say there was 2 big reasons to move away. The WIND and the lack of possibility for starting a business and/or landing a decent job WITH a college degree. Furthermore, the city council has a real problem with new business and I believe they are still slow to growth. Good Luck!
From Greg, Hamden, CT I moved to Hamden, CT ten years ago. My wife and I love Hamden. I teach at the High School and she opened a practice here 4 years ago. My 3 boys attend the public schools. I agree with the description that most of Hamden has a small town feel, convenience to shopping, the shore and city, and great local parks. I also like being 5 minutes from Yale.
My wife has found the town and chamber to be very supportive to her business. We have witnessed first hand the revitalization that’s continuing to occur as businesses are built and renovated with the town’s help.
I don’t think it’s fair to compare the town to its sleepy little bedroom community roots nor to its highly affluent shoreline neighbors, especially in the area of schools. For sure, this inner ring town has had some growing pains since urbanization began several decades ago. My experience has been that Hamden has always and continues to put education first. The schools are newly built or renovated, have a dedicated staff, and offer many progressive, top notch programs both at the elementary and secondary level. I appreciate the diversity my children are exposed to and am confident that they will excel as they progress through the system.
Overall, Hamden has a lot to offer and is actively addressing the challenges it has been presented with over the years.
From Brian A. Sayrs Another thing I'd like to add to Barb Chamberlain's comments is that there are no cities in the entire Spokane region which charge a business and occupation tax, contributing to a regional effort to support business activity.
I, like Barb, left the Spokane area–in my case to serve in the Army–only to return because of its great community feeling, opportunities, and amenities. As a software engineer, I could choose to live anywhere I have a connection to the Internet. Liberty Lake, a growing community 15 miles east of Spokane, was my choice.
I loved it so much, I'm became a founding member of the Liberty Lake City Council, and continue to serve to this day. If you're thinking about relocating, or finding a place to stake your claim in this global economy, Spokane must be on your list. You owe it to yourself and your future.
From Barb Chamberlain, Spokane The guy from Boston must have visited some other Spokane–not the one in Washington that I have lived in for years.
My Spokane has a clean, friendly, and safe downtown. I don't hesitate to walk at night on any street in downtown, including those on the fringes that house services for those who are less fortunate. I also don't hesitate to put my teenage daughters on Spokane Transit to go anywhere in town on their own, and use their good bus service myself when I don't bike commute. I think this is a testament to the friendly, welcoming local culture. People here know each other and look out for each other; we're a very connected community, and it's easy for newcomers to plug right in.
We have an amazing river right through the middle of the downtown that was called a one of a kind gem by Bruce Babbitt when he was Secretary of the Interior. A local nonprofit, Friends of the Falls, spearheads projects to enhance our opportunities to engage with the river in keeping with a vision established by the Olmsted Brothers firm over a century ago, and we'll soon have a whitewater feature within 5 minutes of City Hall and the headquarters for the daily paper. (full disclosure–I chair the board; see http://www.friendsofthefalls.org for more)
I work in higher education, and we are building a University District on the east end of downtown that will be another great asset with research in human health, design and sustainability, and more.
Local restaurants abound, there's great shopping, I love my 15-minute bike commute in the morning from a historic home I couldn't afford in any other city that has the urban amenities we have here, I can get to the airport in about 15 minutes, we have 4-season recreation, great award-winning schools, a symphony, art galleries, museums, a trail network that runs right through downtown–a thousand reasons that you were right to put Spokane on the list.
(and no, I don't work for the local Chamber of Commerce or Convention & Visitors Bureau. I just really love this place. I went to high school here, left for college and a few years past that, and chose to move back.)
From Shelly, Georgetown, TX Thrilled to see Georgetown, Texas recognized! Its downtown is a Texas gem with a historic square of Victorian architecture surrounding a recently restored courthouse. It's like stepping into a Norman Rockwell painting, and it feels just as quaint. The National Trust for Historic Preservation agreed and honored the downtown with a Great American Main Street Award back in 1997, so check it out yourself! And the people are just as warm as the weather! (-:
From dee, nampa idaho Boise and the surrounding area is a really great place to live. UofI is a great school and is nationally reconized. BSU is a good alternative for folks who cannot afford to go to the UofI. We do however need a few more higher paying industries although Unemployment is low – so is the average wage
From Dorri, Leesburg, VA I have lived in Loudoun County for over 30 years and in Leesburg for more than fifteen. Leesburg is an amazing town and I wouldn't think of leaving. There is truly something for everyone – choice in housing type, great shops and restaurants – both in the historic district and a world-class outlet mall on the edge of town, an incredible recreation center, parks and a beautiful natural setting, and amazing historical assets such as Morven Park, Oatlands and Dodona Manor.
The schools are great, Town and County services are top-notch, it is safe and we love it!
From Emily, Ann Arbor, MI I was born and raised in Ann Arbor, MI, (and still live here) and I am very excited to see that it made the top 100. Ann Arbor is a wonderful place to live a raise a family. There is a lot to do, it has some great cultural aspects to it, and there are a lot of oppertunities for businesses and careers. While Michigan as a whole is having some problems economically, Ann Arbor is like an oasis in the desert!
From Marilyn Rochester MN Rochester Minnesota? I came here from a large city to work at Mayo. Everything here is tied to Mayo.You must be kidding about a great place to live, unless you think the height of dining pleasure is Red Lobster. A narrow, insular, suspicious, slow-to-change but big-to-talk, colorless, culture-starved wasteland, and a joke to even call it a city.
From John, Leesburg, VA I've lived in Leesburg, VA for 10 years and can't wait to get out. Traffic is choking, illegal's run rampant, and the taxes are killing us. We'd sell our house and get the heck outta here, but housing prices are sinking and we can't sell our house. Sure there are lots of businesses, but they are small, and usually close in a short period of time. No, this is NOT the place to come TO, it is the place to escape FROM!
From Margie Ranc Georgetown TX I moved to Georgetown four years ago after looking at a number of smaller communities in the Texas Hill Country. I was drawn to the beauty of Georgetown’s parks along the river and the charm of the architecture in the downtown area. Since moving here, to be in semi-retirement, I have started a small PR business which is working for me as I hoped it would.
I have been impressed by the practicality and concern of the local government that both encourages retail growth of new shopping malls and protects the smaller downtown merchants. I also enjoy the growing cultural scene which is supported by retirees moving here to live in Sun City the retirement community. It was a good move!
From B. Peck, Santa Fe, NM Rochester,NY is a great place to be from.
From Andrew Glad to see Fargo, North Dakota on the list. As someone who grew up in the west (Arizona and California), and spent time in the East, I can say this is one of the friendliest places for families and small businesses I have seen. Lots of young people setting up businesses and climbing the ladder quickly.
From Mark, Phoenix, Arizona Was born and raised in Santa Fe. When I turned 21, I moved to Denver and then to Phoenix AZ, where I currently reside. All I can say about Santa Fe is that it is a nice place to visit but you dont want to live there. The natives there are probably the most unfriendly people you will ever meet. Traffic is horrible and deadly as another person had also mentioned. I cringe every time my wife and I have to go back there to visit family. I would much rather pay for their flights to come to Arizona. The natives of Santa Fe make this town unbearable and I am embarrassed to say I was born there. :(
From Gina Stover, Hamden, CT Hamden, CT is a great place to live. As a life long residence I have been happy with life here. It still has a small town feel. I have had nothing but good experiences here with getting the house I wanted at a reasonable price and having my children being great successes in the school system. Though it has changed over the years, as every place does, I will always consider myself a Hamdenite no matter where my life brings me.
From Tom Seymour – Plymouth, Minnesota Minneapolis is ranked 23rd mainly for it’s natural resources. Unfortunately politicians at the state and local level raise taxes to a boiling point which make it less desirable.
From Bridget, Hamden, CT Hamden is 33rd. This sounds nice. I am a teacher and I live in Hamden, but teach in a shoreline town, and Hamden's educational success does not compete with the success here. I would like to send my children to elementary in Hamden, and then move to another town for concerns I have about the Middle School and High School.
From Joe, Hamden CT I moved to Hamden 20 years ago. Its schools are still among the best, a huge percentage of Hamden High graduates go on to college. The town is clean, and the new development ideas like a new police station will make it an even better place to live.
From Letitia, Charlottesville, VA Charlottesville Va probably boasts the largest collection of entrepreneurial funding sources and mentor capital of any of the top 100 listed! It has private equity investing entities across the spectrum from hedge funds to angel networks, to super angel investors. Charlottesville has Harren Partners, Court Square Partners, Tall Oaks Capital, the Virginia Active Angel Network, Jefferson Corner Group, NeuroVentures Capital, LLC, SNL Financial and many more managers of private family offices. It also has dynamic incubators and facilitators of entrepreneurs through CBIC (Charlottesville Business Innovation Council), the Batten Institute at UVA's Darden School of Business, CATEC education, the Biomedical Engineering dept. at UVA, and many others!
Also, Charlottesville is a community of highly educated, interesting, artistic and charitable people, where you can join a project or help in a number of ways if you wish to come to a thriving, collaborative town.
And, thank goodness there are no lines at the airport and parking is right out front. Many airlines serve "Cville" and the terminal is state of the art. If not, 55 minutes to Richmond airport gets you a direct JetBlue flight to NY, and there is always Amtrak to Washington, or the daily high-end bus to an from NY City from Charlottesville.
From Victoria, Bradenton, FL I don't know what Ray Dobson is talking about, but I just moved to the Bradenton-Sarasota area in January and I doubt I ever leave this area! It's beautiful down here. The area really is Florida's Cultural coast, with amazing musicians, opera, and theater going on every day. I'm looking forward to the Sarasota Film Festival and everytime a musician comes to town, I'm there. I had dinner on the beach yesterday and since moving here I've nearly doubled my salary and lost 15 lbs. As a woman, there's no better recommendation than THAT for a city! and if you get tired of Sarasota, it right smack dab in the middle of Miami and Tampa (both 1 or 1.5 hours away).
The only negative is that you have to share the road with the elderly…and every stereotype about the elderly driving you EVER had is soooo true.
From Monica Hamden is a wondeful community and unlike the previous comment I am very pleased to see this community recognized. Hamden may have some rough patches near the border of new haven but I would hardly call it a "slum".Much of this world has changed from our childhood.So we cannot look at the past we must embrace the future. I am not a lifelong resident and I can say that I have chosen this community to raise my children. This is a big accomplishment for this community and should not be tainted. It should be looked as a starting point for continued improvement. Let us celebrate the immense improvement and recognition.ur small city has attained. Way to GO Hamden you deserve this….
From Tracey, Hamden, CT Hamden, CT is 33rd. I can't believe it. I was born and raised in Hamden and loved it as a child. But, in the last 10 years it has declined so dramatically. While the northern end of town is still pretty, the southern end of town, where I grew up, is now just an extension of the worst part of New Haven. I hate to use the word slum, but that is how it appears. It's run down, dirty, and more than a little frightening to walk around the area. The wonderful little neighborhoods are gone as are the nicely kept yards. The school system, at one time the best in the state, now is horrible. If the people ranking the towns could have seen what Hamden used to be like, they never would have even listed it. Who did this resaerch?
From Ray Dobson.Sarasota, Fl Forget Sarasota, Fl.
It sucks, and has died !
From Frank Reno Nevada Reno…MINIMAL TRAFFIC? Reno is almost gridlocked. I-80 and 395 meet in the heart of Reno and are chronically 10-15 years behind traffic load. Surface streets are falling apart. Our state legislature and governor are at each others throats over what to do. We have the 3rd highest gas prices in the country (mainly due to taxes) we had
$ 3.00/gallon gas months before Katrina. Reno has among the highest foreclosure rates in the country. We have no idea where we're going to get our next water supply–only that it'll be expensive. Good labor is hard to find..Reno is a very transient town. Downtown Reno is a confusing mix of old motels and a few nice casinos. There hasn't been a new casino built in downtown Reno since 1992-The Silver Legacy. There are no new casinos slated to be built in the foreseeable future. Reno does have nice weather but can get very cold..this winter we had 3 weeks of 5-10 degree lows plus 2 feet of snow. We don't have inventory taxes, but the state and city hits businesses with endless "user fees." Just a sidebar–Nevada as a state is ranked nationally for the following:
Highest high school dropout rate, 2nd highest teen pregnancy rate, highest suicide rate, 2nd highest foreclosure rate,2nd highest for meth. use, ranked # 1 for the last 5 years as the "most dangerous state" based on FBI violent crime rates(rape, murder, extortion, carjacking). We are facing an 800 million dollar budget shortfall for 2007 due to the housing bubble bursting and related sales tax losses. This is in a state of 2 million people. We had a huge tax increase 3 years that was suppose to fix education and the roads. Now we are fcing another huge increase. As soon as I get my daughter in college (out of state) I'm leaving the state. I caution anyone looking to relocate a business or move to Reno to spend a few weeks to walk around the town, run an ad for labor and get an overall feel for the town. One of the biggest running jokes in Reno is when we (the business community)hear what a favorable business climate Reno offers.
From blazer id Boise idaho You are mistaken about the U of I adding to Boise's workforce, at least in a direct sense. U of I is located 6 hours north of Boise in Moscow, Idaho and while many students at the U of I come from the Treasure Valley (not the Boise valley) and return here to work it does not have the influence in town of Boise State University. BSU (statue of liberty play, Fiesta bowl winner over Oklahoma) is the local school and has the states engineering school, which leads students to jobs at the areas biggest employers, HP and Micron. Pretty poor fact checking CNN, I'd say thats par for the course for you!
From Scott – Pittsburgh, Pa PITTSBURGH is NO hidden gem!! I was born and raised in the area, left for two decades, recently returned and now working diligently to leave ASAP!
It's only a "gem" if you like a
dead/depressed city, enjoy living in 1980,the "Burgher" mentality,HIGH % of Sr citizens,UGLY cold winters, HUGE potholes, lousy infrastructure and high real estate taxes if you live in the city neighborhoods.
From Jonathan Siders, Danville Ca I have lived in Danville, Ca my entire life and I think it is one of the safest, most beautiful cities in the nation. It has many job opportunities and a highly educated workforce. Money is right on for this one.
From VPai, Syracuse, NY I have to concur with Jan Kasik about Syracuse; not sure whether the reviewer had ever been to Syracuse or had just glanced through the brochure provided by the tourism bureau. Fairly depressing economy currently (typical of central new york, unfortunately) and not many things to do in the city (how many times can one go to the museum of science and technology?). Cultural scene is not too great, and the primary fact that most folks of Syracuse are proud of is that they have a great Wegmans (aaarrgghh). If you love the snow, tons of it, this is the place to be, though. Don't get me wrong, tho' summer time, this place can be very beautiful nature-wise (only 4-5 months of heaven).
From Katie Lee Reynolds, Huntsville AL I was so glad to see Huntsville, AL on the list although I didn't think the listing was super thorough because there is a lot more to our city than NASA and Cummings Research Park although those are our claims to fame. It's also one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the U.S. and it's wonderful that you can live in the city but still be surrounded by the beauty of the true south. Lakes and farmlands and beautiful scenery make up the surrounding areas.
From Yadgyu, Harkeyville, TX Move to Harkeyville, Texas.
From Kris and Mike, Charlotte, NC Moved to Charlotte from Boston via San Francisco as a transfer two years ago. I was dreading it but the money was too good to pass on and I figured I'd get back to Boston or the Bay Area ASAP. What I've found is an amazing urbane, cosmopolitan city that is rapidly getting better. All my Yankee-stereotypes of "The South" have proven to be pretty wrong. We've discovered one of our favorite small cities (anywhere in the world) only 1 and half away up in the mountains…Asheville and love the beaches and lakes. It's great being close to Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill too for a completely different experience. Charlotte's arts scene is better than we imagined; some of our favorite restaurants are here now too. We love the National Whitewater Center near downtown Charlotte. Can't say we like NASCAR but we've ben surprised at how huge an industry it is – from high-tech automotive engineering and marketing. Charlotte's also the HQ for other non-banking powerhouses like Duke Energy, Nucor Steel, Maersk Shipping, etc.. From what we've learned/see as our Boston and California neighbors seem to be joining us in droves now, is that North Carolina and Charlotte (Raleigh too) are no longer a well-kept secret. Some newcomers complain because it's getting crowded, but we're happy riding Charlotte's first new light rail line every morning seeing new people nearly every day!
From Chuck, Rutland VT Articles like this are amusing but are really for "the grass is greener" types. Some comments challenge the accuracy of the facts presented for each town. My birthplace was not on your list. Being born and bred in the Bronx probably had something to do with that.
From RJ, Ann Arbor, MI Ann Arbor has something for everyone –a stable economy anchored by UM, a growing base of tech companies,great school district, and affordable living with diverse, liberal, educated residents. Combine that with easy access to a major airport hub and it becomes difficult to leave. Dec-Feb is painfully cold though.
From Joan Bennett, American Canyon, CA I've lived in American Canyon for 42 yrs and love it. We've become a very diverse and close knit community. temperatures rarely go below 30 or higher than then 100. We are two hours or less to the redwoods, the desert, Lake Tahoe and the San Francisco Bay Area. What's not to like?
From Meghan, Melbourne, Australia Nice to see Bethlehem, PA on the list. Having grown up there, I've spent most of my life explaining to people that it's really not still like the Billy Joel song 'Allentown'. And people don't realize how close it is to NYC, with a quick trip across I78. If you feel like a shopping trip in Manhattan, hop on the Transbridge express bus and it'll take you directly to mid-town. While it's too small for me, my sister is moving back after 10 years in metro D.C. because they'll gain a much higher standard of living for the same amount of money.
From Anonymous I live in Pittsburgh. This is no hidden gem.
From Walt – Issaquah, WA AlBQ/Santa Fe? You have to be kidding me. AlBQ has a per capita crime rate that equal Los Angeles. Grew up in NM and ALL of NM is an armpit. But you gotta love the Gov; he's got huevos – jilting Billary.
From Terry, Scottsdale Arizona Scottsdale Arizona.
Ranking #25 I disagree with.
It should be much higher.
Marina Del Rey. Great place to live if you're a millionaire.
Scottsdale Arizona should change places with Marina Del Rey.
From Gayle Eklund Bellevue,Washington Thanks so much for recognizing Bellevue. It is a nice place to live and work. It has a world-class library. I also enjoy the cultural blend at the Crossroads Mall, absolutely wonderful family operated ethic restraurants. It goes without saying that Bellevue has one of the premier shopping centers, Bellevue Square, because of one man Kemper Freeman. Mr. Freeman understands what the customer wants and he delivers! I will also say the City Hall is dedicated to making Bellevue a good safe city for its residents. And finally… the Bellevue Schools are a place of pride and excellence. My husband and I have lived here for four years and plan on retiring here. Thanks again for naming Bellevue for this honor.
From Arthur, Raleigh, NC Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill – know as the Triangle, is a great place! biotech jobs, universities, lots of green space. http://www.downtownraleigh.com
From Brian, Atlanta, GA I grew up in Savannah and I think living in Savannah will change your life. It will open your eyes to so many different cultures, from hippy/alternative SCAD students and beach bums to growing population of Yankee retiree's who recently discovered the nicer communities on some of the more exclusive barrier islands.
Once you've experienced downtown on a beautiful sunny day, or river street on a cool night out, you will be hooked.
Not to mention, Interstate 10 and 95 intersect about 5 minutes out of town, right by the Savannah International Airport for all those logistics guru's.
Have you ever noticed it is rarely heavily damaged by hurricanes? it won't ever be hit head on by a hurricane, like say, Charleston! The longer the continental shelf, the less deep water right by the coast the hurricane's need to warm, the less momentum towards the area… it's science baby, don't fight it.
http://www.renttybee.com/hurricaneprobs.htm
From John. Missoula, MT Missoula, MT also has a well-educated workforce as the University of Montana is a large part of this community. Missoulas is also known for premier medical care for all ages. With two of the State's major medical centers located in Missoula, potential patients are well cared for. Recreational activities abound in Missoula. If you're bored in Missoula, it's your own fault. Come and see for yoruself.
From Allen Green The author's research is very poor. There are commercial buildings empty everywhere. Scottsdale is a ghost town since housing died. Scottsdale is a wannabee town full of posers and 30k millionaire's.
If you want to run a small business in Scottsdale, bring a large company here and wait until it becomes small, it will not take long.
From Patti Breedlove, Gainesville, FL Gainesville Florida (#47) is not just about the "Gators". UF is spinning out a lot of tech companies, especially bioscience companies that come through UF's Sid Martin Biotech Incubator mentioned in the article. For more info go to http://www.biotech.ufl.org or Google: FloridaBioDatabase
From Cindy Small, Dover, Delaware Dover, Delaware is a wonderful place to live and work. Did you know that it's the Capital City of the First State? From tree-lined, historic streets to a fast-paced business district with gaming, NASCAR and even a national wildlife refuge nearby, Dover is truly a safe, clean and small American City — come for a visit — http://www.visitdover.com.
From Bob Howell, Lyndhurst, NJ Interesting to see Lyndhurst, NJ on the list at #30. Lyndhurst hgas been going through a huge Renaissance in the past several years. It's got fantastic services, great public transportation, new improvements to schools and infrastructure, stable taxes, the Meadowlands and lots to do for anyone of any age. Everything is within walking distance. Yes- typical NJ traffic and such, but all in all a great place to live if you are going to live in Jersey. THere are many more projects coming up which will continue to change and improve the township.
From Angie, Fairfield, CT I love Fairfield, CT also but when I moved here 47 years ago it was a much better place to live. Now we have houses being built on every square foot of land, banks, banks, banks all over town, schools are overcrowded after building all new schools and renovating others, we still use portable classrooms. Big million dollar homes are being built in lower priced neighborhoods, and a lot of young yuppie women driving large SUV clog up the roads and the parking lots while talking on their cell phones. Still the beaches are great and the Town gives seniors a tax discount on real estate taxes, etc. The proximity to NYC is what makes it such a good place to live. I guess I must like it because I am still here.
From Darrell Reeves, Spokane, WA SPOKANE, WA IS THE BEST!
I love Spokane, Washington. Beginning in 1974, when the World's Fair was here, I have been coming up to Spokane from San Francisco with my family. Spokane is one of the best kept secrets in the United States. It's a medium sized town…not to big, and not too small.
Spokane is growing, Real Estate Appreciation is still outpacing many metropolitan cities in the United States, and people WANT to move here!!
I lived on the East Coast for a few years, and rather than returning to California, where home prices quadrupled, I decided to Spokane, where you 'could' get a NEW home for around $100K (now $175K), and NO TRAFFIC! A traffic jam in Spokane is rare!
Talk about quality of life? We have many rivers, streams, lakes, hiking activities, boating, skiing,..you name it!! AND, all this within our region! You don't have to drive hours away! The average commute time here is only 20 minutes!! I added 2 hours per day to my life…or 100 minutes a day….500 minutes a week…25,000 minutes a year from not having to drive!
It's a great place to live, work and play!
SPOKANE! NEAR NATURE, NEAR PERFECT!!!!
From ROB, Everywhere USA (MILITARY) San Antonio, TX wonderful city!!! People are friendly and there is always something to do. School Taxes however are very high compared to the rest of the US. Quality of life is second to none.
Greensboro, NC is a Great place to live and a well kept secret. If city planners control urban sprawl, can manage to attract a Major Professional sports team or UNCG establishes a football team, I can see this becoming the AUSTIN of North Carolina. The city is definitely up and coming.
From SV, Pittsburgh, PA RE: Pittsburgh, PA Excellent & beautiful city with very low cost of living, especially real estate. Some city schools are sub-par (and even then only select schools) but suburban schools are excellent. The excellent arts (Pittsburgh Symphony is a wordl class orchestra, theater, museums, 3 professional sports teams (Penguins, Steelers, Pirates) and major college sports as well and proximity to many areas for outdoor adventure or nature related activites including white water rafting, Rails to Trails, etc. The area also boasts an excellent and educated work force and a overall very low crime rate (except for certain urban areas which you can avoid). World class health care & facilities. A hidden gem.
From Jan Kasik, Syracuse NY I think the author was misguided by a few things about Syracuse, NY. Here is my interpretation of the city:
Opera: Just becuase there is an opera house, doesn't mean there are any operas
Symphony: Amateur
Lake Oneida: Granted it's a lake, but with murky water. If we are to dwell on technicalities, lake Onanadaga is right in the city, but unfortunately one can't swim in it due to high levels of Mercury from the now shut down factories (but economy is booming!)
International Film Fastival: There has been one! – And I have yet to see a film boast "Proud Winner of Syracuse Film Festival" on it's cover.
It is all a matter of perception.
From Wayne Barz, Lehigh Valley, PA It's great to see some recognition for Bethlehem, PA on this list. A true "risen from the rust" story of a region that has diversified dramatically from its steel roots. See http://www.bftechventures.org for a glimpse of the new, tech-friendly Bethlehem!
From Tony SLC, UT This place is amazing…everyone works hard, there is little crime, more than half the population speaks a foreign language and they are smart. They receive less pay then most other markets for similar jobs and nobody complains. You'd be crazy not to start a business in SLC, UT
From PAW, Rochester, NY Rochester, NY has a lot to offer for a city of its' size. Museums, art galleries, lots and lots of parks, theater (many), great eats and reasonable housing prices. The city is easy to get around in but does have a few typical traffic jams during the week. Very family friendly, great colleges and health care, what's not to like?
From Wayne Tulsa,OK Greensboro, NC Try Greensboring
From Mike Di Giorgio, Novato, CA. Novato is a great family town surrounded by oak covered hills, near the California wine country, the Pacific Ocean, and Lake Tahoe.
Too bad about all the kudos it's now getting. It used to be one of the best kept secrets in Northern Calf.
From Jeanna Hofmeister, Spokane, WA Kudos for chosing Spokane, WA! I grew up in Seattle but have moved back three separate times because Spokane offers the perfect blend of lifestyle and the great outdoors. Hip downtown, awesome wineries, great business and retail environment, 100 acres of greenspace right in the heart of the city. Better yet, billions of dollars in redevelopment in the past five years have made plenty of Seattlites more than envious of our great little city with no Seattle commuting issues. And naturally they envy our fabulous weather that includes abundant sunshine.
Jobs are good, crime is low and housing is still affordable here. We are incredibly lucky that we've stayed a bit undiscovered. Recent press will likely change that, but we're hospitable here so we'll share.
From Brandy M. The article about Boise says it is sunny….when? It's the end of March and snowed yesterday! Good weather from about Mid-May thru Mid October. Much of October thru June is gray, gray, gray. And cold! It's in the 30's right now, and that's WITH the sun having been out much of the morning!
From Pat, Bismarck ND What about Bismarck? Its a clean, fast growing little city!
From Anonymous, Lawson, MO Kansas City,MO is great place to live. All the benefits of a big city but with room to breathe. Lots of lakes for swimming and boating, professional sports team, affordable living expenses,BBQ, etc. Moved from PA and glad I did!
From Nancy, Spokane, WA I moved to Spokane #77 from San Luis Obispo #78 almost two years ago. The cost of living drew me but the quality of life, nice people, great transit system, natural beauty of the City keep me here. I have my own home and simply love this city. I don't know what town that other guy was visiting, it isn't my Spokane.
San Luis Obispo is beautiful, but expensive. I miss Tio Alberto's though.
From Angela, Charlotte, NC It cracks me up when people comment about their "visit" to Virginia Beach as a reason why one shouldn't live there.
Yes, there's a boardwalk and at night all the tourists come out and play. We love that you are there – because you give us very low taxes.
My father was and still works for the military. He's a highly educated man with an MBA – not all "military" people are what you see in the movies. Educate yourself before you speak. Military people don't join the military because they can't do anything else.
Also…because of the military presence and the educational funding it brings, my education was a stellar one; among the top schools in the state. I grew up with very affluent neighbors and some of the best opportunities around.
Plus, who really knows the "beach" is someone who has eaten a meal over looking the sunset on the Chesapeake Bay. That's where the real view is…not the strip malls…that I do believe most growing (largest city on the east coast by sq miles) has.
From Manoj Regmi, Omaha, NE I've been living Omaha for last 12 years….its one of the growing city in midwest…lot of tech companies…lot of jobs
From Pamela, Reno, Nevada Reno, Nevada is a great place to live and work. I'm from California originally, which is rapidly becoming a third world country. Sometimes when I'm driving in the Reno area, the spectacular scenery in Reno takes my breath away. I can afford to own a home and have a nice standard of living here. I'm an outdoor person, and there are so many places I frequent EVERY DAY for a short hike after work. I think the growth potential is limited here due to geologic constraints, but Reno is putting lots of effort into developing the downtown area so it too will be a fun, affordable place to live. Reno has so much to offer, and relatively less of the negative characteristics other urban areas have.
From Mike T, FlowerTruck.com I love doing biz in Virginia Beach. The cost of living is low and the local economy is triving.
From Rob Dawg, Camarillo, CA I'm sorry but anyplace in California is automatically disqualified. To call the State business hostile is an understatement. Taxes and regulation alone preclude most businesses from locating here. The high cost of living makes it difficult to attract and retain employees and expansion is a logistical and regulatory nightmare.
That said the quality of the reporting leaves much to be desired. Ventura congested? San Luis Obispo near the ocean? Fact check please.
From Todd Jackson Not to mention Lemay, Missouri has some great schools. Seriously, they have improved test scores and the staff really cares about kids.
From AO, Radnor, PA I am thrilled to see Radnor Township on this list!! I work for the municipality and couldn't be prouder. It is a top notch community that provides the perfect mix of old world charm and new age conveniences. It is a highly educated community that is just beaming with beautiful parks, a great downtown area, and friendly faces. Truly deserves to be on this list (but maybe a little higher up)!
From Cliffa Gaddis, Enid OK Colorado Springs was a beautiful place to live. Not surprising it was on the list. Unfortunately I had a headache for the 1 1/2 years that we lived there due to the altitude. I can't say much for the job market either. Unless you have a top secret SCI clearance, it's hard to get a job that pays worth a crap, especially since the housing market is very costly!
From Tara, Charlotte, NC My husband is a native of Charlotte, NC and we just moved back recently from Naples, FL. I've also lived in NY, Boone, NC (close to Asheville) and Reno/Tahoe and I have to say that Charlotte has the best balance I've seen of affordable housing (low property taxes), job opportunity and growth. It is also a very clean city with a mild climate (with the exception of July/August). You are 2 hours to the mountains and 3 hours from SC beaches (4 or 5 from NC beaches). Spring and fall here are beautiful and we have several colleges here (UNCC, Kings College, Queens College, Davidson, CPCC, Johnson and Wales, Johnson C. Smith) to name a few. We have seriously been considering opening a small business here in one of the many trendy satellite neighborhoods around the Queen City and I think that with the right kind of business plan, it would do extremely well here.
From Larke Jameson Please do not put my name or town in my earlier comments, if you use them.
From Larke Jameson Greenville, SC Originally from SC, but lived in Spokane for a couple of years in the early 80's, before moving back to SC.
It was a great town then. Lived on the South Hill and had great memories of Manitoba Park, The Onion Bar & Grill, the downtown, good local golf, the Dewey, Cheatum, and Howe restaurant, Priest Lake, and the people. We still get letters from some friends we made there. There are many great places to live and we are also happy to have settled back home. We live a great city that is not on the list, and we hope to keep it a secret!
The only drawbacks to living in Spokane for me were that there were not enough warmer days, and that it got dark so early in the winter months.
From Keri, Olathe, KS KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI has nice parts, but it would be worth looking at a few places that are not so well known and ALL AROUND great places to live, work, play and raise a family. Check out Overland Park, KS or Olathe, KS, both are growing cities that have ranked on many lists for the aforementioned great qualities, not to be left out- GREAT SCHOOLS!
From EJ St. Louis Mo LEMAY, MISSOURI??? You gotta be kidding me! Why not just St. Louis PERIOD??
From Eric Charlotte really is a great city, cleanest uptown I've ever seen. Be warned though, the job growth seems to be in limited areas & I wouldn't count on all those finance jobs with the mortgage & credit markets in crisis. But it's nice to live in a city with an NFL & NBA team and close to a legendary Nascar track!
From Amelios Raleigh-Dutrham-Chapel Hill – better known as simply "The Triangle" not to be confused with RTP (Research Triangle Park) which is the center of "The Triangle". Further not to be confused with "The Triad" which is Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point.
The Triangle is a great place, to live, work, & learn. Major universities include NCCU, Duke, UNC, NC State & another 5 or 6 colleges/universities. Downtown Raleigh is really turning into something special. Crime is not as big as an issue in Durham, as you might be led to believe. South Durham is very nice as well as the new downtown. The growing traffic infrastructure concerns are very real, particularly for Wake County (Raleigh, NC). Schools are in a ongoing growth crisis & roads are in dire need of repair & expansion throughout the county.
From Orlando, florida Orlando should not be on the list. The crime and traffic have reached epic pro-portions, and the loan crisis has crushed the service industry.
From ely, White plains, ny My list:
Houston, TX
Santa Barbara, CA
La Jolla, CA
Cheyenne, WY
Grand Junction, CO
Las Vegas, NV
Palm Beach, FL
I hate New York!!!!!!!!
From Chris, Rochester Having lived in Buffalo/Syracuse, NY and currently back home in Rochester, NY people need to see a few things about Western New York besides taxes.
1. Low standard of living. Houses are cheap compared to other parts of the country, even with the high property tax.
2. Areas out side of the cities. We have the Finger Lakes, wineries, state and county parks everywhere, skiing, snowmobiling, amazing golf facilities, fishing, hunting and not to mention Niagara Falls. Trust me, the list can go on.
3. STRONG CANADIAN DOLLAR!! Canadians come here in droves and spend money like crazy. The airports are packed, good luck finding parking at the mall and the local businesses are quite content with the income that is coming in.
Yes, there is crime and poverty (isn't that everywhere though?) and the winters can be quite harsh (2 feet of snow is nothing to us!) but the people are friendly and slowly the area is changing for the better.
Now if we could only get rid of the control board in Buffalo and put the Fast Ferry fiasco in the past it would be much better :)
From Anonymous Virginia beach? most ugly city I ever did see, I could not find the place to live or a job there….so Ihow could a be good place to live??
From Helen S Oro Valley AZ Oro Valley, a few miles north of Tuscon Arizona, has the most beautiful desert setting with 9000+ft Mt. Lemmon to the east. Sunsets are fantastic, it is about 5 F cooler than in North Scottsdale which I left behind due to pollution, traffic jams, and overcrowding. For scenic beauty North Scottsdale has much less to offer than Oro Valley where people are down-to-earth, nicer and friendlier, and not into the glitzy lifestyles of the rich and famous in Scottsdale.
Little traffic, peaceful, low crime, sunshine. Also adequate rainfall because Mt. Lemmon traps clouds… no weather problems (tornadoes, hurricanes, etc) and in general Mother Nature is calm in the desert. I
From Anonymous, NJ Lyndhurst, NJ? You gotta be kidding me! (or as the locals say, fugeddaboudit!)
I've grown up in NJ (born and bred here) and no way would I want to live anywhere near Lyndhurst. Too much traffic, businesses moving out (empty store fronts), toxic waste dumps, and bad schools.
There's loads of other NJ communities which are much prettier, have better schools and downtowns, and are much more desirable places to live.
Someone really got it wrong with Lyndhurst.
From Wm Chapman DFW, TX Ah, speaking from experience with our now six-year-old proved enterprise, one born to the reluctantly self-employed:
Consider first a township's access to high speed internet, its proximity (within an hour max) to ANY large metropolitan area, the ratio of number of post offices to population, and if you and your employees have an opportunity to live close (walk) to work.
Better productivity (reduced time in line waiting for services), lower fixed monthly cost to open the doors (exactly 1/3 office rent and exactly the same communications costs), and the joy of an ability to attract talented teammates with the enticement of NOT paying $3/gal for a commute and the opportunity to buy a new home for 30% less than the one they are living in now.
Only the leap is hard, its your business do not hobble it out of the gate with inflated metropolitan lease rates! Remember, you are the last to be paid, make sure there is something left.
From Anthony, Carlsbad CA Carlsbad is the best city to live, because its safe and has great neighborhoods, althougt it is a high cost living , but totally worth it. Schools are great too and Golfing + surfing are the main activities. The new communities arround the area such as Elijo Hills and others are great too , with a charm of small cities and dont forget Del Mar too, just so pretty.. Thats quality of life!
From NG, Rochester, NY I'm sure everyone who posts here has somewhat of a bias but I have to agree with Rochester, NY's placement on this list. It doesn't deserve to be near the top that's for sure. And, the local government has made some extremely poor decisions and NYC and the high tax rates have been crippling upstate's economic growth.
However, I think Rochester has hit bottom. For decades it relied on Kodak for growth and now the small businesses are the majority employers and this diversity will bode well for the future by fostering a strong platform for growth especially when combined with the UofR and RIT talent pools. But, the economy is not Rochester's main attraction. Rochester's motto is "made for living" and it really is exactly that. With short commutes people spend more time with their children and their children are receiving educations that are among the best in the country. The entertainment outlets are wonderful for a city of this size and downtown is in the midst of revitalization with an incredible amount of housing and renovations under construction as well as multiple downtown corporate headquarters including a new highrise. I will give every effort that I have to push this city around the corner, and I know that I won't be alone, and I'm proud to be a Rochestarian.
From J.Wilder San Antonio TX Pro San Antonio:
Low cost of housing,utilities,food &
clothing.Winter in the Texas Hill Country is wonderful!Great for retired military with military bases and hospitals.
Con San Antonio:
A sanctuary city for illegal immigration and drug trafficing. High crime rate.High automobile accident rate from the afore mentioned makes driving in the sprawl risky.Highest
illiteracy rate of any metropolitan city in the U.S.A."Cheap"labor.The local joke is they come back in two weeks and break into your home.Dirty
city:Lovely shopping centers are full of cigarette butts and empty food containers.No ordinances to correct the problem.Stray and neglected pets
are a huge problem here also!
From jane, corvallis oregon Keep Corvallis off your lists – we don't want more people!! Bert went to OSU so he is biased and keeps putting us on his lists, please quit.
Plus it is very, very rainy here most of the year!!!
From Mary Kriever Skaneatele New York We live 20 minutes south of Syracuse. We have great ski hills less than an hour away, not to mention easy weekend rides to the Finger Lakes for boating and the wineries. Great nights in Armory and Clinton Square in downtown Syracuse, not to mention their unique shops. I can't imagine living without all four of our great seasons!
From Rich, Monmouth County, NJ Steve from NJ is wrong.. yes, Jersey is expensive but also one of the highest per capita. Extremely well eductated, beaches, cities near by.. Lots of friends just moved back from the south.. no money, uneducated outside of city, basically welfare recipients of our northern money and then vote against their better interest for people like W. I'll take Jersey anytime!
From David Wiggs, Bellingham, WA We left our home in Virginia 5 years ago to move 3000 miles across the country to Bellingham. And we've never looked back.
The only place I'd want to be.
Just have to leave in March because the rainy dark winters get to a body. But summers are wonderful!
From Troy and Regina House Reno Nevada We couldnt agree more Linda Knowlden of Sparks Nevada. We moved here 2 years ago and have never regreted it for a moment. The sense of community is amazing as well as how majestic our enviroment is. For those whom have only visited downtown and have not explored the surrounding neighborhoods, parks, and all it's recreation have no idea what they are missing. We feel so blessed to be apart of this wonderful community and call ourselves Nevadans.
From Tom McCall, Salem, OR Four cities in Oregon? People, 3 of the 4 have rain all year. And those liberal hippies all ride bikes. Stay away from Oregon! Please visit but don't stay.
From Emily, Ames, IA It is true Erik, that there aren't many places to rock climb, mountain bike or ski in Ames but there are several close places to skydive.
From Emily, Ames, IA Ames, Iowa is a great town with potential. As a student at Iowa State I encourage anyone thinking of starting a restaurant to consider Ames; especially an Italian restaurant. Ames is also in need of quality clothing stores. Right now our choices are J.C. Penny, Younkers, Walmart and Target.
From Adam, SLC, UT Salt Lake City is getting to big. I've for over five years and the growth is too much. Utah is typically one of the nation’s highest educated workers, but we work for a lot less compared to the nation. So what does this mean? It means that bring a business is good. But working for a business is bad. As a worker you will be paid less. Traffic is getting really bad. SLC is setup on a grid system. Wonderful system until the population increases. There aren't any freeways headed out west past 2100s. Most of the residence live out west after 2100s. Therefore, Traffic is grid locks on rush hour. They really need to build a freeway further south.
From Angie..Reno, Nevada Reno is a great place with no State Taxes. Beautiful lakes, mountains and skiing. We are a very close knit community who would do anything for each other especially during a crisis or any sort of need that may arise. We have grown into such a fabulous and cultural diverse place that every person of every background can enjoy this city. Of course we have traffic and everyday problems like every other American city has. I'm overjoyed and pleased that we have made this list, because I am originally from the Santa Barbara, California Area and I know what a great city looks like. So to be on a list like this is an honor. <:)
From DAB, Radnor, PA Radnor is a great place to live, work, learn, and play! Great restaurants, schools, health care, and overall quality of life (although price of housing is nuts)! Close to cultural attractions in Philly, New York, and DC with proximity to multiple interstates and airports.
From TYSON JR, DURHAM NC As a born native of Durham, I am glad to say it can be a great place to live. Most people say you can choose your own style here; there a fast-paced style considering you're a yankee. A relaxed country environment in our secluded neighborhoods, and now we are getting those upscale lofts and condos you trendy professionals will love. Come sit a spell, take your shoes off walk around, bike around, skate around, hike around and don't believe the hype! We welcome you!
BECOME A DURHAMITE
From Alan, Tampa,Fl Savannah to Hilton Head Island a quick trip! Someone is on the crack that is for sale in Savannah. What a closed City for business! They ran Henry Ford out and have not let anyone else in since. If your not employed at the union bag or in the sugar mill forget it. Just ask the people there what it smells like. If you can cater to the military you might have something.
From Linda Knowlden of Sparks NV Reno/Sparks is a tremendous area to live in. We have the four seasons, usually moderate to mild (can sometimes be severe), etc. Has a real sense of community too. We have lived all over the country and have never seen such a community give in times of need when there is a need. The people here are very giving, honest and sincere. Business climate is good – just a great place to live. What more can you ask for when you are surrounded by mountains, ocean is 3-4 hours way in California, and outdooor activities are abundant. Come to RENO-its gorgeous~
From Erik Reno, NV Hey Eric in Ames,
How's the rock climbing, mountain biking and skiing in that outdoor mecca of Ames? There's more to life than walking to work.
From Marilyn Campbell,Kenmore,WA I love Iowa City…. My roots are there, but my branches are in Seattle. However, my final days could be spent in a modest home in North LIberty, Iowa. I cherish my my education form the Iowa schools.
Marilyn Roberta McCabe Campbell
From Richard, Charlottesville, VA Charlottesville, Con: Served by small airport?
I can leave my house 30 minutes before a flight and still make it (provided I am not checking bags.) That seems more like a Pro to me!
Besides, with direct flights to NYC, DC, Cinci, Atlanta, Charlotte, Philly and Detroit, it is the best small airport I have ever seen.
Move the small airport to the Pro column!
From Dave, Chicago IL This is the saddest top 100 list. It's like seeing adverts to go to West Virginia!!!
From Courtney, Salem, Oregon I'm happy to see Fargo on the list–it's my birthplace and a great place to grow up. Winters can be brutally cold so come prepared with your parka, hat, mittens, and cross country skis. One might think the long winters make people grumpy, but just the opposite happens–people are friendly and always willing to offer a smile or helping hand. Even though I live in Oregon now, I still try to visit a few times a year.
From Eric Dieterle, Ames, IA The traffic in Reno is minimal? I believe the author must have meant that the infrastructure is minimal. Reno is a classic case of unmitigated sprawl that keeps selling the idea of "beautiful scenery" while building over the top of it with no discernible plan. We lived there for four years and are deeply grateful to be using the past tense. I now walk to work in Ames, Iowa. Reno's stretch of U.S. 395 is but a very bad memory.
From David, Stamford, CT I'd have to agree with the Fairfield, CT listing – I live in nearby Stamford. It's a really nice town, with lots to do for young singles and families alike. The beaches are nice too, and has good restaurants. PLENTY of work opportunity in the county, especially in Stamford. Housing in the entire county is expensive, and the I-95 corridor is a nightmare at rush hour. Still, its got a great train service to NY city, if commuting is your thing. The entire area has great recreational activities – plenty of golf, softball, soccer, etc.
From Badger, Charleston, SC Charleston, SC
Are you people smoking something? Charleston is in the "Top 100 Places to Live and Launch?"
What was the criteria? Ridiculously high rent … A complete lack of parking … Dangerously incompetent and biased civil service … Absolutely no accessibility to potential clients unless you "know someone who knows someone" (also known as the "Good Ol' Boy" system) …
Yeah, I can see why this city made the list. NOT.
I'm planning on moving out of this so-called "beautiful, historical" city as soon as possible. The Mayor (whose initial platform was based on preventing any one official from serving too many consecutive terms; he just began his NINTH TERM, coincidentally) has transformed the entire city into a haven for wealthy tourists who are too dainty to endure a little rain and snow and who can all afford early retirement and auto-renewing golf club memberships.
Average, white-collar staffers living in this region can barely afford to pay the rent in the chart-topping crime haven of North Charleston, let alone the absolutely exorbitant sums charged in Charleston and its nearby affiliates. Don't count on LIVING in Charleston, let alone WORKING here.
From Dr. W. I'm happy to have moved to Pittsburgh, after living in Boston, NY, Chicago and other urban centers. It's a far better city than CNNMoney's already flattering description though; many of the schools such as Sewickley, Fox Chapel and Mt. Lebanon are top notch, and crime is mostly limited to drug-related crimes in the bad parts of town. But it's a great city with great arts, recreation, medical facilities, sports, education and so forth, with a rich history, architectural heritage, and both natural and urban beauty.
From bdboyle, Morrisville, PA (formerly Lawrenceville, NJ) ANYPLACE in NJ should not be on anyone's list of places to live.
The state is beyond redemption. Highest property tax rates in the country, highest school tax rates in the country due to having 621 school districts spread over the 21 counties, a state and local government system that is SO dishonest, inbred, and venal that it should rate its own entry in Miriam-Webster's dictionary under the definition of 'corrupt'. Pay-for-play to get no-bid contracts from Trenton is not only encouraged, but expected by the legislators. NJ, last year, had a net LOSS of population due to the highest cost of living in the country. It's so bad that local journalists even published a book called 'The Mafia State'; it's only 1/3 as thick as it could be, and that is at 300-some-odd pages!
How much did governor Corzine pay you to put ONE city in that list, or was it some misguided attempt to be 'diverse'? I got out in '06, and haven't looked back.
From Ruth Tobey, Georgetown, TX Yea, Georgetown TX. A great community of people that support local businesses. The people also give back to local oganizations in many ways. We have a strong active Chamber and I know my two Curves facilities are well respected and have the most fabulous members! Y'all come on down.
From Wayne Prophet, Madison, Wi Iowa City is Nirvana–and has just about the best smokehouse-barbecue food west of the Mississippi, and maybe east of it, too–The Pit Smokehouse and Barbecue, corner of Market and Dubuque Streets, just off the downtown. The owners there, Duncan and Tim, started their business at that location just a few years ago.
From JH, Ann Arbor, MI Ann Arbor, Michigan – great to hear we made the list! Though our high tech sector isn't what you feel when you are living here – rather the remnants of 60s/70s hippy life that really forever infused A2 with its character & charm! Loads of parks, cafes and great for families!
From Jeff S. Albany, NY I lived in Orlando for 5 years, and I loved every minute of it. It's a 24-hour town, and it's affordable. The weather is fantastic! Orlando is so much more than theme parks and outlet shopping (though it is a shopoholic's paradise). The downtown area is flourishing, and there are some great historic neighborhoods in which to reside. I would move back in a heartbeat!
From Eric, Chapel Hill NC Been living in NC for 10.5 years and in Chapel Hill for 2 years. I've got to say, anywhere in NC beats anywhere in PA, especially Johnstown where I grew up. I work in a clinical research organization in Raleigh and this industry is booming here. I applaud the tax breaks NC gives to businesses looking to set up shop in the state. Jobs are good here and although real estate has gotten pricier over the last several years, it nothing like the northeast or out west.
From JW, Boulder, CO I left Rochester, NY in 1995 because I became fed up with the city's lack of opportunities, the NY state taxes and…the city's lack of vision. Since leaving for greener pastures — the Boston area, and for the past five years, in Colorado — Rochester has suffered constantly high crime rates, a fiasco with a ferry service that was completely unfeasible to begin with, and the demise of Kodak; a company whom I lost respect for many years ago and because of the way they let Rochester and many people down, permanently boycott all Kodak products. As for crime, I saw Rochester go downhill in the 80s and 90s, and still keep up with news in hopes the city can finally turn around! It won't happen until lots of house-cleaning takes place all over.
While much of my family is still in the Rochester area, they would be the only reason I would return. The economy in upstate NY is an utter mess, and the job market too unstable. Believe me, I would love to say otherwise about Rochester and upstate New York, but I would be lying through my teeth several times over.
From Roland, Phoenix, AZ Camelback Mountain is in Phoenix, not Scottsdale.
From Bennie Hopper, San Antonio, TX San Antonio, great town and it is 86 and beautiful today. Wonderful people, great food and growing like crazy. The vast cultures of people make it a tourist delite. San Antonio, the opportunities are endless for new business. Ya'll come on down! San Antonio is every Texan's second home town.
From Anonymous You can't be serious about Lyndhurst, NJ. I lived there for 13 years………worst place I've ever lived. The town is clickish, people are rude and proud of it.
To boot, there is absolutely NOTHING to do. If you have children, the school system is horrible.
From Maury Hebmyster, Presott, AZ Presott, AZ" The 3 R's"
Rednecks
Retirees
Republicans
If you fit it, have at it.
From Steve, formerly of Lyndhurst,NJ Anywhere in New Jersey is ridiculous as NJ is one of the least business-friendly states in the world. Outrageously high real estate and income taxes. State government is corrupt and heavily in debt. Tolls on toll roads to be quadroupled in the next 10 years to pay for all of the money the politicians have stolen, squandered, or given to their union cronies. Overcrowded.
Xanadu is nothing but a hideously ughl glorified shopping mall. It is not in Lyndhurst anyway and the jobs will be low-paying retail jobs.
From Mustang, aSF, CA San Luis Obispo: Because of the high cost of living, this town is likely to become a bedroom community–consisting of college kids and the retired elderly.
IT HAS BEEN THAT WAY FOR 20 yrs. Grads are told to leave if they want to be successful and not work for $14 an hr. Go to the city and prove yourself.
I could use a TA's burrito about now.
From Sis, ABQNM True, true, true on the "manana factor" of Santa Fe; if you want to live in New Mexico, you have to learn to slooow dooown. I relocated to Albuquerque from a MUCH larger city three years ago, and I am still learning. But it's beautiful here. Santa Fe is the most polished of NM's cities, and because of that, I like it the least. I have come to deeply love the raw and the gritty, and eventually, I'm sure I'll come to terms with the lack of urgency, as well.
From Bill, Washington DC Virginia Beach? It's just a large blue collar Navy town.
From K Manchester, NH
I am happy to see Manchester, NH has made the list. As a 30 year old professional I have to say that Manchester is a great area to work and live. We're only an hour from Boston and the beautiful seacoast. We are an hour to the White Mountains and there are lots of ski areas around. There are also a lot of lakes and rivers for kayaking, boating and fishing. It's a great place to maintain a healthy work life balance if you enjoy the outdoors!
From Steve, Carlsbad, CA Carlsbad is an awfull place to live. The weather lacks sufficient diversity. The ocean is too salty. The neighborhoods lack the distinctive character offered by gang/drug problems. To few homeless to take care of your loose change. It's really, really bad. Please, stay put.
From John, Detroit, Michigan I am happy to see Ann Arbor, MI get its recognition, although I feel it should be higher ranked. Another bonus of A2 is its close proximity to Detroit, which despite its undeserved reputation, is a huge big-business city with numerous restaurants, bars, cultural institutions/museums, and sports scene. Michigan is on its way back!
From Bean Counter, Westchester CA #44 Oro Valley, AZ
OV is nothing more than a suburban bedroom community with a relatively short commuter ride to the major employment center(s) in metro Tucson, AZ.
The article should just name metro Tuscon and include the surrounding communities (that includes Sierra Vista , AZ; very important for military communications and unmanned aircraft systems dev/builders, rather than OVs' only one pharma research lab).
From Pete Rochester, ny syracuse..you got to be kidding me. I grew in the area and there is nothing there except for three things. Lockhead Martin, Brisal Myers, and the soon to be (and probally empty) Destiny USA. I moved to Rochester NY because of all the new companies starting up there, plus theres much more activities in Rochester such as hockey, LAX, soccer, and a new arena football team.
From Bill, Honolulu, HI I can't think of many cities less suited for business than Honolulu. State taxes and business taxes are as high as places like Los Angeles, traffic in Honolulu is always heavy and there is really no labor force from which to hire. The local kids that go to UH go get jobs on the mainland and the ones that stay are very often unmotivated; drug abuse is rampant. The time zone is a nightmare, business on the East Coast starts at 3 am and in Tokyo at 2 pm (during the summer, Hawaii does not have daylight savings). The city is also full of second-tier professionals, you don’t run into many top-of-the-line doctors, lawyers, accountants or dentists. Honolulu is hot, humid and overrun with tourists in the summer. Honolulu does have access to state-of-the-art telecommunications, but all the down-sides easily outweigh this one bright spot.
From Jessica, San Luis Obispo, Ca San Luis Obispo is one of the most beautiful places in America. It has small town charm, and still many of the amenities offered in the big city. I've lived here for 2 years now, and, as a recent college graduate, I have come to learn that living here is just not affordable, even for the educated with decent jobs. Because of the high cost of living, this town is likely to become a bedroom community–consisting of college kids and the retired elderly. San Luis Obispo is in dire need of affordable housing, and when that comes, employers will have an easier time keeping the new grads around.
From juan Felipe Valdez San Diego, CA What about Tijuana! Forgotten land..great business opportunities including chiclet vending and transport services
From Ed De Launey Roanoke VA Blacksburg VA is an up and coming place. Also, nearby Roanoke VA, which is often neglected by just about everyone should warrant another look. Asheville is nice but Roanoke is catching up!!
From John Jones, USA My list (if you have been there you know):
San Fran, CA
Santa Barbara, CA
NYC
Santa Fe
Portland, OR
La Jolla
Jackson Hole
Boulder, CO
Napa Valley, CA
Asheville, NC
From LHall, New Braunfels, TX Corvallis, OR is one of the most beautiful places I have ever lived in the US. AYSO soccer for the kids is one of the best organized and ran sports events. Also, the public library is the BEST we have found … ever!
The only "draw back" is the rain – although it is why there are so many beautiful shades of green!
From yankeebutnotafan Very, very happy to see Syracuse on your list. My hometown is so very underrated and I'm very excited to be moving back.
From Kim Nashville TN Blacksburg is a wonderful place to live. You don't realize it until you leave but the quality of life is unparalleled. I miss that. The simplicities of life still matter there. Everyone has significance. There is a lot more to the New River Valley than football but one could argue that it is college sports that have finally put this area on the map. I am currently in Nashville and love it very much! I do often miss my Blacksburg roots. Nashville is a wonderful place to live, work and play. They are both fabulous places to raise a family.
From John Seibel Danville, CA (#69) is a great place to live. I've grown up in Danville, having lived there 29 years. It's safe, friendly, has excellent schools, and is close to everything the Bay Area has to offer. A bit pricey in housing, but definitely worthy of being one of the top 100 best places to live.
From vanessa, austin, tx Scottsdale, AZ is too hot and too pretentious! If you want to live there the people are not down to earth but snotty. However, if you are a business owner, there is money to be made.
From Mary, Seattle, WA What about Santa Barbara, CA? Sure it cost an arm and a leg, but wow!! What a pretty place. What a weird list. Carmel, CA??
From Joe Black This list is ridiculous. 100 best places in a country of only 50 States? If you don't live within an hour's drive of any of these places, chances are, you are in Montana.
Fortune and other magazines like to publish these lists so that readers can read them and say "Gee, my place is on the list!" because, well, basically EVERYPLACE is on the list.
Here are my comments on some of your choices, based on my experiences:
1. Fort Lauderdale: I just moved away from there, in advance of the subprime fallout (Lucky Me). Pros include lower housing prices and lots of homes on the market. Cons include a high crime rate, unskilled and unmotivated labor force, and a crowded, dirty city that is loud and obnoxious.
2. Syracuse: I grew up there and keep a summer home there. If you want to start a business there, you are insane. The taxes are devastating in NY, and the whole area is depressed. Educated folks leave, so the workforce is made up of those too stupid or stubborn to move on. Yes they get a lot of snow – a LOT of it, and the summers have been hot lately, so there is no respite there. There are a lot of empty factory buildings available, but check for PCBs, asbestos, and other toxic waste before buying. Like most of upstate NY from Albany to Buffalo, you might have to deal with the MOB as well. Particularly in Utica.
3. Denver: Just slit your wrists, it's faster and more painless. This dirty, dirty city is crowded and crime-ridden. I have relatives there and do not relish travelling there on any occasion. The only plus side I can see is Boulder is nearby.
4. Asheville – an awesome place, with lots to see and do. But it is a college and tourist town, in the middle of nowhere, so I am not sure this is a place to put a factory or anything.
5. Rochestor – my birthplace. With Kodak downsizing, there is a lot of space available. It is like Syracuse, only a little cleaner and slighly less corrupt. I think the people there are smarter than in Syracuse, but that is not saying a lot, is it? You still will drown in a sea of taxes and State regulations. The State of NY thinks business is EVIL. Look elsewhere!
6. Madison WI – Madison rocks, but it is a left-leaning college town. A place to locate a business? Maybe one that caters to the college kids…
7. Colorado Springs is a hole. Home of the Air Force Academy, the Cable Television Industry, and the Born-Again Christian Movement. You go right ahead. Putting a gun to your head is probably a better idea.
8. Virginia Beach: A great place to vacation, but a place to do business? The boardwalk is fun and all, before 10PM when it gets all ghetto. The outlying areas are trashy strip malls with no charm, and you get a lot of military there. Why this would be a good place to do business is beyond me.
Can't comment on the others. But a lot of them are head-scratchers. Coeur d'Alene Idaho? I am sure it is a nice place, but hardly at the center of anything.
Like I said, I think this list is more of a "let's make everyone happy" list than a real, well-thought-out strategy for locating a business.
My criteria would be, in no particular order:
1. LOW TAXES and TAX INCENTIVES
2. MINIMAL REGULATION
3. NON-UNION, MOTIVATED WORKFORCE
4. LOW HOUSING COST & LOW COST OF LIVING
5. EDUCATED & SKILLED WORKFORCE
6. LOCATION CONVENIENT TO RAIL, AIR, AND HIGHWAYS
The 100-best list presented here seems to ignore these basic business principles in favor of tourist-brochure patter.
From Linda Pauley (Lane) My family moved to Folsom in the early 1960's from New York. It was SMALL and everyone knew each other. It was a wonderful small town and a geat place to raise a family. My father owned and ran a plumbing business to support 7 children. We lived one street up from Sutter Street the old part of Folsom. I since have moved to a rural area of Montana where I have found that same small community to now raise my children. Folsom has grown and changed a great deal from years past as a recent visit proved. But I had the chance to visit the house we grew up in as the owners were very kind to allow me in. It is now on the Registy and I know the current owners love the home as we had. The old part of Folsom will always be home to me, even if the old Peppermint Lane Candy store is gone. What a place to have grown up in and be able to call home! I will always charish those memories of Folsom before the McDonalds and large companies came in. I'll remember the "rock piles" we climb on and played on that are no longer there.
I will always have the good old memories of how Folsom was in the "good old days"! Thanks..
Linda Lane (Pauley)
White Sulphur Springs, MT
From David, Boston, MA Spokane is easily the WORST city I have ever been to in my life. The downtown area resembles a burnt out war zone where parking lots, fenced in building rubble, condemned buildings, and crack dealers are more common than tulips in Holland.
I attended a recent conference there. In a period of one day I was offered crack cocaine 4 times, including once by a member of the convention center staff.
This is a very depressed inland northwest city with very little capital for investment and nonexistent civic pride. The last major industries here were lumber and railroads. The railroad is still here, but the lumber is all gone.
I can't understand why anyone would want to live here or open a business. General attitudes by the population will depress you within seconds of arrival. After opening your business, you'll find that people do not have money to spend. WIth what little mass transit is available, I would anticipate the gas crunch to put an even tighter grip on this depressed city's finances.
I am seriously disappointed in Fortune's including Spokane in their Top 100.
From Roberto Luis, Santa Fe, NM Santa Fe is for successful people. Local jobs don't pay well which make it seem expensive. Local public schools are C-.
It is about as unique and beautiful as anything we have in the US. If you are an outdoors man or an artist it is paradise and getting better with the new airport, convention center, railroad park and TRAIN!!
From Amanda, Fort Collins, CO I live in Fort Collins and even with a BA it's hard to get a job that pays better than $12.50 per hr. I'm starting to think that there may be too many brains here??? And the con about the traffic – they weren't kiddin' it's bad. The cost of living here is high too in compaison to the national average – it's not as high as Denver, but it's high.
We are heading back to the midwest and the lower cost of living for some finacial relief.
From Mark, San Rafael, CA Novato, California, is kind of an enigma. While it may be the fastest (or one of the fastest) growing communities in the Bay Area, home values have dropped significantly since the bubble burst, and it seems to have more foreclosures and short sales than any other city in Marin County. It also probably has the most condos and town houses in Marin as well, so the incoming population is going to be a different demographic than the rest of Marin and probably as diverse as San Rafael – be sure to brush up on your Spanish if you plan on living and doing business there, as it will definitely give you an edge.
Downtown Novato WAS revitalized with much fanfare but little actual improvement. It still seems to be one of the "deadest" places in all of the Bay Area in terms of night life. There is a multiplex theater but it is in one of those classic suburban mall areas where the main stores are a Costco, Ross, Marshalls,and Target department stores – hardly upscale. There are a couple of good restaurants (Boca is divine!)
If you plan on working in San Francisco, then you should plan on a 45 minute commute on a good day, or an hour and 15 minutes on a bad day. Thre really aren't a lot of companies out here, so it would be hard to see many job opportunities that wouldn't require a major daily commute.
If you are draming of moving to California, then check out the mid-coast regions of San Luis Obispo, Atascadero, Paso Robles, etc, where things do seem to be picking up a bit.
From Stan, Portland, OR What happened to Orange County, CA? I know it is crowded and smoggy, but the fools who live there claim to love it? Lots of malls and cars in driveways, lots of ugly tract homes, lots of wankers leasing everything….gee, what is not to love>? lol!!
From SH, Austin, Texas I like stories like this, but when I find a mistake that could have been easily caught if someone bothered to fact check it takes away from the whole article. Operation Smile is based in Norfolk, Virginia not Virginia Beach. While it is hard to tell where one ends & the other begins they have two very different personalities and cost of living factors.
From Sandy Salt Lake City Utah Salt Lake is a beautiful city. I wanted to mention that although we have about half of the population Mormon…about half of us are not. You can exist and prosper in Salt Lake and not be a Mormon.
From DeeDee, Blacksburg, VA It's funny that Blacksburg is listed as #43 when we just had a local NPR piece mentioning the 30 empty businesses we have downtown… and you have to keep in mind that it is a VERY small downtown. It's becoming more of a ghost town everyday.
And raucous football weekends? Who wants to live where that's its claim to fame? Keep in mind that the largest age bracket in this town is 21-24 yr olds.
But if you like Hokie football, beer and pizza, then Blacksburg just might be the place for you.
From Jeff, Vancouver, WA I disagree with the such a high ranking of Santa Fe, NM. I lived in Santa Fe for 3 years. Traffic is deadly, quite literally. There is an embarrassing lack of infrastructure. Housing is more expensive than some West Coast cities. I won't even go into the frustrating "mañana factor".
Santa Fe is a wonderful and beautiful place to visit, but it's quite different to actually live there, especially as a transplant.
From Nick, Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh is terrible! People are so backwards and still living in the '70s it's amazing. Traffic is horrible also, just a few 4 lane highways with no traffic lights to get into and out of downtown. Can't forget the tunnels where people slow down to a crawl (like they're scared) even though they drive through them every day.
From Fort Lauderdale, FL I moved from Boston to Fort Lauderdale 5 years ago. I shall never return!
I live on the barrier island and LOVE it here. Can't beat the weather (although hurricanes s*u*c*k – not quite like N'oeasters. *sigh*)
It's a 12 month a year state so I'm in better shape now than I was in my 30's! Bring on the snow birds!
Tipsy McStagger
From Wayne Betowt, Huntsville, AL I am originally from Saratoga, New York and have lived in Huntsville, Alabama since the 1970s. I can assure you that Huntsville is an ideal place to live, work, and raise a family. The concentration of engineers and scientists, entrepreneurial spirit, low crime rate, friendly people, low taxes, great cultural diversity, and very affordable housing make Huntsville a truly great community.
From Ray, Lenexa, KS As a long time resident of a KC suburb I'd have to say there are more cons than just the earnings tax levied on anyone who works within the city limits. A horrendously myopic city government and ridiculously immature school board make for a situation where the city infrastructure is in constant disrepair and calling the schools abysmal would be an overstatement of their quality. If you're going to locate a business in the KC area you'd be better off doing it in a suburb: Overland Park, Lenexa or Shawnee on the Kansas side or Lee's Summit on the Missouri side.
From Brian, Leesburg, VA Leesburg, VA is definitely a fantastic place! There's always lots to do there and in the surrounding areas. If you're a foodie or into wine, then Leesburg is IT! The article didn't even mention the various concert series that come through Loudoun throughout the year. Many recent infrastructure improvements have greatly alleviated the issue of NOVA-traffic in the East-West corridors. Leesburg and Loudoun have a unique social atmosphere, due to the mix of old-money, new-money, the very-affluent-middleclass and the virtual non-existence of poverty. My wife and I were initially wary about moving "so far out" when we moved to Leesburg two years ago. But what people don't realize is that, from Leesburg, we can get just about anywhere in NOVA or DC in under an hour and we can typically get anywhere in Eastern Loudoun or Western Fairfax in under 30 min. Job opportunities are unbelievable. People commute from SO far away. In Loudoun and Fairfax Counties, it's common to work with people that live in WV and PA, but I've even worked with people that live in Baltimore, Richmond and even Williamsburg! The fact is that there are more jobs than people and it's still growing! Business, tech, science and research, medicine, sales and high-end retail are all STILL exploding. Real estate took a hit this year and last, but it's already started to come back. There's so much beauty in the surrounding areas, too. Most people would be shocked if they knew how many names off the Fortune 500 list took up full or part-time residence in Loudoun and Western Fairfax.
From San Luis Obispo, CA Yea for San Luis Obispo! But please don't move there, it's bad enough we have people from the valley coming over every weekend, we don't need more people!
From Cyndee, St. Louis MO I grew up in both Greensboro and Winston Salem, NC. I am glad to see both made the list. I have seen both cities thrive and decline due to the decline in their staple jobs…tobacco, textile and furniture. The impact was felt by my family, who was hard hit when the furniture and textiles were declining. I have lived in a lot of cities, and am living in St.Louis now….there is nowhere(in my humble opinion) more beautiful than the western part of NC. The people are friendly, the food is great (BBQ), the cities are great for families. I plan to retire there somewhere!!
From Grace, Ames IA Reno, NV? Probably worth including based on the launch factor, but definitely not the live factor. So many people are wooed by the proximity and promise of Lake Tahoe, they forget to pay attention to the actual city of Reno. I lived there for 4 years and moved quickly once my son was born. Not a place to raise a family! Research education (particularly high school graduation rates), crime, housing, water supply, and casinos there…. And what day and time did the author drive around the Reno-Sparks area? Certainly not during normal commute times given the assessment that there is no traffic!
From Sandy R. Eldorado, NM I live just south of Santa Fe, NM in the country. I love it here! I have raised my children here, and we would never move away. No traffic, great food, Art and diverse cultures. There is no place like home! We speak Spanish and love the community we are a part of.
From JD Denver CO Do not move to Colorado Springs! Colorado Springs was (in the 1970's) a wonderful place to live. Then the right-wing nutjobs moved in from California and it's been down hill ever since. The city's south-side has very high crime and the illegal immigrant problem is huge in the Springs. There are gang problems and much of the housing is older and in very bad areas. The mountains are breathtaking and there are lots of outdoor activities to do, however unless you are an extremist christian I would not recommend even visiting the Springs you will not be welcomed by a huge part of the population. I lived in Denver for 20 years and we never went across the county line because it is like going back in time 50 years, not a good place for minorities of any kind. But the biggest thing is the bad areas, bad public schools and gangs, dont let the mountains fool you. Stay in Denver and don't go into Elpaso county it is bad.
From Alicia, KC, MO Kansas City is a great place to live! I've lived all over the world (and USA) both as a child and adult and would take KC over just about anywhere. It's got a big city mentality without the traffic or hassles that come along with other big cities. The people are hip and nightlife rocks. Granted, the Chiefs and Royals suck but, hey, you can't have everything, right?
From Bruce, Fairbanks, AK I grew up in Ft. Collins CO for most of my life. I now live in Fairbanks, Alaska, which is a terrible place to live. Ft. Collins is not a great place to live because while I was growing up, someone was selling a house for 1 Million dollars, and it wasn't that great of a house. And then when in my old neighborhood, which wasn't exactly a good one, someone tried selling a 1 story, 4 bdroom house for 400,000. That's ridiculous. I do love the town, but there are too many Californians moving there and driving the housing costs through the roof.
From Peggy Dayton, OH Obviously traffic was not a concern when you wrote about Blue Ash, OH. The Cincinnati area commute can be horrendous due to all traffic from Dayton (and other areas farther north) and from Northern Kentucky. It can make it very tough to get around.
From Tina Lee Raleigh used to be a great place to live. Now it is being overrun by "New Yorkers" who come down here and bring their aggressive ways with them. Road rage, overcrowded schools, crime, and uncontrolled building is prevalent – not to mention the high numbers of illegal immigrants and gangs.
From JW Fort Lauderdale FL I live in Fort Lauderdale and I love it! Yes it is a big city and traffic is bad but the pros of fantastic weather, no snow, tons of things to do in the tri-county area and a diverse mix of people make it a wonderful place where you can be yourself. There are of course some groups of troublesome right wing nuts but the vast majority of the population is very accepting and nice. A true melting pot. Housing is coming down in price and the state is continuing work on lowering property taxes. I have been here almost 8 years and have seen nothing but improvements in the area, you can still buy a condo on the beach for less than $200,000, rents are also pretty affordable with lots of options.
From Donna, northern NJ Lyndhurst NJ? You're kidding, right? Neon green swamp gas hovers over the land. A company of investors are trying to build single family homes and a golf course over a massive toxic dump, so 20, 30 years later, people will be full of cancer and babies disfigured. Taxes are high, homes are over priced and very congested. Yep, great place to live and start a business.
From Mike, Raleigh, NC there definitely is a reason why Durham is cheaper to live in that Raleigh and Chapel Hill. I am glad they mentioned it here, because the crime rate is significantly higher, and the crime resolution rate is in the teens. I work in Durham (near the bankruptcy court, which is always busy) but choose to live in Raleigh as there are far more things to do and it is far safer. Plus, no one gets shot on the bus in Raleigh.
From jason, los angeles, ca west des moines. affordable housing, nice communities, safe areas. But they nailed the cons, no diversity. You will find yourself bored out of your mind after 2 months. unless you like to go to the mall every week.
From Brenda, Durham, North Carolina Durham, NC is a great place to live, with several colleges in the area and lots of cultural events, including an annual downtown Blues Festival. There are many exceptional restaurants in the area,notably Bon's Home Cookin' in nearby Chapel Hill and Nana's here in Durham. Come visit and stay awhile!
From Cindy, Arroyo Grande, CA Having lived here since 1968, I agree this is a great place to live. Cost of living is HIGH. The ocean is NOT visible from SLO except in an airplane above the city – SLO is ringed by hills and 15 miles from the sea. Beware – city council is No Growth and difficult. Just outside of town is much easier! We own a business here.
From Jason Worcester, MA Worcester, MA?
As long as you don't go out after dark and wear a bullet proof vest during the day you'll be fine.
From Lois, Durham, NC I have lived in Durham, NC for over 30 years and agree that it is a great place to live and work. There are fantastic restaurants and more plays and concerts that we could ever take advantage of. There are many dog-friendly neighborhoods and exceptional hiking trails within minutes. Jobs are available for anyone wanting to work, healthcare via Duke is excellent. The crime issue continues to be a problem so we are not able to pretend we live in utopia, but we walk at night in our neighborhood and frequently attend events in downtown Durham. The city is a bit gritty, a bit granola, a bit hip-hop, and a bit ivory tower. What more can you ask for? I travel for work and am always appreciative of Durham when I return home.
From kurt haeker billings montana I moved from the Denver area to Salt Lake City to Billings. The traffic in Billings is nothing compared with most cities. I just got back from a business trip to San Antonio. What a dump, trash and grafitti everywhere and terrible crime.
From Ronnie Guagenti In Virgina Beach it's a paradise for employers for minimum-wage jobs. Most college grads for W&M, etc. head off to Richmond, Charlotte, or Washington, DC to make a living wage. Right-to-work state has miserable employment laws and companies break Federal laws all the time with employees and State Labor refuses to help. Great place to sell beach trinkets but no real professional jobs. Ex-navy keeps wages low because employers factor in Navy retirments when offering a salary.
DONT COME HERE TO WORK!
From Marianne, Eugene, OR I'm surprised that Corvaills came in higher than Eugene. Eugene is much more trendy that Corvallis, though I guess a downside to Eugene is their reluctance to fuel growth (their downtown needs some major help that no one wants to vote for). However, if you take the whole Eugene/Springfield/Lane County area it is growing, healthy and very inviting place to start a company and live (close to 350,000 people when you take in surroundings). It's cheaper than Portland, but close enough that if you need a big city event it's easy to reach.
From Dana King, Huntsville, AL As a new resident to Huntsville, I am glad to see it make the top 100 list. I think that the distance to other cities was a bit exaggerated. It's about 90 minutes to Birmingham or Chattanooga, and about 2 hours from Nashville. Huntsville has just about everything that one would need in a city and is improving with additions like BridgeStreet Town Center and many other future planned developments.
From B Murphy Ventura CA Ventura, Californa, is beautiful all year round beach weather, great family commnunity. Only 50 miles from LA's city center. Be aware of traffic slowdowns.
From Lisa, Newfoundland, NJ Agree with other posters who think Charleston should be in the Top 10. Despite the recent metro area population boom, this beautiful city is still a best-kept secret, in my opinion. The people are a delightful mix of hip and laid-back, liberal and conservative, and overall are extremely friendly and tolerant of others' differences. For entrepreneurial types, it's interesting to note that there is a large community of "creative class" people, the green movement is picking up steam, and there's a large blue-collar service industry population as well — in other words, a great mix of people to whom you can market your services. The weather is amazing if you don't mind 90+ and humid in July and August, the architecture is divine, the food scene is world-class, the arts are thriving, and the shopping is first-rate. The city's public schools aren't the best, but there are many affordable private options and the suburban districts (like Dorchester 2) are outstanding. The only "con" listed was long driving distances to major cities, but Atlanta, Miami, and most other cities are a short flight away via the small-ish but excellent Charleston International Airport. The metro area is experiencing some growing pains due to having the sixth fastest-growing county in the nation (Dorchester, home of the suburban city of Summerville), but infrastructure is steadily catching up with population growth. Charleston, though firmly rooted in the history of its past, is looking very much forward toward a bright future, and now is a great time to be living or relocating there, as we plan to do within the next year.
From Andy, Raleigh NC Durham really is a complete dump. It should be noted that RTP, where most of the areas high tech business are located, is not Durham. Durham is a place where you should be very careful driving around, even in the middle of the day. If you are not paying attention you will be shot and I'm completely serious about that.
From Joe, Orlando, FL As an import from western, PA, I can say Orlando is great, I love FL. The main con I have is the housing prices. It's decent now because of mortgage issues but otherwise it's crazy for the housing prices. The price for a normal family home here is like 2 or 3 times what it would cost in PA for the same house.
From Renee, ABQ, NM Durham might be a great place to launch a buiness, and I will admit it is pretty, but I did not enjoy living there. Pinched smiles, sweaty palms, and sweet tea — an ever so polite facade that barely hides the hate and bigotry underneath. Just one person's opinion, but when I think of Durham, I think of green lawns and racism, classism, and sexism.
I worked on the American Tobacco campus, btw, which is featured in the photo that accompanies your article. The entire campus is non-smoking. Everywhere you look are big sandwich-board No Smoking signs, branded with the American Tobbaco logo. Gotta enjoy THAT irony, huh?
From Sarah, Pittsburgh, PA Entrepreneurs may also consider connecting with The Technology Collaborative (www.thetechnologycollaborative.org), a not-for-profit organization that helps early stage companies secure funding, incubation space, etc etc.
I love Pittsburgh, by the way! While the city is not enormous, I am always finding new venues and neighborhoods, and new stuff to do! I've been here for six years and feel right at home.
From Kathy-Living in Houston Now I grew up in Colchester, Vermont and was suprised that it made the list…I am even more suprised that it was mentioned at all, because almost no one knows where it is or has ever heard about it. It's a nice, safe, quiet place to live, however quite expensive. Great school district. Only 1 1/2 hours south of Montreal, Quebec.
From Jim, Durham, NC John from Houston is a dumbass. I have lived in Durham for 6 years now and have never been mugged, raped, stabbed, or shot. John probably stays inside his cushy Duke University parent-paid student apartment reading books on yoga and sociologic experiments hoping for a job opening at Whole Foods. Durham is an old city filled with tons of fun and flavor. Go back to Houston John; talk about a dump.
From Chris Olympia, WA I grew up in Bellevue, WA and and the dotcom startup I work for moved from Bellevue to Olympia, WA 6 years ago due to the extremely high cost of doing business in Bellevue as well as the high cost of living. We couldn't be happier with Olympia and our business has grown and prospered faster as a result of the move. Bellevue has HORRENDOUS traffic and very high real estate costs. In Olympia we have virtually no traffic and very affordable housing.
From Robert Bauer I beg to differ on the selection of Novato, California, and indeed on any city selected within Marin County, CA. The reviews of these Marin County cities completely fail to reveal the problem with traffic gridlock. There is only one major freeway running through this county with a population of over 500,000 people. Additionally, the upper class residents of this county, with their ignorant and self-centered NIMBY views, have repeatedly voted down any sales tax increases that would provide additional public transportation in the form of commuter trains. Believe me, you only want to live in Novato, and Marin County, if you have an uncontrollable desire to spend most of your day in traffic gridlock.
From Dave Fort Collins, CO Cheyenne are you kidding me…that tcity does evertying in its power to avoid attracting new business. The first Walmart almost didn't get built because the city wanted to charge them $20,000 for a traffic light, not realizing that they would make that back in sales tax within the first few months. Plus the wind is horrific there. Why you think so many people got to Fort Collins for good time. The only decent time to be there is the last week of July for Fontier Days.
From Anonymous Colorado Springs is beautiful but not much of a place to run a business espically if your business caters to other small businesses. The food is also pretty bad.
From Janet, Johnstown, PA State College, PA!!!! No job opportunties. The place is run by "Homers" – those uneducated people from the area who think they own the town, just because they lived in Port Matilda or Huntingdon their entire lives. To get a job at the University you must know someone within. People are very unfriendly, mean. Health care is a joke. My sister is diabetic – when she moved there, she was told there was a 2 year waiting list for the only endocrinologist in town. She's wasted 2 years of her life there, trying to survive because we believed the propaganda (such as this article) put out by the media. She can't afford to move again. She has a college degree (from Penn STate!) and 25 years of job experience. It seems the only place where a degree from Penn STate doesn't mean anything is in State College, PA. Do not move there unless you have a job before you get there.
From J.S. Towson, MD I grew up in Radnor and I think you hit the nail on the head about its positive attributes but you neglected to mention that you need to have a large inheritance or be in the top 1% of the country as far as income to afford almost anything in that township.
From Donna, North Arlington, NJ I can't believe you listed Lyndhurst, NJ as a great place to start a business. I live in the next town and all you see in the area is empty store fronts. No one wants to live here. The taxes are high and the community has nothing to offer.
From Karina, San Francisco, CA San Jose is a dreadful city, it's just a big urban sprawl of a ghetto. Generic and boring. I'm working in one of the big high tech companies here in San Jose, and am willing to commute for an hour from the city (San Francisco). I can't imagine myself living here. There isn't anything to do here other than work, leave alone a decent lifestyle.
From Gopi, Ann Arbor, MI I think Ann Arbor has the potential to become the high-tech hub of the Midwest…Other than the world renewed U-of-M, it has 4 high-quality universities within a 50 mile range, a vibrant downtown scene, inexpensive real-estate, great sports teams, quality outdoor activities, multi-ethnic restaurants & a major international airport etc…The only downside is 3 months of bitter cold, if you handle that this is the place to be!
From Missoula MT I grew up in Missoula it was a great place. However in the last 10 years it has decliened due to the migration of Cal. Home prices have matched that of east and the west cost. 2 bdr orig 1920's 900 sq feet 436,000. What made Missoula Missoula are the people. Thats changeing because they are moveing out. If you like Cali with all the sh-t then you might like Missoula.
From Mattthew, Minneapolis MN Prescott – you forgot Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (#1 school for engineering) and an fantastic airport within the city limits.
From Rick, Phoenix, AZ SANTA FE ? I've lived in 6 different states and in 9 different cities over 30 years and Santa Fe was the ONLY place I felt unwanted by the locals. It's a great place to visit (if you have money and are pretentious), but to live there and be a middle management white middle class male…I was told from the start by the locals "You can't understand us, you're white ans a male". At times, I'd try using my second language skills and was berated !!! "We're not no damn wetbacks, don't speak Mexican to us, WE'RE SPANIARDS !" I've never felt so unwanted nor alienated nor had any other instances of reverse discrimination WHEREEVER I'lve lived. Go there…NOT AS A TOURIST…experience it yourself.
From DB, Doylestown, PA WHO can afford to live in Radnor, PA?!!!
Now Bethlehem , PA is an excellent choice!
From John, Houston, TX Durham is a dump. Its sole saving grace is Duke University, which you fail to mention in the article at all. Could this be your hangover for not milking more non-news out of the imaginary lacrosse scandal two years back? Methinks so. This is liberal media and poor reporting at their very finest.
From Anonymous I'm so glad to see Huntsville, Alabama on the list! After living there for years, I now live in central Florida and am planning to go back. I want to trade crime, traffic, and heat to get back to a much better place to live. The professional opportunitites, cost, friendly people, and beauty of the city of Huntsville are great.
From kathy kondylas, newburyport, MA As a business traveler, I am very familiar with many of the noted cities. Some of your choices are laughable as they are so remote and behind the times that unless you want to open a bakery, you will have few opportunities. Richard Florida's books make a solid case for "technology, talent, tolerance" as how cities gain spikes of business growth. Other cities you selected are jammed with people and cars but have little to offer in terms of selecting activities for off-time. You need different criteria for this article.
From Jane, San Antonio TX Concerning your comment on hot summers in San Antonio as a con for the city — anywhere is Texas is hot in the summer including the other Texas cities on your list — Ft. Worth and Georgetown which is only about 120 miles from San Antonio. I grew up in Texas and have lived in all three cities — they are are ALL hot in the summer. You learn to dress for hot weather, use air conditioning, and swim at the local as much as possible.
From lisa plainsboro, nj We have lived in Plainsboro, NJ since 1996. It is boring. It's a 70 minute drive to NYC and 45 minute drive to Philadelphia if there is no traffic. The schools are becoming overpopulated. There is not one good restaurant in town. There is not one gas station in town. Places close at 9:30. People cannot drive well, here.
There are a lot of nouveau riche and wanna be nouveau riche. Of course, compared to the capitol, Trenton, it's not so bad.
From Tony Warren, State College, PA I lave lived in State College for the last 8 years and have seen dramatic improvements both in the quality of life and the integration of support services for helping start-ups including really early stage incubators, student managed venture capital, and the addition of several excellent entrepreneurship programs at Penn State. This town has everything and is about to really bloom as a start-up mecca.
From Doug Henry, Houston, TX Rio Ranch, NM? No way… just another burb that has no chance of survival in the future. Just check-out their foreclosure rate… sad. Albuquerque has much more potential growth with the new Mesa Del Sol project on the way. Santa Fe? Don't get me started… it's all fake.
From Myra Jo Bates, Omaha, NE I have lived in several of the cities that you listed. To start with the best — Omaha. I grew up in Omaha and could not wait to get out of Nebraska and after 30+ years away I came home. Yes, Omahe never stopped being home. I did not appreciate it until I got back. Nebraska is a special place.
I have also lived in Kansas City and that place is awesome. A small town feel with big city amenities.
I lived close to Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and having three distinct cultures is a big advantage. I learned a lot about getting along with many types of people while living there.
Now to the worst. I lived in Huntsville, Alabama and found it to be the unfriendliest place I have ever lived, including New York City. The schools wore woefully inadequate and I felt less safe there, as a women, than when I lived in Chicago.
From TW, M.E., Florida I lived in Zionsville for three years and quite frankly it is rather disappointing. Sure the activities downtown are neat, but the people there tend to be arrogant, rich, snobs. If you are looking for a Desperate Housewives type environment in Indiana, this is it.
From Blake I lived in Boise, Idaho for two years and it was the worst experience of my life. For a young, educated professional, it is not an ideal place to live. Most people in their mid-to-late 20s in Boise show no respect to other people in the same demographic who have not grown up in that area, a "local network" per se. Education beyond high school is not highly though of there and superiors in the job market who hare older and have more experience will try to walk all over if you show any kind of innovstion or improvement at work. For recent college grads or young professionals, I strongly suggest looking at other cities, unless you want to commit career suicide in the 'city of trees'.
From Bryden Kansas City isn't "Horribly Boring" as Jens, Kansas City posted, unless you need to have someone else tell you what is trendy and happening. We make our own fun. They probably live in the Overland Park suburb. Nothing but urban sprawl that looks the same everywhere you go. That gets very boring!
There's plenty to do and if you can't find it here, you're in the middle of the country with little travel time to anywhere other part of the country. Easiest airport to fly in and out of.
Since I moved here 14 years ago, the city has started to make some great changes and though I can't say I won't live anywhere else, I hope I don't have to.
Friendly people for the most part. Great renewal in Downtown and Midtown. I can buy 4 houses for the price of a house in CA, all with twice the size and I don't have to worry about Wild Fires or Earthquakes taking them down!
From Flora B. Bofill, Doral FL Excrutiating traffic congestion, Doral, as a City, is still not organized after 5 years. I've owned a business in the area since the mid 80's that used to be part of Unincorporated Miami-Dade County. You will not believe how many inconsistencies the City has regarding zoning, permits and the like. I guess this part of Miami was incorporated to reap more taxes from the people, no big benefits in sight. Hopefully, time will prove me wrong.
From Steve, Boise ID I have been in Boise now for 3 years after spending nearly 20 in Las Vegas. Moving here was the best decision our family ever made. Cashing out Vegas equity from the sell of our home has helped dearly as the drawback politely mentioned is the "competitive Labor force". This is a nice way to say the average wages are very low, typicall between 10-15 per hour.Probably why our unemployment rate is so low as you may need 2 jobs to make it. If you come here with money or no debt you just might like it as much as I do. Red state Blue community!
From Christina, Albuquerque, NM I attended Syracuse University for four years.
Your article forgets to mention how Syracuse University's growing and active Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises department in the Whitman School of Management (ranked as one of the top programs in the country) lends the community the expertise and enthusiasm for small business incubation and support.
From Rick and Christine Haines We left the gray skies, cold, snow, and windchill of Rochester, NY for the bright, sunny south. We now live near Greenville, SC, and we couldn't be happier. The weather is great. The downtown has been revitalized, and there is plenty of growth and opportunity.
From Maureen, Charleston, SC Charleston, SC should be ranked in the top 10 in my opinion, if not #1. A native of the Boston area I relocated here about 2 years ago so my daughters could attend the College of Charleston at the instate tuition rate. In addition to being the most charming, historical city in this country, the weather is fantastic, the people are friendly, and there is so much to do all year round with beaches, golf courses, art/theatre, plantations…etc. And College of Charleston is a top notch college – not to mention the Citadel and our new Charleston College of Arts, amongst the several quality education options. Now is a perfect time to buy a home if you are considering a relocation to Charleston, SC – lots of inventory whose prices will only go up once all the baby boomers start retiring and moving here. I miss my family in the Boston area, but my girls and I are "Carolina Girls" now (still Sox and Patriots fans!). And did I mention – no snow!
From Geist, Tarpon Springs FL I lived in Syracuse 60 years and enjoyed a good life. Moving to Florida for health reasons and escaping from the snow, I now realize that you can make a good life wherever you are.
From Ross, Madison, WI I currently live in Madison, WI. I agree completely with where Madison has been placed on this ranking. Madison is a city that has a small town feel, but still has all the amenities of a big city. People are friendly, the city is beautiful, and there is plenty to do. The city greatly benefits from the University of Wisconsin in how most people here are well-above average in education. Although, with the city being a college town, it also is very political, and very liberal in its mindset. The winters are cold, but they are tolerable. The cost of living is not terrible, but as with any city, it is just more expensive to live in the city. Just come and visit this city, and most will know exactly why so many people love to call Madison home.
From Anonymous We're looking at Rochester to relocate some of our operation. The city's development office is professional.
From Mike – Asheville, NC Asheville is indeed an awesome city in so many ways…I grew up here and after living in Raleigh and Charleston I decided to move back. That stated, I will say that this is an terrible place to start a tech business…the write-up claimed that Asheville is building a business community around tech…well, I know first hand the disadvantages of growing a business here. In fact, I was right in the middle of a $6M funded startup that faltered in part because we were located in Asheville. The city and county governments do VERY little to encourage economic development outside of new land developments (land brings property taxes, so that where the priorities are, unfortunately). I honestly don't thing the council or mayor can name 3 technology companies located here. I have many specific examples of how the local officials have let down tech-oriented startups.
Plus, I found when doing business with Fortune 500 companies that their is a stigma attached to being headquartered in Asheville – almost like they don't take you seriously. However, if you want to start up a business around tourism, outdoor adventure, or very upscale land development, there is no better place.
From Alex Wolf, Owings Mills, MD Owings Mills, MD, has a small town feel? Obviously written by someone who has never been to Owings Mills! I would love to know where that picture was taken, cause it ain't here. If you like the crowded conditions of thousands of townhomes packed on top of each other, a Mall that is 1/3 empty, and overcrowded schools, by all means come to Owings Mills to start your business!
From Terry, Seattle, WA I've lived in several of these places and visited most, and it's interesting what they leave out. For example, Omaha suffers from sprawl at least as badly as Colorado Springs does; however, COS has infinitely more recreational and entertainment options than Omaha. Plus Omaha taxes are extremely high – taxes on my $450k home in Seattle are a third of taxes on my $350k house in Omaha. Not to mention my sales tax is only 50% higher but I have no income tax.
Bellevue, WA, is a wonderful city that has a very bright future. I'm very pleased to see it rated so highly.
One more thing – why didn't they just say "The best 2 cities in every state…" except Nebraska gets only one.
From Mark, Anna, Tx Colorado Springs? Been there. DOne that. They can keep it.
Just about the whole town has their nose stuck in your backyard. And God forbid anybody should mention any level of disapproval of FoF. They run the town, and if you don't believe as they tell you to….you are cast out.
From Jonny Lansing, MI In what world is a Con of spokane "gray skies"? Last I checked Spokane is a semi-arid climate with over 200 days of sunshine per year. This is not one of those silly facts that are hard to discover – if any research of Spokane is conducted, you will quickly find the city touting this fact.
From Koz, Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the best city that I have lived in. Traffic isn't that bad but the drivers can be rude. Lots of construction, but that means growth…The only other "bad" thing is the springtime weather. It can be pretty dangerous.
From Terri San Luis Obispo CA Beautiful Ocean views in San Luis Obispo? Are you kidding? Obviously the writer hasn't been to SLO, which is about 15 miles inland from the ocean. It does have a vibrant downtown merchant's association and a great year round farmers market on thursday evenings that keeps traffic flowing into local shops late into the evening.
From Brad Ziffle Boise used to be great. But now there are so damned many Californicators moving in, they try to bring with them the things they left behind in Kalifornia, and they're ruining the place.
People – if you're leaving wherever you are because you didn't like it, stop and think: Do you want to make your new home just as bad as your old home? If not, then don't try to change it!
From EJ, Bend, Oregon Why did you have to put Bend, Oregon on the list? We really don't want anyone else to move here…
Bend just about has it all — fishing, skiing, biking, golfing, kayaking… We love being able to walk five minutes to the Deschutes River and fly-fish. 300+ days of sunshine are wonderful each year.
Winter gets tough for 2-3 months each year, but there's XC skiing just ten minutes from our front door and Mt. Bachelor is twenty minutes away for downhill skiing/boarding.
From Mr.Big, Reno, NV We are San Jose, CA transplants to Reno, NV from August 2007. Once upon a time, San Jose was a neat place to live – say back in the 1950s when there were orchads and the excitement of the new technologies being developed. Reno looks like San Jose from around the 1960s. Californians like to brag that they live within a day trip to ocean and skiing. There are few lakes, and the skiing is 4 hours away! In Reno? Winter skiiing is 10 minutes, PGA golf is 1 minute, and lake sports are 15 minutes away…If you like horses, ATVs or vintage cars, and real nature in your backyard without the mess of poison ivy or poison oak – Reno is it! (by the way we have no state income tax and California is a day trip away).
From Mike, Chantilly, VA Accurate description of Blacksburg, VA. Great place to live.
From Jens, Kansas City Kansas City is horribly boring.
From Mark, Loudoun County VA WOW! Leesburg, VA, is definitely NOT a good place to start a business. Unless you have lived there since you were born, we to UVA with everyone else in town or have family money, your business will fail. I speak from experience. It's a VERY closed town! Also, poor infrastructure. And, in the summer, most support businesses just shut down. The county motto is "I Bide My Time"–and they do! Don't try to do anything in a hurry! Good luck!
From mari, Omaha, NE Omaha also has some of the lowest natural gas rates in the U.S.
Check out http://www.mudomaha.com
Housing also is extremely affordable.
From Malinda, Omaha, NE I love living in Omaha as a 24 year old female. There are tons of places to grow, shop, learn, live, and have fun. I have started my adult life off in a great way by choosing to live in Omaha, NE.
From Mcdermott, Pittsburgh, PA As a native Pittsburgher, I find your write-up to be accurate, but I still find it hard to believe that Pittsburgh is found on a "Best Places to Launch" list. Jobs are scarce, lay offs are abundant, and we have a useless teenage mayor.
While property values have been stagnant over the past decade, this could be a good thing allowing our foreclosure rates to remain the unchanged.
Pittsburgh is a great city if you can live happily on $50-$100k. If not, keep looking.
From Dave, Hopkins, MN As for anything in MN, WI, or the Dakotas, the brutallity of a 'normal' winter can't be underestimated. -10F for two strait weeks can put a damper on the effort required to grow a new business.
From Mike, Raleigh, NC After living in Raleigh for twenty-eigth years, I tell everyone, "Raleigh is a great place to live but I would want to visit". Low stress, low drama, easy living.
Mike G
From Don, Denver, CO Salt Lake City is a nice place for business, provided what you want to do doesn't run afoul of the LDS Church ideals. If the Mormons don't do business with you, you don't do business.
From Anonymous Colchester, VT ? You've got to be kidding, no soul or sidewalks. Great place if you like four wheelin.
From Steve, ManchVegas NH The Manchester, NH area is a great place to live – good schools, good restaurants and getting better, and in an hour you can be in Boston, at the beach, skiing, in Vermont, its 4 hours from Montreal, the fall is magnificent, the long winter makes spring more enjoyable, there's no traffic…. – wait, what am I doing, stay away from here, there's mosquitoes!
From Donovan, Fargo ND The business climate in Fargo, ND is ideal. Start-up assistance is wide and varied from technical consulting to more small business financing programs than any state in the region. The low cost of doing business, access to qualified employees from the regions colleges and progressive business attitude make it a great place to start and grow a business.
From Allison, Zionsville, IN As a resident of Zionsville, IN, I am not surprised to find it on the top 100 places to live. It is a throwback to a Norman Rockwell era. However, as proud as I am of Zionsville making the list, I am highly protective of this little niche. Zionsville has fought long and hard to stay under the radar of corporate America. It is a little jewel that longs to stay secret for exactly the reasons that it remains a jewel! There is not a better place in Indiana!
From Stephany Danville, CA I moved to Danville when I was 3, left for college, and returned 10 years later. I can't imagine living anywhere else. It is truely a small town amongst big ones. I LOVE it!!!
From Mike O'Donnell, Omaha, Ne you need to explore the very high tax rates in Omaha and Nebraska as compared to other cities.
From David, Denver , CO Living in Madison, WI is equivalent to paying an East Coast cost of living on Midwestern wages. Also, similar to the comment made by the gentlemen addressing Colorado Springs. Being a pretty middle of the road liberal, the citizens of Madison make those who don't believe what they do feel pretty darn uncomfortable. I grew up in the Midwest and I didn't feel that Madison lived up to the friendly Midwestern atmosphere. However, that has always been my take regarding ultra liberal cities like Madison, Ann Arbor, and Boulder. People seem to have a chip on their shoulder because there well-being is driven by politics. I am quite happy to be living in Denver now.
From Elliott, Boston, MA Started working in Cambridge, MA last August. Very academic atmosphere, vibrant cultural community, and you can walk EVERYWHERE. I couldn't be happier.
From Mike Phillips Raleigh, NC One thing you failed to mention about Raleigh are the Carolina Hurricanes. Great city.
From Chuck Ft Collins CO Not sure what the author meant about Pinehurst Resort associated with Durham, but anyone in the area can tell you Pinehurst is about 100 miles away!
From ed miller chanhassen, mn it continues to amaze me why minnesota is viewed nationally as it is. a poll taken by the star tribune revealed that those who moved to minnesota from other states find minnesota extremely unfriendly. the people are arrogrant and smug and enjoy feeling superior to those living elsewhere. driving is a mess with bad roads and hostile drivers. the educational system is vastly overrated. littering is pervasive. crime is increasing and as the collapse of the bridge indicated the infrastructure is in decline. and as you mentioned the taxes are high. additionally racial and orientation tolerance is not to the degree the media here want the country to believe. minnesota isn't among the worst states, but it is decidedly overrated.
From Seth – Montgomery, AL I was glad to see Huntsville, AL certainly listed as a top 100 choice! We have publishers across the nation but Huntsville continues to be a one of our top desires to get a publisher in. I lived in Huntsville for nearly 30 years and with the new Bridge Street just outside & the annual Big Spring Jam there's a great market for new businesses to grow and succeed.
From james young san antonio, tx San Antonio is an awesome city to live in. The new trend is urban renewal, especially in the down town area with projects like River North. Another interesting thing, people here view themselves as San Antonioans before they view themselves as white, black… And the Spurs. Talk about a bunch of great guys. They reflect the attitude of our city…very friendly.
From Dan Worcester is perhaps one of the most depressing places on the planet earth. Cheap rents, but it is run-down. People are stressed there, due to the high unemployment (and they say New Yorker's are rude? Try Worcester). Only job growth is at the Colleges. I suppose if you want to start a wool factory, Worcester would be the place. Despite the large number of colleges, the general population is not very educated. It's like living in a bad 197's movie
From Ingrid, Pgh PA Many of the places on the list have an extremely high crime rate. How does that make it one of the top places to live and run a business???
From Tony Des Moines IA FYI – It would be great if you would use a correct picture of the city you have in your article. The picture you used is not West Des Moines but downtown Des Moines (Big Difference). West Des Moines downtown does not even come close to what is plublished in your article.
From Anonymous The traffic in this city is hardly a con of living here,not to mention the city is small enough to bike where ever one needs to go.
From Ray Fisher, Albuquerque, NM Billings is one of my favorite towns as it is a big, small town. The downtown area is wonderful with shops & restaurants within walking distance. Weather perfect, plenty of sites to see and most of all wonderful people!!! The spirit of the west still lives in Billings!!!
From Bob, Denver, Co Colorado Springs is great place if you are a Republican. Leftist are like a fish out of water and treated as such.
From Oconomowoc, WI The high taxes in Wisconsin should preclude it from any "best places to" lists. The write-ups need to quantify what is meant by high taxes also. For instance, I would be surprised if Zionsville, IN was any comparison to Madison, WI unless we are speaking relatively within a state.
From Ray Fisher, Albuquerque, NM As a New Mexican, I of course think Santa Fe or anywhere in our state is beautiful and the Land of Enchantment is also the land of opportunity. From renewable energy to air travel, New Mexico has what it takes!!! Very affordable education opportunities, space port, Sandia & Los Alamos National labs enhance Santa Fe & New Mexico's offerings!!!
From Huntsville Fan You missed some bright spots of Huntsville, AL. We are also in a huge growth spurt due to the last round of Base Closures, picking up 3 large commands and about 4,500 jobs for the Army.
We are about 1 1/2 hours from Birmingham, Nashville and Chatanooga and are located on the edge of the Smokey Mountains, giving us some beautiful mountain views.
The weather here is temperate in the winter.
Not only is housing low, but property taxes are even lower.
And finally, the people are friendly here. I'm a transplant and people welcomed me with open arms.
From Felicia, Charleston-South Carolina I worked at MIT around 10 years ago when I was attending college and I will say that Cambridge is beautiful. Yes it is expensive, but the culture is wonderful. If you are wanting a outdoor lifestyle, this is the city for you.
From Steve, Indianapolis, IN Just as an FYI, legislation to bring property taxes isn't pending. It has been passed and signed into law.
From scowley What do you think of FSB's Best Places to Live and Launch list?
-
Arson. Scrappers. Blackouts. It's part of business for the last tenant in Detroit's Packard Plant. More -
Inventing is the easy part. Marketing? Trickier. Experts tell how they'd advertise 5 hard-to-tout products. More -
Every restaurateur knows about Cursed Locations, the addresses where no venture survives. More -
Detroit's churches are plowing millions into redeveloping local housing and businesses. More -
Winepod attracted a wait list of eager buyers and millions from investors. Then came the recession. More
I live in Savannah and LOVE every minute of it!