[alfbroker]

Money Mags Sept. 2011 issue is out with their popular "Best Places To Live" in the US list. No Florida towns were in the top 10. Only two were in the top 100, including a 97th spot. 97th? why bother. Why such a poor showing?

[StreetSmarts]

Can you post the link with the info?

[kyle19125]

Unfortunately Florida isn't exactly what one would call "progressive". A couple of examples would point toward very inadequate state funding for education and infrastructure. The state is very much a shelter for those who don't mind a lack of social/recreational services as long as they don't have to pay taxes. Very little tax revenues + slashed state spending = lower quality of life. Amenities aren't free.

[Sgt. Buzzcut]

Depends on what the criteria is
Strikes against FL
Climate-4 months out of the year it is brutally hot
Wages- Low compared to many parts of the country
Overpopulation- in some areas infrastructure and access to FL's most valuable asset (beaches) is inadequate.

Some will argue crime and education although FL is as safe as any other state I've lived in and I would much rather have my children in FL schools compared to many in the Midwest.

[gypsychic]

Glad we're NOT on the list. And by the way, I checked out the list and never heard of most of those places. Who decides what's "best" anyway. And when a place starts showing up on those "best" lists, that's the day it becomes ruined by too many sheeple flocking there. I am assuming (since you did not bother to post the link) you mean this list: And you didn't bother to say these were just SMALL TOWNS - some of which aren't even towns they are just suburbs:

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/money...100/index.html

So Kyle, are you saying those unheard of towns are "progressive?" Sorry, I don't think so.

[♥♥PRINC3Ss♥♥]

Best Places to Live 2011 - Top 100: Town details: Hunter's Creek, FL - from MONEY Magazine

Florida is no paradise but this is just another silly list. Most cities are in the NE or Midwest. Apparently this is the criteria they used

"These terrific small towns stand out in the qualities American families care about most - great job opportunities, top-notch schools, safe streets, economic strength, nice weather, plenty to do, and more."

More?

[BlueWillowPlate]

From the comments below Hunter's Creek, which was #21:

"Most of these small town winners are close enough to bigger cites so they can enjoy the good they offer, but far enough away that they don't have to live with crime, congestion and all the cities other ills 24 hours a day. The list reflects what most of money's readers want."

I know that this is absolutely true of the Colorado towns on the list: Louisville, which is #1, and close to Boulder. Castle Rock, #19, close to Denver as well as Colorado Springs. Superior, which is #20, also close to Boulder.
I remember when these were tiny, rural, little-known towns. Like Gypsychic said, it's probably good to NOT be on the list.

I also agree with what Kyle and Sgt Buzzcutt said.
I am seeing some progressive ideas in my community, but being able to finance them is another story.
Both my husband and I are making less money than we did in Colorado.
It's a trade-off, one of the reasons we left Colorado was because of how crowded it's becoming (and we don't miss the spring snows.)

[user8]

why do people take those lists so seriously? i've never understood that. someone tells you the best place to live and you believe them? judge for yourself.

for example, i see leesburg, va is #4. since that's down the road from my hometown i can give you an honest assessment of it. 15 years ago it was a rural hick hole in the earth. the only, ONLY reason its population has soared is because towns closer in to dc have become astronomically expensive. traffic all over northern virginia is abysmal, and that coupled with high costs of living are even creeping into the area occupied by leesburg and the surrounding towns. oh and the people are either rude, arrogant transients or racist rednecks. still want to believe money magazine?

[alfbroker]

Originally Posted by user8

why do people take those lists so seriously? i've never understood that. someone tells you the best place to live and you believe them? judge for yourself.

for example, i see leesburg, va is #4. since that's down the road from my hometown i can give you an honest assessment of it. 15 years ago it was a rural hick hole in the earth. the only, ONLY reason its population has soared is because towns closer in to dc have become astronomically expensive. traffic all over northern virginia is abysmal, and that coupled with high costs of living are even creeping into the area occupied by leesburg and the surrounding towns. oh and the people are either rude, arrogant transients or racist rednecks. still want to believe money magazine?

15 years ago it wasn't on the list, its on the list now. Florida towns dominated the list 15 years ago. One year they had 5 in the top 10. That was last decade. Things have changed. Money doesn't just guess. They do surveys on what is important to Money readers in a place to live. Then they do research and identify areas where crime data, employment, etc. match. It's helpful to people who may be like minded with Money readers. It may not be helpful to someone that spends their days watching daytime TV, drinking and never heard of the magazine or list because they may have a different opinion on what a good place to live would look like.

[vaughanwilliams]

Originally Posted by alfbroker

Money Mags Sept. 2011 issue is out with their popular "Best Places To Live" in the US list. No Florida towns were in the top 10. Only two were in the top 100, including a 97th spot. 97th? why bother. Why such a poor showing?

The gild is off the lily. Harry and Ethel from Michigan aren't retiring here anymore. Could be it's because they found someplace more to their liking, find Florida too expensive now or the fact most of today's retirees have no defined pension. This ain't the same place it was 15 years ago.