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Three
East Valley cities named top places to live By
Sarah N. Lynch
Tribune
It’s
true:
Mesa
has a reputation for being somewhat of a boring bedroom
community. But a report released Monday might change
people’s minds about the fast-growing city with a small-town
feel — and plenty of golf courses nearby.
Money magazine announced that
Mesa
ranked third on its list of “Best Big Cities” in the
U.S.
, following No. 1 Colorado Springs, Colo., and No. 2 Austin,
Texas. It was one of several
East
Valley
cities to make the cut in the financial magazine’s 2006 list
of the top 100 cities in which to live.
The magazine ranked Gilbert as the 16th best city of any size,
and
Scottsdale
came in seventh. Although
Mesa
ranked higher among cities with a population of 300,000 or
more, it came in at 93rd when all city sizes were considered.
Clear skies, plenty of recreational opportunities and rising
home values were common attributes for all of the Valley
cities on this year’s list, yet each of them had a unique
personality that helped it stand out.
Mesa
, for instance, was favored because it’s a relatively
affordable place to live.
Scottsdale
has a lot of golf courses and other recreational
opportunities.
Gilbert has seen exceptional job growth, and its residents are
among the highest earners in the Valley.
Some
Mesa
politicians and employees said the recognition was validation
that they were doing a good job after a controversial May 16
property tax election left a lot of people with a negative
perception of the city and its local government.
“That’s what we’ve been saying — we think
Mesa
is a great community,”
Mesa
’s Vice Mayor Claudia Walters said. “We’ve spent a
couple years talking about the challenges we face, and it’s
been very difficult. I have tried to emphasize the positive
messages.”
Gilbert’s status also backed up the feelings of some local
politicians, who often compare the city’s per capita income
and the quality of education to
Scottsdale
.
In fact, Gilbert, a newcomer to the list, followed closely on
the heels of swanky
Scottsdale
.
“It’s a tremendous honor,” said Gilbert Mayor Steve
Berman, who vowed that Gilbert will surpass
Scottsdale
next year as the town grows. “It’s humbling and
flattering. It’s certainly something we’ll brag about.”
Every year, the magazine selects the best places to live based
upon a number of categories, including ease of living, crime
rates, education, leisure and culture, weather, health and
transportation.
It began its search looking at cities with populations over
50,000 and then screened out places with low education scores,
high crime rates and “absurdly” high housing costs,
according to CNNMoney.com.
Mesa
, therefore, ranked higher than
New York City
and
San Diego
.
“The cost of living is very reasonable,” Walters said.
But while most people were happy to hear they made the
magazine’s list this year, Mesa Councilman Tom Rawles
emphasized that the list is a reflection on the people in the
community — not Mesa’s city government. The areas where
Mesa
excels, he said, are areas with little government
intervention.
“I think it’s a reflection of a good, solid community,”
Rawles said.
For information about the survey, go to www.money.cnn.com.
- Tribune writer Beth Lucas contributed to this report.
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