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Durango Chosen For Men's Journal Best Places To Live

DURANGO, Colo. (CBS4) - As part of the annual Best Places to Live feature, Men's Journal selected Durango as the Best Place to Put Your Outdoor Life First.

The magazine cited its proximity to awe-inspiring mountains and the "down-home, just-folks" genuineness. It also features Jeremy Dakan, the manager of outdoor shop Pine Needle Mountaineering, as a "Model Citizen."

"The editors selected 18 towns that they believed have mastered the art of living well in the 21st century by prioritizing localism, sustainability and conservation. They also took into account other factors, such as cost of living and the number of sunny days per year," the magazine said in a statement.

Durango is tucked down in the southwest corner of Colorado where the San Juan Mountains meet the arid Colorado Plateau.

The magazine said Durango residents voted years ago to tax themselves to raise funds for parks, open space, and trails.

"Volunteers fervently maintain local trails through a nonprofit called Trails 2000, which boasts 2,000 members — that's 12 percent of the total population," the magazine said.

Other cities that made the list are as follows:

Sarasota, Fla.
Des Moines, Iowa
Memphis, Tenn.
Fargo, N.D.
Northhampton, Mass.
Minneapolis, Minn.
Huntsville, Ala.
Frisco, Tex.
Grand Rapids, Mich.
Portsmouth, N.H.
New Orleans, La.
Jacksonville, Ore.
San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Louisville, Ky.
Philipsburg, Mont.
Greenville, S.C.
Flagstaff, Ariz.

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