Louisville Ranked No. 1 Once Again By Money Magazine
LOUISVILLE, Colo. (CBS4) - The small town of Louisville has gotten top marks once again in the Money Magazine annual Best Places To Live rankings.
Money Magazine praises Louisville for its low crime rate, reasonable home prices, highly ranked schools and multitude of job opportunities. It also says the city is easy to navigate and close to "world-class mountain biking, hiking, and skiing."
"I'm not surprised," said Exec. Dir. of the Louisville Chamber Shelley Angell. "We just have an excellent city. I grew up here, it's always been No. 1 in our eyes."
"I'm not surprised," said Exec. Dir. of the Louisville Chamber Shelley Angell. "We just have an excellent city. I grew up here, it's always been No. 1 in our eyes. ... It's a great place to raise kids, it's a safe place. We have wonderful volunteers, the business community is excellent, the residents. It's a very small town with a loveable atmosphere.
Watch CBS4's interview with Angell in the video clip below:
The city also was ranked at No. 1 in 2009.
Like many Colorado towns since the Recession, Louisville has had something of a rough time economically in recent years. The city's tax base took a hit when a Sam's Club there closed and then a Safeway shut down. Things got so bad with the city budget that the city canceled its fireworks show last year.
But since then voters approved a use tax and the fireworks ceremony was restored this year. The city's summer Louisville Street Faire has grown into a wildly popular summer-time Friday night event, ice skating is popular in the winter months at the rink downtown and there has been a surge of new restaurants, shops and galleries in the old downtown area.
The Money article states that "23 miles outside Denver, Louisville has a strong economy, stable housing and lots to do. Louisville has some of the lowest crime rates in Colorado. This summer alone saw the opening of three restaurants, a rooftop bar, a coffee shop, a yoga studio, a gift shop and two art galleries. And world-class outdoor recreation is a short drive away."
"It's a great place to raise kids, it's a safe place. We have wonderful volunteers, the business community is excellent, the residents. It's a very small town, loveable atmosphere," said Angell.
"I'm very pleased that Money Magazine has chosen Louisville as the No. 1 Best Place to live in America for a second time, which is unprecedented in recent years," Louisville Mayor Chuck Sisk said in a prepared statement. "This is due to our great residents and the city is truly honored.
"Louisville always prides itself in ensuring a quality of life for all its citizens that is consistent with the goals set by elected officials and staff. It is also clear that the city's partnerships with the business community in retaining and attracting new businesses contribute to our success which is vitally important now and will become even more so in the future."
Two other Colorado towns made the Top 20 in this year's list. Castle Rock and Superior were ranked at No. 19 and No. 20. Other Colorado towns listed were Parker (29) and Black Forest (66). Fort Collins was ranked No. 6 in last year's list and No. 2 in the 2008 list.
LINK: Money Magazine Best Places To Live 2011
LINK: Downtown Louisville
LINK: Louisvilleco.gov
