Right on the Money
Fort Collins is one of the ‘Best Places to Live in America’
In 2006, Money Magazine honored Fort Collins as the "Best Place to
Live in America." Now the city is No. 2 on the magazine's annual list,
but it would be hard to convince CSU students there's a better place to
spend four years of their lives.
“Fort Collins is a great town,” says Matthew Guidarelli, a biology
and psychology major from Los Angeles, Calif. “You’ve got the clubs and
the night life, but you can also go to the mountains and go jet skiing
on Horsetooth Reservoir. It’s just a very dynamic community with a lot
of options — there’s something for everyone.”
Fort Collins has more days of sunshine per year than Miami or San
Diego, so Colorado State University students can sample the city life
and a variety of recreational opportunities throughout the year. But
even though CSU students enjoy biking along the Poudre River, catching
live music in Old Town and sipping a latte in the 24/7 coffeehouse
across the street, that doesn’t explain why Fort Collins is such a
great college town.
Simply put, this is a place where students and citizens mingle
freely and connect deeply. CSU is the heart of Fort Collins, and a lot
of the key players in town have significant ties to the University.
That translates to internship and networking opportunities that don’t
exist anywhere else.
Not surprisingly, Money Magazine had plenty of positive things to
say about the Fort Collins community. Here’s a look at some of the
comments that appeared in the August edition:
- “One of the first things you notice about this Rocky Mountain
city is that practically every new road has a bike lane. Even the
wheelless can get in on the action now that Fort Collins has a bike
library: Residents and visitors can check out a bicycle for up to seven
days, free.”
- “The city’s Old Town historic district contains four microbreweries
and more than two dozen restaurants. Bioscience and tech companies,
including Agilent Technologies, Hewlett-Packard and Kodak, keep
employment opportunities high.”
- “Colorado State University occupies a scenic spot in the middle of
town. And the city just received a grant from the Department of Energy
to start a solar-energy project downtown.”
The magazine also cited award-winning health care, high-quality
public schools and a number of other amenities as factors in the
ranking. To read more about Money Magazine’s take on Fort Collins, go
to money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2008/snapshots/PL0827425.html.