Boosterism: We got it goin' on!
While politicians and planners rejoice over each new national kudo bestowed upon us, many Charlottesvillians wish the rest of the world would just leave us alone. Last year's #1 ranking in a book dedicated only to rankings has swelled everybody's head.
But are we sowing the seeds of our own destruction?
Can Eden still be Paradise after everybody moves there? Is it possible to be too popular? Maybe we'll end up like those prom queens Tyson's, Fairfax, Fredericksburg– they danced with everybody who asked, and now they sit in asphalt splendor, ruined and exhausted. Oh, well. Let the music play on as we wallow in the worship.
June 2005 - Life magazine names Charlottesville among the top 10 "long weekend getaways." Our claim to fame? "Best New Place to Drink Wine. Twenty-one wineries on the Monticello Wine Trail combined with the lack of snooty angst makes this town the perfect weekend tour."
April 2004 - We're one of 23 American cities recognized as a "smart community" in a new book, Smart Communities: How Citizens and Local Leaders Can Use Strategic Thinking to Build a Brighter Future, by Suzanne Morse, executive director of the Pew Partnership for Civic Change.
March, 2004 - Cities Ranked & Rated, a book from Frommer's, ranks Charlottesville #1 among American cities.
September, 2003 - UVA named best public college (tied w/Berkeley) in U.S. News & World Report.
September 2003 - Outside mag sez Charlottesville one of the 40 best college towns (#8)
September 2003 - Organic Style magazine names Charlottesville the healthiest city in Virginia.
September, 2003 - USA Weekend magazine calls this the "most energetic" town, with Tim and Susie Burgess as most energetic couple.
June 2003 - The Milken Institute, an independent economic think tank, ranks Charlottesville America's #30 small city in job growth and job creation.
May 2002 - InStyle magazine: "Charlottesville has a longstanding reputation as an incubator of creativity. Perhaps it's due to the hazy Blue Ridge Mountains or the abundant historic architecture, or maybe the presence of the world-class University of Virginia. Whatever the reason, this lovely Southern town is home to a thriving community of musicians and writers, and was, of course, the favorite spot of Thomas Jefferson."
Spring 2002 - Where to Retire names Charlottesville to its top 100.
Summer 1999 - The Outdoor Explorer ranks Charlottesville #6 in the country of "America's Best Towns to raise an Outdoor Family."
November, 1999 - A&E television profiles Charlottesville as one of the top 10 cities that "Have It All."
February 1998 - Southern Living: "Charlottesville draws writers the way Nashville beckons musicians" quoted in vabook.org 2000
September 1996 - Kiplinger's Personal Finance: #2 healthiest place to live in America.
1996 - Standard Rate & Data's 1996 Lifestyle Market Analyst ranks Charlottesville #1 in "Avid Book Reading."