Men's Journal Names Lynchburg as one of "50 Best Places to Live"

Lynchburg Listed in Men's Journal as one of "50 Best Places to Live" Another accolade has come our way. The April edition of Men's Journal pronounced Lynchburg as one of the "50 Best Places to Live" in the US. The magazine listed Lynchburg as #1 in the Top 5 Cleanest Places. The table says the rating is "based on air and water quality." The other 45 "Best Places" were listed in categories including best downtowns, best adventure cities, best commuter towns, healthiest places, sunniest places, best hideaways and least stressful places (Harrisonburg, VA was listed in this category). In the Top 5 Cleanest Places, Lynchburg was joined by Morristown, TN; Hot Springs, AR; Santa Fe, NM; and Dothan, AL -- all very nice communities.

The Men's Journal article begins: "As much as we all might dream of living on a woody mountainside somewhere, or having an ocean for a backyard, here's the harsh reality, brother: 83 percent of us reside in metro areas. Most of us, it seems are slaves to where the jobs are. To where the airports are. To where the clothing and gourmet grocery stores are. And perhaps, even, in the darkest recesses of our hearts, to where the nearest Chili's is. But that doesn't mean we have to resign ourselves to a life of strip malls and suburban sameness. On the following pages Men's Journal presents a three-prong strategy for helping you find your dream town, a place where you can have it all: a decent job, a vibrant community, a charming setting, ready access to outdoor activities, and a mortgage that doesn't rival the GNP of a small third- world country." The article goes on to list the three- prong strategies as: "embrace urban life," "find an enclave among the sprawl," and "make your escape."