CU’s home town takes No. 1 in Best College Towns list

August 15, 2014

Boulder took the top spot and Fort Collins weighed in at No. 14 in Best College Reviews’ list of the 50 Best College Towns.

The website used the criteria of livability, student-to-resident ratio, cultural offerings, school presence and large employers when ranking the country’s top college towns.

Here’s what the site said about Boulder’s No. 1 position: “Boulder is known as a hip and healthy town with a hippy past and great views of the Flatirons. Boulder is one of the nation’s most celebrated towns – in rankings it regularly gets voted the best outdoor town, the brainiest city, one of the top cities for artists and America’s Foodiest Town.

“Though it’s relatively small, the entire city is walkable, there are hundreds of miles of bicycle paths, and an outstanding public transit system. Nature abounds in Boulder with many central roads heading through downtown and ending at trail heads leading into the Rockies. A ring of Green Space surrounds the city, and buildings must remain below a certain height to preserve mountain views. Pearl Street Mall, an outdoor shopping area filled with fine food, book stores, art galleries and coffee shops, is a central Boulder street.

“The University of Colorado, and Naropa University (the nation’s first Buddhist University) provide the central student base for Boulder. For those out of school, numerous science institutes, local artisanal movements, and tech companies call Boulder home. The most notable employers include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations, the Geological Society of America, and the Space Science Institute.”

As to Fort Collins, Best College Reviews said, “Fort Collins is home to Colorado State University and on ‘Money’ magazine’s Best Place to Live in the US list since 2006. A great homegrown music and microbrewery scene complement the town’s collegiate vibes, with one of it’s most attended events hosted by New Belgium Brewery; ‘Tour de Fat’ as the event is called, draws over 20,000 people riding bikes and dressing in costume.”

See the entire list at www.bestcollegereviews.org/50-best-college-towns-america.

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