Men’s Health magazine chose Madison as the healthiest vacation spot, which was featured on the CBS News’ Early Show last week (view the article here). Madison was ranked above San Francisco (#2) and Sydney, Australia (#3). What contributed to its somewhat unlikely win? Among other things, the biking and hiking trails, outdoor recreation options, relatively limited fast-food options, and affordability.
It’s not the first time that Madison has made a “best cities” list. So what’s the deal?
I have an “insider” perspective as a transplant to Madison. My husband and I moved here without jobs simply because we liked the city. We epitomized the “live first, work second” ethos without even realizing it.
What drew us here? We knew we wanted to be back in the Midwest and closer to family, but we don’t like the traffic, hassles, and expenses of larger cities like Chicago, and small-town life isn’t for us. We had visited Madison before, and were drawn to the outdoor options (2 beautiful lakes, myriad bike paths, and a general “outdoorsy” culture), as well as the arts and cultural opportunities. When I lived in Illinois, my friends and I would drive 2 hours to Madison to get tattoos, or see a great show, or shop in unique, locally-owned stores.
We also like to think that Madison’s cold, snowy winters require a certain degree of heartiness. It’s hard to imagine a flood of Floridians or Californians migrating to Madison; 100 inches of snow in the winter is bound to keep some people out.
We’ve had friends move away to San Francisco or Portland (and many end up returning). But I think we’ve got our Portland and San Francisco right here in Madison—it just has more snow.
Is your city a healthy city or a “best” city? What makes your city special? What attributes do you look for in a city when deciding where to move? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Check out our Vitality Index to learn more about how we define a healthy city.