25 Terrific Places to Bring Up a Family - Brief Article

What makes a city or town conducive to child rearing? Where are the best places to raise a family? Mothering recently posed these two questions to members of its staff and on-line community.

The wheels started turning, and after much discussion we amassed the following criteria for family-friendly cities: physical beauty, including clean air and water; good public transportation and bike trails; arts and cultural events; activities for teens; good public education and alternative schools; homeschooling network; farmers' market; health food stores with organic food; natural birthing community (birth center and/or midwives); alternative healthcare practitioners; ethnic and cultural diversity; reasonable cost of living, including affordable housing; laws and places of employment that respect the needs of families; legal philosophical vaccination exemption; recycling; sustainable energy resources; and cloth diaper services.

Given these criteria, we talked about specific cities and towns that struck our fancies. We then put together the following list of great places to raise children (alphabetized by city): Asheville, North Carolina; Austin, Texas; Athens, Georgia; Boulder, Colorado; Brattleboro, Vermont; Chicago, Illinois; Eugene, Oregon; Ithaca, New York; Los Angeles, California; Madison, Wisconsin; New York, New York; North Shore area, Boston, Massachusetts; Portland, Maine; Portland, Oregon; San Francisco, California; Santa Barbara, California; Santa Cruz, California; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Sarasota, Florida; Tallahasee, Florida; Tucson, Arizona; Ventura, California.

Canada deserves special recognition for giving mothers one full year of paid maternity leave. In addition, the country offers free medical care, including midwifery services, to its citizens. Three places in Canada were mentioned on-line: Nelson, British Columbia; Owen Sound, Ontario; Victoria, British Columbia.

Hungry for more information? Here's the rundown on a few of our favorites. Austin, Texas set amidst rolling hills and lakes; terrific public transit; bike paths; seven universities, including the University of Texas at Austin; arts and cultural events (Austin is famous for its music scene); activities for young children and teens; great public schools; Montessori and Waldorf schools; homeschooling community; birth centers and midwives; alternative healthcare practitioners; environmentally respectful public policies

Eugene, Oregon surrounded by mountains and national forest; one-hour drive to coast; bike paths; University of Oregon; arts and cultural events, including the grand Oregon County Fair (cloth diaper service on site); Waldorf and Montessori schools; big farmers' market with crafts; community gardens; attachment parenting community; lots of midwives (home of Midwifery Today); alternative healthcare practitioners; easy-to-walk-through downtown; affordable housing; wonderful restaurants

Ithaca, New York set in the Finger Lakes Region, full of waterfalls and gorges; Cornell University and Ithaca College; arts and cultural events; year-round activities for young children and teens; good public schools; an alternative high school; Montessori schools; homeschooling network; healthy local economy; farmers' market; midwives and active homebirthing community; alternative healthcare practitioners; and great eateries, including the famed Moosewood Restaurant

Madison, Wisconsin built on an isthmus surrounded by five lakes; miles of bike paths; University of Wisconsin, Madison; arts and cultural events; strong public schools; Montessori schools; homeschooling network; natural birthing community; alternative healthcare practitioners; variety of restaurants; multicultural city

Owen Sound, Ontario set amidst farmland on Georgian Bay; the Niagara Escarpment goes right through town; short drive to the beaches of Lake Huron; can walk most places; arts and cultural events, including annual summer folk festival; many attachment parenting families; good public schools; strong homeschooling community; organic meat and produce available; two and a half hours to Toronto; very affordable housing

Portland, Maine miles of beaches; working waterfront; biking and hiking trails; University of New England, Andover College, Maine College of Art; Montessori schools; children's museum; easy-to-walk-through downtown; strong birthing community (freestanding birth center, midwives); alternative healthcare practitioners

Ventura, California year-round sunshine, beach, mountains, parks; great bike trails; weekend activities by the beach and downtown; a skate park for teens; Montessori schools; homeschooling network; farmers' market and health food stores; birth center and midwives; alternative healthcare practitioners; vegetarian and ethnic eateries; multicultural city

Go to www.mothering.com/ubb/Forum15/ HTML/000606.html for the full discussion and a chance to express your own ideas.

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