Did your city make the list?

I came across an article yesterday that noted the 10 top healthiest places for women to live. I had a hard time finding it again, but noticed that it came from this original article: 100 Healthiest Places for Women to Live.

When I first looked at it I thought that Fargo, ND wouldn't even make the list. I was suprised to see that it made the Top 10! Here's what they said about Fargo, ND:

Population: 187,653
2009 ranking: 10 out 100
2008 ranking: not ranked
Top 10 area! Women up here feel down a mere two days a month. Stressors such as crime and unemployment are rare, and women report more social and emotional support than almost anywhere else. "Whether it's neighbors, workout buddies or church, that support system is always there," says Robin Johnson, 22, a recent grad. "Even in the grocery store, people chat and cheer you up. You feel like they really do care."
Live like a local: Young women here form running groups to socialize. In its first five years, the Fargo Marathon has grown from 2,400 to 13,000-plus participants. "It's in May, and having a goal can get you through the long, cold winter," Johnson explains. Start your own training program at Self.com/goal.
Plus: Fargoites drive 18 minutes to work on average. In New York City, it's 41 minutes!

I have to note that the picture that went along with the original article I found would have really convinced anyone and everyone to move here! It looked something like this picture I found. And, I didn't know we were refered to as "Fargoites". Interesting.

Sidenote: The goal for the Fargo Marathon this year is 20x10... hoping for 20,000 participants by 2010. I thought that was pretty clever!



To sell Fargo a bit more, here is a list of reasons why I LOVE living here (and ND in general):

• Some may think that all we have is cold weather, but we actually get to enjoy all 4 seasons, unlike some locations. Yes, winter may last longer than most of us would like, and spring can be kind of wet and messy around here, but the summer and fall months sure make up for it.
• Temps can get quite warm here in the summer, despite what some may think, but it still cools off during the night (for the most part). The humidity at times is more than I can bare, but it's not as bad as some locations in the Southeast.
• I don't mind when temps get into the 40's and 50's. It's great outdoor running temps!
• We may not have all the fancy clubs big cities have, but there are plenty of nightlife locations to choose from and drinks are reasonably priced (anywhere from $3-$5 average).
• The population number stated above isn't exactly correct. Fargo itself is right around 100,000 people. But, if you look at the metropolitan area, including it's sister cities, West Fargo to the West and Moorhead across the river in MN, then it's closer to 190,000 people.
• How many of you get to see Sundogs during the winter months?
• Sunsets are beautiful, and full of color and sometimes clouds, year round.
• It only takes ME approximately 5 minutes to get to work.
• The people here are amazing!

Did your city make the list? What do you love about where you live?


Information was taken from this article on Self.com