Soft news is human interest pieces designed to entertain the reader, appropriately dubbed “news you can use.” Hard news is events that will be recorded in history.
Interesting look at some well known cities and towns across the country. Not surprisingly, the tech start-up capitol of the world, Palo Alto takes the #5 spot, and has a staggeringly higher median income and median home price compared to the others.
On a side note, I see these “Best Places to Live” articles all the time and the destinations always different, undoubtedly due to the complete subjectivity of the research involved and the the overall bias involved with publishing such an article.
20. Eugene, Oregon
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Located near the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, Eugene is an outdoorsy city with tons of water sports and a health-conscious attitude. The city is also home to the University of Oregon and has numerous performing arts and cultural venues.
Rockville is a wealthy city on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. It is home to bio-medical and technology companies, with a 100,000-square-foot library and a popular town square.
Salt Lake City offers a ton of recreational activities for residents, thanks to its proximity to the mountains and ski resorts. The University of Utah lends a lot to the city’s culture.
Livability gave Overland Park, the second-largest city in Kansas, high marks with regards to its sports facilities and schools. The city attracts families and young professionals with a good balance of residential, retail, and office space.
Santa Barbara has beautiful beaches, shopping centers, performing arts venues, and microbreweries. It also has a solid healthcare and educational system, with a strong economy thanks to tourism.
Population: 88,572
Median Household Income: $63,758
Median Home Price: $880,500
15. San Mateo, California
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San Mateo, in California’s Silicon Valley, has a large downtown district with more than 800 stores and restaurants. The city also has more than 15 parks, including the Japanese Tea Garden, along with many historical buildings.
Bellevue’s strength is its education, with its highly ranked public schools and the presence of two colleges: Bellevue College and City University of Seattle. The city also gets high marks for its natural beauty, with Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains.
Ann Arbor is home to the University of Michigan and is filled with school pride. The city has more than 300 restaurants located in a 20-mile radius as well as great schools, medical facilities, culture, and more.
Asheville has a strong public school system and healthcare system, with places like Asheville VA Medical Center and Mission Health System. The southern city also hosts tons of attractions with nightclubs, performance venues, and microbreweries.
Bozeman is home to the large Montana State University, lending it the college town feel. There are also plenty of options for outdoors activities like skiing and hiking, while the economy is growing with tech- and research-based companies.
Iowa City has a ton of culture, with ties to the literary greats John Irving and Flannery O’Connor. The University of Iowa is also located in the city, which gives it a strong community full of entertainment and the arts.
With the Rocky Mountains close at hand, Boise is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. But there’s also a home for cerebral types in the “City of Trees,” thanks to unique museums and a strong university system, as well as great healthcare options.
Thanks to nearby mountains, rivers, and 400 acres of parkland, Missoula provides plenty of entertainment for those who love the outdoors. There’s also plenty of culture as well with breweries, coffee houses, independent bookstores, and music venues.
Santa Clara is another city located in the booming Silicon Valley. Residents soak up 300 days of sunshine a year and can enjoy the city’s parks, historic architecture, and local Santa Clara University.
Aside from hosting the campus of the highly regarded UC Berkeley, the San Francisco Bay town is a foodie haven, landing on Livability’s lists of top 10 foodie cities in 2013 and 2014. The city also has cultural attractions like museums, galleries, and theaters.
Palo Alto is the center of Silicon Valley and one of the most expensive cities in the country. A 31-mile dark fiber ring around the city provides ultra-high-speed internet access, and there’s an emphasis on education and open spaces, creating a politically active and socially minded population.
Boulder is situated along the Rocky Mountains with an elevation of 5,400 feet, providing plenty of opportunities for hiking, rock climbing, and biking. Additionally, Boulder has several shopping centers and great restaurants. It’s also home to the University of Colorado, with 31,000 students.
Arlington is an upscale city in the suburbs of D.C. with a large population of government employees. It is home to both George Mason University and Marymount University, along with the famous Arlington National Cemetery.
Rochester has a booming arts culture, thanks in part to the founders of the Mayo Clinic, who wanted to attract top physicians to the city. It also has a stable economy, as well as tons of restaurants and shops.
Last year, Madison was ranked No. 5 on Livability’s list, and the city’s mayor worked hard to improve that score and life for Madison’s residents. As the capital of Wisconsin and home to University of Wisconsin, Madison provides its residents with affordable housing, great schools, and healthcare, along with plenty of recreational and entertainment options.
#BreakingNews for Apple fanatics! The most recent whispers reveal a dramatic size increase and rounded edges for the new iPhone 6. The new iPhone will come with either a 4.7 inch screen or a 5.5 inch screen – this innovation trumps the current 4 inch screen – and brings an important philosophical question to light: at what point will the iPhone become an iPad with a phone? How many more inches are needed to bridge the gap between the two devices, and how will this merger affect the well-being of Humanity?
The latest iPhone 6 leak, which comes courtesy of Russian website Rozetked, shows exactly what Apple’s next smartphone will look like from the front, back, side, and any other angle you could possibly imagine.
The video, which was first spotted by 9to5Mac, shows the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 alongside the iPhone 5s. This is one of the rare times we’re actually seeing the front panel attached to the rear plate. Luxury designer Feld & Volk posted photos that had reportedly shown a rendering of a fully assembled iPhone 6, but this might be the first time we’re seeing the real thing.
Here’s a look at the back of the iPhone 6. Notice it looks exactly like the rear plate we’ve seen leaked over the past several months.
The narrator is holding the iPhone 6 in one hand and the iPhone 5s in another. The iPhone 6 is significantly larger. The top bezel on the iPhone 6 also looks a bit thinner than that of the iPhone 5s.
Here’s what the iPhone 6 might look like next to the iPhone 5s.
The rounded edges we’ve seen so many times before also make an appearance here. We can also see how much thinner the iPhone 6 will be than the iPhone 5s.
Here’s how much larger the iPhone 6 might be compared to the iPhone 5s.
We’re expecting to see the iPhone 6 debut at Apple’s upcoming press event on Sept. 9. Rumor has it that Apple will also unveil a larger 5.5-inch version of the iPhone 6 that day, but the two phones may not launch at the same time. We might also get a preview of Apple’s long-rumored iWatch, which is now expected to be released in 2015.
Other than a larger screen and a new design, Apple’s next iPhone will likely come with a new chip dedicated to monitoring your health statistics and support for NFC, which means you’ll be able to tap your iPhone to make payments.
Check out Rozetked’s full video below for an even better look at the iPhone 6.