FeedsPlymouth ranks among best in nation
The Plymouth community is receiving national attention after a group of real estate and development experts declared the area as one of the best locations to live in the country.
The City of Plymouth and Plymouth Township were among 100 cities and towns across the country to make the RelocateAmerica.com 11th Annual Top 100 Places to Live lists.
According to officials from RelocateAmerica, an online clearinghouse for real estate professionals and those considering relocation, the city and township were selected due to their education, environmental green-worthiness, economic opportunity, parks and recreation choices and real estate and home ownership options.
The areas on the Top 100 lists consist of large cities to small towns. And to make the list a community must be nominated by persons registered to the website said Steve Nickerson, the chief executive of RelocateAmerica.
“Our goal for this year’s list is that it educates and inspires our users whether they’re moving across town or across the US,” said Nickerson, who added that the selections are not solely based on “raw data” but by the enthusiasm for the community described by the people who nominate location.
“The thing that sets our annual list apart is not only do we mine the data, but we also focus heavily on the experiences of people that live there. The user comments that we receive reflect passion, wisdom and tell the story that the raw data doesn’t.”
In a narrative about the 39,000 person combined communities posted on the RelocateAmerica website, the area is described as “a dream come true” by combining the culture of small town America with the immediate accessibility of major metropolitan areas as Detroit and Ann Arbor.
The Plymouth community is one of five Michigan municipalities to make the list including Brighton, Grand Rapids, Rochester and Traverse City. The city of Charlotte, North Carolina was named the as the best place to live in the country.
Municipal leaders in both the city and the township said the Plymouth area is worthy of the Top 100 distinction.
“We live in a great community full of great activities,” said Plymouth City Manager Paul Sincock.
“It is great to know that a national organization has recognized what we already knew, that Plymouth Township is a Top 100 place to live,” said Plymouth Township Supervisor Richard Reaume.
The website credits the areas diversity in business, from shops and retail to industrial parks in the community as a sign of strength in these economic times.
“The website also lauds the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools for their students ‘consistently high scores’ on state assessment tests and the number of students who go on to higher education.
“I’ve lived in this community for a long time and the Plymouth-Canton communities has always had a strong reputation,” said Schools Superintendent pro-tem Ken Jacobs, who credits the relationship the school district has with municipal leaders, community groups and parents for giving young people an opportunity to participate in positive activities inside and outside the classroom.
“We encourage our kids to be good citizens and live up to high community standards,” said Jacobs.
The community usage of Kellogg, McClumpha and Massey parks along with other locations such as Plymouth Historical Museum as ways of keeping the community involved is another point of praise. As for nightlife activities, the website said the shops in the historic Old Village to downtown Plymouth and Ann Arbor Road “is an area where the choices for dining are plentiful”
Wes Graff, the executive director of the Plymouth Community Chamber of Commerce said while each aspect of the Plymouth community is important he said the area is stronger due to its ability to bring different pieces together.
“The total package of what the Plymouth community offers, from education to the business community lead to us getting this recognition.”
To view the Top 100 list, visit www.relocateamerica.com
