Cindy Nicholson - Castle Rock Colorado-the place to live

Castle Rock among '10 best' for families in U.S.

Town of Castle Rock residents can stand up and take a collective bow on Tuesday, July 10, the day that Family Circle magazine unveils its "10 Best Towns for Families."

That's because the Town of Castle Rock made Family Circle's list - the first of its kind for the national magazine celebrating women and families.

The magazine's 10 Best Towns for Families article appears in the August edition, which hits newsstands nationwide on July 10. The article shares the results of the magazine's quest to identify "the best communities across the country that combine big-city opportunities with suburban charm" and "an ideal blend of affordable houses, good jobs, top-rated schools, wide-open spaces and a lot less stress."

"That describes Castle Rock perfectly," Castle Rock Mayor Randy Reed said of the results of Family Circle's investigation. "If you asked 100 people why they moved to Caste Rock, 95 percent of them would probably cite the community's small-town charm and family friendliness."

Reed said while it's great to be recognized nationally as a great place for families, it's reward enough to experience family life in Castle Rock. "Every time I walk out my front door I think about how fortunate I am to have landed here 20 years ago with my wife and two daughters."

To come up with its 10 Best Towns for Families, Family Circle partnered with On Board, a New York City research firm providing real estate and demographic data to assemble a list of 1,850 places with populations between 15,000 and 150,000 and a high concentration of households with an average income of $65,000. That list was pared to 800 based on criteria such as cost of living, jobs, schools, health care, air quality, green space and crime rate. Family Circle assessed which towns best met those standards and ranked them according to state. The winners were selected from the highest-rated towns in the top 10 states nationwide.

The ten "10 Best Towns for Families" are:

· Castle Rock, Colorado

· Diamond Bar, California

· Morton Grove, Illinois

· Cedar Park, Texas

· Derby, Kansas

· Kennesaw, Georgia

· Cooper City, Florida

· Madison, Mississippi

· Franklin, Massachusetts

· Chanhassen, Minnesota

Family Circle Magazine's "10 best Towns for Families" honor is the latest in a string of national rankings awarded Castle Rock in recent years. In 2006, BusinessWeek magazine named Castle Rock No. 9 of the top 25 "best and most affordable suburbs in the United States." In a 2005 CNN Money Magazine report on the best places to live, Castle Rock ranked No. 1 in job growth.

For those of us who are lucky enough to both live and work in this little piece of Colorado, life is good... very, very good.

The Town of Castle Rock is a booming community located in Douglas County midway between Denver and Colorado Springs. The number of residents has grown tremendously since the early 1980's, but Castle Rock has retained its small-town character and distinct community boundaries. What attracts residents to one of the fastest growing counties in the nation? It seems to be a combination of our breathtaking views of the Rocky Mountains, our convenient location, dry and mild climate, 300 days of sunshine a year, our low crime rate, and a small town atmosphere which includes numerous annual family oriented events. Outdoor recreational opportunities abound in Castle Rock- including outdoor parks and a new skate park, golf courses, wide open space and the International PGA tournament. A school system that has been nationally recognized for its excellence, a recreation center with an Olympic size pool and a vide variety of shopping and dining experiences all enhance the residents' quality of life. Our small town charm, beautiful views and unique culture attract more than 3,000 new residents annually. As the county seat, Castle Rock boasts a quality of life that is hard to come by for many other metropolitan communities. Scattered with sprawling new residential developments and surrounded by rolling hills, it's an idyllic setting for those who want to raise a family outside the city and enjoy the beautiful Colorado landscape