CNN Money made its yearly list of the top cities to live in the U.S, comparing the employment market, schools, crime statistics, and health care. Larger cities usually don't make this list because of the relative crime and school stats when compared to smaller, more homogenous cities with greater management of their school systems and the lack of big-city crime issues.
The Eastside once again was well represented with Redmond checking in at number 5 on the list and Bellevue checking in at number 40. Both cities are well-known for their robust economies and job markets, with technology companies making up a large share of the employment picture. Crime rates on the Eastside are miniscule compared to many areas of the same size, and significantly lower than in Seattle, which itself has very low crime when compared to similar-sized cities nationwide.
Of course, the Eastside's school system also favored heavily into the rankings, as the Bellevue School District is annually one of the best in the country and all of its high schools rank in the top 100 in the U.S. most years. Redmond's Lake Washington School District is also highly-regarded and wins its share of annual awards.
The folks at CNN Money may have missed one point when considering the Eastside's traffic: noting the "perpetual snarl" of traffic into Seattle from Bellevue/Redmond, they missed the fact that it's actually more of a problem for Seattle residents, as anyone who has driven the 520 corridor can attest. The biggest traffic bottleneck crossing Lake Washington is the wave of Seattle residents commuting over the 520 floating bridge to the Eastside in the morning and back home in the evening. Eastsiders who commute into Seattle have a far easier commute. Those who live and work on the Eastside, of course, enjoy a short suburban commute to their places of employment.
From CNN Money's Report:
Top 100 rank: 5
Population: 55,200Redmond may be home to one of the largest companies in the world, but life in the city is anything but a grind. With Seattle just 15 miles to the west, the Cascade Mountains a short drive to the east, and more than 90 wineries to the north, Microsoft's hometown is an ideal base camp for exploring the Northwest.Meanwhile, there's plenty to do right in Redmond, where historic buildings, quirky shops, eateries, and brewpubs mingle in colorful condo and retail developments with public art and giant evergreens. Redmond's picturesque neighborhoods, low crime rate, and stellar schools are a major part of the city's attraction.
Top 100 rank: 40
Population: 124,300Thanks to major local employers like Microsoft, Expedia, Coinstar, and Puget Sound Energy, Bellevue has more employees than it has residents. Luckily its students have an edge on the competitive corporate world, attending schools that are regularly ranked among the top in the state. Traffic into Seattle is a perpetual snarl, but a light-rail line that will connect Bellevue and Seattle is in the works.
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