Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Ideal for family? Try Suisun City

Related Article: June 13, 2005 from MarketWatch.com
NeighborhoodScout.com Press Release

From the Vacaville Reporter // June 21, 2005
Megan Lloyd-Jones // Reporter Intern

A recent report named Suisun City among the 10 best value-for-money towns in America for families with children.

The report, issued by the NeighborhoodScout search engine, selected the top cities based on quality public schools, safety from crime, a high proportion of families with children in the community, many adults with college degrees, many families who own their own homes and homes that are predominantly single-family residences.

All towns selected are within 40 miles of the 10 largest metropolitan areas in the nation.

Andrew Schiller, a demographic specialist, created NeighborhoodScout and used the search engine to analyze data from the National Center for Educational Statistics, the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the FBI, the U.S. Justice Department and the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight.

Suisun City Mayor Jim Spering said he wasn't surprised by the selection. He said the traditional small-town environment and closeness to the Bay Area makes Suisun City a great destination.

"We have worked very hard to achieve the quality of life and sense of community we have here," Spering said. "The city isn't too big, where you can't pick up and call your elected officials."

Suisun City Councilwoman Jane Day said the city has transformed itself and now is a place where residents can enjoy a good life with less crime and a lot of amenities.

"The city has turned around from being the worst to the best and people recognize us," Day said.
Suisun City Vice Mayor, Pete Sanchez, said with the city's closeness to Sacramento and San Francisco, great universities and medical facilities, residents really do get their money's worth.

Sanchez said the city council plans on publishing the news of the NeighborhoodScout report in Suisun City's next newsletter and may announce it at one of the events scheduled for the summer.

"We are going to make sure everyone who can hear, read and see in Suisun knows that the city council has made it a better place to live, work and retire," Sanchez said.

Schiller said he selected towns that excelled in areas across the board.

"We were looking for those very select communities that have both top-quality public schools and an exceptionally family-friendly environment, not towns that may excel at one or two criteria but are lacking in other ways," Schiller said in a press release.

Megan Lloyd-Jones can be reached at newsroom@thereporter.com.

No comments: