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Top 5 reasons why San Luis Obispo is so happy
We’ve all heard (thanks to Oprah Winfrey) that San Luis Obispo, Calif. is the happiest place in America. But, really, why is that? Is there something in the water that makes every resident feel a bit more contented than residents of other towns? Is it the way we treat each other? Is it the fact that we are surrounded by open spaces? Maybe. Here are a few reasons why we think San Luis Obispo (or SLO, to locals) is the happiest place in America.
- Not only are San Luis Obispo residents kind and generous, we are also empowered to have a say in how the city grows. A recent example of this was the defeat of Measure H, a dead-end measure that sought to stifle the city’s growth by preventing the long-planned extension of Prado Road to Broad Street in the southern region of the city. Youth sports advocates, environmentalists, neighborhood activists and business interest supporters rallied to fight against the measure, which saw an 80 percent/20 percent defeat on Election Day 2010. This isn’t the first time residents have come together to ensure that our city is exactly what we want it to be, and it certainly won’t be the last.
- San Luis Obispo is business-friendly and doesn’t compromise its excellent quality of life. Several well-known businesses, including Jamba Juice and Kinkos, started in this small town, and San Luis Obispo was cited in 2008 as one of the 100 Best Places to Live and Launch a Business by “Fortune Small Business” magazine. It’s true that new successful businesses are always sprouting up here. But even with economic prosperity, one constant remains: SLO’s unique quality of life. We ardently protect our clean air and water, beautiful and accessible natural landscapes, excellent schools, first-class health care and diverse cultural and recreational opportunities, along with personal safety and a true sense of community.
- San Luis Obispo is happily active. It’s difficult to live in a community surrounded by rolling hills, lakes and oceans and not partake in the countless activities that keep you fit and healthy. San Luis Obispo was even recently cited as one of the most active cities in the nation. Many residents bike and walk to work every day, and even new office buildings are required to have bike lockers and showers so people can clean up before work. We’re very lucky that the city makes an effort to provide good sidewalks and bike lanes and takes steps to decrease and slow car traffic, which, research shows, ultimately increases activity levels. And there are more than 6,500 acres of protected open space for hiking, biking and yearlong outdoor activities.
- San Luis Obispo supports the arts. Residents love their art – from performance art to the visual arts. This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the Performing Arts Center in San Luis Obispo, a state-of-the-art performance facility that exposes the Central Coast to varied, high quality arts events designed to serve diverse audience interests. San Luis Obispo is also home of the annual San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, an event that brings together filmmakers, festival-goers and celebrities from around the world. Even the utility boxes in downtown San Luis Obispo are beautiful. The city and the San Luis Obispo Downtown Association worked together to create The Box Art project. The funds for the project were used to pay 13 local artists to paint 16 utility boxes in the downtown region – and what amazing works of art they are!
- San Luis Obispo weather is as pleasant as it gets. San Luis Obispo County has one of the world’s most comfortable climates. The weather is perfect 306 days of the year. While more than half of the country is trekking through snow, ice, sleet and rain this time of year, we’re enjoying perfect 75 degree weather without a cloud in the sky. Sure, it rains here, and we have our moments of unpleasant weather, but for most of the year, we enjoy beautiful sunny skies and a moderate climate. The summers here are delightfully mild, with daytime highs usually in the low 80s, and cool evenings. Winters are even better with daytime highs in the 60s and 70s, and crisp, clear nights. Frost is rare, snow almost unheard of. (A dusting of snow always makes the front page of the local paper.) This perfect weather allows us to be more social and active when residents of other cities in the nation are holed up inside.
To find out more about what makes San Luis Obispo the "Happiest place in America," browse the rest of this website and think about taking the time to visit SLO. |
