The great city of Minneapolis has received a great deal of kudos recently from various semi-useless, semi-pride-inducing rankings. Being a non-native Minnesotan, I’ve taken it upon myself to celebrate all the props my new home has received. Here are a few examples:
We’re in Shape
For the third year in a row, Minneapolis ranks the fittest city by the American College of Sports Medicine. Important factors in the ranking consist of preventative health behaviors, residents’ access to healthcare, rate of chronic diseases, and “community resources and policies that support physical activity.” 90 percent of Minneapolis folks have health insurance and 77 percent reported that they’ve exercised in the last month. Flex those muscles, Minneapolis!
We’re Snobby
Travel and Leisure magazine just ranked Minneapolis the fourth snobbiest city in the nation. What does that mean, you ask? It means that cities were ranked on several criteria including level of tech-savviness, number of artisanal coffeehouses, reporting eco-consciousness, prevalence of cultural offerings, intelligence of residents, and other factors of snobtudery. Put those pinkies in the air, Minneapolitans, you’ve earned it!
http://travel.yahoo.com/ideas/america-s-snobbiest-cities-202446217.html
We Love Our Parks
Beating out San Francisco, Minneapolis has become the home of the best city park system in the nation. Why does that matter? Because inner peace comes from natural balance. Also, it means you can get your ultimate Frisbee on in more places. The Trust for Public Land looked at how many residents can reach a park quickly by foot, median park size, the percentage of total city area dedicated to parks, per capita spending, and the number of playgrounds available per 10,000 city residents. Now, you have no reason not to get outside on a beautiful day.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/05/us-usa-cities-parks-idUSBRE95404020130605
Three cheers for Minneapolis!
-Jordan Bainer is a senior account executive at d.trio marketing group