NEW: Providence Named Top City for Healthy Families
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Talk about a gold star.
Parents Magazine thinks Providence is one of the healthiest cities in the US for families. The capital city took the #5 spot in the brand-new rankings from the popular magazine's October 2011 issue which has just hit newsstands.
"This small, tight-knit community thinks big," says Karen Cicero at Parents. "Providence has as many playgrounds and ball fields as cities two to three times its size, plus its own top-notch children's hospital."
Great grades for Providence
Parents awarded grades to its winning cities on five measures: Providence earned an A+ for medical care, a B for healthy schools, a B- for air & water, an A for outdoor fun, and an A for family safety.
To arrive at these grades and the rankings, Parents gave 150 of the nation's largest cities a checkup, examining 40 criteria to see which ones are making your family's well-being a top priority. "We were looking for schools that have frequent gym classes, kid doctors and specialists galore," wrote Cicero, "businesses that don't pollute, parks in every neighborhood, and more."
Tasty, healthy food for kids and parents
More praise came from Parents for the food scene recently honored by Travel + Leisure for spawning a true "foodie" culture. "The food scene is superb, with lots of mom-and-pop cafes in town, many serving up local seafood," says Cicero. Parents quotes Ellen Gracylyny, owner of Gracie's restaurant and mother of 2, who says that "it's not unusual to see 3- and 4-year-olds digging into clams or shrimp here."
More love from Parents for Farm Fresh Rhode Island, plus a shout-out to our restaurants and private schools that buy locally grown food.
The rest of the pack
Leading the list this year is San Francisco, CA; followed by #2 Boston, MA; #3 Honolulu, HI; and #4 Seattle, WA. Rounding out the Top 10 are #6 Des Moines, IA; #7 San Diego, CA; #8 Denver, CO; #9 Portland, OR; and #10 Lincoln NE.
For all the rankings, go here.
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