Yes! Woohoo! I’m psyched!

That’s just what I, as a citizen of Boulder, Colorado, say when waking up each morning.

As for this latest honor, I can practically guarantee it won’t even make water cooler talk at offices around Boulder. Why?

Photo link to Bob Carmichael’s work here.

Because, of course, we already knew Boulder was a pretty special place to get to live. Many of us have tried to leave, go to hip NYC or happening LA…but we’re sucked back. Probably ’cause of Niwot’s Curse—the kindest curse ever laid at the feet of man.

Boulder is, as a City, young: we just turned 150. But our mountains and the air and the trees are ancient; they are our gods, our Empire State Building, our history.

And, besides, here in Boulder, we win so many goshdarned polls each year: best place to live, best place to bike, best small city for singles, smartest city, fittest city, best real estate market in the country, best place to raise kids, Brett Greene’s favorite place to live, healthiest city, greenest, best place to be a runner, best place to retire, geekiest place to get rich, best arts culture (?!), greenest university, number one party college, gay-friendly, best best farmers’ market (for more lists, click here for an “official” list)…that, like the blissed-out lucky-and-don’t-we-know-it brats we are, we don’t even pay any attention (we’re too busy sipping maté and tapping away at our MacBooks while arguing about Gladwell or Pollan‘s latest piece at our favorite local indie café, then cycling off to yoga class).

I myself grew up here in Boulder, left when I as 13, visited every summer just about, and finally got sucked back in 10 years ago, when I was 25. While I’m not at all sure that I’ll live here forever, I’m acting like I am: I bought an overpriced lovely old Victorian (or, rather, the bank did), and green renovated it, I got a pooch (33% of Boulder households have a dog!), and work hard at getting friends to move here. I nearly ran for Boulder City Council last year, before realizing my time would be better spent trying to pay for my mortgage. That said, there’s more to Boulder than our gorgeous natural setting—the people here have, since back when it was a cowtown, cared about development and protecting our environment. That’s what made this place special, and not just another suburb. and that’s what keeps it special: our green-minded civic and business leaders.

I love the place.

Via Huffington Post:

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index was compiled based on interviews with more than 350,000 Americans, USA Today reports. The “life evaluation” for each city consisted of job opportunities, personal finances, physical health, moods, emotions, and communities.

Via USA Today (click for link and index to other cities)

Bonus:

From my friend The Duzer: