Crested Butte named in Outside’s top 20 towns

Magazine honors progressive communities

With the wildflowers blooming and glorious summer days in full tilt, Crested Butte residents may find themselves musing that this is among the best places to live in the nation.

Well, the secret’s out.
Outside Magazine has named Crested Butte among its 20 Best Towns in America for 2008 in its August issue, which will hit the stands next week.
“We’ve been discovered,” jokes Crested Butte mayor Alan Bernholtz. “It’s great for a town as cool as this to get the recognition it deserves.”
Crested Butte is featured as the number nine town, joined on the list by communities like Washington D.C.; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Ogden, Utah; Tacoma, Washington; Ithaca, New York; Louisville, Kentucky; Eureka, California; and Columbia, Missouri.
Outside, which has 2.3 million readers, highlights the cities that have the greatest opportunities for living the “good life,” whether those are cultural, natural amenities or fitness-focused. The magazine says its top picks represent the best that the United States has to offer in terms of revitalization.
Outside senior editor Jeremy Spencer said the magazine focused on cities that have evolved themselves in recent years. “These are classic examples of places that have reinvented themselves from a low spot and changed for the better,” he says. 
Washington, D.C. topped the list and was chosen due to its recent revitalization after years in the economic doldrums. The magazine noted the influx of young entrepreneurs into the city, along with the new LEED-certified Nationals baseball stadium.
Locally, Outside observed the recent upswing in Crested Butte after Tim and Diane Mueller purchased Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) in 2004. With plenty of upgrades planned at the resort, new construction and colorful business owners and residents, the magazine observes that young families are taking up residence. According to the magazine, the median income in Crested Butte is $41,250, with a median home value of $301,100. The average commute is 10 minutes and the largest employer is CBMR.
While it may be surprising to find the nation’s capital and Crested Butte on the same list, Spencer says editors look to provide a diverse variety of places.  
Bernholtz reminds residents that they are the ones to thank for the ranking. “It’s you and your neighbors that make this place desirable and fun,” he says.