West Chester Makes List Of Best Places To Live In America

WEST CHESTER, PA — Real estate news website Livability.com on Tuesday ranked West Chester among the 100 best places to live in America. The Chester County government seat came in at No. 49 of 100.

The publication lauded West Chester's variety of good reasons to live there — University life, downtown eateries, performance arts as well as rooftop bars, and walkability.

"Home to just 20,000 people, West Chester is a charming, historic borough located about an hour from downtown Philadelphia. This college town is vibrant and full of life, thanks to the presence of students and faculty at West Chester University. It has a historic downtown, top-notch health care offerings, and great schools, making it equally as appealing to retirees as it is to young families," wrote journalist Sarah Kuta.

Here is Livability.com's list of observations about West Chester and why made their list:

Top Colleges/Universities: West Chester University
Top Industries and Employers: Finance, retail, health care, education, and transportation and logistics.
Weekend Plans: Catch a show at Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center.
Favorite Place to Feast: Limoncello, which offers authentic Italian cuisine right downtown.
Beloved Beverage: Any of the IPAs made by Levante Brewing Company, a fun brewery located in an industrial building just a few minutes from the university campus.
Outdoorsy Activity: Love to ride your bike and meet new people? Join the long-running West Chester Cycling Club for a little camaraderie on two wheels as you ride the gently rolling hills in and around the borough.
Rooftop Bar: Más Mexicali Cantina, which has a spacious, festive rooftop space offering views of downtown.
Why Your Pet Will Love It, Too: Your pup will love shopping at locally-owned spots like All the Dogs, a downtown West Chester pet boutique with gear, treats, toys and everything in between.
Remote Work Perk: Whether you’re a burgeoning entrepreneur or a remote worker for an established company, you’ll fit right in at Align.Space, a warm and welcoming coworking space located in downtown West Chester. It's got all the perks you need to get stuff done, including free printing, and a podcasting and recording studio.
One More Thing: The home-shopping network QVC is headquartered in West Chester, where it also has a state-of-the-art, 58,000-square-foot broadcasting facility. This is where QVC films and broadcasts all of its programs, complete with a live studio audience!" Kuta wrote.

Livability.com considered more than 1,000 small to mid-sized cities in the ranking process. The outlet surveyed residents on these factors:

• Safety
• Affordability
• Economic stability
• Outdoor recreation
• Accessibility
• Community engagement

The top 10 places to live were:

1. Madison, Wisconsin
2. Ann Arbor, Michigan
3. Overland Park, Kansas
4. Frederick, Maryland
5. Charlottesville, Virginia
6. Quincy, Massachusetts
7. Hillsboro, Oregon
8. Roseville, California
9. Colorado Springs, Colorado
10. Vancouver, Washington

The full list is viewable here.

Jacob Baumgart contributed to this report.

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