Thursday, July 2, 2009

Rockwall named among 10 best places for families by Family Circle magazine

By J.J. Smith of TheRockwallNews.com

The City of Rockwall has just been named as one of the “Family Circle 10 Best Towns” in America for families to live in by Family Circle magazine.

In the July edition, which will hit newstands this Tuesday, Rockwall joined nine other “family-friendly” towns with populations between 15,000 and 150,000 residents: Evans, Ga.; Sherwood, Ore.; Indian Trail, N.C.; Edina, Minn.; Noblesville, Ind.; Perrysburg, Ohio; Hendersonville, Tenn.; Kenmore, Wash.; and Sun Prairie, Wis.

They were selected from over 1,700 communities, according to the popular national publication with 21 million readers.

All of the communities named in the Family Circle 10 Best Towns were judged on their affordable housing, neighborhood friendliness, parks access and public schooling. They also had to have an average household income of at least $75,000.

City of Rockwall Mayor Bill Cecil said he thinks “the designation is absolutely wonderful.”

“It’s the citizens who make Rockwall what it is,” he said. “The community as a whole needs to be recognized.”

“Our sense of purpose, our sense of community, the way our people provide so much. All of us are working together to make Rockwall what it is.”

He added that there are many excellent organizations which play into making Rockwall what it is about, and cited the Rockwall ISD as a leading example.

Family Circle senior editor Paula Chin said the survey, in its third year, is one of the magazine’s most popular features. She said the focus was on schools this year and only the highest-rated were considered.

Each community is described by the magazine as “the perfect place to call home.”

“Each of the towns honored is made up of forward thinking leaders, parents, teachers and students who are passionate about their hometown … and involved in advancing their local school systems,” according to Family Circle spokesperson Jim Patterson.

All the communities also do a good job of providing health care to the uninsured and of providing dual-language classrooms, he added.

The survey was conducted by a New York City real estate marketing firm, and compiled by magazine staffers.

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