What makes a small town cool? According to Budget Travel, the town must be less than 10,000 in population, on the upswing, a place that’s beginning to draw attention and new residents because of the quality of life, arts, and restaurants, and proximity to nature. A couple of other comments from the magazine,
- “You have to be able to get a good cup of coffee!”
- “When people leave for the big city, they realize they’ve made a mistake and come back home.”
Of course to the folks who live and work around here this proclamation comes as no surprise. We have some amazing attributes and clearly deserve this declaration. From great companies like Jeld Wen and Grinnell Mutual (and many more) to wonderful schools; from Grinnell College to Ahrens Park; from our historic downtown to the beauty of the houses on Main and Broad Street; from the fledgling Transportation Museum to all the City of Grinnell projects like the Drake Library and Public Safety Building. The list could go on and on, however I think you get the idea!
Of course, I would like to also think that the medical center also helps to contribute to making Grinnell such a great place to live. Cool towns don’t just happen. It takes talented and dedicated people working together to create such an outstanding town. Generations of Grinnellians have put their shoulder to effort and as my friend Claude Ahrens used to say, “leave it better than you found it.”
Congratulations to Bill Menner and all the people who continue to put Grinnell on the map. It is always fun to be recognized by others for the hard work and effort all our citizens have made in creating truly one of the coolest small towns in America!
The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent GRMC’s positions, strategies, or opinions.
1 comment:
When we talk about the qualities that make Grinnell "cool," don't forget the outstanding long-term care facilities which help stabilize this community with the one of the country's highest rates of residents living in a retirement community. That means that we retain and attract older people with gifts to share. (And, of course, those residents made a bunch of calls to vote for Grinnell!) Bob Mann, Mayflower Community
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