Forbes recently announced their “Ten Best Small Cities to Raise a Family,” and Marquette was designated #3 in the nation and Midland was designated as No. 4 in the nation. In reaching their decision, Forbes.com reviewed multiple quality-of-life measures that make living easier for families with a population under 100,000. Of the 126 cities falling under that parameter, they ranked each city on five measures including affordability, education and jobs.

For details, go here. Also read articles about this designation from The Mining Journal in Marquette and the original article by Forbes. Both Midland and Marquette and members of the Michigan Municipal League.

Matt Bach is director of communications for the Michigan Municipal League. He can be reached at (734) 669-6317 or mbach@mml.org.

I knew it!  And I can prove it.  What am I talking about?  Well…Ann Arbor has been named one of the best college sports towns by Forbes Magazine.  Check out the article by clicking here.

How did I know it?  Well, I went to school at the University of Michigan (93-97) and have been to so many different sporting events.  I have been to football, basketball, hockey, swimming, and other sports.  Watching sports at U of M is so much fun.

Not only have I watched sports at U of M, though, I have also been to games at EVERY Big 10 stadium (Ohio State, Wisconsin, MSU, Minnesota, Penn State, Iowa, Illinois, Purdue, Northwestern, Indiana).  Add to that attendance at games at the following Universities: Notre Dame (South Bend), Syracuse, Oregon (Eugene), Central Michigan (Mt. Pleasant), the Rose Bowl (Pasadena), and the Outback Bowl (Tampa Bay).  So, I have been to many cities and experienced many different places with awesome energy and cultures.

I, of course, am biased, and would say that the University of Michigan is the best of them.  Although different cities had different awesome traditions, to me Michigan is the best overall place to be.  It was a great city to spend four years of my life – wonderful downtown, great bars and restaurants, movies, theater, shopping, and always something to do.  I am glad that Forbes recognizes this as well!

Andy Schor is the Assistant Director of State Affairs for the Michigan Municipal League.  Contact him at (517) 908-0300 or by email.