LUXURY ESTATES UPDATES

FROM:

KATHRYN REITZEN     

Great places for clean air

Feel free to breathe deep: In these 20 towns, the air quality is rated highly, and pollution levels are below the U.S. average.

Air pollution index (lower is better): 80

Kihei, HI

2 of 20

Population: 21,550

Air quality index (% good days): 98.4%

Air pollution index (lower is better): 87

Waipio, HI

3 of 20

Population: 11,919

Air quality index (% good days): 98.3%

Air pollution index (lower is better): 77

Boone, NC

4 of 20

Population: 17,609

Air quality index (% good days): 98.3%

Air pollution index (lower is better): 98

Cookeville, TN

5 of 20

Population: 31,753

Air quality index (% good days): 97.2%

Air pollution index (lower is better): 97

 

San Anselmo, CA

6 of 20

Population: 12,577

Air quality index (% good days): 97%

Air pollution index (lower is better): 83

Pueblo West, CO

7 of 20

Population: 30,322

Air quality index (% good days): 97%

Air pollution index (lower is better): 94

Pacific Grove, CA

8 of 20

Population: 15,340

Air quality index (% good days): 96.8%

Air pollution index (lower is better): 79

Aberdeen, SD

9 of 20

Population: 26,748

Air quality index (% good days): 96.8%

Air pollution index (lower is better): 93

Silver City, NM

10 of 20

Population: 10,168

Air quality index (% good days): 96.7%

Air pollution index (lower is better): 95

Niceville, FL

11 of 20

Population: 12,663

Air quality index (% good days): 96.4%

Air pollution index (lower is better): 76

Saratoga Springs, NY

12 of 20

Population: 26,909

Air quality index (% good days): 95.9%

Air pollution index (lower is better): 78

McKinleyville, CA

13 of 20

Population: 15,240

Air quality index (% good days): 95.6%

Air pollution index (lower is better): 100

Colchester, VT

14 of 20

Population: 17,262

Air quality index (% good days): 95.4%

Air pollution index (lower is better): 85

Kapaa, HI

15 of 20

Population: 10,966

Air quality index (% good days): 94.9%

Air pollution index (lower is better): 82

Salem, VA

16 of 20

Population: 25,271

Air quality index (% good days): 94.6%

Air pollution index (lower is better): 98

Millbrook, AL

17 of 20

Population: 15,391

Air quality index (% good days): 94.3%

Air pollution index (lower is better): 72

Healdsburg, CA

18 of 20

Population: 11,543

Air quality index (% good days): 94%

Air pollution index (lower is better): 83

Auburn, ME

19 of 20

Population: 23,544

Air quality index (% good days): 93.8%

Air pollution index (lower is better): 93

Ormond Beach, FL

20 of 20

Population: 38,239

Air quality index (% good days): 93.4%

Air pollution index (lower is better): 76

 

Best big-city neighborhoods

What's the best place to live in NYC? L.A.? Based on NeighborhoodScout.com data, city visits, and talks with locals, we named these top areas, listed by overall city population.

Pros: Historic brownstones and proximity to 585-acre Prospect Park make this area a favorite of New Yorkers looking to escape Manhattan shoeboxes. The new Barclays Center arena is a close walk but still removed from the heart of the neighborhood.

Crime rates are akin to those in the suburbs, and transport options include a 40-minute subway ride to Midtown Manhattan. Locals love the award-winning restaurants, food co-op, farmers' markets, and homegrown bakeries and shops.

"I could go weeks without leaving," says Nancy Liao, founder of a pet-food business.

Cons: Newbies may struggle to adjust to the lack of big-box retail or supermarkets. And the real estate market is brutal (this is New York City): Homes are the priciest on our list, though still lower than in many areas in Manhattan.  

Pros: Want a snapshot of Silver Lake? Try the two-mile jogging path that surrounds the area's reservoirs, where you'll spot people of all ages and ethnicities walking dogs, working out, and pushing strollers.

Close to 4,200-acre Griffith Park, this area has blossomed in recent years, becoming a haven for families as well as the hipsters who first popularized it. The stretch of Sunset Boulevard that runs through Silver Lake is packed with shops and hotspots, defying the "no walking in L.A." clich�.

Locals say Ivanhoe Elementary is excellent, and involved parents are beginning to raise the bar at other local schools.

Pros: If any 'hood is all things to all people, it's Lakeview. Ask residents what they like best, and some will tell you about the show they saw in the Belmont Theater District. Others will talk about the parks, golf course, and easy access to Lake Michigan. Then there are those who point to Wrigley Field or the Boystown district, Chicago's largest gay and lesbian community.

And it's all just five miles north of the downtown Loop, with affordable homes and easy access to the L.

Pros: Houstonians are blessed when it comes to affordable housing and an abundance of jobs. But Houston Heights offers something rare for this city: an urban, walkable area with a cohesive neighborhood vibe.

Shops and restaurants line the main thoroughfare of 19th Street: Highlights include vintage-clothing stores and a small-batch coffee roaster. Pocket parks dot the landscape, one with a community center and pool, and walking and biking paths connect the Heights with the city's larger trail network.

Pros: Mount Airy pairs a racially and religiously diverse population with a neighborhood packed with historic homes and leafy streets.

Germantown Avenue, which divides East and West Mount Airy, is the backbone of the nabe and home to shops, art centers, and restaurants. Houses here start at about $200,000, roughly 30% lower than in neighboring Chestnut Hill (though you can easily pay $500,000 in the tonier parts of West Mount Airy).

Plus, the area is just a 10-minute walk from Fairmount Park, where residents can hike and picnic.

Pros: Charming mid-century cottages are a hallmark of this neighborhood-in fact, Windsor Square hosts regular home tours to show them off.

But that's not all residents have to tout. The area has excellent schools, and Windsor Square's small size, array of shopping and amenities, and convenient Metro stop mean locals can often leave the car at home, an unusual option in Phoenix.

"Being able to walk to the explosion of new restaurants, the light rail, and a place to get my hair done is a great lifestyle," says 48-year-old attorney Susan Myers.

Pros: Five miles north of downtown, Alamo Heights offers a short commute and easy access to the city's botanical gardens, newest mall, and a public golf course. And there's plenty to do in the area itself, thanks to Olmos Basin Park and a slew of stores along Broadway Avenue.

Officially it's an incorporated city (advantage: lower taxes), but locals consider the area a regular San Antonio neighborhood. Alamo Heights is known as an "old money" enclave-and has the top-performing schools to match-but you can find a home for $250,000.

Pros: Pacific Beach has a rep as a nightlife-packed post-collegiate party spot. Lately, however, the area has started to grow up.

Young professionals are flocking for the quality of life and relatively affordable homes (in nearby La Jolla, a typical home costs about $1million). The schools are another draw; Sessions Elementary and Pacific Beach Middle School are among the best in the city.

Courtney Ludwin, 36, moved to Pacific Beach 10 years ago and "fell in love with the laid-back beach community," he says. Last year he and his wife and twin 3-year-old boys bought a house where they can walk to restaurants and the beach. "I'm fortunate to live in a place where most people come to vacation," he says.

Pros: The key to Lakewood is in the name. During the day, the action is on the bike/walk trails circling White Rock Lake, and in the sprawling parks and gardens. Later, people head into town for shopping and dining, maybe capped with a movie at the Art Deco-style Lakewood Theater.

One of the city's older neighborhoods, Lakewood offers a mix of homes, including stately Tudors. While not cheap, real estate prices are reasonable enough to attract young professionals and families.

Another plus: a very low crime rate.

Pros: Just a five-minute drive from downtown, Willow Glen nevertheless feels more like its own bustling town than an urban outpost. Local businesses include a children's bookstore and Bill's Cafe, a 36-year-old Sunday brunch fixture. The area hosts regular events like music festivals and wine-tasting walks.

The streets are lined with well-kept homes, ranging from century-old Craftsman houses to recent rebuilds. For folks looking to head downtown or to nearby cities, there are three regional rail lines in or bordering Willow Glen.

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