During the recession, many families are reconsidering where to live and considering making a mistake, something they take very seriously and cannot afford to make a mistake. But where do they move too? Where can they get all the information they need to make an informed decision? Well boy, do I have the perfect book to help with this quest:

“Places Rated Almanac; Your Guide to Finding the Best Places to Live in the United States and Canada” (Millennium Special Edition) by David Savageau with Ralph D’Agostino; IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., Foster City, CA; 2000.

This book is a wealth of information on places to live, listing some 354 metropolitan areas ranked by crime, weather, arts, recreation, sports teams, job base, education, transportation, energy, pollution, cost of living, and health care . considerations There is so much data in this book that you will be impressed and will make you consider things you have never thought about before, such as the number of restaurants, churches or parks. How about bike lanes, traffic times, yes, everything on the list.

What about high paying jobs? Cost of houses, rents or business locations? Rainy days, sunny days, cloudy days, stormy days, well it’s all here in one giant almanac book and you can cross reference to your heart’s content. All suburbs and drive times to the city are listed as well as trains, buses, subways, light rail, airports, number of airlines, it’s a demographic dream come true, perfect for business or just deciding where to live and hanging up your hat, raise a family or retire.