Healthy cities retorts - Letter to the Editor

Although your article "America's Healthiest Cities" (April 2002) was very informative, I was surprised Burlington, Vt., did not appear on your list. I lived in the Burlington area for three years and found it to be an extremely health-conscious community. Burlington has been on the cutting edge for everything, from recycling to alternative and integrative health options to natural food markets. The Burlington community enhances the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of its residents.

Stefanie Poloian
Newmarket, N.H., via email

You omitted Santa Monica, Calif., from your list of healthiest cities. Santa Monica is air-conditioned by ocean breezes, and it has less rain and more sunny days than Miami, your top-rated city. Coffee shops feature healthy meals such as scrambled tofu and veggie burgers.

It also boasts three farmers markets with a large selection of organic produce. Other amenities include yoga centers and vegan cooking classes. Santa Monica is as close to paradise as is possible on this planet.

Ralph Meyer
Santa Monica, Calif.

Editor's Note: Burlington and Santa Monica are great places to live. However, our survey studied the 50 largest U.S. cities.

I noticed that Las Vegas ranked 9th on your healthiest cities list. Since I lived there for seven years this made me laugh. Las Vegas is a heavy smoking town with a bar on every comer. People smoke at the front of grocery stores as they gamble. There are few parks and health food stores, and there is only one vegetarian restaurant. Although Vegas does have many fitness centers and sunny days, these hardly replace parks.

Crystal Wooldridge
Eugene, Ore., via email

I believe your healthiest cities article is inaccurate. Being an Austinite makes me damn proud, and to put Austin at 15 and Albuquerque at 4 makes me think you didn't do your homework. I lived in Albuquerque for four months and never could find a vegetarian restaurant. Yet I can name four off the top of my head right here in Austin. Albuquerque had one small health food store. Austin is not only the base for the Whole Foods chain, but it also has another chain called Sun Harvest Farms. The sun shines all year long in Austin, too. The natural offerings in Austin far outweigh those in Albuquerque.

Ricki
Austin, Texas, via email

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