>It’s fun to live in a city that’s a shining star

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Those of us who live in Boise and the Treasure Valley know it’s a great place to live. That’s why we’re here.

Lately, Boise has been getting positive, national recognition for being one of the best places to live and work. Sometimes local residents cringe when Boise gets singled out like this because they want it to remain a secret, but when economic times are tough, it sure is nice to be a shining star.

Last week, Boise ranked No. 4 in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine’s annual list of the Top 10 Best Cities to Live, Work and Play. They called Boise “Rocky Mountain High Tech.”

“How do folks get any work done around here? The skiing, snowboarding, fishing, biking and kayaking in and around Boise are an almost irresistible temptation to desert your desk,” wrote Amy Bickers of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.

In March, Forbes magazine selected Boise as the second-best place in the country for business and careers, and it ranked Boise seventh among the top 10 Up-and-Coming Tech Cities. Boise also ranked No. 2 on MSNBC’s Top 10 Places To Live In America largely because of housing prices.

There must be some truth to Boise being a great place for business and careers because Forbes keeps ranking the city in the top 5. This was the fourth year in a row when Boise was in the top 5. Last year, we were ranked third, and we ranked first in 2005.

Boise owes its high ranking to a low cost of doing business (rent is reasonable, power costs are among the lowest in the nation, regulation is minimal compared to bigger states, the cost of labor also is reasonable, and Boise has a well-educated work force).

So if you’re already in Boise, enjoy it. If you’re not, and you’re thinking about coming here, then these new reports might give you even more incentive.