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Best cities for jobs

Bill Sullivan — Thu, 07 May 2009 22:00:04 +0000

While the last few months have been full of stories about companies laying off workers or going bankrupt, not all of the news is so gloomy. Some cities have weathered the recession reasonably well. Others have barely been touched by hard times.

Forbes recently identified the best big cities or regions for would-be workers to find (or keep) positions.

Here’s the list:

10. Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, Ore./Wash.

9. Oklahoma City, Okla.

8. Raleigh-Cary, N.C.

7. Salt Lake City, Utah

6. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash.

5. Dallas-Plano-Irving, Tex.

4. Fort Worth-Arlington, Tex.

3. San Antonio, Tex.

2. Houston-Sugar Land-Bay Town, Tex.

1. Austin-Round Rock, Tex.

What makes these cities some of your best bets for job-seeking? Visit Forbes to find out!

Best city skylines

Bill Sullivan — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:09:09 +0000

Okay, so maybe not everyone is cut out for life in the big city. The high price of real estate, the crowds, and the hassle of getting from Point A to Point B can take a lot of the fun out of hanging your hat in the big town.

For some, the view from afar works just fine. A New York or a Chicago can be appreciated for the majesty of their architecture, and their skylines rank among the best around.

Who else needs to be in the discussion? The folks from Forbes Traveler thought you’d never ask. They’ve put together their list of the World’s Most Stunning City Skylines.

Here’s a peek:

Sydney

To read a little about each of these selections, and to see a slideshow, visit Forbes Traveler.

U.S. metros with largest population growth

GetListy — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:22:39 +0000

Photo: City of Dallas

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that these metro areas added the most population through July 1 of 2008:

Rank	Metropolitan area	2008 population	Population increase from 2007	Percent growth
1.	Dallas	6,300,006	146,532	2.4
2.	Houston	5,728,143	130,185	2.3
3.	Phoenix	4,281,899	115,978	2.8
4.	Atlanta	5,376,285	114,989	2.2
5.	Los Angeles	12,872,808	88,196	0.7
6.	New York	19,006,798	84,227	0.4
7.	Chicago	9,569,624	72,771	0.8
8.	Austin	1,652,602	60,012	3.8
9.	San Francisco	4,274,531	58,406	1.4
10.	Washington, D.C.	5,358,130	55,835	1.1

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Consecutive Final Four appearances

Bill Sullivan — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:20:09 +0000

With so much money being spent on college basketball programs these days, just about anyone can put together a few good players, catch a couple of lucky breaks, and find themselves in the Final Four.

Putting together a sustained run of excellence is quite another matter. As hard as it is to get there once or twice, consider the magnitude of UCLA’s unmatched streak of 10 consecutive trips to the game’s final weekend.

Who else has the most consecutive Final Four appearances?

Here’s the list:

10 – UCLA (1967-76)
5 – Cincinnati (1959-63)
5 – Duke (1988-92)
3 – Houston (1982-84)
3 – Kentucky (1996-98)
3 – Michigan State (1999-01)
3 – North Carolina (1967-69)
3 – Ohio State (1944-46)
3 – Ohio State (1960-62)
3 - San Francisco (1955-57)
3 – UCLA (2006-2008)

See all COLLEGE BASKETBALL lists

Most congested cities

Bill Sullivan — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:29:30 +0000

If it seems like traffic is just getting worse out there, you may not be imagining things. More people+same (or decaying) roads=greater problems.

The INRIX National Traffic Scorecard 2008 Annual Report has just been released. The study analyzed congestion across the United States in comparison to 2007.

How do they do it? Tens of billions of GPS data points from vehicles on 47,000 miles of roadways are used to rank the most congested metropolitan areas and worst traffic bottlenecks.

Here are the 10 worst congested cities, and how their ranking has changed over the past year:

Rank	Metro Area	Change
1	Los Angeles	Same
2	New York	Same
3	Chicago	Same
4	Dallas/Fort Worth	Up 1 Spot
5	Washington, D.C.	Down 1 Spot
6	Houston	Up 1 Spot
7	San Francisco	Down 1 Spot
8	Boston	Same
9	Seattle/Tacoma	Same
10	Minneapolis/St. Paul	Up 3 Spots

For more information, and a list of worst intersections, visit INRIX.

Most polluted cities

Bill Sullivan — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:44:48 +0000

In case you are feeling better about your efforts to recycle, cut down on your automobile use and/or drive more environmentally-friendly vehicles, we’re not here to rain on your parade. Keep up the good work.

Unfortunately, the company you keep might be a problem. If you live in any of the metropolitan areas below, it might be time to put a little heat on your friends and neighbors to clean up their act.

Here are two different looks at the Top 10 most polluted U.S. cities:

(By year-round particle pollution)
1. Los Angeles, California
2. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
3. Bakersfield, California
4. Birmingham, Alabama
5. Visalia/Porterville, California
6. Atlanta, Georgia
7. Cincinnati, Ohio
8. Fresno/Madera, California
9. Hanford/Corcoran, California
10. Detroit, Michigan

(By ozone)
1. Los Angeles, California
2. Bakersfield, California
3. Visalia/Porterville, California
4. Houston, Texas
5. Fresno/Madera, California
6. Sacramento, California
7. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
8. New York City/Newark, New Jersey
9. Baltimore, Maryland/Washington, DC
10. Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Source: American Lung Association

Related Links

Read about how a solar plan in Los Angeles is sending up political flares in that city.

Top U.S. markets for price growth in condos

PR Newswire — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:40:31 +0000

From Realtor.com

Despite the effects of today’s economic challenges on the nation’s housing market, local metro areas throughout the country are delivering strong median sales price growth on condominiums, representing better buying opportunities especially for first-time home buyers, based on the most recent Existing-Home Sales quarterly report from the National Association of Realtors.

Here are the top markets:

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington: The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area led the country with a double digit increase in median condo prices (+11.1%) during Q3 of 2008, compared to Q3 of 2007.(1) Unemployment was at 5.7% in November of 2008.(2) The median income was $64.8K.(3) Historically, this area has had the sixth highest GDP among the 363 MSAs in the nation.(4) For around $150K, buyers can purchase a 3 Bed, 2.5 Bath home with around 1500 square feet of space.

Bismarck, ND: Bismarck was the only other metro area with a double digit median price gain (+11.0%) in Q3.(1) It had the second lowest jobless rate in the nation (2.6%),(2) with many residents employed in the healthcare industry, a sector that has been impacted less by the recession than other industries. The median income was $64.4K(3), the second highest of the six featured cities. Bismarck also has a very pro-business local government(5) that supports the success of its many self-employed residents. With a population of just 97.4K, it delivered the 68th lowest GDP in the nation as of the last government report.(4) Buyers can expect a median condo price of $148K(1) that will buy a 1750 sq ft home with 2 Beds and 2 Baths.

Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land, TX: This area came in third among the six on our list with a healthy 8.1% increase in median condo prices during Q3 of 2008.(1) It did slightly better than its northerly neighbor in the area of unemployment, reporting a 5.5% jobless rate in November of 2008. The median income is lower than the Dallas area, however, at $61.1K.(3) It has outranked Dallas in GDP in the past, with the fifth highest in the nation.(4) More condo for the money is available here. More spacious 3 Bed, 2.5 Bath homes, are being offered for around $135K.

New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA: Real estate is gaining ground in New Orleans during the ongoing recovery from Katrina. The median home price increased by 7.7% during Q3 of 2008(1) as buyers take advantage of historically low prices. This area had 4.9% unemployment in November of 2008.(2) The median income was $59.8K.(3) Historically, this area has had the 41st highest GDP among the 363 metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) in the nation.(4) For $172K, buyers get a 1 Bed, 1 Bath, 450 Sq Ft flat on historic Burgundy Street.

Rochester, NY: Rochester offers the second largest economy in New York State, next to the Big Apple, a fact that may be helping condo prices during the recession.(1) Known as the world capital of imaging, it commands a substantial share of imaging and optical science in the local market and universities. Rochester had 5.9% unemployment, the highest among the markets listed but still well below the national unemployment rate of 6.5% (2). The median income was $63.5K.(3) Rochester had the 52nd highest GDP in the nation as of the latest report.(4) The median condo price is $121K,(1) making it one of the most affordable of the US metro areas experiencing a median price increase (+5.8%). At about that price, expect to buy a 2 Bed, 1 Bath Townhouse offering around 1100 Sq Ft.

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: This area has the highest median price point of our top six. A 1 Bed, 1 Bath high rise condo with 600 Sq Ft of living space and a city view can be had for the local median price of $207K.(1) Philly is the sixth most populous city in the US with the seventh largest GDP in the nation, as of the latest report.(4) Like Rochester, NY, unemployment was at 5.9%(2) but the median income was also the highest of the group at $74.3K.(4)

Source: Realtor.com

Republican Convention Cities

Bill Sullivan — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:35:53 +0000

Since visiting Miami Beach for consecutive gatherings in 1968 and ‘72, the Republican National Convention has been a movable feast. When Minneapolis-St. Paul opens its doors to the G.O.P., it will be the eighth different city over the past 32 years to play host to the event.

Republicans have done a good job of using their convention as a springboard to Election Day success, winning seven of the last 10 presidential races.

Here’s a list of the last 10 cities to serve as launching point for a Republican candidacy:

2008 — Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.

2004 — New York

2000 — Philadelphia

1996 — San Diego

1992 — Houston

1988 — New Orleans

1984 — Dallas

1980 — Detroit

1976 — Kansas City

1972 — Miami Beach

1968 — Miami Beach

Source: CNN

Most Improved Hospitals

PR Newswire — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:16:12 +0000

From Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters released its annual study identifying hospitals that demonstrated the fastest, most consistent improvement in the nation over five consecutive years. Nine of the 100 leading hospitals are in Texas. Florida and New York are each home to eight, and Pennsylvania boasts seven. Kentucky and Tennessee each have six winning hospitals, and California and Michigan have five apiece.

The study rated hospitals on eight factors — patient mortality, medical complications, patient safety, length of stay, expenses, profitability, cash-to-debt ratio, and use of evidence-based medicine. Researchers evaluated 2,867 short-term, acute care, non-federal hospitals grouped into five categories: major teaching hospitals, other teaching hospitals, large community hospitals, medium-sized community hospitals, and small community hospitals.

Here are the winning hospitals, by category:

Major Teaching Hospitals

University Medical Center – Tucson, AZ
Christiana Care Health System – Wilmington, DE
Shands at the University of Florida – Gainesville, FL
University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics – Iowa City, IA
Caritas St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center – Boston, MA
Baystate Medical Center – Springfield, MA
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center – Boston, MA
Henry Ford Hospital – Detroit, MI
The Mount Sinai Medical Center – New York, NY
New York Hospital Queens – Flushing, NY
Westchester Medical Center – Valhalla, NY
Duke University Hospital – Durham, NC
Allegheny General Hospital – Pittsburgh, PA
Vanderbilt University Medical Center – Nashville, TN
Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center – Houston, TX

Teaching Hospitals

St. Bernards Medical Center – Jonesboro, AR
St. Anthony Central Hospital – Denver, CO
Florida Hospital – Orlando, FL
Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare – Tallahassee, FL
OSF Saint Francis Medical Center – Peoria, IL
Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center-South Bend – South Bend, IN
Via Christi Regional Medical Center – Wichita, KS
Bronson Methodist Hospital – Kalamazoo, MI
St. Joseph Mercy Oakland – Pontiac, MI
McLaren Regional Medical Center – Flint, MI
St. Cloud Hospital – St. Cloud, MN
Valley Hospital Medical Center – Las Vegas, NV
Saint Barnabas Medical Center – Livingston, NJ
Altru Hospital – Grand Forks, ND
Providence St. Vincent Medical Center – Portland, OR
Saint Vincent Health Center – Erie, PA
Heritage Valley Beaver – Beaver, PA
PinnacleHealth – Harrisburg, PA
Robert Packer Hospital – Sayre, PA
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis – Memphis, TN
CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi – Corpus Christi, TX
Methodist Dallas Medical Center – Dallas, TX
Medical Center Hospital – Odessa, TX
Corpus Christi Medical Center – Corpus Christi, TX
Meriter Hospital – Madison, WI

Large Community Hospitals

Jackson Hospital – Montgomery, AL
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center – Oakland, CA
St. Bernardine Medical Center – San Bernardino, CA
Saddleback Memorial Medical Center – Laguna Hills, CA
NCH Downtown Naples Hospital – Naples, FL
Flagler Hospital – St. Augustine, FL
Boca Raton Community Hospital – Boca Raton, FL
Rockford Memorial Hospital – Rockford, IL
Hardin Memorial Hospital – Elizabethtown, KY
Western Baptist Hospital – Paducah, KY
Shady Grove Adventist Hospital – Rockville, MD
Allegiance Health – Jackson, MI
Faxton-St. Luke’s Healthcare – New Hartford, NY
Orange Regional Medical Center – Goshen, NY
Rex Healthcare – Raleigh, NC
Genesis HealthCare System – Zanesville, OH
Saint Thomas Hospital – Nashville, TN
Citizens Medical Center – Victoria, TX
CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System – Texarkana, TX
Providence Everett Medical Center – Everett, WA

Medium Community Hospitals

Brooksville Regional Hospital – Brooksville, FL
Oconee Regional Medical Center – Milledgeville, GA
Adventist GlenOaks Hospital – Glendale Heights, IL
Mary Greeley Medical Center – Ames, IA
Murray-Calloway County Hospital – Murray, KY
Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center – Danville, KY
Saint Joseph East – Lexington, KY
Grenada Lake Medical Center – Grenada, MS
Bolivar Medical Center – Cleveland, MS
San Juan Regional Medical Center – Farmington, NM
Olean General Hospital – Olean, NY
St. James Mercy Hospital – Hornell, NY
Rutherford Hospital, Inc. – Rutherfordton, NC
Medcenter One Hospital – Bismarck, ND
Pocono Medical Center – East Stroudsburg, PA
Cookeville Regional Medical Center – Cookeville, TN
Paris Regional Medical Center – Paris, TX
Carilion New River Valley Medical Center – Christiansburg, VA
Aurora West Allis Medical Center – West Allis, WI
Aurora BayCare Medical Center – Green Bay, WI

Small Community Hospitals

St. Elizabeth Community Hospital – Red Bluff, CA
Doctors Hospital of Manteca – Manteca, CA
Jackson County Hospital District – Marianna, FL
The King’s Daughters’ Hospital & Health Services – Madison, IN
St. Joseph Regional Medical Center-Plymouth – Plymouth, IN
Newton Medical Center – Newton, KS
Mercy Regional Health Center – Manhattan, KS
Baptist Hospital Northeast – LaGrange, KY
Falmouth Hospital – Falmouth, MA
Trace Regional Hospital – Houston, MS
Hannibal Regional Hospital – Hannibal, MO
Northern Montana Hospital – Havre, MT
Corning Hospital – Corning, NY
INTEGRIS Baptist Regional Health Center – Miami, OK
Gettysburg Hospital – Gettysburg, PA
St. Mary’s Healthcare Center – Pierre, SD
St. Mary’s Medical Center of Campbell County – LaFollette, TN
Baptist Hospital of Cocke County – Newport, TN
Ennis Regional Medical Center – Ennis, TX
Aurora Medical Center – Two Rivers, WI

For more information, go to Thomson Reuters.

Source: Thomson Reuters

Best Restaurant Cities

Bill Sullivan — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 15:20:50 +0000

Sure, you want to see the sights, visit the museums, maybe even take in a ballgame or two. But when you’re planning a trip, another major consideration has to be a factor:

“What’s for dinner?”

Great cities and great restaurants tend to go hand in hand. That’s why Forbes put together its list of 10 Best Restaurant Cities.

You can probably guess at least a few of them. We’ll give you Nos. 6-10:

6. Houston

7. Washington, D.C.

8. Atlanta

9. Boston

10. Las Vegas

Ready to see who filled the top slots? To see those, and to read more about these cities and the selection criteria, visit Forbes.