District of Columbia named 'best town'

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By Jennifer Harper

Once, we were known as the "murder capital" of the world.

Our repeat appearances on assorted Top 10 lists for road rage, polluted air, traffic woes and overpriced real estate is legendary. We've been ranked dead last for small businesses and almost dead last for the taste of our tap water. We were even rated No. 5 for bicycle thievery.

Once.

Times have changed.

The District - yes, that bastion of strife and angry gesticulation - was named Tuesday as the best place to live in the whole country by Outside magazine.

The city sits atop a list brimming with poetic promise.

"Where to live now: The 20 best towns in America (make the move, live the dream)," the roster advises.

It's Washington, D.C., they're talking about. Really.

"We wanted to show towns where you can feel like you love the place where you live. Maybe D.C. has gotten beat up in the past, but our point is to show places which reflect the zeitgeist of change and progressive reinvention," said Jeremy Spencer, who is a senior editor at the Santa Fe, N.M.-based magazine.

"Town is a relative term, too. This list offers a mix of sizes, from little to metropolitan. Perhaps Washington wasn't always a great place to live, but we perceive it as a place of culture, great natural resources and much more intelligent infrastructure these days - like its alternative transportation and a potential for a smaller carbon footprint," Mr. Spencer said.