If you know me, you know I love my hometown. The people who embrace Dayton, whether natives or new comers are some of the most wonderful people I've met anywhere.
10 Things Dayton Can Teach Other Cities About Living Well
If you know me, you know I love my hometown. The people who embrace Dayton, whether natives or new comers are some of the most wonderful people I've met anywhere. One of my favorite stories comes from the wife of a member of our Air Force. The first time I met Amy, she told me that she and her husband had lived in many places in the U.S. and outside the country, and that after her husband was stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, she fell in love with Dayton and wanted to put down roots here. I love knowing that they have since purchased a home and are "living well" and enjoying life here with their family.
- Daytonians like each other, we work well together, and it shows! CareerBliss compiled a list of The Happiest Cities To Work In, and Dayton OH came in #1. "The most content workers of all are in Dayton, Ohio." Employees in Dayton said they are more than satisfied with the people they work with and their daily tasks.
- Dayton is rich with believers and doers! The University of Dayton Research Institute, locally headquartered Woolpert, Sinclair Community College, and Clark State didn't wait for the FAA to announce the location of the six UAS test sites to start developing technologies and training around them.
- Daytonians inspire each other! Dayton hosted a sold out TEDxDayton event in November. The hugely successful event showcased local community leaders, business owners, and artists who left us infused and inspired about our community. Hundreds of volunteers and sponsors generously gave thousands of hours and dollars to produce the event. It went so well, that there's talk of making it an annual event! For more on TEDxDayton read: My #1 Takeaway From TEDxDayton and Arts And Culture Are The Key Ingredients. TEDxDayton photo credit (right) Media Moments.
- Daytonians take their health seriously, and we love to cycle! The Miami Valley's regional bikeway network added over 5 additional miles of trails in 2013 and is the largest in the nation with over 330 miles of paved, off-road bike paths.
- Daytonians love our natural resources! Dayton earned distinction as a "Trail Town" from the North Country National Scenic Trail Association in 2013. A nod to Five Rivers Metroparks! "We are so happy to have Dayton as the newest Trail Town along the North Country National Scenic Trail. Dayton is a great example of how an urban area can embrace a trail culture, providing a superb recreational resource for its citizens while benefiting it's economy and the health of the environment," said Andrea Ketchmark of North Country Trail Association.
- Daytonians are problem solvers. Dayton ranks #6 in a list of the top 10 U.S. cities safest from natural disasters. Dayton's 1913 Flood holds the record as Ohio's greatest natural disaster. After the tragic flood, the Miami Conservancy District built a system of 5 damns that has kept the Dayton area from flooding more than 1,700 times and is still studied by engineers the world over.
- Dayton is a great place for entrepreneurs. Dayton was named one of the nation’s top 7 enterprise-friendly cities. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation lists us among its top enterprise-friendly cities and states, “Dayton’s “Welcome Dayton” plan is focused on improving integration of immigrants into the city’s economy, reducing barriers to business creation by immigrants, and creating an immigrant-friendly city culture that will be attractive to entrepreneurial immigrants.” ?
- The Dayton Development Coalition surpassed its goal of attracting 3,300 jobs to Dayton in 2013 by helping to bring more than 4,000 new jobs to the region.
- Dayton has some of the best business schools in the country. Three Dayton-area colleges were named among the top U.S. business schools. Miami University, the University of Dayton and Wright State University were named to Princeton Review's list of the best business schools in the country.
- And finally... Daytonians know how to PARTY! - Dayton Local listed more than 200 major festivals in our events calendar during 2013! The Gentlemen of the Road in Troy was a huge hit, as well as annual favorites like Dayton Celtic Fest and Oktoberfest and new offerings like The Taste of Oregon & Canoegrass were added to our fantastic festival line up. More than three times the anticipated number of visitors to BaconFest proved to be a little chaotic, but I'm sure they'll be well prepared for a record number of visitors in 2014!
