Outside Magazine Names Eau Claire 4th 'Best' Place to Live

Tom Giffey |

Remember last spring when you were furiously voting for Eau Claire as “America’s Best Town” in an NCAA tourney-style online poll sponsored by Outside Magazine? If you don’t remember, maybe YOU’RE the reason our fair city fell to Chattanooga, Tenn., in the Final Four. Nonetheless, advancing that far in a nationwide competition demonstrated a huge amount of civic pride and a growing recognition that we’re a pretty awesome place to put down roots, what with our natural beauty, outdoor recreational opportunities, thriving arts scene, and more.

That competition’s results prompted a cover story in the latest issue of Outside, which trumpets “16 Perfect Places to Live Now.” Spoiler Alert: While Chattanooga took first place, Eau Claire is No. 4. “Stop at this riverside city of 68,000 on a summer Saturday and you’ll see families lazily tubing and cyclists tackling the 30-mile rail-trail system,” the magazine stated about Eau Claire before name-checking Justin Vernon, Bon Iver, and the recent debut of the Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival, which brought new international attention to the Valley’s music and natural beauty. Check out the article for a short Q&A with Vernon about his Sconnie love.