Spirit Magazine - October 2013 - (Page 63)

Greensburg, Kansas After a 2007 tornado leveled 95 percent of its homes and caused half its population to flee, Greensburg and its remaining 777 residents decided to make the environment their No. 1 priority. It took months of contentious town-hall meetings to cement the city’s eco-future, but today this model of sustainable living, two hours west of Wichita, operates on 100-percent renewable energy and has more LEED Platinum-certified buildings per capita than anywhere else in the world. Bellingham, Washington This historic fishing village 90 minutes north of Seattle boasts the cultural ambition of a major metropolis. A reinvigorated city core has drawn artists eager to leave behind the rigors of urban life, making it an inviting place for the imaginative. Even during the recession, public and private support increased, financing the restoration of venerable institutions (the Whatcom Museum of history and art) and the creation of new public spaces. That energy is manifest in the vibrant Arts District: galleries, theaters, and markets that now call downtown home. Fort Collins, Colorado Beer, bikes, and business have taken this mountain town from recession to recovery. This city 65 miles northeast of Denver has maintained its manufacturing base (Hewlett-Packard and Anheuser-Busch employ a combined total of almost 4,000 locals) while attracting major tech startups. With jobs aplenty and the Rockies out the back door, the bikeable city has become a mecca for Millennials. Bay St. Louis, Mississippi When the residents of this artists’ enclave returned to an unrecognizable home devastated by Katrina in 2005, they found a scene reminiscent of 1969, the last time a hurricane had decimated the city. With federal disaster-relief funds, local organizers, businesses, and residents took to the streets of Old Town and downtown districts, once again resuscitating the weary upper–Gulf Coast outpost. But formidable Bay St. Louis hasn’t stopped there; the city has undertaken a massive rebuild of its port, aiming to remake it into a destination for boaters from as far away as New Orleans to the southwest and Alabama to the east. Greenville, South Carolina Make the trek to this city midway between Charlotte and Atlanta, and you’ll find a quality of life so high, a downtown so vibrant, and tax incentives so tempting that individuals and businesses alike are flocking here. The linchpin of Greenville’s revitalization—the breathtaking Liberty Bridge at Falls Park—is at once a pedestrian walkway connecting downtown areas bisected by the Reedy River and a dramatically curved suspension bridge that gives visitors and commuters a perfect view of the city’s waterfalls. No wonder small-town leaders with midsize-city dreams have come here for a look. Oklahoma City The NBA’s Thunder debuted here in 2008, and immediately a downtown struggling to rebrand itself 13 years after tragedy struck found new life. The determination to keep raising its game is what makes OKC a standout among big cities. The sparkling, new Boathouse District offers everything from kite-boarding to zip-lining. And the rebirth has spread beyond downtown to the hamlet of Paseo, where shops and restaurants galore are sprouting. OCTOBER 2013 SPIRIT 63

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spirit Magazine - October 2013

Spirit Magazine - October 2013
Contents
Gary’s Greeting
Star of the Month
Freedom Story
From the Editor
Your Words
Your Pictures
Media Center
Eat Drink Sleep
The Numbers
Business
Be Here Now
Don’t Just Stand There
Your Adventure In San Jua
Promotional Series: Florida: Full of Surprises
Your Adventure In San Juan
Promotional Series: Focus on Women’s Health
Promotional Series: Focus on Franchises
Calendar
Fun!
Spotlight
Community Outreach
Products & Services
Flight Service
Terminal Maps
Information
Rapid Rewards and A+ Rewards Partners
Route Map
The “If” List

Spirit Magazine - October 2013