Chattanooga is the second-best city in the East, at least according to Outside magazine.
The Scenic City came in behind Portland, Maine, Outside reports in its August issue.
OUTSIDE RANKINGS* Best city overall West: Boise, Idaho* Best city overall East: Portland, Maine* Best for mountain biking: Grand Rapids, Mich.* Best for road biking: Tuscon, Ariz.* Best for whitewater: Reno, Nev.* Best for skiing: Waitsfield, Vt., and Bozeman, Mont.* Best for surfing: Charleston, S.C., and Encinitas, Calif.* Best for road running: Denver* Best for trail running: Ashland, Ore.Source: Outside magazine
Sam Moulton, executive editor at Outside Magazine, said it was Chattanooga’s accessibility to recreational activities, it’s affordable living costs – and a few Southerners on the magazine’s staff – that led to the nomination.
“We started out by looking at some of the big-picture ideas and socio-economic factors like unemployment and median home value, and percentage of the population with a four-year degree,” Moulton said. “Then we looked at everything from two sides: the livability and the recreation.”