Somewhere between a community's basic necessities (good schools, low crime, reasonable real estate) and its most coveted luxuries (singletrack in the backyard, Class III whitewater on the outskirts of town) are the little perks that can make the difference between a fine outdoor-sports town and a downright dreamy one. Here's our highly subjective recipe for perfection, the ingredients in no particular order:
Seasonal farmers market
Outdoor lap pool
Artsy movie house
Bike lanes
natural-foods grocery
Resident oddballs
Water running through it
Climbing gym
International-magazine newsstand
Plans to fight sprawl
Clean air
Outdoor music venues
Dog parks
Local parades
Alternative weekly
Good local public radio
Fresh-fish vendor
Outdoor-skills clinics
Juice bar
Summer mountain-bike racing series
Minor League baseball
Big trees
Sunshine