We've always known our city is something special, and now the folks at Money magazine have confirmed it with their recognition of Norman as one of the country's best "small" -- between 50,000 and 300,000 population -- cities to live in. Norman ranked sixth on their list, after Plymouth, Minn., Fort Collins, Colo., Naperville, Ill., Irvine, Calif., and Franklin Township, N.J.

Among Norman's pluses, the magazine cited University of Oklahoma football, OU's cultural attractions including its "world-class art museum" and the city's affordability. Also comparing favorably with other cities on the list were air quality, short commute times, arts funding and percent of residents who have completed at least some college work.

We might add other items to the list, including Norman's burgeoning worldwide reputation as a weather center, the work being done here in alternative energy technology, the relationships springing up between the university and the business community for developing OU research discoveries into marketable products, our schools, our festivals and our reputation as a Tree City, to name a few.

Before we dislocate an elbow patting ourselves on the back, reading Money magazine's comparisons did show us some places where there's room for improvement. For example, although the average age Norman's population was below the "best places" average and the percentage of our residents who walk or bike to work was higher, our diabetes and hypertension rates were above the norm for the "best places," suggesting we might want to rethink some of our eating habits.

Overall, we're proud as punch that Norman made the Top Ten list. Though our city is No. 1 -- not No. 6 -- in our estimation, we're pleased that a respected national publication agrees we've got a lot to be proud about.

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