40 THINGS TO DO IN CORPUS CHRISTI 2010

What makes a 'great' city? When you travel somewhere exceptional, look around, and say to yourself, "This is a great city," what have you seen? What did you experience at this mecca that allows you to believe that?

It's probably different for everybody, but 'the experts' certainly have an opinion. Every year a slew of lists are produced discussing America's Top Places to Live or American's Best Cities.

I found several at the top of a quick google search: US News & World Report, CNN/Money, askmen.com...there are too many to list here.

The most popular and most quoted annual study about the best American cities is Money Magazine's and when you analyze the rest, most other lists have 'borrowed' heavily from Money's criteria. So how does Money Magazine (and essentially every other similar ranking) choose the best cities in America? What are the criteria? What must a city 'have'? They have broken it down into 8 factors. Excel at most or all of these and, theoretically, you're a great city.

FINANCIAL
Including median family income, job growth, etc.

HOUSING
Home Price, Property Taxes, etc.

EDUCATION
Test scores, Access to higher education, etc.

QUALITY OF LIFE
As they describe it: Crime, Commute time, etc.

LEISURE AND CULTURE
Things to do

WEATHER
Rainfall, Temperatures

HEALTH
Body Fat Index, Diabetes rates, Access to health care, etc.

OTHER POPULATION DATA
Median Age, %age that's completed some college, Racial Diversity, etc.

During 2010 I'm sure to discuss each of these from time to time, but my Theme for 2010 (theme?) on the show and in this blog occupies the 5th slot above: Things to do. More important or less important than the other factors? Not sure, but it's what I'm good at, so....shall we?

'There's nothing to do in Corpus Christi.' How many times have you heard that?

On its surface we know that's incorrect. There are bars, movie theaters, restaurants, a beach, a bayfront and quick access to fishing, hunting, and water sports. Everyone knows about The Hooks and most know about the Rayz. There's clearly 'stuff to do'.

So when people say 'there's nothing to do,' what do they mean? There's not as much to do as larger cities? There aren't things that they subjectively like to do? What kinds of things do they want to do that they can't do here? Are they doing the things there are to do?

This new year, I'm going to seek out and do 40 new things. It could have been 52, but that would have been a recipe for failure. So, 40 new things to do talk and write about in attempt to find out clearly what there is to do when you don't limit yourself. I'll be looking for trends. I'll be comparing us to cities larger and smaller than us.

Next up: The Rules and The List.