BENTONVILLE — When it comes to communities to retire in, Bella Vista has been chalking up high rankings for years. CNNmoney.com still has the Arkansas-Missouri border community near the top of its list.

CNNmoney.com recently published its 2009 list of "25 Best Places to Retire," and Bella Vista checked in at No. 12. The publication noted Bella Vista's plethora of outdoor recreation opportunities and facilities, along with its relatively low cost of living, as its most prominent draws.

Heading the list was Port Charlotte, Fla., while Palm Springs, Calif.; Traverse City, Mich.; Pinehurst, N.C.; and Surprise, Ariz., round out the top five. Bella Vista (12) is flanked on the list by Virginia Beach, Va. (11), and Miami (13).

"That's certainly something we're very proud of, but I can't say it surprises me," Bella Vista Mayor Frank Anderson said.

"Some of those lists are compiled by editors, and others have been done through surveys, but no matter how they're done, Bella Vista normally ends up pretty high."

According to the CNNmoney.com list, "Bella Vista is a dream for outdoor enthusiasts. Set in the shadow of the Ozark Mountains, Bella Vista offers residents two swimming pools, 12 tennis courts, seven stocked lakes for fishermen and quite a few walking and biking trails. Bella Vista, Spanish for 'Beautiful View,' began as a resort town, but developer John Cooper began marketing it as a retirement community in 1965. By the mid-1980s, younger residents of northwest Arkansas discovered the idyllic community and began moving there in droves.

Five country clubs offer restaurant options within the city limits, and residents often make the 15-minute drive to Bentonville for additional dining and shopping. Art lovers make the short trip to Fayetteville to the Walton Arts Center and North Arkansas Symphony."

Business, Pages 8 on 09/16/2009

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