MARTIN COUNTY, FLORIDA – JANUARY 2016 – The Martin County Office of Tourism and Marketing is pleased to announce that Stuart has been selected for Coastal Living’s fifth-annual, top-ten list of “America’s Happiest Seaside Towns.”
“We are honored to be nationally recognized for something our residents take pride in. With beautiful waterways, a charming downtown area, quaint restaurants, and so much more, we are very happy and extremely blessed to live in paradise,” said Stuart Mayor Jeff Krauskopf, who also serves on the Martin County Tourist Development Council.
Continued public relations efforts are paying off for the City of Stuart and the entire county. Last year the area was selected by Smithsonian Magazine as the #3 “Must Visit Small Town” and by House Beautiful and Country Living as the #9 “Most Beautiful Small Town.” In 2016 residents and visitors will have an opportunity to impact the ranking by voting for their favorite town in order to determine which will be named Coastal Living’s No. 1 “Happiest Seaside Town in America.”
“This is a huge win for our area, and with our passionate residents and dedicated ambassadors we have the opportunity to edge out the competition. We could not have paid for this tremendous exposure for our area! Coastal Living is one of the premier lifestyle publications and we are honored to have been selected,” said Martin County District 1 Commissioner Doug Smith, Chairman of the Martin County Tourist Development Council.
The top 10 finalists were selected by magazine editors’ assessments of each town’s “coastal vibe,” as well as factors including the number of sunny days, air quality, commute times, crime ratings, and standard of living. We all know that Stuart and Martin County deserve to be awarded the #1 spot!
The top 10 list is online at www.coastalliving.com/happytowns2016 and will be active for a three-week period of voting. The top 10 list will also be featured in the February 2016 issue of Coastal Living, on sale January 8, 2016. In addition, the top 10 towns and voting opportunity will be promoted on all Coastal Living and Martin County social media platforms.
Voting will continue until midnight, Pacific Time, January 25, 2016. We invite all residents to vote often and share the news with family and friends on social media by using the hashtag #CLHappyTown.
The final, ranked, top 10 list of “America’s Happiest Seaside Towns” will be announced online on April 5 and will then be featured in the May 2016 print issue of Coastal Living. The ranked towns will also be featured in an online gallery on www.coastalliving.com.