Lake Oswego is one of Family Circle’s 10 Best Towns for Families. The communities featured in the magazine’s annual roundup of perfect places to call home combine affordable housing, good neighbors, green spaces, strong public school systems and giving spirits. The results of the comprehensive survey appear in Family Circle’s August 2012 issue. This year’s 10 Best Towns for Families are:

• Bay Village, Ohio
• Lake Oswego, Oregon
• Vail, Arizona
• Fishers, Indiana
• Ballwin, Missouri
• Louisville, Colorado
• Longmeadow, Massachusetts
• Fort Mill, South Carolina
• Zachary, Louisiana
• Oak Park, Illinois

“Lake Oswego is pleased to be nationally recognized for several of its outstanding qualities - schools, beautiful parks and open space, and charming neighborhoods,” said David Donaldson, City Manager. “It's an honor to be one of the Best Towns for Families and be among this special group of communities.” Lake Oswego, Oregon Stats Population: 36,396 Median Income: $83,397 Median Home Price: $361,317 Households with Kids: 30% Student/Teacher Ratio: 22:1 Great Schools Rating: 10 Beth Taylor, 53, rarely travels far from this scenic Portland suburb for family vacations. She and husband Mitch, a 52-year-old tech firm executive, along with kids Grant, 18, and Margaret, 9, have hiked in the Cascades, skied at Mount Hood and floated down the McKenzie River—all just a two- or three-hour drive away. The Taylorscan also get their nature fix by walking out the front door, since their home borders a 645-acre forest known as Tryon Creek State Park. "When you're on the trails, it's easy to forget that you live anywhere near a city," says Beth. But what she appreciates most about Lake Oswego is its caring citizens. To make up for school budget cuts, parents raised more than $2 million last year to hire teachers and keep classes small. And when Grant was hurt during a football game last October, two neighborhood doctors met Beth and Mitch in the ER for moral support and stayed with them through the night; when Grant returned home, the family's voice mail and e-mail boxes were filled with hundreds of good wishes and their fridge had been stocked with food. "Not unusual at all," says Beth. "People here go all out to support each other." Good Deeds: Every year students at Lake Oswego High spend one of their days off from school doing volunteer work, from cleaning the local library to mucking out stalls at a horse stable for disabled youth. In April 700 kids stepped up; next year's goal is for all 1,200 to take part. Family Circle | By Seema Nayyar | August 2012 Issue Visit us at Renaissance Woods in Lake Oswego! Minutes from Bridgeport, this charming new community features open space, green space lots, large homesites up to 16,000 sq ft and all the Renaissance Homes quality you expect. Renaissance Homes is an award winning Street of Dreams custom home builder specializing in green building, remodeling and renovations for the Portland market. Visit our Design Studio to personalize your next home. Awarded the Portland Homebuilder’s Association 2011 “Builder of the Year.”