Reader’s Digest has released its list of the Nicest Places in America, with Provo, Utah, earning the top honor for its Hope Squad, an evidence-based peer-to-peer suicide prevention program.
Silver Spring was named a finalist in the magazine’s annual list for ‘The Bike Dude’ Manuel Vera of Manuel’s Bike Shed, who Rep. Jamie Raskin previously recognized for fixing and donating bikes to his neighbors and refugees.
Vera started repairing bikes as a retirement hobby and donated them to community members, including Afghans who recently immigrated to the area. During the lockdown resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, Vera was inspired to repair bicycles for families in his neighborhood. In 2021, the Taliban took over control of Kabul, and he was tasked with fixing bikes for incoming Afghan children and their parents.
Since then, he has given away over 700 bikes at parks, food banks, apartment complexes, and churches.
“People ask a few questions like, ‘Are they really free?’ ” Vera said to Reader’s Digest. “The answer is: ‘Yes. If you like this bike, it’s yours.’ ”
Silver Spring’s Nicest Places in America recognition follows a series of accolades this year: Fortune Magazine named it the top city in this year’s Best Places to Live for Families list, GoFundMe ranked it the third most generous city in the U.S., and WalletHub identified it as one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country.
Other finalist cities in the annual Reader’s Digest list include Butte, Montana; Cashiers, North Carolina; Brooklyn, New York; and Horseshoe Beach, Florida (video below).
“This recognition celebrates communities built on kindness, connection, and belonging—places where neighbors uplift each other, businesses thrive with community support, and everyone feels welcome,” Silver Spring Regional Services Center director Jacob Newman said via email.
According to a press release, the Nicest Places in America list is Reader’s Digest’s annual initiative in its eighth year. Each year, Reader’s Digest editors and a panel of judges diligently scout thousands of nominations submitted by readers across the country to choose the next Nicest Place. Last year, Buffalo, New York, was awarded the title as locals opened their businesses to serve as safe havens for the community during the city’s biggest blizzard since 1977.
This year’s judges include Mitch Albom, Philanthropist, broadcaster, and author of “Tuesdays with Morrie”; Mónica Guzmán, Senior fellow for public practice at Braver Angels and author of “I Never Thought of It That Way”; Steven Petrow, Journalist and author of “The Joy You Make”; Craig Elston, Owner of C&C Cutz Barbershop; Bonnie Kintzer, Chief Executive Officer of Trusted Media Brands; and Al Roker, Meteorologist and anchor on NBC’s “Today” show.
The complete Nicest Places in America 2024 list is available on the Reader’s Digest website.
Photo: © MQ-Illustrations – stock.adobe.com