Rockford Now Looking Good [VIDEO]

Last year, Forbes named Rockford the country's third most miserable city. What a difference a year can make. This week, the magazine released their list of 19 Opportunity Cities.

What makes Rockford an Opportunity City?

• Very cheap housing with a median home sales price of $75,500
• Our expanding aviation industry.
• Local colleges adjusting by expanding aviation programs

• Crime rate. Rockford's is more than twice the national average, with 1,367.8 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2012. The nation's 300 largest cities averaged approximately 567 the same year. You don't make friends that way.
• Mismatch between Rockford's education level and the city's best jobs in engineering.
• Existing high unemployment rate. 10.2%.

As a city, we have a lot on our plate. The schools, attracting jobs, big city crime. These are no small tasks. We have a city full of great people, beautiful landscape surrounds us, our area colleges are top notch and I do believe we also possess the drive and determination to remove Rockford from the Miserable Lists and place it high on the America's Best Places to Live list.

Here is pre-war Rockford circa 1940. I enjoy the familiar view heading towards downtown. I believe that's State Street.