McKinney Tops the Best Place to Live List: My Take

So I woke up this morning, and I found out that I live in the number one best place to live in the United States of America.  Money magazine probably pinpointed their reasons why McKinney achieved this incredible honor, but I have my own take on it.  All positive of course, but as a musician forgive my gravitational pull towards music and arts.  This is my Ode to the Town. 

THE LARGEST SMALL TOWN IN THE WORLD:

Photo Credit: Cheryl Simpson

When I moved to McKinney almost three years ago,  it was a refreshing change to immediately notice people actually still wave and talk to one another here.  It's amazing the difference in the way people interact between neighboring cities.  I see very few people glued to their smart phones, with the exception of an art shot for instagram or a few suburban hipsters taking selfies for their blogs, like me.  If there's anyone playing Words With Friends, I'm sorry.  I missed it while I was eating an Apple Pie from Emporium.  I also noticed somehow everyone knows what's going on around town.  Some folks may find this a little intrusive or nosey but, I don't.  I see it as people giving a hoot.  Speaking of hoot; Trip Advisor!

MORE TRIPADVISOR OWL STICKERS IN THE WINDOWS THAN I'VE EVER SEEN

I noticed this Sunday night while my wife, daughter, and I were eating dinner with my parents at Cadillac Pizza Pub.  Probably the 6th Trip Advisor sticker I've noticed in the window of a business in McKinney Square.  This just tells me one thing.  People around the country talk about this place.  It's quickly becoming a tourist hub! I mean, it's not there for kicks....while I am a huge proponent of the historic homes being residential as opposed to commercial business, someone needs to up the ante on the bed and breakfast train to accommodate all the Trip Advisor visitors.

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM FROM FLEETWOOD MAC PLAYED IN McKINNEY PAC.
I didn't go.  I'm kicking myself now, but this is still not a common occurrence in your typical suburban city.  This is a remarkable musician in a legendary band playing an intimate set in the Historic Courthouse Building, now home to McKinney Performing Arts Center.  Judas Priest are about to shatter some suburban windows in Allen in November, which is also a pretty extraordinary suburban feat, but I think there's something a little more special about Lindsey Buckingham singing to 112 people.

 Speaking of:

LIVE MUSIC SOMEWHERE IN THE SQUARE AT LEAST 4-5 NIGHTS PER WEEK
Whether it be a local kid absolutely nailing Johnny Cash covers at Spoons, Bud Rager the Singin' Son of a Gun doing his Cash repertoire at the Farmer's Market, Buzz Andrews running a longstanding open mic night at Cadillac, Rhythm and Beards playing a tight set at Cafe Malaga, Crystal Yates giving us chills with her voice. (Someone sign this woman already and take her on tour with your CMT superstars) or people quasi-busking outside Churchill's, there's music.  I cannot complain about the music scene in McKinney.  It's not a big national touring acts hub, but it could be if someone opened a Granada or Trees-like venue and brought in Lance Yocum of Spune to grab the national acts, or Ken Welker of 13th Floor Music to pack the house with the lower Greenville staples.  It would become a 18-35 "north of 635 but east of Preston Road" music mecca overnight.  Denton birthed Midlake, and that's a tough one to top.

CENTRAL MCKINNEY IS HOME TO THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GUITAR SHOP IN THE COUNTRY : THE GUITAR SANCTUARY- Adriatica Village

Photo Credit: The Guitar Sanctuary

I have never been into a more amazing musician's paradise.  The Hollywood, CA Guitar Center is pretty sweet, but living 2 miles from a guitar shop that looks like a $3 million home lined in $1,000 to $50,000 guitars and floors lined in hand-wired boutique amps, I find myself getting the "I wants" real bad.  What I love about this place is that they don't treat me like a four year old about to spill Big Red on a white bed in Z-Gallerie.  If you ask for help like the little tags say, they'll pull a $8,000 guitar off the wall for you, and not bat an eyelash.  If I had a fat wad of cash in a shoebox, I would go buy a Paul Reed Smith Custom 24, and a Rickenbacker 4003 bass without question, and The Guitar Sanctuary would be the place I could count on to find it.

THE FOOD: IT'S ALL GOOD.  READ MY BLOG ON THE NEW HARVEST SEASONAL KITCHEN, then GO EAT THERE

Photo Credit: Paul Ernest Photography

DOG MOVIES & TV SHOWS:
Lassie and Old Yeller ain't got nothin' on McKinney.  We've got Benji in the 70's and Wishbone in the 90's.  If you were a 90's kid you must remember coming home from elementary school and watching Wishbone at 4:00 in the afternoon and the little Adventures at Storybook Ranch, and if you haven't heard of Benji, get it together! You will feel love, all around, and you will feel it, shining down.  Promise. Everywhere you go.  You'll feel love.

ERWIN PARK
I'm not an avid cyclist....yet...but I will say this....I think Go-Pro Helmet mount sales went up because of this park, and Cadence Cyclery were genius to open a bike shop in the Square.  It's a happenin' little bike shop and half of McKinney are cyclists.










 


 CHURCHILL'S
The bias continues, but rightfully so; I'm half British, and this place is heaven.  I can drink beer and eat Full-English breakfast, shoot darts, and listen to The Stone Roses, Oasis, Blur, The Smiths, The Jam, Pulp, The Beatles, The Verve....in McKinney, TX.

I could go on for hours.....but I don't want to get too Rolling Stone about it again.  Well done McKinney!