In the latest survey of great places to live, the S-word rears its ugly head

Being No. 1 is not always what it's cracked up to be

So, I was minding my own business on another hot summer day when I tripped upon an article online titled, "The best suburb in the Sacramento area," with a sub-headline that promised I'd actually get to see the "Top 5" suburbs of the state capital.

I couldn't contain my excitement.

I don't know Sacramento well, but I do know you can be driving down a city street thinking you are safely within the city limits when all of a sudden you see a sign proclaiming that you are "Entering Rancho Cordova."

Or Carmichael or Orangevale or Natomas or Roseville or Loomis or Rush Limbaugh's favorite, Rio Linda.

At least there's a river separating Sacramento proper from West Sacramento, so you have fair warning that you might be entering a different jurisdiction.

"The GI Bill of Rights, Ike's Interstate system, suburban development and the growing affordability of cars allowed the suburbs to flourish throughout the mid-20th century," begins the report on Stacker, without revealing where this story is headed.