City of Allen E-News

June 19, 2015

Need another reason to love your city? The consumer finance website NerdWallet just ranked Allen #2 in its list of "Best Places to Live in Texas!" The site praised Allen for its low crime rate and high-quality education in the 2015 rankings. The Woodlands, located 30 miles north of Houston, was ranked #1.

The rankings are based on crime data, school rankings, home ownership rates, commute times, unemployment rates and walk scores. Allen received the third-best education score on the list and featured one of the lowest crime rankings in the state. NerdWallet also noted its access to cultural activities, including a quilter's guild and local ballet.

This isn't the first time Allen got NerdWallet's attention. In October, we were listed #3 in its list of "Best Places for Young Families." You can see Allen's long list of accolades at CityofAllen.org.

Help the Allen Animal Shelter "Slim Down for Summer"

The Allen Animal Shelter is bursting at the seams with adoptable animals! You can help them slim down by taking advantage of a special half-price adoption event this weekend. Stop by the Stacy Road PetSmart on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to view available pets. Additional animals will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Allen Animal Shelter.

The discounted adoption fee is just $45, which covers vaccinations, sterilization and a microchip. You can get a preview of adoptable pets on the shelter's PetFinder website or Facebook page.

Win a VIP Experience at Market Street Allen USA!

This year marks the 20th year for the Allen USA Celebration, and your memories could earn you a VIP spot in the crowd! Visit the Allen USA Facebook page to share a favorite photo, video or story about your experience at Allen USA. We'll compile the best entries and choose a winner before the June 27 event. The winner will receive a backstage tour, parking passes, VIP Zone admission, Kid Zone wristbands and more.

Our 20th annual event is shaping up to be more memorable than ever. We added a new Jurassic Zone featuring animatronic dinosaurs, booked the incredibly talented Michael McDonald and are planning one of the most spectacular fireworks displays in Texas. And, as always, admission is free! Plan your visit at AllenUSA.org.

City of Allen Community Calendar Highlights

June 11-28

Allen's Community Theatre presents Boeing Boeing

June 22

Summer Sounds Concert Series: Exit 51

June 23

Escape the Ordinary Movie Series presents Maleficent

Does your community organization have an event open to the general public you want us to know about? Simply fill out the form at CityOfAllen.org/SubmitCalendarItem to see about getting it added to our Community Calendar.