Port Charlotte, Fla (February 6, 2002) - Men's Journal ranks the city of Punta Gorda in Charlotte County, Florida as number 32 on their list of The 50 Best Places To Live in an article in the magazine's March  2002 issue.

The Men's Journal 50 Best Places To Live feature describes Punta Gorda's climate as "Utterly, tropically perfect. Always."   About the local scene, the magazine states, "No crime, clean air and lots of free time."

"Many of the people who either relocate or retire to Charlotte County come here first as visitors," said Becky Bovell, Director of the Charlotte County Tourist Development Bureau. "They see the charm or our towns and villages surrounded by the waters of Charlotte Harbor with its fantastic fishing, boating and sailing, and decide that this is the place they'd rather be

."Men's Journal joins Forbes and Money magazines in recognizing the appealing attributes of the Charlotte County area.  Forbes magazine listed it in the top five small places in America in which to live and work, and Money magazine rated the City of Punta Gorda the #5 Best Place to Live in the South.

Charlotte County, encompassing the Charlotte Harbor & The Gulf Islands area, is one of Florida's best-kept secrets for family vacations, fishing excursions, outdoor adventure, reunions or just relaxing.  The naturally beautiful and environmentally pristine area provides Pure Florida fun with activity choices range from boating, fishing sailing, canoeing, kayaking, hiking and biking to strolls on the beach, shelling, exploring historic towns and villages, shopping, dining and more.

For more information on how you can enjoy the Pure Florida experience, visit the Charlotte County Tourism Development Bureau Web site at www.pureflorida.com or call 1-888-4PUR-FL