The Lifestyle: More than 29,000 outdoor-loving residents of all ages enjoy schools, museums and Lake Tahoe Community College, fine dining and a variety of entertainment.

Neighborhood Features: Unique areas include Al Tahoe, Bijou Pines, Lakeside, Tahoe Keys, Tahoe Valley; and outlying county rural areas are Christmas Valley, Meyers, and Tahoe Paradise.

Hot Spot: Skiing anyone? You'll find challenging slopes at Heavenly, Kirkwood and Sierra-at-Tahoe; and lake activities are plentiful. Or shop on Lake Tahoe Boulevard, full of enchanting restaurants...Enjoy the facelift of South Lake Tahoe and Stateline's joint $750 million Park Plaza efforts...including a gondola serving Heavenly, Stateline's casino corridor and the new multiplex movie theater, and ice skating rink. And four major casinos including Harrah's and Harveys, and nightclubs keep the young at heart smiling.

Best Homes: Take your pick between rustic cabins in Bijou to elegant lakefront homes in Tahoe Keys, Lake Tahoe's only inland marina, and much more.