Super Bowl and Stanley Cup victories aside, the City of Champions has had plenty to celebrate this year outside the arena of professional sports. In the past month, Pittsburgh was chosen by the White House to host the G-20 summit in September and named the most livable city in the United States for 2009 by London-based weekly magazine The Economist.

The accolades continued to pour in last week as U.S. News & World Report designated Upper St. Clair as one of its "10 Best Places to Live," an honor not lost on the community's proud residents.

The news magazine's "Best Places" ranking took into account affordability and economy. Albuquerque, N.M., was first.

"For something like that to [be ranked with] places like Austin, Texas, [ranked in the top 10 by U.S. News], it's a big deal," said Kristen McQuiston, of Upper St. Clair, while enjoying a weekday afternoon at the new Community Recreation Center with her two boys, Jackson and Josh.

Upper St. Clair is known outside of Pittsburgh for being at the forefront of the Whiskey Rebellion that took place in the early 1790s. Founded in 1788, St. Clair was one of the original townships of then-newly formed Allegheny County. In 1836, St. Clair Township was divided into Upper and Lower St. Clair, the latter of which has been subsequently subdivided many times and is no longer recognized as a separate entity.

The town got its name from Gen. Arthur St. Clair, a native of Scotland who served with George Washington and became a major general of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. St. Clair went on to play an important governmental role: He oversaw the enactment of the U.S. Constitution in 1787.

Nowadays, in spite of the unpopular drink tax levied in 2007 on those who buy alcoholic beverages in Allegheny County, residents of Upper St. Clair aren't exactly itching for an insurrection to rival the Whiskey Rebellion. Today's residents speak with pride of the abundant recreation opportunities provided by the township and school district.

"I couldn't say enough about the people in the school system and what they've done for us. I don't think we would have gotten that anywhere else," said Ms. McQuiston, a PTA member who moved from Bethel Park 10 years ago specifically for what she calls an "incredible" school system.

"They do want people to get involved. They do want you to know what's going on. That's what's great about it," she said.

Again this year, Upper St. Clair School District, owner of 10 U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon "Excellence in Education" awards, was ranked by the Pittsburgh Business Times as the No. 1 school district in Pennsylvania.

Robert Taylor, who relocated from Mt. Lebanon to Upper St. Clair in 1972 and has seen significant development of the township's real estate over his years there, describes it as "a good, very family-oriented community."

The largest development addition he can recall is the just-opened 90,000-square-foot Community Recreation Center within Boyce Mayview Park that offers an indoor and outdoor aquatics center, fitness center and two full-size gymnasiums, among other amenities.

Mr. Taylor, a retired Baldwin High School chemistry teacher, thinks that the transparency of elected local officials in addressing pertinent community issues, such as the construction of the recreation center, has been decisive in building a more cohesive community.

Ms. McQuiston and Mr. Taylor emphasize the diversity, both economic and racial, in the community.

"A lot of people when they think about Upper St. Clair, think about the multimillion-dollar houses that sit in Fox Chase. But the majority of people don't live in those areas. There is a lot of diversity in terms of income," Ms. McQuiston said.

Still, a local celebrity sighting in Upper St. Clair is not uncommon. And as Mr. Taylor tells it, Pittsburgh sports figures such as former Steelers coach Chuck Noll and player Tunch Ilkin have seamlessly woven themselves into the welcoming community.

"I live near Steve Blass, and that's a real honor," Mr. Taylor said. "At the post office just the other day, I shook his hand. I have a lot of respect, as most Pittsburghers do, for Steve Blass." Mr. Blass is a Pirates announcer and former Pirates pitcher.

Ms. McQuiston did say Upper St. Clair and the South Hills in general could benefit from a larger restaurant selection and possibly the addition of a major retailer.