Rhode Islanders whose knowledge of Cranston and Warwick springs from trips down Route 2 might not grasp why these two places made Money magazine's recent list of the 100 best small cities in which to live in America.

Route 2 conveys us through Big-Box Land. For those consumed by shopping, this may suffice to explain why Cranston and Warwick placed, respectively, 78th and 83rd on the list.

Shopping addicts aside, most of us who heard the news probably thought of Edgewood and Pawtuxet, Rolfe Square and Apponaug, Garden City and Gaspee, Stillhouse Cove and Oakland Beach, Roger Williams Park (okay, it's in Providence, but the line you cross to visit from Cranston is invisible) and Goddard Park, the Howard Complex and T.F. Green Airport, western Cranston and West Warwick -- oops, nix that last one.

Well, we could go on. But you get the picture.

When you think about it, both cities really are darned nice places to live. And we're not even considering the criteria Money used in its rankings: jobs, schools, housing prices, crime rates, etc. Important stuff, of course, but not the first things that come to mind when we think of Cranston and Warwick (or anywhere else, for that matter).

As mayors of these two neighboring rivals (Cranston and Warwick are, respectively, the third- and second-largest cities in the state), Cranston's Stephen Laffey and Warwick's Scott Avedisian are not exactly bosom buddies. But they were united in the pleasure they took at the news. And both gave as much credit to other people as they could bear to.

Congratulations, Cranston and Warwick! May you both move up on next year's list.