KIN

We have had two kids go through KIN, beginning as toddlers and now as preschoolers, and we've been very happy with the experience. KIN is a small, local, non-profit center. There is a small class size for younger children and multi-age room for the older kids. The teachers have all been there for a long time and along with the director, have created a warm and open community that supports the children's social and emotional development, teaches problem solving skills, and self care. The teachers are very effective at helping the kids develop the skills needed to interact kindly with one another. 
The two buildings are in a homelike setting, and the kids get lots of outdoor time, and art and sensory activities. We bring home lots of artwork, crafts, and dirty clothes!  The teachers follow the kid's interests to guide their activities and learning, and I think KIN does a great job at balancing free time/free choice activities and teacher-led activities. Many large franchise or corporate centers or preschools tend to have more formulaic activities and heavy focus on academics in the preschool years. However, the importance of unstructured play time for development and creativity is becoming more and more recognized, and I'm pleased that my kids gets lots of outdoor and free choice time at KIN.
I think it's worth mentioning that KIN is a non-profit, and has an advisory board that values its teachers and makes sure that they have fair wages and benefits. The staff are also given the support to keep up with professional development.