Bethesda is the nineteenth “coolest city” in the country and the District is first, according to Forbes.
So how did we go from snobby to cool? The website used statistics such as entertainment options (sports events, zoos, aquariums, golf courses and ski areas) as well as art and cultural options, and the number of bars and restaurants per capita to receive an initial ranking. Preference was given to cities with a greater number of locally-owned restaurants over chains.
The list was then narrowed based on a diversity index that favored places with a greater population of young people, had a trend of increasing population as well as a diverse racial and ethnic makeup.
Washington D.C. at number one beat out cities like New York City (11), San Diego (6) and Miami (13). Seattle was ranked second, Austin third, while Houston and San Francisco rounded out the top five.
Bethesda, at 19, barely made the list, edging out Santa Ana, Calif., which came in at 20. Bethesda made the list with a cultural index of 95, a local eats percentage of 74 and 24.6 percent of its population between the ages of 20 to 34.
Two weeks ago, Bethesda was ranked the second “snobbiest city” in the country by the real estate blog Movato.
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