Forbes named the twenty coolest cities in the US, and Baltimore came in fourteenth!

How were the cities’ coolness factors determined? Well, according to Forbes’ website:

“We attempted to quantify ‘coolness’ for the 65 largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Metropolitan Divisions (areas that include cities and their surrounding suburbs as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget) based on seven data points we weighted evenly. Sperling’s Best Places helped us calculate the number of entertainment options per capita with an Arts & Culture Index (100 is the best score); recreational opportunities, including the amount of green space, quality of outdoor activities available, and the number of pro and college sports teams (again, (100 is the best score); and number of restaurants and bars per capita, with a focus on local eateries. We also looked at each city’s cultural composition using Sperling’s Diversity Index (100 is the best). We included median age, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, favoring places with a large young adult population. Lastly, we looked at net migration for 2011 and unemployment rates, using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Moody’s Analytics.”

Baltimore’s general area is included as Baltimore-Towson, which would include part of Baltimore County, including the areas around Towson University.

The statistics, according to Forbes:

“M.S.A.: Baltimore-Towson, MD
Arts & Culture Index: 96
Recreation Index: 98
Diversity Index: 57
Number of Local Eats: 4,451
Median Age: 38
Unemployment: 7.1%
2011 Net Migration: 4,610 people”

Forbes’ writer feels that Baltimore had been down, but is up & coming due to its’ affordability (and I feel, most likely also due to its’ proximity to #2, Washington, DC, and its’ ease of travel between the two areas.)

Thinking about moving to Baltimore? Buying a home in Towson?

Come live in what Forbes calls 2012’s 14th Coolest City! Contact me. I’d love to help!