Flooded with politicos and political junkies, Washington, D.C. often comes off as a city steeped in raw ambition. But the nation’s capital deserves to be known for something else: coolness. While “cool” might not be the first word that comes to mind when contemplating the latest standoff in Congress, D.C. nonetheless has a lot to offer those who call it home. — Forbes
Today, Forbes released its most recent ranking of American cities, this time based on the vague, unscientific, and seemingly ridiculous category of "coolness." What, you may ask, are the determining factors of coolness?
Pay attention high school students:
Wait, what? Personally, these criteria signal "yuppy" more than "cool" to me, but I guess it's all relative. Washington DC topped the list, followed by Seattle, Austin, Houston, San Francisco, San Diego, Denver, Riverside (yes, Riverside is much much cooler than L.A.), Boston, Dallas.
Call me crazy but it seems odd that New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago (or even New Orleans or Detroit!) don't make the top ten. I guess Forbes is rebelling against norms, which itself is a classic (albeit unlisted) signifier of coolness.
What are your thoughts? Can coolness be quantified? What are America's coolest cities to you? Is Forbes the Kanye West of business magazines? What does that make the Economist?
At the end of the day, is there any point to such lists besides trolling?
7 Comments
"I guess Forbes is rebelling against norms, which itself is a classic (albeit unlisted) signifier of coolness"
No surprises here.
Haha..Forbes listing things that keep people comfortably distracted and happy with themselves. Quantifying cool is a uncool act dude. Another post or forum conversation got me thinking of a much more useful list - Top Wealthiest Wack Jobs. A list of billionaires whose crazy world and religious views effect culture and the economy as they should not. Or. - Top Wealthiest Sociopaths, find the richest who give the least and who support policies that destroy lives, list their home addresses so common folk can visit...if Forbes wanted to do something cool.
Since "cool" people don't read Forbes these cities will remain a secret from the hipsters. However,a diaspora of golf shirt wearing certified financial planners and wealth managers will flood these cities.
Lists can be cool. Keep them to yourself and list things like best Russian films in the 1920s.
Free museums in the US isn't so bad, go DC.
Hipsters are contemporary yuppies. Don't think there aren't some out there buying this.
They are selling advertising. Loud and stupid helps.
Isn't this just a list of the cities that are attracting the most young workers / 'millennials' (sorry for using the term)? The only thing about it that approaches 'cool' is that they kept NYC out of the top ten - because it's cool to be too cool for New York...
Whenever I'm looking for my daily dose of cool, I pick up a Forbes.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.