8. Orange County, CA

Forbes: America's Coolest Cities

Metro Division: Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA

Arts & Culture Index: 87

Recreation Index: 98

Diversity Index: 75.7

Number of Local Eats: 5,735

Median Age: 36

Unemployment: 7.5%

2011 Net Migration: 13,910 people

(George Rose/Getty Images)

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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

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America's Cooles... Forbes 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 they weighted evenly. Sperling’s Best Places helped them 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. Forbes also looked at each city’s cultural composition using Sperling’s Diversity Index (100 is the best). They included median age, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, favoring places with a large young adult population. Lastly, they looked at net migration for 2011 and unemployment rates, using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Moody’s Analytics. The following list is the 10 cities that ranked highest according to these criteria.
(The Washington Post/Getty Images)

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America’s Most Dangerous Cities
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
10. New York, NY Metro Division: New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ

Arts & Culture Index: 100

Recreation Index: 100

Diversity Index: 79.6

Number of Local Eats: 26,040

Median Age: 37

Unemployment: 9.2%

2011 Net Migration: -11,900 people

(George Rose/Getty Images)

More From Forbes:
America’s Most Dangerous Cities
America’s Dirtiest Hotels
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
9. San Francisco... Metro Division: San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA

Arts & Culture Index: 98

Recreation Index: 99

Diversity Index: 73.1

Number of Local Eats: 5,650

Median Age: 41

Unemployment: 7%

2011 Net Migration: 6,810 people

(George Rose/Getty Images)

More From Forbes:
America’s Most Dangerous Cities
America’s Dirtiest Hotels
The Most Beautiful College Campuses

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
8. Orange County... Metro Division: Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA

Arts & Culture Index: 87

Recreation Index: 98

Diversity Index: 75.7

Number of Local Eats: 5,735

Median Age: 36

Unemployment: 7.5%

2011 Net Migration: 13,910 people

(George Rose/Getty Images)

More From Forbes:
America’s Most Dangerous Cities
America’s Dirtiest Hotels
The Most Beautiful College Campuses

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
7. Boston, MA Metro Division: Boston-Quincy, MA

Arts & Culture Index: 100

Recreation Index: 99

Diversity Index: 54.3

Number of Local Eats: 3,862

Median Age: 38

Unemployment: 5.3%

2011 Net Migration: 3,660 people

(John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

More From Forbes:
America’s Most Dangerous Cities
America’s Dirtiest Hotels
The Most Beautiful College Campuses

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
6. San Diego, CA... M.S.A.: San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA

Arts & Culture Index: 92

Recreation Index: 96

Diversity Index: 74

Number of Local Eats: 6,111

Median Age: 35

Unemployment: 8.8%

2011 Net Migration: 10,850 people

(Robert Harding World Imagery / Alamy)

More From Forbes:
America’s Most Dangerous Cities
America’s Dirtiest Hotels
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
5. Seattle, WA M.S.A.: Seattle-Bellevue-Everett WA

Arts & Culture Index: 96

Recreation Index: 99

Diversity Index: 55.1

Number of Local Eats: 6,101

Median Age: 37

Unemployment: 7.1%

2011 Net Migration: 22,380 people

(Mary Knox Merrill/The Christian Science Monitor/Getty Images)

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America’s Most Dangerous Cities
America’s Dirtiest Hotels
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
4. Dallas, TX Metro Division: Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX

Arts & Culture Index: 95

Recreation Index: 86

Diversity Index: 73.7

Number of Local Eats: 7,689

Median Age: 33.5

Unemployment: 6.9%

2011 Net Migration: 45,870 people

(Ian Dagnall Commercial Collection / Alamy)

More From Forbes:
America’s Most Dangerous Cities
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
3. Los Angeles, ... Metro Division: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA

Arts & Culture Index: 99

Recreation Index: 100

Diversity Index: 82.5

Number of Local Eats: 19,921

Median Age: 35

Unemployment: 11.1%

2011 Net Migration: 10,050 people

(Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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America’s Most Dangerous Cities
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
2. Washington, D... Metro Division: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Arts & Culture Index: 99

Recreation Index: 93

Diversity Index: 70.9

Number of Local Eats: 6,149

Median Age: 36

Unemployment: 5.4%

2011 Net Migration: 34,260 people

(Linda Davidson / The Washington Post via Getty Images)

More From Forbes:
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
1. Houston, TX M.S.A.: Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX

Arts & Culture Index: 91

Recreation Index: 94

Diversity Index: 77.1

Number of Local Eats: 11,196

Median Age: 33

Unemployment: 6.9%

2011 Net Migration: 49,820 people

(Song Qiong/ZUMA Press/Newscom)

More From Forbes:
America’s Most Dangerous Cities
America’s Dirtiest Hotels
The Most Beautiful College Campuses

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
See the Full Gal... Click here to see the full gallery of "America's Coolest Cities."