Although we love a list that describes DC as "cool," we're not so sure what that means coming from Forbes magazine. To put our confusion in perspective, the city that topped the list was Houston. As in Houston, Texas. As in big oil companies and the same city that landed itself on this list. Last time we checked transfats weren't that cool...

But since we're No. 2 on this "cool" list, we had to read on. Even if it was just to make sure they weren't talking about the temperature...

“Cool” is defined by Merriam-Webster’s dictionary as “very good; fashionable.” Of course what, exactly, is good and fashionable is very much in the eye of the beholder. We sought to quantify it in terms of cities, ranking the 65 largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Metropolitan Divisions (areas that include cities and their surrounding suburbs that are defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget) based on seven data points weighted evenly.

Those data points? Restaurants and bars per capita (not counting chains); cultural composition (a.k.a. racial diversity); median age (the younger the adult population, the cooler, they say); net migration (the number of people who relocated there in 2011); and unemployment rates (the lower the better, obviously). The writers also looked at things like art galleries, museums, theaters and more.

Who knew, Houston? More importantly, though, we did know about Washington and it's nice to finally get recognized, even if it is by this guy.

The official word:

Second on our list is Washington, DC. With federal spending strong, the nation’s capital sailed through the recession with low unemployment and an influx of newcomers. Many of those newcomers have, like Houston, been young adults. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, residents in their 20s and early 30s make up about a third of the metro area’s population—23 percent more than in 2000.

Washington also scored high thanks to its melting pot of a population, a large selection of local eateries and watering holes, and a host of activities that range from Smithsonian museums to music concerts. Washington reportedly hosts more festivals and events than any other U.S. city, according to Destination DC.

Um, we'll forgive the writers' very uncool use of "music concerts."