When it comes to national rankings of U.S. cities, D.C. and its surrounding cities are usually lumped together. But the latest page-view bait from Businessweek about "America's 50 Best Cities" singles out Arlington and the District separately, placing both in the top 10.

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Based on Bloomberg Rankings, the list ranks the best cities in which to live if money were no object, and takes into account 16 criteria: "the number of restaurants, bars, and museums per capita; the number of colleges, libraries, and professional sports teams; the income, poverty, unemployment, crime, and foreclosure rates; percent of population with bachelor’s degrees, public school performance, park acres per 1,000 residents, and air quality."

Arlington came in second, behind Raleigh, N.C., because...

Home to numerous headquarters of companies and government agencies, this Washington D.C. suburb is a draw in its own right. The area is highly educated, with more than two-thirds of the population holding a college degree. Arlington has a median income level of $93,806, low levels of foreclosures, and the lowest unemployment among cities we ranked. (Arlington is not incorporated as a municipality but is in the U.S. Census Bureau's list of incorporated places and was included in our survey.)

And D.C. was sixth:

The nation's capital doubles as a pretty cool city. There are great bars, endless restaurants for hobnobbing, and some of the best museums on the planet. On the down side, however, Washington D.C. suffers from the second-highest level of violent crime on this list and a poverty level that nears one in five citizens. However, the city is much in demand, with the lowest foreclosure rate on our list and great schools.

We can only assume that by "schools" they mean colleges, not DCPS.

[ARLnow]