D.C. home to accurate, overblown and absurd superlatives

A new day in Washington often means another absurd, painfully accurate and always entertaining superlative for us pops up in the news. Ugliest? Check. Happiest single ladies? Check. Highly caffeinated? You know it. Read on for more examples of what the rest of the country thinks we are and what we think of ourselves.

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Biggest boozers

Washington has been ranked by the Daily Beast as one of the 10 "drunkest cities" in the nation. Previously, a "study" by the dating site HowAboutWe.com found that 34 percent of singles here rate themselves “heavy drinkers” — the highest percentage in the country.

Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post

D.C. was named the sixth "most bikeable" U.S. city by Bike Score, an organization that looked at factors including infrastructure and accessibility (bike lanes and trails), hilliness, road connectivity and the number of cyclists on city streets.

Andrew Harrer / BLOOMBERG

Best educated

In a new study that measures the amount of schooling children and young adults are likely to receive in a given city, county or metropolitan area, the District comes out way ahead of its competition with a score of 140.5 (or 14 school years, two years of college), followed by Boston and San Francisco, with the New York and Los Angeles metro areas far behind.

Jeffrey MacMillan

Washington was ranked among the most generous U.S. cities in online donations, according to a new report. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Charles Dharapak / AP

Sixth hippest

The H Street Corridor in Northeast Washington was named the sixth-hippest neighborhood in the United States by Forbes magazine.

Matt McClain / For The Washington Post

Worst drivers

If you’ve ever driven in Washington, it probably won’t surprise you to learn that D.C. comes in dead last of 200 cities measured by Allstate. The average driver in D.C. goes just 4.7 years between accidents and is 112 percent more likely to get into an accident when compared to the national average, the study says. Even just leaving the District and staying in the region is dangerous, according to this report. Baltimore rates just ahead of D.C., with 5.3 years between crashes, not far ahead of Alexandria (6.2 years) and Arlington (6.5 years).Read our coverage: D.C. drivers are the worst in the country.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Most likely to vacation

District residents apparently know how to relax. We take more vacations than residents of other top U.S. cities, according to a survey by Harris Interactive. The survey polled more than 2,500 people age 18 and older in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington. Chicagoans were the least likely in the group to have taken or plan on taking a vacation away from home for one or more nights. Check out the survey.

Nasser Nasser / AP

First in the nation in economic confidence

The rest of the country – yes, all 50 states – had a negative score on Gallup’s economic confidence index for the first half of 2012, but the District's was positive.solidly positive. The index, which ranges from plus 100 to minus 100, indicates respondents’ ratings of the U.S. economy and their expectation for its future. In D.C., where construction has rebounded after taking a hit during the downturn, the index score was plus 29. The next-highest: Minnesota with its minus 6 rating. West Virginia, at minus 44, came in last.

Bill O'Leary / The Washington Post

Second 'coolest' city

Forbes ranked the America’s 20 coolest cities, using various measurements — including local restaurants and bars per capita, median age, unemployment rate and more. The District came in second place behind Houston. On the arts and culture index, D.C. received a score of 99 out of 100, a recreation score of 93 and a diversity score of 70.9. Forbes also found the District has over 6,000 local eateries. The District isn’t the only area city that made the cut. Bethesda ranked 17th and Baltimore 14th. Read our coverage.

Jabin Botsford / For The Washington Post

Second-fittest city

After three years enjoying the title of America's fittest city, Greater Washington fell to No. 2 in the American College of Sports Medicine’s most recent American Fitness Index. Minneapolis-St. Paul edged out the area in the polls, based on factors like community health practices, instances of exercise, health insurance coverage and accessibility to public parks, among others. Both regions scored well for their high activity levels, high number of farmers markets, low number of smokers, low diabetes death rate and low unemployment as compared with other major U.S. cities. Baltimore ranks at No. 20, Richmond clocks in at No. 12 and Virginia Beach comes in at No. 9.

Evy Mages / For The Washington Post

Sixth least-attractive city

Unsightly, never-ending construction projects aside, Washingtonians have been branded as, well, comparatively homely by Travel + Leisure magazine. Our residents are prettier only than the people of Orlando, Anchorage, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Memphis. "This hotbed of culture apparently doesn't attract the hotties -- unless you count lobbyists and policy wonks as hot," the magazine huffed. Read our coverage.

Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post

Third-rudest city

Washington is many things: "Laid back" is not one of them, Travel + Leisure said in January 2012. According to the magazine, at least Washington’s wonky aggressiveness takes a back seat to mouthier locales New York and Miami. (And, in case you were wondering, the nicest city is Nashville.) Read our coverage.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Sixth-most caffeinated

According to the National Coffee Association's new National Coffee Drinking Trends 2011 (who knew?), Washingtonians combat long commutes, ugly neighbors and workout laziness by many many cups of Joe. Only Chicago, New York, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles ranked ahead of D.C. in availability of coffee and the intake of all forms of caffeine imbibing enough coffee to kill a whale.

Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post

No. 1 nationwide for traffic congestion

Washington-area drivers spend more than three days out of every 365 caught in traffic, according to a September 2011 study by a Texas A & M research group. Helped along by a relatively robust economy, the Washington region forged well ahead of perennial rivals Chicago and Los Angeles in a race no community wants to win. Read our coverage.

Mark Gail / The Washington Post

42nd manliest city

According to the Web site of Combos snacks, only eight of 50 cities surveyed were less manly in its October 2011 study. That was down 33 spots after coming in 9th the year before. Why? The District lagged in “manly lifestyle” and “concentration of manly retail stores” (45th for both). Nashville was the most manly; Los Angeles the least. The study considered a number of key criteria, including the number of professional sports teams, chicken wing restaurants and Western/cowboy apparel stores. Could our rabid hunger for cupcakes have anything to do with it? Read our coverage.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Sixth-most hipster region in America

Chock full of bicycles, PBR and ironic glasses, the Washington region is No. 6 in the nation for hipsters. D.C. trails behind Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Massachusetts and Illinois in the nation, according to Buzzfeed. sixth-most hipster in America. (But we knew that, like, years ago.)

Evy Mages / For The Washington Post

Most literate city

For the second year in a row, Washington was named the nation's most literate city. The annual survey from the Central Connecticut State University started in 2005, with D.C. in third place. Seattle, Minneapolis and Atlanta have consistently ranked in the top five.most literate city in the United States. (Do books on tape during the commuting slog count?)

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

Happiest single ladies

For once, the city's transient reputation is finally working to one group’s advantage: Single women in Washington are the world’s happiest, according to Match.com. “Unlike other cities, Washington has people coming and going with each administration,” according to Helen Fisher, an anthropologist and Match.com’s chief scientific adviser. “So women have a continually renewed source of men.”

Jeff Martin / For The Washington Post

We're not that stressed out

The District is among the nation's least-stressed-out cities, according to Sperling's Best Places list of "Stressful Cities." Washington's low divorce and unemployment rates helped it beat out cities such as Las Vegas, Detroit and even mellow-seeming Seattle.

/ Getty Images

10th-most honest metro area

Washington was tied with Las Vegas, according to the third annual “honesty experiment” by Bethesda-based Honest Tea. The company set up unmanned beverage stands nationwide in August 2012, asking people to leave a dollar for each bottle they took. Undercover observers used a digital tracking application to monitor which passersby took a drink without paying. In Washington, 95 percent paid, compared with 93 percent nationwide. Oakland and Salt Lake City tied for first place with 100 percent compliancy, while only 79 percent of Los Angelenos ponied up.

/ Courtesy of Honest Tea

Two cities in the Washington area received props for their healthy habits in a recent issue of Self magazine. According to the magazine's Best Cities for Women 2012 report, Bethesda is the second-healthiest city nationwide thanks in large part to its low crime rate. The District -- which includes Arlington and Alexandria, according to Self -- has one of the highest exercise rates in the country and more farmer's markets than most other cities. However, it also has one of the highest rates of binge drinking, dragging down D.C.'s ranking to 31st.

John McDonnell / THE WASHINGTON POST

FEATURED PHOTO GALLERIES

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 13: Many seminary graduates are choosing not to become pastors. Rebecca J. Cole received her Master of Divinity and is becoming a community organizer on Capitol Hill. She hugs another graduate after the ceremony. The 2013 Commencement ceremony for Wesley Theological Seminary was held on May 13 at the Washington National Cathedral. (Photo by Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

Eager to minister, but not from the pulpit

An increasing number of divinity students who don’t plan to become pastors envision using their degrees to “minister” in a...

ARLINGTON, VA- MAY 17: Thousands of bike enthusiasts took to the streets Friday, May 17, 2013 in celebration of Bike to Work day. Bikers leave the Rosslyn Gateway Park pit stop on Friday morning. Commuter Connections and The Washington Area Bicyclist Association hosted cyclists at 70 pit stops across the metropolitan region. (Photo by Amanda Voisard/For the Washington Post)

Thousands participate in Bike to Work Day

More than 14,000 people registered for the area's annual celebration of commuting on two wheels.

epa03704474 A Muslim woman at the ThetKalPyin temporary relief camp near Sittwe in Rakhine State, Western Myanmar, 17 May 2013. A total of 13 people were confirmed dead in neighboring Bangladesh as people began to return home from shelters, a day after Cyclone Mahasen hit the coast, officials said 17 May. EPA/NYEIN CHAN NAING

Photos of the day

Cyclone Mahasen, Texas tornadoes, puffin census, melting Swiss glacier and more.

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 16: American Idol Season 12 Winner Candice Glover (C) is seen onstage during Fox's 'American Idol 2013' Finale Results Show at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on May 16, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Candice Glover wins 12th season of ‘American Idol’

The 23-year-old vocal powerhouse from St. Helena Island, S.C., tops competition in her third try.

US actress Claire Julien smiles on May 16, 2013 while posing during a photocall for the film 'The Bling Ring' at the 66th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes. Cannes, one of the world's top film festivals, opened on May 15 and will climax on May 26 with awards selected by a jury headed this year by Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg. AFP PHOTO / ALBERTO PIZZOLI (Photo credit should read ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images)

Eye on entertainment

Claire Julien, David Hasselhoff, Freida Pinto, Candice Glover, Martin Short and more.

**LOC IMAGE** Geo. Hamilton, Assistant Superintendent, Cambria Iron Mills house, Johnstown Flood, May 31st, 1889. (Photo by Ernest Walter Histed / Library of Congress)

The Johnstown Flood of 1889

On May 31, 1889, the South Fork dam that held Lake Conemaugh failed, and 20 million tons of water descended upon Johnstown, Pa. The flood claimed the lives of 2,209 people and spurred...

HACIPASA, TURKEY - MAY 5: Syrian refugee Hala ponders her life on the run on Sunday, May 5, 2013, in Hacipasa, Turkey. Three times this morning, the sounds of aircrafts were followed by explosions that shook the ground. Hacipasa, which sits just across the river border from Syria, is home of several hundred Syrian refugees who have been displaced by their home country's conflict. For a year, Hala and her family have been displaced from their home village in Syria because of violent conflict. After bouncing from village to village, fleeing bombings that seemed to follow them, the family crossed into Turkey six weeks ago. Initially, the family was deported back into Syria, where they lived in camps for internally displaced Syrians. But when the camps were bombed, the family was allowed to cross into Turkey. Hala said, 'The blood of the people who died in Syria, the martyrs, is our sad song, but nobody is listening.' (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

Turkey faces a refugee crisis

More than 400,000 Syrians have crossed into Turkey seeking refuge from the conflict at home. Finding its resources stretched, Turkey is urgently appealing for international aid and...

(FILES) In this file picture taken on January 31, 2013 British football player David Beckham poses presenting his new jersey after a press conference at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris. David Beckham is to retire from professional football at the end of the season, his representative announced on May 16, 2013. The 38-year-old midfielder has played for Manchester United, Real Madrid, Los Angeles Galaxy and AC Milan, as well as winning 115 caps for England, and recently won the French Ligue 1 championship with Paris Saint-Germain. AFP PHOTO / FRANCK FIFEFRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images

David Beckham announces his retirement

The 38-year-old British soccer superstar says he will retire when his French team’s season ends May 26.

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