No, apparently New York isn't the coolest city in America

From its diverse cultures to its lively nightlife, we tend to think New York City is pretty cool—we do live here, after all—but does the rest of the continent agree? A new study has some interesting findings. 

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The online gambling company Betway dug into answering the seemingly impossible question of which North American city is the coolest in 2023, analyzing key metropolises based on "their art scene, nightlife, diversity, and commitment to sustainability" and taking into account quintessential cool-kid markers like the number of thrift shops, record stores, tattoo parlors and other independent businesses within the city borders. Each of those factors were scored between zero and one, and the cities were then ranked from highest to lowest based on their total scores. 

So where does good ol' Gotham fall on the list? Shockingly, it's not number one—but we're not far off. NYC ranked second on the list of coolest cities with an overall score of 3.904 out of 5, off the strength of its "vibrant culture, endless activities, and iconic landmarks," reads the study. "With just under 100 record stores, hundreds of tattoo studios, and thousands of vegan restaurants, New York really is the city that never sleeps."

What beats New York City? Portland, Oregon, coming in hot with a total score of 3.958, ranking first for the number of record stores (110) and microbreweries (188) among major North American cities. 

And rounding out the top five coolest cities was Los Angeles, California, ranking third with a "coolness index score" of 3.301; Seattle, Washington with 2.470; and our cousin up north, Toronto, waving the Canadian flag with 2.412 "for its diversity, multicultural festivals, and world-class museums." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Austin, Texas also, unsurprisingly, made strong showings in the top 10, as did Canuck locales including Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver. 

Check out Betway's full list of the 20 coolest North American cities below, and if you want to delve deeper into the 2023 report and its findings, check out the company's blog.