As the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore points out, the city (or metro area) has appeared on at least three "best of" lists recently.

Next Generation Consulting names Baltimore seventh on its list of large cities it believes are "the best places to live and work for young professionals." The factors it looked at -- based, it said, on 11 years of studying "residential and relocation patterns" of 20- to 40-year-olds -- are "Earning, Learning, Vitality, Around Town, After Hours, Cost of Lifestyle, and Social Capital."

Forbes includes Baltimore on its list of "Best Cities to Get Ahead" -- though by dint of being part of Greater Washington. The mega metro area, it says, has "one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country and a high median household income."

And The Nielsen Co. thinks Baltimore is one of 10 cities with the "greenest automotive potential." It says Baltimore households are 22 percent more likely than average to buy a green car, based on its analysis of ownership rates of high-mileage vehicles. That ties Baltimore with Los Angeles for ninth on the list.

There are a lot of best-of lists out there. (Forbes seems to have a new one every day.) Do you think they can influence people's buying or moving patterns? Or do they at least reflect those patterns accurately?