Birmingham Among Top Cities for 'Social Seekers'

If you want to get out, meet people and have a good time, is Birmingham the place to be?

According to Coldwell Banker Real Estate, it is. The real estate company is ranking the "Best Place to Live" in the US and for those identified as "social seekers," Birmingham is a popular place to be.

The "Best Places to Live" series is a partnership with the real estate data service Onboard Informatics, and ranks US cities in several lifestyle categories: Social Seekers, Suburbanites, Adventurers, Leisure Lovers and Culture Cravers.

So far, only the winners in the Social Seekers catagories have been revealed and the list is topped by a number of familiar names; Manhattan, San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles top the list.

However, Birmingham is one of five Michigan cities to be named a popular spot for sociable folks, alongside Ann Arbor, East Lansing, Huntington Woods and Rochester.

According to a post by Coldwell Banker's David Siroty on the company's Blue Matter blog, the Social Seekers list ranks the places "which are perfect for the hip, trendy and fun at heart — those who would rather go out than stay at home any night of the week."

According to Siroty, the list was compiled based on a range of attributes such as access to public transportation, high volume of bars and restaurants, "happening nightlife" and a bustling entertainment scene. Social Seeker cities also had numerous coffee shops and residents with disposable income.

"As our previous research shows, Americans believe that their home is a reflection of their identity and that clearly goes beyond the property line and into the communities where they live," said Budge Huskey, president and CEO of Coldwell Banker in a recent press release.

"By ranking the best places to live by lifestyle interests and personalities, we're able to get to the heart of what makes individual cities and towns so special," Huskey added.