Glamour cities

In an article on San Francisco's architectural deficit, Slate elaborates on the concept of "glamour cities":

Glamour cities are centers of international business (New York), political power (Washington, D.C.), and the New Economy (Boston). They usually have a 19th-century infrastructure of museums, concert halls, and well-preserved residential architecture, and they are where the wealthy, the well-educated, and the ambitious want to live. High-end demand, in turn, produces real estate values that—even in the current slump—are an order of magnitude greater than elsewhere. These cities are vibrant, livable, prosperous, and well-managed.

Washington DC... "well-managed"?! Somewhere, Marion Barry is smiling....