Here's one magazine listing that actually makes sense

Finally, here’s a magazine listing that appears roughly on target.

Frankly, I am still in shock over Forbes listing Cambridge as No. 11 on its list of “America’s best bargain cities.’’

It’s hard to dress up that one.

But I’d have a hard time arguing with the decision by Men’s Journal to feature J.P. as one of the country’s best neighborhoods.

The magazine cites the neighborhood’s mix of tradition with its increasingly eclectic mix of yuppies and immigrants and thriving, independent restaurants and shops.

One secret to J.P.’s success, according to the write up in Men’s Journal, has been its ability to fight off the big chains, allowing quirky local establishments to flourish.

The Herald offers a good summary, sprinkling in some interviews with neighborhood residents and merchants, with the obligatory quote from Mayor Menino.

“Jamaica plain is a weird place, but it’s a good weird: an eclectic, humming neighborhood,’’ the Men’s Journal opines, citing the contrast between the neighborhood’s triple-decker lined streets and the stately, Queen Annes near Jamaica Pond.

Hey, and it’s also more affordable than it had been during the boom, when prices escalated.

The median home price is down to $427,500, nearly a $100,000 decline from last year, according to the Warren Group.

Men’s Journal dubs J.P. as “Boston’s cool outlier.’’

Anyway, I am you have your own favorites/and not so favorites when it comes to neighborhoods in the Boston area.

Certainly anybody around here could do better than Forbes with its foolish list of bargain cities.

I’d love to get a list going – so fire away.