A story in The New York Times titled 36 Hours in Milwaukee is the most recent in a spate of articles declaring Milwaukee cool and, uh, sexy.
Let’s backtrack for a moment.
The August issue of Marie Claire named Milwaukee “sexiest city” as part of their Sexy 101 article. Unfortunately, the actual article isn’t online, nor is the magazine still on newsstands. But, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who first broke the news of our sexy title, locals were shocked.
I know that it’s hard to comprehend the idea of “sexiest city” and “Milwaukee” being used in the same sentence, but it sure was funny to hear so many locals up in arms over being perceived as “sexy.”
Heck, it wasn’t that long ago that Milwaukee was the fattest city in the county. Man, I certainly prefer the sexy designation, don’t you?
Perhaps it’s difficult to think of Milwaukee as a sexy place because of the common, yet hackneyed images that depict our city. I mean, beer guzzling and brat binging isn’t very sexy. Nope, not at all.
Lea Goldman, Marie Claire editor, told the Journal Sentinel that the staff decided that a city best-known for its breweries and bratwurst has a lot to offer women in their 20s and 30s (the magazine’s core audience).
Despite being a slightly ambiguous term, I think it’s pretty obvious that Marie Claire, in this case, uses sexy as another word for hip and happening, not outwardly sexy or pertaining to appearance. Milwaukee’s sexy label was based on how much, in terms of entertainment, Milwaukee has to offer visitors and locals alike.
The article calls Milwaukee “The nation’s summer-festival epicenter” as it touches on the multitude of citywide celebrations like African World Fest, Summerfest and Harley’s 105th Anniversary Celebration that pack calendars throughout the summer months.
“Most people flee their city in the summer for a different environment," said Goldman to The Marquette Tribune. “Not only does Milwaukee attract (visitors), but it also offers compelling reasons (for Milwaukeeans) to stick around.”
It seems like Milwaukeeans may always be pigeonholed into beer drinking, brats scarfing cheeseheads, considering it has been drilled into the thick skulls of outsiders – even locals as this article reveals – for decades.
But maybe, just maybe, people will become more broadminded. After all, The New York Times seems to understand where we’re coming from.
"Modern Milwaukee isn't so much defined by the Rust Belt anymore, but rather by its lively downtown and a signature museum so architecturally striking that it competes for attention with the art it holds," according to Maura Casey, a writer for The New York Times.
Casey recently spent "36 Hours in Milwaukee" and in her article this month, she describes how today's Milwaukee is unrecognizable compared to the city that existed during the Laverne and Shirley era.
Many museums are ready to be discovered and any craving can be satisfied with a variety of restaurants on hand. Plus, Milwaukee has a robust downtown that’s filled with entertainment options and friendly people.
So, “sexiest city” might seem too lofty of a title for Milwaukee according to some people, but it’s about time our city gets some positive press from folks with an open mind.
Keep on spreading the love, people. Milwaukee is fantastic!
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