July 10, 2018. It’s a day that shall forever live in Milwaukee infamy, right up there with the Bridge War of 1845 and the time we saw former TMJ4 weatherman John Malan at Fun World. Yes, that was the day that Vogue magazine (!) ran an online article (!!) that deemed Milwaukee “the Midwest’s coolest (and most underrated) city.” Local restaurants were praised. The city’s “old world charm, geographical beauty, and longtime liberal leanings” were dutifully mentioned. A picture of Shorewood’s Atwater Beach was used for some reason. And Milwaukee clicked the living hell out of it.

This past Christmas Eve, Vogue revealed its most popular travel stories of 2018. And wouldn’t you know it, the Milwaukee story came it at #1. HELL YEAH. Sorry, London and Northern Italy, you clearly didn’t have every man, woman, child, online media publication, television news outlet, and tourism organization sharing your glowing Vogue write-ups. Here’s what the magazine had to say about Milwaukee, in a nutshell:

Milwaukee is no longer the best-kept secret of the midwest. Its business-owners say the city has a buzz around it now, with a low cost of living, tons of cultural activities, and a diverse population. Highlights include the views of Lake Michigan, the iconic Calatrava-designed Milwaukee Art Museum, and a set of great restaurants serving both farm-to-table vegetarian and more traditional food—best paired with a local craft beer.

And of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t re-post the following song from Milwaukee musician Pete Freeman, which was written in response to the Vogue frenzy. Seriously: Milwaukee went bonkers for this article. Hell, the Milwaukee Press Club’s upcoming Milwaukee birthday party is literally named after Vogue this year.

Take it away, Pete! (And nice bumping into you and your dad that night at Bay View Bowl. Thanks again for the Front Row Amy song.)

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Co-Founder and Editor

Matt Wild weighs between 140 and 145 pounds. He lives on Milwaukee's east side.