Here at Milwaukee Record we employ a sentient machine known as the Great Job, Milwaukee! Bot. It keeps track of the city’s many appearances on dopey online lists and studies, as well as any time a national publication acknowledges our pathetic Midwest existence. Enjoy!
What do Las Vegas, New Orleans, Chicago, and Milwaukee all have in common? Well, according to the fine folks at whatever the hell “Legal US Poker Sites” is, they’re all American cities with exceptional nightlife. A recent “study” ranks Milwaukee as the 5th best locale in the country in which to party, landing behind the three aforementioned cities and the undeniable nightlife hub of, um, St. Louis.
Milwaukee earned a “Wild Night Index Score” of 42.71 out of a possible 100. So what’s responsible for our fair city earning a spot on this totally reputable list when places like Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Houston didn’t? Take it away, Legal US Poker Sites:
“Milwaukee might be famous for its breweries, but its nightlife scene is just as intoxicating. It tops the list for excessive drinking (25%) and crams 103 bars per 100,000 residents into its buzzing districts: Brady Street and the Lower East Side are packed with lively bars, while Water Street draws a raucous college crowd. With 11 universities fueling the fun and a 2:30 AM last call, the city’s party scene stays strong.”
Seems legit, right? (Don’t answer that.) The article’s intro also notes Milwaukee’s inexpensive drinks played a big role in its overall ranking. That part actually checks out. That’s also why Buffalo earned a Top 10 ranking.
On the exact opposite end of the partying spectrum, Milwaukee also landed in the Top 10 of a recent listicle ranking the “Best U.S. Marathon Cities.” The “study” was conducted by car rental service called SIXT, which determined its rankings by using such criteria as: “number of marathons offered, local run clubs, all-pace friendly average marathon time, things to do, sportswear stores, and 4.5-star hotels.”
Once all those factors were taken into account, Milwaukee wound up in 6th place on this particular list. That lofty ranking trails only Ocala (Florida), Las Vegas, New York, Winter Park (Florida), and Oakland. For the sake of comparison, Chicago wound up in the No. 15 spot and Boston—of “Boston Marathon” fame—ranks 24th overall.
Honestly, we can’t really say whether Milwaukee’s No. 6 ranking is absurd, but it does seem at least a little bit higher than we’d expect it to be. Still, the city does host its fair share of marathons, including next weekend’s Milwaukee Marathon, so maybe this rental car company that we just learned existed is actually onto something. Deserving or not, congrats to Milwaukee for its extremely high marks on two very different online lists. Whether you contributed to the excessive drinking part or the excessive running portion, we did it together!