In the article, traveler and writer, Lucas Peterson, sums up Milwaukee as exceptionally vibrant, noting the city's "appealing mix of outstanding cultural institutions, fantastic food, and dive bars."
The city balances its traditional Germanic origins with what Lucas describes as "an embrace of contemporary art and design, great live music, and fun, casual dining."
Located just 90 miles north of Chicago, Milwaukee offers a plethora of performing arts, from ballet and symphony, to theatre and opera. It is also home to historical mansions, theaters, a horticultural conservatory (the Domes), endless museums, a world-class casino, and a renowned wildlife park. In the summertime, the city really shines with its seemingly limitless festivals and outdoor concert series. One in particular, Summerfest, attracts nearly one million visitors each summer and provides live music, food, and entertainment held at a 75-acre festival park, along Milwaukee's esteemed lakefront.
Peterson visited one of the largest art museums in the country, the iconic Milwaukee Art Museum, which houses over 30,000 pieces of art. "Housed in a gorgeous set of buildings designed by Santiago Calatrava, Eero Saarinen, David Kahler and James Shields, the museum is worth visiting for its swooping, stunning architecture alone.
It also houses a world-class collection of around 30,000 works, including pieces by Picasso, Chagall and Miró. Georgia O’Keeffe, a Wisconsin native, is also well represented.
He ends, "it seemed to encapsulate Milwaukee for me: cheap drinks, Midwestern soul food and a sensibility that incorporates equal parts worldliness with small-town friendliness."