Milwaukee makes the list of Top 10 American Downtowns.

Milwaukee likely has the smallest urban core on this list, a fact that certainly hurts the city’s ranking. But this lack of size is also a definite asset: the downtown area boasts upscale river walks, one of the country’s most vibrant loft districts, an impressive collection of museums and academic institutions (try the Pabst Theater if you enjoy absorbing plays while supporting one of America’s most popular home-grown brews), and, of course, easy access to the Lake Michigan beach. Furthermore, Milwaukee’s downtown is clean and easy to naviagte, with a lake-and-river setting that makes it seem like a more relaxed version of Chicago’s central core.