Milwaukee -- yes, Milwaukee -- a sexy city

MILWAUKEE, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- The women's magazine Marie Claire has named Milwaukee the sexiest city in the world, amazing many Milwaukee residents.

Lea Goldman, the magazine's editor, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the staff decided that a city best-known for its breweries and bratwurst has a lot to offer the women in their 20s and 30s that Marie Claire considers its core audience. Other cities that got close consideration were Miami, New Orleans and Beijing.

Events like the Arab World Festival and the celebration of Harley-Davidson's 105th anniversary helped put Milwaukee over the top. The magazine described the city as welcoming "NASCAR tailgaters, Lebanese dabka dance fans and Foo Fighters freaks."

"We were astonished by how robust the city was in terms of entertainment," Goldman said. "On any given weekend, you can find at least three festivals in the area that offer diverse options."

Chris Dobs, owner of Urban Sense, a Milwaukee flower shop, said he thinks of New York and Los Angeles as sexy, Milwaukee as friendly.

"I wouldn't call us sexy," he said. "I would call it more hometown."

Other items on the sexy list included the upcoming Democratic convention in Denver and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.