By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers   Published Jan 21, 2002 at 6:04 AM

There's nothing like a little cross-state debate. While Milwaukee has never been a "suburb of Chicago," thank you very much, we do enjoy a spirited rivalry with our bigger neighbor to the south. Don't get us wrong, we've had lots of fun in Chicago ... but we know that Milwaukee can more than hold its own with the windy ones.

So, in classic OnMilwaukee.com style, here is our list of "100 Reasons why Milwaukee is Better than Chicago."

  1. Our rush hour is only an hour.
  2. Our art museum has a retractable, moving roof.
  3. So does our baseball stadium.
  4. One word: tailgating.
  5. We can see trees, nature and stars just 10 minutes outside downtown.
  6. We're two hours closer to Door County.
  7. Our baseball loyalty isn't split between two teams.
  8. The Packers have won a Super Bowl in the last decade.
  9. You won't get tailgated at 90 mph on our highways.
  10. Our lakefront isn't obstructed by skyscrapers.
  11.   A cheesehead is better than a F.I.B.
  12. Chicago is the second fattest city in the U.S.; Milwaukee is 22 (Men's Fitness Magazine).
  13. Plenty of good parking still available.
  14. No freeway along Lake Michigan.
  15. Milwaukee police not as easily mistaken for Checker cab drivers.
  16. More beer at Milwaukee Mile than Magnificent Mile.
  17. Milwaukee has Harley headquarters, Chicago has Harley-Davidson store.
  18. It's free to drive on our I-94.
  19. Santiago Calatrava picked us for his first U.S. project.
  20. Milwaukee River has dirt, not concrete at the bottom.
  21. Most famous "Chicago" architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, actually a Cheesehead.
  22. Parking tickets don't cost $50.
  23. Parking checkers can't give you the boot.
  24. Milwaukee River doesn't require regular dye job.
  25. Sacks of gold bullion not required to pay rent each month in Milwaukee.
  26. Residents and visitors free to park, permit-free, in most neighborhoods without fear of reprisals.
  27. Dead people don't vote as often in Milwaukee.
  28. Al Capone's ghost is meaner than Frank Balistreri's.
  29. But even Al Capone left Chicago to vacation in Wisconsin.
  30. George Webb's better than Billy Goat.
  31. The Cubs will never win, the Brewers ... wait, that's a tie.
  32. You can still find a $6 martini in Milwaukee.
  33. Self serve doesn't mean $1.50 per gallon in Milwaukee.
  34. 7 million fewer people means more beer per capita.
  35.   Dennis Rodman didn't help break up the Bucks.
  36. Oprah grew up here.
  37. Lake Geneva is in our state, even though you act like you own it on weekends.
  38. You can buy lunch downtown in Milwaukee for under $5.
  39. Usinger's with kraut better than Chicago Red Hots any day!
  40. Milwaukee bars and taverns don't all look like Sauce.
  41. Coffee options not limited to Starbucks on every Chicago corner.
  42. Our beaches have sand, not concrete slabs.
  43. Harry Carey, bless his heart, was no Uecker.
  44. Chicago is closer to Beloit.
  45. O'Hare hassles make us appreciate Mitchell International even more.
  46. Miller beer is fresher up here.
  47. A snowy city is prettier than a windy city.
  48. Michael Jordan didn't leave our city.
  49. Milwaukee's Crime Lab Index is 268; Chicago' is 375 (100 is average).
  50. Jerry Reinsdorf doesn't own any Milwaukee sports teams.
  51. Chris Farley died in Chicago but was born in Wisconsin.
  52. Chicago is closer to Gary, Indiana.
  53. Sales tax in Chicago is a whopping 8.75%
  54. Chicago has the highest homicide rate in America.
  55. Beer is always cheaper in Milwaukee.
  56. It takes less than an hour to commute from our suburbs.
  57. You don't need a PhD in Engineering to understand the radio traffic reports in Milwaukee.
  58. Our new ballpark doesn't need a renovation yet.
  59. Lambeau Field sells out no matter what the Packers' record is.
  60. Taste of Chicago is no match for Summerfest.
  61. When was the last time you saw a bull in Chicago?
  62. We don't think we're New York.
  63. What the hell is a "Toddlin' Town?"
  64.   Halle Berry lives in Milwaukee; Judy Tenuta lives in Chicago.
  65. The Lambeau Leap is infinitely cooler than the Super Bowl Shuffle.
  66. You can still see a movie in Milwaukee for less than $9
  67. Ditka's sweaters are arguably uglier than Packers zubas.
  68. Band Chicago was never good with or without Peter Cetera.
  69. When you call 9-1-1 in Milwaukee, someone answers.
  70. George Karl can out-coach Bill Cartwright any day.
  71. Cabbies in Milwaukee drive safely.
  72. Commonwealth Edison rate hikes loftier than those of Wisconsin Energy.
  73. "Genuine American City" is slightly less lame than the "City of Broad Shoulders."
  74. Driving the Marquette Interchange (even after construction begins) a cakewalk compared to Edens.
  75. Howard Stern is not on Milwaukee radio.
  76. Violent Femmes and BoDeans are cooler than REO or Styx.
  77. We never had a mayor painted wearing women's underwear.
  78. Bonnie Blair left Illinois to live here.
  79. Lap dances are $10 cheaper here.
  80. Our independent movie theater isn't inside a mall.
  81. We don't have to leave here to enjoy our summer weekends.
  82. Miller is better than ... oh wait, there aren't any real breweries in Chicago.
  83. Quality shows like Jerry Springer and Jenny Jones hail from Chicago.
  84. What would you rather see an abundance of? Guys with beer bellies or with leather pants?
  85. Downtown Milwaukee sidewalks actually see the sun.
  86. Jim Miller is not our quarterback.
  87. The drive to Great America is quicker from Milwaukee.
  88. Bernie Mac lives in Chicago.
  89. We didn't name our soccer team after a tragedy (Chicago Fire).
  90. Chicago accent is slightly more nasally than Milwaukee accent.
  91. The rest of our state actually has real cities.
  92. When's the last time Chicago had a good college basketball team?
  93. OnMilwaukee.com is cooler than Metromix.com.
  94. The Brewers have been in the World Series in the last 20 years.
  95. William Kennedy Smith lives in Chicago.
  96. Two of our most recent mayors weren't related.
  97. Half of our city didn't start out as stockyards.
  98. Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" was set in Chicago.
  99. The only team to ever throw a World Series was the White Sox.
  100. The Bears still suck.