International pop star Mika famously sings the words “Relax, take it easy.”  To follow his advice, you would do well to live in Milwaukee.

On Nov. 10, Forbes Magazine reviewed the 40 largest metropolitan areas in the United States and posted a list of the top 10 most relaxing cities. Milwaukee ranked second in that list based on unemployment rates, high traffic, and long work days.

Meanwhile, Forbes rated Milwaukee’s worst attribute as health, in which they placed 17th in the nation. Milwaukee also ranked 15th in exercise and 13th in employment.

However, Forbes rated Milwaukee as the easiest town to commute in, and the second best for working hours. Milwaukee also placed fourth in health care.

Christopher Schuele, born and raised in Milwaukee and currently a junior at Boston College near Boston, the third most relaxed city, said the cities have very similar attributes that contribute to their relaxed feels.

Schuele compared and contrasted the art cultures of the two cities, with Milwaukee’s Art Museum and Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts part of what makes the two cities so easy going.

“(The) first thing I thought of was how artistic the cities are,” Schuele said. “They are both cities that are very urban, but a very short distance outside of them is beautiful country.”

Schuele said beyond the elements that Forbes evaluated, there are other aspects the cities share that reduce stress, such as their respective bodies of water and community organizations.

“Having that transcendental element to a city, just that calming presence, even as a visual is very good,” he said.  “Even for those who are (homeless), the cities have great places for them.  Boston has world-renowned soup kitchens and shelters.  You have spin-offs of the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker houses; same with Milwaukee.”

Matt Hogan, a lifetime Milwaukee area resident who currently a junior at the University of Loyola-Chicago, compared Milwaukee to Chicago, a city not rated in the top 10.

“I feel like everyone in Chicago keeps more to themselves than they do in Milwaukee,” Hogan said.  “It probably stems from the on-the-go work atmosphere that many people in Chicago get sucked into.”

Naturally, not everyone will agree Milwaukee is a relaxed place. Brian Konyn, a junior in the College of Business Administration and lifetime Milwaukee area resident, said the city is not as relaxing as Forbes claims.

Konyn cited what he considered a poor public education system, “unreliable” mass transit system and the structural integrity of some county buildings as disconcerting aspects of the city. The buildings he expressed concern about are the O’Donnell parking structure, Milwaukee County Courthouse and General Mitchell International Airport.

“There’s absolutely no reliable mass transit system, which adds to the frustration,” Konyn said. “On top of that, three county buildings have fallen apart on top of people.  I can’t really be relaxed when I’m walking around thinking a piece of concrete may hit me on the head.”