A Most Romantic U.S. City.

No. 1 City for Cycling.

4th Brainiest City in America.

One of Five Emerging Hotspots for Biotech.

One of 10 New American Dream Towns.

No. 1 Best College Sports Town.

Five-Star community in Quality of Life.

And that's just a smattering of accolades that media from Forbes to Playboy recently laid on Madison, which seems to make every Top 10 list outside of David Letterman's these days.

The city gets lofty rankings for qualities from being child- friendly to being vegetarian- friendly to being, well, friendly.

But what does it mean?

Although most lists should be taken with a healthy grain of salt, "It's good publicity. These are all positive-image things," said Bill Strang, emeritus professor and former associate dean of the UW-Madison School of Business.

The lists defy notions that Madison is hostile to business. The city recently was rated No.1 in the nation for business and careers.

But the ratings often rely on data for the metro area or beyond, meaning Madison shouldn't look too far down its nose at its neighbors.

Whatever borders are used, "Madison" sometimes rises, falls and even disappears from the charts like a pop song.

Money magazine dubbed Madison the Best Place to Live in America in 1998. But last year, Money ranked Middleton as the state's best place - No. 7 nationally - while Madison didn't crack the top 100 in the country.

The volatility usually comes from changes and nuances in methodology, Carbonell said.

Sometimes, lists can give pause. Men's Health Magazine's "A" rating for Madison drinking water in 2004 seems generous, given recent, unflattering disclosures about the city's water utility.

Although Madison has an enviable image, it can't rest on its laurels, said Rafael Carbonell of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce. "You can't get complacent," he said.

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