In the 19th century, Germans were fleeing for America with many making their way to what would later become known as Milwaukee. Wisconsin was rich in farmland, similar to what Europeans were accustomed to in their homeland so very quickly the area gave rise…Read More

In the 19th century, Germans were fleeing for America with many making their way to what would later become known as Milwaukee. Wisconsin was rich in farmland, similar to what Europeans were accustomed to in their homeland so very quickly the area gave rise to dairy farms and breweries. While much of its rich history has given way to automation and the advancement of technology, Germany's roots in Milwaukee can still be traced through her many churches.

On a nice fall afternoon, I ventured into the city on a mission to find a few of these historical sites. Each of the three churches discussed here have been designated historical sites by the City of Milwaukee's Historic Preservation Commission.

The Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church was built in 1883 with its side towers added in 1908. It is of German Gothic Revival design. Today the congregation of Bethel Baptist Church owns the buildings and conducts church services here. Located at 2030 W.North Avenue, this church is in an area that has seen decline over the past several decades. Thankfully, the local community has been committed to preserving and maintaining this beautiful "cream brick" structure.

Cream bricks are unique to architecture in Milwaukee, which is why the city was nick named "Cream City" a name that has been with her since the 1880's. These unique bricks are made from clay found along the coast of Lake Michigan and into the Menomonee Valley. During the development and growth of Milwaukee, most bricks were made here. Due to the large content of lime and sulphur, when these bricks are fired, they turn a yellowish or cream color hence the name. Today many of the city's most known historical buildings are cream bricks.

The next church that I visited was Saint Stephen Evangelical Lutheran Church. Originally founded in 1854, the German congregation of the near southside Milwaukee church continued to grow into the early 20th century. Services were conducted in German until 1919, which English worship was held once per month. By 1928 the community had transitioned from being predominantly German to one of greater diversity. Services were held weekly in both German and English.

As the city's tannery businesses grew, so did the population of Spanish speaking residents. Many settled into what is now the Walker's Point community. In the 1930's St. Stephen began to hold services in Spanish as well as German and English; a practice that continued into the 1960's. Today this church holds services in Spanish and English.

The church that is found today at 5th and Mitchell was built in 1901 in the same location where their original church was constructed in 1866. Of note is the church tower which was built as an addition to the original church in 1879. The new church was built in a manner so as to incorporate the older cream brick tower.

I spent some time walking around the building, enjoying the beautiful stained glass windows on the south side. My photos do not do them justice, but I will include one or two with this article.

The last church that I visited on my journey was St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, located at 816 W. Vliet Street. This High Victorian Gothic was built in 1889 and was nearly lost due to highway expansion and disrepair. Today it is not only listed as a Milwaukee Historical Site, it also has been listing on the National Register of Historic Places. It is considered to be one of the finest examples of German Lutheran church architecture in the United States.

As with so much of what was the City of Milwaukee, this area was abandoned as German immigrants expanded and moved to what would become the suburbs. When the citizens left the community in the 20th century, the neighborhood became condemned in 1950. More recently, through an urban renewal project, the City of Milwaukee reinvested in this area and created the Hillside public housing project.

While "recognized" somewhat tongue in cheek by OnMilwaukee.com as the third ugliest thing in Milwaukee, the Hillside Housing Project serves a valuable role in the inner city. Home to the Hillside Family Resource Center and a very beautiful Boys & Girls Club, many of Milwaukee's less fortunate residents benefit from the programming invested to make their lives just a little better.

I for one am glad to know that through this urban revitalization effort, the St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church has been spared vandalism and destruction.

Through the exploration of these three lovely churches, a visitor will gain an appreciation for the rich and diverse community that Milwaukee has become. Much of our German heritage has been retained through the many historical landmarks throughout the city.

For more information on the City of Milwaukee's Historic Preservation efforts and the sites recognized, check out: http://city.milwaukee.gov/hpc/LocalDesignations .
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For visitors coming to Milwaukee, I encourage you to enjoy a walk or ride through the city to take in a snippet of history through the architecture that has been well preserved in many areas. I have always been impressed with all that surrounds…Read More

For visitors coming to Milwaukee, I encourage you to enjoy a walk or ride through the city to take in a snippet of history through the architecture that has been well preserved in many areas. I have always been impressed with all that surrounds me, even as a resident, when I go downtown.

On this particular day trip, I traversed the city from the near southside area known as Walker's Point (Great Lakes Distillery) heading north to the trendy eastside (Lakefront Brewery). On my two and a half mile jaunt, I passed through some very historical areas including "Old World Third Street" and "Brewer's Hill".

I did make a stop at Usinger's Sausage Company in the area of the city that was central to the German community that had begun settling in Wisconsin in the mid 1800's. Founded in 1880, they have continued with the original family recipes used by founder Fred Usinger. When you step inside the store, you can relive the experience almost as it would have been back in Fred's day.

The tile floors, marble counters and wood beam ceiling are all original to the turn of the 20th century. The hand painted wall murals depicting the "sausage elves" were added in 1906 at a time when many Milwaukee businesses and buildings were being graced by the German tradition of depicting life's experiences through murals.

After my short visit inside Usinger's Sausage, I drove through a wonderfully redeveloped area of the city known as "Schiltz Park" . . . the site of the former Schlitz Brewing. Schiltz beer was known as "the beer that made Milwaukee famous" and today continues to have a significant place in her history. Several of the original buildings remain in the area, including the stables.

Milwaukee has been nick named "The Cream City". Many people, including long time residents mistakenly believe this is a tribute to our state's dairy industry but they are mistaken. Actually "cream" refers to the color of bricks used to build much of the city's structures starting in the 1830's. When fired, the bricks made from the soil on Lake Michigan's western shore turn yellow. These unique bricks became well known throughout the Midwest, not only for their coloration but also their durability. It is this superior durability that has allowed so many of our lovely buildings to remain as they appeared more than 125 years ago.

Milwaukee has also been called "The City of Steeples". As anyone who has flown into Milwaukee's General Mitchell Airport can attest, this is a city with a lot of beautiful churches with steeples that are delicate and intricate; constructed with the traditions brought over from Europe. As you drive towards the city on I94, be sure to pay note to the skyline before you. It really is quite amazing how many churches remain standing, often with century old clocks that are operational.

The last piece of our history here in Milwaukee I want to highlight is bowling. We've probably all seen a rerun of the television show "Laverne & Shirley" with the girls working the brewery by day, and hanging out at the local bowling alley (Pizza Bowl) at night. Unfortunately for many, the lingering perception that Milwaukee is just about beer and bowling haunts redevelopment and branding efforts trying to attract younger people to come here to work and raise families.

For those who want to embrace their inner "Laverne & Shirley" I encourage you to check out the Holler House. Located at 2042 W. Lincoln Avenue in Milwaukee. Holler House is a corner tavern first and foremost. In their basement they have two bowling lanes which have been continuously certified by the sport's governing body since 1910 . . . the longest of any bowling center in the United States. They still have pinboys in the back to set up the pins and return bowling balls; bowlers keep score by hand the old fashioned way . . . on paper hanging on the wall.

In 2008 they celebrated their 100th anniversary. It's been several years since I left my job in the bowling industry and I have not been back to Holler House since around 2004. I will do my best to get in there soon, so that I can post some photos.Close

The Milwaukee River is a 75 mile stretch of water that empties into Lake Michigan. The river cuts through downtown Milwaukee. The river is a tourist attraction in and of itself. Boaters constantly travel up and down the river sometimes stopping for…Read More

The Milwaukee River is a 75 mile stretch of water that empties into Lake Michigan. The river cuts through downtown Milwaukee. The river is a tourist attraction in and of itself. Boaters constantly travel up and down the river sometimes stopping for dinner before heading back home. Tour companies offer river city tours and there are even water taxis to shuttle people up and down the river.

The Milwaukee RiverWalk is a pedestrian walkway that goes the length of the river. Many shops and restaurants line the walkway with most having outdoor seating. The RiverWalk is given character by the many different art sculptures known collectively as RiverSculpture!

On our first day in Milwaukee, we decided to take a self guided walking tour of the city. We left our hotel at the Marriott Residence Inn and started walking down the RiverWalk. We first stopped at the Rock Bottom Brewery for a quick beer. While we continued to walk, we encountered a bronze statue that looked eerily familiar. It was Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli from the show Happy Days, which was set in Milwaukee. A bronze statue was unveiled by TV Land on the RiverWalk to pay tribute to one of Milwaukee’s favorite sons.

We got off of the RiverWalk and walked east on Wells St. We walked past the Pabst Theater, a 1300 seat theater that hosts about 100 events a year. It was built in 1895 by brewer Frederick Pabst and is now a National Historic Landmark. From our hotel room, I noticed a tall clock tower towering over the skyline. The architecture was unique and I was intrigued to know what it was. We walked further up the street and the building was massive taking up an entire city block. The building turned out to be Milwaukee’s City Hall. It was built in 1895 and for a short time it was the tallest building in the world. The building’s clock tower stands 353 feet tall and is named for Solomon Juneau, the city’s founder and first mayor.

We started walking back across the river to Old World Third Street. This street is the last part of the original German retail business district. Many restaurants and businesses adorn the street. A visit here is not complete without stopping at Usinger’s Famous Sausage Store. Fred Usinger opened this store in 1880 and today they sell sausages, bratwurst, chorizo, liverwurst, beerwurst, frankfurters, summer sausage, blood sausage, and many more different types of meat. All of the meat products are fresh and made on site. As you enter the store, you grab a number and wait until you are called by the Sausage Elves, as they are called. Sausage is not complete without some cheese. Right next door is the Wisconsin Cheese Mart, which is touted as having the largest selection of Wisconsin cheese. We grabbed a couple of bags of cheese curds and summer sausage to enjoy later.

We walked back toward Kilborne Ave passing the Bradley Center which is home to the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA as well as the Arena football team, the Milwaukee Iron. Right next to the Bradley Center is the US Cellular Arena which is home to their indoor soccer team, the Milwaukee Wave and indoor football team, the Milwaukee Bonecrushers. It is also home to the University of Milwaukee basketball team. The Milwaukee Theater is connected to the US Cellular Arena where performances are held every year. Looking straight down Kilborne Ave is a towering structure that resembles something like the Lincoln Memorial in DC. I first though it was a train station like Grand Central, but I found out later that it is the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

We proceeded back to our hotel on Wells St which cuts through the Midwest Airlines Center. The Midwest Airlines Center is 189,000 square foot conference center and exhibition center. Skywalks connect the arena with the Hyatt and Hilton hotels nearby.

After walking back to the hotel and looking for somewhere to eat, we started walking the other direction on the RiverWalk. We ended up in the Historic Third Ward of Milwaukee. The Third Ward was an historic warehouse district. Today, it is filled with specialty shops, restaurants, and condos. It is also home to many art galleries and the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and Eisner Museum of Advertising and Design.

Also located in the Third Ward is the Milwaukee Public Market. It is a fresh market that has become popular among Milwaukee residents. There are over 20 different vendors selling everything from food, beer and wine, and even flowers. It is a great place if you are looking for gourmet, specialty, and organic foods.

The Milwaukee RiverWalk is a great way to see downtown and the various attractions around the city. If walking is not an option, try the Milwaukee Trolley. It is a free bus service that only runs during the summer months. The trolley travels the Milwaukee Loop which takes passengers to the popular tourist spots such as the Third Ward, Old World Third Street, East Town, the Milwaukee Art Museum, and other locations in downtown. The trolley runs from 11am to 10pm.

The Milwaukee RiverWalk makes Milwaukee a pedestrian friendly city and with all of the attractions within walking distance, it is sure to keep you busy.
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If you're lucky enough to have a "Complementary" admission, just go through whichever entrance you parked closest to. If you come by bus or shuttle, you will be dropped off in front of the Main Gate. If not, there are ticket booths at…Read More

If you're lucky enough to have a "Complementary" admission, just go through whichever entrance you parked closest to. If you come by bus or shuttle, you will be dropped off in front of the Main Gate. If not, there are ticket booths at all the entrances. Ticket prices in 2008 were $15 per day for adults which is very reasonable for having twelve hours of excellent entertainment. Individuals and groups performing at the festival come from Ireland, Scotland, Canada, and the US, and most charge more than the price of admission for a single club or concert ticket. Irishfest is a bargain!

Assuming you are going in the Main Gate in the middle of the grounds, the first thing is the fountain. If it is a warm day, there will be children and "big" kids splashing and getting soaked, and there will be music playing. If you look straight ahead you will see Lake Michigan off in the distance and you will know that you are in the right place. One hundred thousand welcomes!

One thing stands out immediately to those who frequent ethnic festivals; there are thousands of children and TEENS. All festivals are family oriented and have things for young children like face painting, drawing, and games. Irishfest has a wonderful childrens' area which includes a small stage where special performers entertain the kids. There is a large play area with lots of things for young kids to climb, sit, spin, and bounce upon. But unlike many ethnic festivals, at Milwaukee Irishfest there are thousands of teens. There are numerous reasons for this. First, the families of the dancers come to watch their children or siblings perform. In 2008, there were six dance schools with from 30 to 70 dancers each. That is a lot of families. Next, are the friends of the dancers. A majority of the dancers are girls in the upper elementary grades or in high school. They all have friends that come to watch them dance. A big reason for the number of teens in attendance is due to the strength of the Irish families. It seems that if one parent is Irish, then the entire family is Irish. There are other reasons as well, but the overriding reason is the music: Celtic Rock music, that is. Irishfest is the only ethnic festival that has a huge rock scene that uses traditional instruments for rock music. The fact is that Milwaukee Irishfest draws its audience from every age group, but the percentage of teen attendees is much higher than other ethnic festivals. The unfortunate fact is that most teens really don't want to listen to Grandpa's "oom-pah" music. A frequent sight at many ethnic festivals is unhappy teens who feel that they have been forced to do something that they really don't want to do and they let their parents know of their displeasure. At Irish Fest, parents can drop their kids off at the rock stage and communicate with cell phones or text messages. It is that simple.

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If you haven't ever lived in Milwaukee or spent considerable time there, you might miss the wonderfully eclectic dining scene offered in the city and throughout the suburbs! I didn't realize just how unique Milwaukee's dining options were until moving to boring Ames, Iowa. This…Read More

If you haven't ever lived in Milwaukee or spent considerable time there, you might miss the wonderfully eclectic dining scene offered in the city and throughout the suburbs! I didn't realize just how unique Milwaukee's dining options were until moving to boring Ames, Iowa. This review is intended to highlight some of the reasons why Milwaukee is unique and why visitors must venture out into the suburbs to create a true dining experience.

Because there are so many different "types" of restaurants and dining establishments, I'm going to try to highlight them in groupings, providing some of my own observations and favorites.

First and foremost, Milwaukee is an old German city which is why you can expect to find great German food! Many of the fine dining restaurants have a fabulous menu with plenty of options. If you are in downtown, Maders on Old World Third Street is probably the most well known restaurant in the city. Karl Ratzsch's on Mason Street is also an outstanding choice. But if you head out into the suburbs you will also find great German food at Doyle's Milwaukee Inn (West Allis) and at Gasthaus (Waukesha). I was told that the former head chef at Ratzsch's is the owner of Doyle's!

For a more casual Friday family night out in Milwaukee, you cannot beat the Friday Fish Fry which is available on practically every menu in restaurants and pubs throughout the State of Wisconsin. For me, I have a few favorites, depending on which part of the city I am. On the southside, give Cliffords in Hales Corners a try. Served family style, all-you-can-eat, you cannot go wrong... nor can you beat the price (under $10 per person). On the northside, Silver Spring House on Green Bay Road was a personal favorite while I was working in that area. If you're downtown and want to have a casual dining experience, try Historic Turner Restaurant directly across the street from the Bradley Center on 4th Street. You can even get the fish fry to go. At the Packing House (Southside on Layton Avenue) you will see a line of cars six to ten deep for hours on a Friday night!

While Milwaukee has a lot of wonderful fine dining options, including steak and seafood, be sure to give one of their many Greek diners a try. Breakfast can be counted on as exceptional quality with a nice assortment of breads and homemade pastries. For lunch or dinner, the portions of all meals are simply huge! Most of these diners include a complimentary glass of wine or beer plus a dessert selection from their on-premises bakery case. You can expect to find these restaurants mostly out in the suburbs, as much communities have at least one. While I was living in Hales Corners, there were three located in our little village.

While I have my favorites, mostly based on the family who owns them or the staff who serve us, you really can't go wrong with any of them. Here is a short list of those that I would highly recommend:

Family Table (Brown Deer)
Parthanon (Franklin)
Genesis (Greenfield)
Omega II (Hales Corners)

The last culinary delight that I want to make mention of has become synonymous with "MILWAUKEE"...frozen custard. While Leon's on S. 27th is probably the most well known restaurant because President Clinton's visited it anytime he was in town, our preference is divided. If you are going for the custard, it would be Kopps, hands down. If, however, you are going for a "butterburger" and fries, it is probably Oscars. Both have a multiple locations. Kopps can be found on Port Washington Dr in Glendale, S. 76th in Greendale and Bluemound Road in Brookfield. Oscars has locations on Hwy100/S. 108th Street in West Allis and Hwy 18/Bluemound Road in Waukesha. Leon's gets a lot of tourist traffic because it was the inspiration for Arnold's, the burger joint where the Happy Days gang hung out in Milwaukee during the 1960s.

Many people in Milwaukee keep the flavor menu list close at hand and make their custard trip based on what's being offered on any given day. Most will have vanilla and chocolate daily, with at least one and sometimes two "flavors of the day". Beware, however, frozen custard is much richer and "heavier" than your typical ice cream so watch those portions. A "single" is normally the same size as a double scoop at say Baskin-Robbins, so don't feel like you need to go for the medium or large sized cone or dish.

If you are looking for a quirky place to dine and you're downtown, do not miss Ed Debevics on N. Jefferson! Be prepared, however, the service will be marginal, the staff very mouthy and the atmosphere rowdy... but the food will be very good. They pride themselves in being a family entertainment and dining experience. (NOTE: Reports in Wikipedia that this Milwaukee location was closed in 2001 are WRONG! We dined there just a year ago during a visit to Milwaukee.)

Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that throughout the Milwaukee area, you can find outstanding dining opportunities in the local neighborhood pubs and bars. Some of the best burgers and grilled sandwiches can be found at the local alehouse. A couple of my favs are Club Paragon on Hwy100/108th Street in Greenfield and The Bosch also on Hwy100/108th Street in Hales Corners. Be adventurous! Milwaukee folk love their food so I would bet most bars that serve food, do a good job with it. (Club Paragon is also a frequently participant in the Restaurant.com dining certificate program so look them up if you're thinking about taking in a night of darts, pool, and good food in a local bar.)Close

Since I hate to drive and I hate dealing with lots of traffic, I decided to try the new Muskegon-to-Milwaukee high-speed ferry when I took a trip to Milwaukee to see my best friend last summer. The trip was interesting; I had been on…Read More

Since I hate to drive and I hate dealing with lots of traffic, I decided to try the new Muskegon-to-Milwaukee high-speed ferry when I took a trip to Milwaukee to see my best friend last summer. The trip was interesting; I had been on ferries before while getting over to Mackinac Island, but never all the way across Lake Michigan in only 2 1/2 hours! It was pretty nice and relaxing; I just popped on my headphones and read a book. The swaying of the boat didn't get to me too much. There was a lot of leg room, which was great. For me, it was a stress-free way to travel and was worth every penny to keep my sanity.Close

For a unique view of Milwaukee you can charter a sailboat with or without crew, or you can rent a pontoon boat to take down the river or out in the breakwater. To the north on the river there are several places to dock…Read More

For a unique view of Milwaukee you can charter a sailboat with or without crew, or you can rent a pontoon boat to take down the river or out in the breakwater. To the north on the river there are several places to dock for drinks and eats. You can hear concerts from the summerfest grounds if you anchor in the breakwater during one of the many festivals. If you head south on the river you can check out the great lake ships and dock at the place by the boat stack for a relaxing afternoon on the patio.

There are a few places to rent pontoons in the downtown area although we have not used them. I would highly recommend Performance Yacht Services at 520 S. Water for both sail and pontoon rental. Phone is 414 788 0990. The location is close to summerfest grounds and not crowded if you want to sail into the lake. Sailing lessons are available as well.

Water Street is the party area of this fine city. You'll see giggling bachelorette parties, guys in suits, ladies dressed to kill, and scads of regular goofs such as myself. The area is a few blocks long and offers a variety of bars,…Read More

Water Street is the party area of this fine city. You'll see giggling bachelorette parties, guys in suits, ladies dressed to kill, and scads of regular goofs such as myself. The area is a few blocks long and offers a variety of bars, pubs, and I believe there is a dance club, which goes against everything this area is about. You see, none of the places have dance floors. In that fine Milwaukee tradition, the bars have a party atmosphere rather than danceclub atmosphere. The music is usually played by the bartenders putting on cds, one song at a time, or playing party mixes. And they play a much better variety of music than any dance club you'll go to. Fr'instance, at McGillicuddy's you can hear hometown faves the Violent Femmes, Beastie Boys, Abba, cheesy disco songs, and a whole lot in between.

As far as the bars go, there are large multi-roomed places (McGillicuddy's, Mel's, O'Danny's), some smaller places (Rosie's, Oak Barrel) and even a dreaded sports bar. Whatever you're looking for, you should find it on Water St. (except for a dance club, but you can find those in a suburb nearest you).

Parking - you should forget finding something on the street and just park in the lot at the north end of the street. It might cost you $5 (oh my!)

Perhaps no other company besides Miller Brewery exemplifies Milwaukee than Harley Davidson. For working class folks nothing defines status like a Hog and Milwaukee is a working class kind of town. So why not take a tour of the plant and see how the proud…Read More

Perhaps no other company besides Miller Brewery exemplifies Milwaukee than Harley Davidson. For working class folks nothing defines status like a Hog and Milwaukee is a working class kind of town. So why not take a tour of the plant and see how the proud folks at Harley make these one of a kind motorcycles.

I read that Harley tried unsuccessfully to patent the sound their bikes make when the throttle is engaged. For any of you who have ever been annoyed and or frightened by this roar of motor noise you can curse the fact that this is done on purpose by the manufacturer to sound big and mean. I'll bet the CEO of the company doesn't have top live next door to a biker bar and if he/she did they would change this annoying trait.

The tour allows visitors to view the assembly lines from frame to finished product. They also sell all kinds of accessories from shirts to saddle bags. They do not allow pictures to be taken so leave the camera at home.

The company is in the process of building a major museum on the history of motorcycles. They have a fabulouse collection of vintage motorcycles dating back to the erly part of the 20th century. This should be open by 2002.

David and Joanne Gehrke have the ultimate train buff experience. They have a G-scale layout that encompasses most of their backyard. They invited the community to share in the fun this weekend. They will continue to share the experience by providing train rides for birthday…Read More

David and Joanne Gehrke have the ultimate train buff experience. They have a G-scale layout that encompasses most of their backyard. They invited the community to share in the fun this weekend. They will continue to share the experience by providing train rides for birthday parties or private parties.Close