Milwaukee's North Side

Arlington Heights

Arlington Heights neighborhood is located on Milwaukee's north side. It's borders are Capitol Drive to the north, I-43 to the east, Keefe Avenue to the south and 20th Street to the west. In the vicinity of Lindbergh Park, an elementary school, a middle school, and a Lutheran grade school. Well known Union Cemetery is located at the towards the far southwest corner part of this neighborhood.

Brewers' Hill

Brewers' Hill neighborhoodl is a smaller community, north of downtown and on the Milwaukee River. The neighborhood is bordered by North Avenue to the north end, the Milwaukee River and Holton Avenue to the east part, Pleasant Street is to the south, and Dr Martin Luther King Jr Drive is located to the west.^[2]

The name Brewers' Hill is named from the large number of brewery workers and owners who once inhabited this surrounding area. Also, just south of the neighborhood, is the Schlitz and Blatz breweries who were once operated as well.^[3] It is a mixed housing style neighborhood where a worker's cottage could stand across the street from a grand CEO's large elegant house.^[4]

Brewers' Hill contains an architectural mix of Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne (including Stick-style), and Colonial Revival buildings which date back to the 1850s and to the 1920s.^[5] The neighborhood has undergone regentrification, with former factories that have been converted to businesses and modern condominiums. Part of the neighborhood is even named in the  Brewers' Hill Historic District, as it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, comprising 130 structures built from 1855 to 1929,^[6] . These references include:

• The Fitch house at 1825 N. 2nd St. being a simplified 2-story made of,  brick cube embossed with Italianate styling and built in the year 1859. The home belonged to Baron Von Cotzhausen, who was a descendant of Prussian nobility who lived there from 1863 to 1868, a practicing lawyer in Milwaukee.^[7][4]
• The house at 102 W. Vine St. is a 2-story frame house in Italianate style with a Gothic Revival has emphasis on the vertical style and was built in 1873.^[8]
• The Miller Brewery Bar at 301 E. Garfield Ave is a 2-story structure with decorative brickwork on two sides and it was built in 1880.^[9]
• The James Knox house at 1843-1845 N. Palmer Street is defined as a two-story brick and stone Queen Anne-err styled house with a Gothic Revival-styled distinct gable window. It was designed by Charles Gombert and built in 1881 for tanner Charles Scheiderer.^[10]
• The Oldenburg house at 303-305 E. Lloyd St is a 2.5-story house with a noticeable 3-story tower and Eastlake ornamentation, which was built in 1882. It is know as the only Italian villa-style house located in the Brewers' Hill district.^[11]
• The Lubotsky residence at 1830 N 1st Street is a 2-story Queen Anne-styled house with a Stick style facade, and this home was built in 1890.^[12]
• The property at 131-133 E. Lloyd St. is a 2.5-story frame Queen Anne-styled home built in 1901, it entails shingles in the gable end which are quite typical of the period style. There are many Queen Anne homes in the district.^[13]

Incidentally, in 2009, the PBS inspired show This Old House named Brewers' Hill as one of its "Best Old House Neighborhoods," where the neighborhood was referred to as "a distinctly Victorian-era neighborhood, which has found new life in recent years as rehabbers and flippers buy up its forgotten older mansions and restores these hidden gems into beautiful urban homes."^[14

Franklin Heights

Franklin Heights area is bordered by Capitol Drive to the north, with 20th Street to the east, Burleigh Street to the south, and 35th Street to Townsend Street to the set railroad tracks on the west end. One third of the Franklin Heights population lives below the poverty line in the Milwaukee area.^[15]

Granville

Granville is known as being a historically working-class type neighborhood which is located on Milwaukee's far northwest side, with featured newer subdivisions, industrial parks, and Granville Station. Formerly known as Northridge mall, the Station has undergone extensive renovations with the anticipation of attracting new large-format tenants.

Grover Heights

Located on the skirts of Williamsburg and encompasses parts of Glendale, Grover Heights is bordered by the Milwaukee River to the north, Port Washington Avenue to the east, Capitol Drive towards the south and I-43 located to the west. This community was built on lots carved from swampland or wetlands that bordered the Milwaukee River.  Grover Heights’ housing were built between 1926 and 1930. Its occupied primarily German until the 1960s, when immigrant descendants moved to the suburbs. Its first African-American family moved into the area in 1961. The neighborhood has had high stability. Its area forms one of the primary borders of the community known as 5 Points Neighborhood Association, Inc.

Halyard Park

Halyard Park is bordered by North Avenue which is to the north, Dr Martin Luther King Jr Drive (3rd Street) is to the east, Walnut Street to the south and 6th Street / Halyard Street to the west.^[16] It is a sprawling residential neighborhood; new condominiums and sprawling residential lots with post-1980 construction are the normal here. Carver Park buffers this area from I-43 and contains the largest park. It has been the site of speeches from visiting US presidents in the early 1900s. Developer Beechie Brooks, a resident, was the developer who in the early 1980s funded and redeveloped the area between Brown Street north to Garfield Avenue and from 4th Street west to Halyard Street.

Harambee

Harambee is a Swahiliword meaning "pulling together". Since the mid-1970s, this community has become the most widely used name for a neighborhood on Milwaukee's north side. There has been a strong push to redefine the larger area into the Upper Riverwalk District as this entire area is located between the two points of the Milwaukee River and its close proximity to the expanding river walk. Surrounding a steep ridge which overlooks Downtown Milwaukee, the Harambee area is a community of historic homes, churches, and has a population of more than 20,000 people. Its name signifies two things: the African heritage of most residents; and a new spirit with determination of "pulling together" that has taken root in an old neighborhood.

The Harambee community is just north of downtown Milwaukee and is bordered by Keefe Avenue which is to the north, Holton Street located to the east, North Avenue to the south, and I-43 sits to the west. Harambee does include Milwaukee's highest residential elevation in the city, a tall ridge running along 1st Street. Between 1890 and 1910, historical well-to-do families built mansions on the North Side. Only a few are genuine mansions; the wealthiest Germans lived on the East and West Sides of the city. Some are thought of as picturesque Queen Annes, with corner turrets and rambling floor plans. In 1984, the First Street corridor became an official historic district, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Back in history, this area was first settled by German immigrants in the 19th century and served as an essential German-American business community for Milwaukee. Daniel Richards, who started Milwaukee's first newspaper, bought a home in 1842 at 2863 N. 1st Street on 160 acres (65 ha) of land that ran from Richards Street west to between 5th and 6th and from Center Street north to Burleigh Street. The home stood there until 2002. Richards Hill is located immediately north of Hadley Street between 2nd Street and Palmer, and it is the location of the highest natural point in the city of Milwaukee. Richards Hill contains thousands of perennials flowers, which were planted by Daniel Richards 160 years ago.

The city limits expanded to the north, reaching Center Street in 1855 and Burleigh a year later. Incidentally, in the 1870s, however, city residents crossed North Avenue and began to develop the former farming district. By 1900, the tides of new settlement had reached occupancy near Burleigh Street. First, Second and Palmer streets (between North Avenue and Center Street) became the major area known as "gold coast" of the North Side German community. The streets were lined with the homes of merchants, manufacturers, and professionals. Perhaps the best known was Edward Schuster, founder of what was, for decades, Milwaukee's largest department store chain. Wealthy residents organized the Millioki Club and built a lavish a clubhouse at First and Wright streets. As the neighborhood evolved and filled in, its northeastern corner developed into a large-scale industrial district area.

The neighborhood remained heavily ethnic German through the 1920s, but there were signs of demographic changes, as many of the new residents in the northern sections were of ethnic Polish decent and Italian decent families, immigrants and their descendants who had moved across Holton Street from the Riverwest neighborhood. In the southern sections, scores of German families moved on to new neighborhoods, and the blocks above North Avenue provided homes for a variety of groups, among them African Americans. The first Black families arrived in the 1930s, during the Great Migration from the South. They moved up the Third Street corridor, establishing new churches, opening new businesses, and developing a distinct unique cultural presence in the city. By 1970, African Americans were the largest group in the neighborhood. A significant number of European residents remained and there was a growing Hispanic community in the blocks just west of Holton Street.

Bronzeville

Bronzeville was an African-American neighborhood that historically was situated between what is now the Harambee neighborhood and the North Division neighborhood. To be specific, Bronzeville was bordered by North Avenue to the north, 3rd Street to the east, State Street to the south, and 12th Street to the west.^[17] It was developing and active roughly between 1900 and 1950, much of this former district there was centered along Walnut Street (essentially halfway between State Street and North Avenue). It was since, split up by governmental condemnation and acquisition of land to construct Interstate 43 and other arterial road expansions. These changes displaced many of those in the community.

Today, there is a rebuilding and rebranding of the commercial area of nearby North Avenue and Dr Martin Luther King Jr Drive into "Bronzeville", including many new businesses.^[18] The Black Holocaust Museum, which was founded by James Cameron, who survived a lynching attempt in the South, closed in 2008. After operating online, it is scheduled to re-open in 2018 a newly renovated space at the Griot Building at 411 W. North Avenue, to reopen in 2018. It will be managed by the Dr. James Cameron Legacy Foundation.

Havenwoods

Havenwoods is bordered by West Mill Road which is to the north, North Sherman Boulevard to the east, West Silver Spring Drive to the south and 60th Street which is located to the west. It is a working class community, with mostly African-American neighborhood on Milwaukee's north side, as it is centered near Silver Spring Drive and 60th Street. The neighborhood is moderately urban in its character, with a mix of strip malls, older retail buildings, and townhouses. Within the neighborhood's boundaries lie the 237-acre (960,000 m²) Havenwoods State Forest and the US Army Reserve Center.

 

Hillside / Lapham Park

Hillside/Lapham Park is bordered by I-43 to the north, Halyard Street and 6th Street to the east, Fond du Lac Avenue which is to the south, and I-43 located to the west. It includes Carver Park, which was known as Lapham Park until the 1950s.^[19]

The historic Pabst Brewery Complex is situated in the far southwest corner of the Hillside neighborhood. The Pabst brewery was closed in 1997; however, the property is under redevelopment and speculation development.

Metcalfe Park

Metcalfe Park is bordered by Center Street to the north, 20th Street is located to the east, North Avenue to the south and 35th Street location to the west.

Metcalfe Park is often considered one of Milwaukee's most dangerous neighborhoods.^[20] It is one of the poorest; according to the U.S. Census, the poverty rate for the neighborhood and adjoining areas exceeds 60%. In 2002, after a mob of youths and children fatally beat a man, it drew national attention.^[21]

The neighborhood continues to make efforts to improve itself. For example, recent commercial and residential development have recently sprung up along North Avenue, a main gateway. The neighborhood has many active community groups and activists, which promote to help improve the conditions in and image of Metcalfe Park.^[22]

Midtown

Midtown is bordered by North Avenue to the north, with 20th Street to the east, Highland Avenue to the south, and railroad tracks to the west of the area. This neighborhood is on Milwaukee's northwest side is still and has struggled to improve by implementing commercial redevelopment and a some nonprofit organizations.

Park West

Park West is a neighborhood located on the northwest side of the city of Milwaukee. It is bordered by Burleigh Street to the north, 20th Street located to the east, North Avenue is to the south, and 27th Street and railroad tracks to the west.

Sherman Park

Sherman Park is located on the northwest side of Milwaukee. It is bordered by Capitol Drive to the north, with 35th Street to the east, North Avenue located to the south and 60th Street to the west.

The Sherman Park area was once home to some of Milwaukee's first business owners. Those people built their homes in the 1920s and 1930s at the westernmost point of the city at the time. Sherman Blvd. and Grant Blvd. are streets with prominent lavish houses.

Sherman Park was once the heart of Milwaukee's Jewish population. Sherman Park has a smaller, close-knit community, and growing group of Orthodox Jews.^[24] Herb Kohl, former U.S. Senator and owner of the Milwaukee Bucks and his college roommate Bud Selig, former MLB commissioner and owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, both grew up in Sherman Park in the 1940s and attended Washington High School, located in the neighborhood community.

Since 1970, this neighborhood has had a community group association focusing on preserving Sherman Park's cultural diversity, housing stockades, and commercial viabilities.^[25] Today, Sherman Park is a diverse neighborhood in Milwaukee and one of the city's only truly integrated communities. It is especially noteworthy for its beautiful housing buildings, with the greatest variety of distinctive architectural specimens in and around the city.^[26]

The Uptown Crossing is a commercial district is located on West North Avenue and Lisbon Avenue and is also part of Sherman Park that is home to a variety of national chains and local retail business, as well as many public institutions. Several architecturally unique buildings have given Uptown Crossing an unparalleled special feel, and a business improvement district and business association support this district's vitality.^[27]

Thurston Woods

Thurston Woods is a community in Milwaukee bordered by Douglas Avenue to the north, Teutonia Avenue to the east, Silver Spring Drive to the south and Sherman Boulevard located to the west. Thurston Woods is known for its tree-lined streets, accessible location, and with affordable homes.^{[citation needed]} Havenwoods State Forest is located just across Sherman Boulevard, business and industrial neighbors bound just north of Thurston Woods along Mill Road, and retail establishments located along Silver Spring Drive and Teutonia Avenue provide services needed for residents.^[28]

Williamsburg Heights

Williamsburg Heights is bordered by Capitol Drive to the north, Holton Street located to the east, Keefe Avenue to the south and I-43 to the is located to the west. Some consider Williamsburg as a section of the newer Harambee neighborhood to the southern end.

In the 1800s, when frontier memories were still fresh in the minds of Milwaukee, the area that became Williamsburg (named for William Bogk) was a farming district. Scores of farmers, most of them being German immigrants, settled in the area. Easily beyond the city limits, (North Avenue), they patronized their own trading center which they had referred to as Williamsburg. The Green Bay road, between Burleigh Street and Keefe Avenue, was the backbone of this little settlement. At its peak, Williamsburg boasted a flour mill, greenhouses, harness shops, feed stores  bakeries, blacksmiths, and even its own post office.

At Port Washington Road there were a growing cluster of businesses on Green Bay Avenue – the heart of old Williamsburg. The residential sections were dotted with German saloons, German stores, and dozens of German churches. Most of the area's breadwinners were skilled artisans and tradesmen.

In 1891, Williamsburg, by then a suburban community of blue-collar workers, became part of Milwaukee. Which, in the same decade, the Pabst Brewery purchased Schuetzen Park (presently Clinton Rose Park) and developed the space as an amusement park. The beer garden did remain, but the rifle range was replaced by a roller coaster, a miniature railroad, a carousel, and a fun house called Katzenjammer Castle. The area continued to grow after the 1900 century. The movement of home-seekers washed down the ridge to Keefe Avenue before 1910 and finally surfaced toward Capitol Drive in the 1920s. Old Williamsburg became an 'island' of older homes and shops in the heart of the neighborhood.

The homes in this community are dominated by bungalows, the nearly majority favorite of the 1920s, with two and three story Milwaukee duplexes (flats) scattering among them. Williamsburg Heights and Williamsburg Triangle also form the primary borders and constituents of the 5 Points Neighborhood Association, Inc. (5PNA).

In the late 1960s, African Americans began to move into the area. Relations were more peaceful between the newer group and their older ethnic European neighbors when compared to other parts of the city. The neighborhood was quite stable through this change period. The former Oak Club was adapted as the Shiloh Tabernacle.

Milwaukee's South Side

For many residents, Milwaukee's South Side is synonymously known with the Polish immigrant community who settled here. This group's proud-of ethnicity had maintained a higher profile here for decades. Then in the postwar 1 and 2 era, with newer housing being built all around in the suburbs, in the 1950s and 60s some well-established families began to leave and disperse to the southern suburbs.

By 1850, there were seventy-five Poles in Milwaukee County and the US Census indicates that they had a variety of occupations: tavernkeepers, grocers, blacksmiths, coopers, butcher, shoemakers, broommakers, draymen, farmers and laborers. Three distinctive Polish communitiesthen evolved in Milwaukee, with this majority settling in the area which was south of Greenfield Avenue. Milwaukee County's Polish population of 30,000 in 1890 rose to 100,000 by 1915. Poles historically have had a strong national cultural and social identity as well, maintained through the Catholic Church. A view of Milwaukee's South Side skyline is replete with the steeples of these many Catholic churches which were built by these immigrants, churches that are still vital and dynamic as centers of the community. Milwaukee's South Side has a multi-cultural population of Asian Americans, African Americans, Caucasians and a Hispanic population which is made up mostly of people of Mexican and Puerto Rican backgrounds.^[29]

Bay View

Bay View located on southeast shore of the city of Milwaukee, which overlooks Lake Michigan. Bay View boundaries consist of Becher Street/Bay Street to the north, Morgan Avenue located to the south, and Sixth Street is to the west.^[30] Located about 3 miles (or 5 km) south of downtown on the lake, Bay View itself,  originally was developed as a company town by the Milwaukee Iron Company, housing workers and those associated with the company, located near its rolling mill. It is south of Downtown and it borders I-94 and I-43.

Bay View incorporated in 1879 (Milwaukee's first suburb) with 2,592 people and 892 acres (361 ha) of land; but by 1887 Bay View's 4,000 residents voted overwhelmingly to join the city of Milwaukee, mostly in order to get city services, of which water was the most important. The former village became Milwaukee's 17th ward.

Bay View is known to labor historians as the site of the 1886 Bay View Massacre. Father James Groppi, a noted Milwaukee civil rights activist from the 1960s, was born in Bay View, where his father ran a grocery business.

In the 21st century, the neighborhood was the place that would host the annual South Shore Water Frolics, a free three-day summer festival spectacle featured a parade, live music and fireworks, was held at South Shore Park. Today the neighborhood still has the last remaining public well known in the city of Milwaukee: the Pryor Avenue Iron Well.

Clarke Square

Clarke Square is one of the most diverse communities in Milwaukee, offering a multicultural array of commercial shops, churches, restaurants, and community-based functions and activities. The neighborhood is the home of the Milwaukee County Mitchell Park Conservatory – a place where visitors can enter the beehive like-shaped domes made of glass – and Cesar Chavez Drive, a commercial strip that draws and evolves the Milwaukee's Latino community and others to shop, eat authentic Latin/Mexican food, and enjoy the upbeat atmosphere. Located near the emerging economic engine motor of Menomonee Valley and international tourist attractions including Potawatomi Casino, Miller Park Stadium, and the Harley-Davidson Museum.  Clarke Square is the gateway to the city of Milwaukeeʼs Near South Side.^[31]

Holler Park

Holler Park is specified as a medium-sized neighborhood park which is held by Milwaukee County containing mature old-growth oak trees and abundant wildlife, including Raccoons, Whitetail Deer, Opossums, Ducks, Canadian Geese, Great Horned Owls, Hawks and a wide assortment of varied bird species. Because of the amount of commercial property in this area, it is not have classification as a residential neighborhood.

Jackson Park

Jackson Park is a neighborhood located on the south side, with a location of about 6 miles (10 km) south of downtown. It is bordered by Lincoln Avenue which is to the north, Morgan Avenue to the south, 35th Street located to the east, and 50th Street to the location of the west. Jackson Park's architecture consists mainly and largely of two-story built wood-frame houses that were constructed in the early 20th century. Jackson Park's makeup is mostly ethnic European, working middle-class, government and blue-collar workers. Since the late in the 20th century, an increased number of Hispanic residents have moved and live here.

Jones Island

Jones Island is the peninsula located at the Milwaukee Harbor. In the beginning, it began as a fishing village which was populated by Polish settlers from the Kaszub region and also included some German immigrants in 1870. These settlers made their living and earned money by fishing Lake Michigan. Having never officially obtained deeds for the land, they were considered squatters by the City of Milwaukee and were evicted in the 1940s. The city designed and developed the property for a shipping port as part of an inner harbor plan design.

The area is now heavily industrialized, as it contains only a few developed and mature trees. Jones Island is host to much of the city's municipal services, including the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. The area supports the Hoan Bridge and includes a shipping port called the Port of Milwaukee.^[32]

Layton Park

Layton Park is located on the city of Milwaukee's near southwest side. The neighborhood borders and is bordered by 35th Street in the west and by Historic Layton Boulevard to the east. Layton Park is today a diverse neighborhood with a large Latino population. The neighborhood had been developed in the 1920s and it comprises of red brick duplexes and bungalows.

Lincoln Village

This neighborhood runs along Lincoln Avenue between 5th and 20th streets on is located on the south side of Milwaukee. Lincoln Village contains a national landmark, called the Basilica of St. Josaphat. The Holler House tavern, which contains the oldest certified bowling alley in the United States, located on the far west end of the neighborhood. The Historic Forest Home Cemetery is located just west, adjacent to the neighborhood.

During the early 20th century, this neighborhood was the home to large immigrant and ethnic population of Polish decent. As they moved out, in the 21st century, the neighborhood became inhabited primarily by an ethnic Mexican population. Many of whom have immigrated from rural areas of Mexico or moved from Los Angeles.^[33]

Mitchell Street

Historic Mitchell Street is a street with a location of 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southwest of downtown. The Mitchell Street neighborhood area is the what is known as the heart of a densely populated area of Milwaukee's near south side.

Most of the neighborhood houses are two- or three-story Polish flats,b duplexes. But, this area also has a fair amount of five to six-story brick walk-ups and apartment building structures. Mitchell Street is a popular, vibrant action-packed retail district.^{[citation needed]}

Tippecanoe

Tippecanoe on the city's far south side; it is a solidified middle- class and well-maintained neighborhood. Most of the neighborhood's homes are dated back to the 1940s to 1950s. The area was named for a political rallying cry "Tippecanoe and Tyler too" by landowner John Saveland, an outspoken local Republican. It was developed initially as an upper-income suburban community.^[34]

Town of Lake

Town of Lake, is an area located near the Billy Mitchell Field Airport, being a neighborhood based on its namesake township. Established by the Territorial Legislature in 1838 and covered an abundance of what is now the south side of Milwaukee, as well as city of Cudahy. As time has passed, the township was parceled among different area cities. The original boundaries for the Town of Lake were Greenfield Ave to the north, Lake Michigan to the east, with College Ave (called Town Line Rd originally) to the south, and 27th Street to the west. In 1951, St. Francis incorporated so that to prevent annexation by Milwaukee, in effect it was "seceding" from the Town of Lake.

Before the annexation, the township's boundary to the norht was Howard Ave, with exception for a strip of land to the west of 20th Street going farther north to Morgan Ave. The old town hall on 6th and Howard is still to this day, referred to as the "Town of Lake Water Tower". Now officially called the Robert A. Anderson Municipal Building by the City of Milwaukee, it currently serves as office space and also includes a water treatment facility. The Town of Lake was then officially annexed in 1954. The township's residents had then voted not to incorporate as the "City of Lake" in 1928; incidentally, had they chosen to incorporate, the remaining area of the Town of Lake would probably have never been annexed by Milwaukee, and Milwaukee would have likely expanded further west and north instead. A noteworthy addition, it is also likely that the Milwaukee suburb of St. Francis would not have felt pressure to incorporate.

Walker's Point

Walker's Point neighborhood lies south of the Third Ward and the eastern part of Menomonee River Valley. Its founder, George H. Walker happened in 1835 as it had been a fur trading post. The area is now noted for being mostly an industrial neighborhood, with housing limited and scattered in pockets in the area, particularly on the eastern end of Walker's Point location.

The city's gay and lesbian community actively use these nightclubs and bars in the neighborhood. Recently, this area has seen some revitalization in office, condo,  and retail development as a spill over to the Milwaukee River neighborhood.  There has been attempt to revamp the area even more so. The L. Teweles Seed Company warehouse,^[35] Fifth Ward Lofts, and the Milwaukee Water Council have been renovated.^[36]

Rockwell Automation company has built their headquarters in this neighborhood. The Allen-Bradley Clock Tower, part of the Rockwell complex, is an iconic representation of the neighborhood and is the world's largest four-faced clock, as it is  listed in Guinness World Records. Esperanza Unida, a community-based nonprofit organization, is located on the western edge and end of Walker's Point. Data security software provider and ZIP file creators PKWARE have relocated their headquarters to the neighborhood in 2014.^[37] Local architecture firm Plunkett Raysich Architects, LLP did also relocate from its long-time location on the northwest side in May 2015.^[38]

Lower East Side

Lower East Side is a neighborhood which is located North of Downtown and East of Riverwest. It is bounded by the Milwaukee River on the west, Lake Michigan located on the east, North Avenue on the north and the location of State Street on the south.^[41] Brady Street itself runs west from Prospect Avenue (which overlooks the Lake) to Water Street.

In the years of the 1880s, Brady Street became a dominant commercial district of Yankee and German owned shops.^[42] Regano's Roman Coin, one of the original Pabst Brewery tied house taverns, is still located on Brady Street, though the vintage beer signs outside buildings taverns read "Blatz". This tavern was built in 1890 and is unique in that it was an architect Otto Strack design, who also designed Milwaukee's Pabst Theater.^[43] Today, Lower East Side is filled with coffee houses, nightclubs, restaurants, , thrift stores. and vintage clothing shops.

Lower East Side is often associated with was once "the heart" of Milwaukee's Italian community, as it has even been called "Milwaukee's Little Italy". But, then before World War II, it was largely home to Polish immigrants. In fact, historic St. Hedwig's Roman Catholic Church, being a long-time Polish church, which was built in 1871, stands at the corner of Brady Street and Humboldt Avenue. In the 1960s, Italians and other assimilated groups began to leave the neighborhood for the suburbs, while the hippies and other bohemians then moved in.^[41] The 1980s saw blight, decay and neglect of the neighborhood, but now the area has been under revitalization and has become a model for New Urbanism.^[41] Starting in the late 1990s, most of the bohemian population moved to Riverwest and Bay View.^{[citation needed]} This neighborhood still has exhibited a strong, albeit upscale, independent flair. As example, the Brady Street festival is an annual event in July bringing together the neighborhood in a block party fashion.

At its western end, Brady Street is terminated by the renowned Brady Street Bus Shelter designed by La Dallman, who is the Milwaukee and Boston-based architecture practice of Grace La and James Dallman, and is known as Brady Street's “gateway to the river.”^[44][45] The project, which does include a concrete, steel wood structure shelter as well as a prairie rain garden, as it is featured in numerous publications and has been awarded an American Institute of Architects Wisconsin Design Award.^[46] The Bus Shelter was the first component of the Crossroads Project, including the Marsupial Bridge, Media Garden, and Viewing Pavilion (alongside Commerce Street), which renovates the last remaining segment of the trestle of Beerline B railway.

East Village

The East Village is terminology for the Lower East Side area on the east bank of the Milwaukee River, which is north of Brady Street, from Humboldt Avenue east to Warren Avenue.^[47] Most of the neighborhood makes up the Brewers Hill Historic District, as it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The area includes Pulaski Playground, Caesar's Park, and Wolski's Tavern. The area was a traditional working-class neighborhood which was inhabited by Polish-Americans, including many Kaszubs; the architecture includes a number of Polish flats and duplexes and other forms of modest housing.^[48]

Murray Hill

Murray Hill is a neighborhood located adjacent to the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee within the larger East Side neighborhood. It is bounded by Downer Avenue on the east, Oakland Avenue on the west, Hartford Avenue located on the north, and Bradford Avenue and North Avenue on the south. It is primarily a residential neighborhood which includes housing dating back to the early decades of the 20th century, primarily bungalows, two-family duplexes, and large apartment buildings conquer the area. The neighborhood is bisected by Newberry Blvd. which connects parks on Lake Michigan (named Lake Park) and the Milwaukee River (named Riverside Park). Murray Hill is home to both a university student population and also an abundant of long-term residents. The neighborhood has an active neighborhood group, namely the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association.^[49] The childhood home of infamous industrial designer Brooks Stevens^[50] was in Murray Hill.

Riverwest

Riverwest is a primarily residential neighborhood located west of the Milwaukee River and east of Holton Street, it is situated south of Estabrook Park, which is between Milwaukee's East Side, Brewers' Hill, Williamsburg Heights, and Harambee neighborhoods. It borders Capitol Drive to the north, The Milwaukee River borders to the east, North Avenue to the south and Holton Street location to west The main east–west arterial streets - Capitol Drive, Locust Street, and then North Avenue - connect Riverwest to the East Side via bridges. The main north–south arterial streets are - Holton Street and Humboldt Boulevard - connecting Riverwest to the downtown area, the lower East Side (specifically Brady Street), and suburban Shorewood. Along with those streets, Locust, Center, and Burleigh Streets are the major vein east–west corridors with bars, shops and where people go to  congregate. Riverwest is one of the neighborhoods that established its boundaries and identity before the 1990s Neighborhood Identification Project.^{[clarification needed][citation needed]}

Riverwest is noted^[51] for its racial and ethnic diversity, including larger numbers of African-Americans and Caucasians, as well as growing Iranian, Russian, Asian, and Hispanic population.^[52] With the neighborhood's near proximity to the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, a sizable university/college student population also resides there.^[51] Rapidly rising real estate values in the nearby east side neighborhoods has made Riverwest become more attractive to home buyers due to its closeness proximity to downtown and the university. These factors, along with other housing and commercial developments, followed a long period of decline in the area up through the 1990s.^{[citation needed]} More recently, the trend has been caused a rising in property values and an increase in owner-occupied housing.^{[citation needed]} Riverwest still features more affordable rental opportunities in its bungalows, duplexes, and "Polish flats" than is generally found closer to the university.^{[citation needed]} Riverwest's high level of racial and economic integration has been studied in the 2017 book Live and Let Live by sociologist Evelyn M. Perry.^[53]

Riverwest has many nonprofit and volunteer-run organizations here, such as its neighborhood association, a community newspaper, a grocery co-op, Woodland Pattern Book Center, The Public House (co-op bar) co-op, an investment co-op, infoshop Milwaukee River Advocates, as well as a volunteer-run community radio station.^[54] Riverwest has many festivals, including Locust Street Days, Center Street Daze event. The Riverwest 24, Milwaukee's only 24-hour annual bike race, started in 2008 and features local bands with multiple neighborhood block parties .^[55] The neighborhood also features the Riverwest Art Walk, the state's largest walking tour of artists' homes and studios, neighborhood galleries, and various alternative spaces.^[56] 

Beerline B

The Beerline B is part of the Riverwest neighborhood as it is defined by city of Milwaukee.^[59]

Milwaukee's West Side

Avenues West[edit]

Avenues West is an area west of Milwaukee's downtown. It has borders by Interstate 43 on the east, 27th Street on the west, Interstate 94 to the south, and on the north is by Highland Avenue. In decades of the past, this neighborhood has been one of low income levels and property values. It was also home to Jeffery Dahmer, a notorious serial killer who murdered several of his victims at his apartment in the neighborhood Map. It has begun more recently to see some signs of redevelopment.^[60] The most known mentioned example as being the Ambassador Hotel that, that until recently, has been linked with drug dealing and prostitution and has then since been restored to an upscale establishment. Prostitution, although not quite as prevalent as it was in the 2000s is still a concern in the Avenues West area. In an attempt to help control crime in this area, the college known as Marquette University went so far as to provide a small additional station for the Milwaukee Police Department's 3rd District, fittingly named "Avenues West". Other notable places in the area include Marquette University, the Milwaukee Rescue Mission, the Pabst Mansion, the Joseph B. Kalvelage House and the Rave/Eagles Ballroom. The portion to the west of the neighborhood along 27th Street has been recently nicknamed SoHi (i.e., South of Highland Boulevard) by the business owners in an effort to jumpstart the area.^[61]

On May 18, 2006 a construction worker unearthed human remains in the neighborhood believed to be the location of Milwaukee's first cemetery established in the First Ward (known as the "Old Cemetery") near 22nd and Michigan. Thirteen burials have since been identified, and archaeologists are unsure if they are remnants from the Old Cemetery or an even earlier burial site used by a Potawatomi village Indians.^[62]

University Hill

University Hill (or simplified Marquette) is a university campus neighborhood, it generally combined with the Avenues West neighborhood (since it is within), that, as its name implies, is the  home to Marquette University campus. The neighborhood does encompass a 93-acre (380,000 m²) from 9th Street on the east, to 20th Street on the west, and from Wells Street on the north location, to Clybourn Street on the south location. Wisconsin Avenue, a major thoroughfare in Milwaukee, bisecting the campus neighborhood. This neighborhood is in position adjacent northwest and partially northeast of the Marquette Interchange, which was named its namesake because of its proximity to Marquette University. Lake Michigan is roughly one mile east of the neighborhood. Gesu Church is located within the campus' urban setting, but is not affiliated with the university. The area was at one time the site of the Wisconsin State Fairgrounds.^{[citation needed]}

Cold Spring Park

Cold Spring Park is a small neighborhood in the vicinity of the Miller Brewing Company which is on the west side. Cold Spring Park has been around since the mid-19th century. It is named for a natural spring that was found in the northwest corner of the area (then bounded by 27th Street, 35th Street, West Juneau Avenue, and Vliet Street). As far as crime, Cold Spring Park is a rather calm area, compared to the other nearby sections of Milwaukee.

In 1852, Cold Spring Park was the site of the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society fair and exhibition. During the American Civil War, Cold Spring Park became Camp Washburn, housing the 2nd Cavalry, 30th Infantry, and the 39th Regiment. After the Civil War, Cold Spring Park once went back to become a race track. A race that was commemorated by famous Currier and Ives depicted an 1871 record breaking race by the mare Goldsmith Maid, with a time of 2 minutes and 17 seconds.

Adjacent to Cold Spring Park was the Cold Spring House, which was a hotel housing visitors and drivers for the races. It was notorious for its gambling, cockfights, courtesans and dances. At the close of the 19th century, Milwaukee saw a population boom, prompting the necessity of two new streets in Cold Spring Park; Highland Boulevard (1896) and McKinley Boulevard (1906).

Cold Spring Park initially drew German-American residents of the moderate to upper income scale. The upper end population residing primarily on Highland and McKinley, while the middle to moderate income community resided on Juneau and the numbered streets. Highland Boulevard, Juneau Avenue, and McKinley Boulevard have been designated 'historical streets' by the City of Milwaukee.

Historic Concordia District

Historic Concordia District is an area of location between 27th Street, 35th St, Wisconsin Avenue, and Highland Boulevard on Milwaukee's near west side. It is the home of both a local historic district and many nationally registered historic properties, including the Tripoli Shrine Temple. Many Victorian homes in the neighborhood have been converted into bed and breakfasts. Notable historical homes include the 1850s Tower House and 1860s Col. Theodore Yates residence. Several private residences are opened to the public each year on the Saturday of Fathers Day weekend for a home tour by Historic Concordia Neighbors Inc.^{[63][citation needed]}

Concordia college (now known as Concordia University) was located in the neighborhood for 100 years, until 1983. The college's former facilities, between 31st and 33rd streets and State St. and Highland Blvd., are now the home of the Indian Community School.

 

Enderis Park

The Enderis Park neighborhood is a primarily residential neighborhood surrounded by North 76th Street, North 67th Street, West Center Street, and Burleigh/Lisbon Avenue. Many houses date from the 1930s and 1940s. The geographic and cultural heart and focus of the neighborhood is the Enderis Playfield, as it was named for Dorothy Enderis, a public recreation pioneer who retired as an assistant superintendent in the Milwaukee Public Schools teacher in 1948.^[64] In 2006, neighbors rallied to rejuvenate the park, which had fallen into disrepair. Magic Grove, a monumental steel sculpture by Wisconsin artist Nancy Metz White, was installed, providing a community gathering place in the park.^[65]

Grantosa Heights

Located between Granville and Wauwatosa, Grantosa Heights is a highly urban neighborhood with a diverse population. This is a lower middle class area with predominantly African-American and Laotian residents.^{[citation needed]} The neighborhood is named after the street, Grantosa Drive, which seems to be the border with Midtown. Much of this area's architecture consists of tract homes from the 1950s and 1960s. In recent years, this neighborhood has become home to many of the refugees that have fled the country Laos.^{[citation needed]}

Kops Park

Kops Park is bordered by North 92nd Street to the west, West Burleigh Street to the south, West Lisbon Avenue to the north, and North 76th Street to the east. The neighborhood is centered around Kops Park as the hub, it is named after Gerald Henry Kops, a Milwaukee County Supervisor.

Martin Drive

The Martin Drive neighborhood location is on Milwaukee's west side. The neighborhood is located north and west of Miller Brewing Company Brewery. It includes Harley-Davidson and the Highland Avenue Viaduct. The neighborhood was built up in the 1920s and includes multiple older apartment buildings. The neighborhood has retained its density and is still one of the safest neighborhoods in the city according to statistics.^[66] Martin Drive is bordered by Martin Drive in the south, 35th Street in the east, Vliet Street in the north, and WIS 175 in the west. Milwaukee's Washington Park is located adjacent, just north of the neighborhood location.

After several decades of stagnant growth the neighborhood is now seeing redevelopment with a few new businesses and building renovations. As such, the neighborhood supports many small and upstart businesses including Eat Cake, Milwaukee Nut Company, a law office and State Street Animal Hospital which is among others. Martin Drive does have several private and public schools nearby. Grocery stores, hardware stores and pharmacies are in close proximity to the Martin Drive Neighborhood. The neighborhood has a strong and dedicated volunteer-led neighborhood association, the Martin Drive Neighborhood Association.^[67]

Merrill Park[edit]

Merrill Park is a residential neighborhood east of Piggsville. Its traditional boundaries are 27th Street on the east, 35th Street on the west, Wisconsin Avenue on the north, and the Menomonee Valley on the south. Traditionally an Irish-American enclave, it is now an ethnically diverse neighborhood. There is little in the way of commerce in Merrill Park, largely confined to the boundary streets, which are major arterials.

Merrill Park was an early home to Milwaukee's Irish community. Many Irish settled in Merrill Park along with the rest of the west side of Milwaukee.^{[citation needed]} The southern portion of the neighborhood was demolished in the 1950s in order to build Interstate 94. The 1960s brought on several redevelopment projects including streetscaping, new homes, and a new public housing tower. Marquette University High School has stayed in the neighborhood and has invested heavily in improving its campus and the surrounding neighborhood.

The neighborhood is seeing major physical improvements. Several new homes have been built on former vacant lots. Several old homes have been purchased and renovated. The Wisconsin Humane Society has made this neighborhood its primary location. Marquette University High School is undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation and construction project as well.

Piggsville[edit]

Piggsville is a small residential enclave, four blocks by six blocks, at the west end of the Menomonee River Valley, south of Miller Brewing and the Wisconsin Avenue viaduct, and north of Interstate 94. Various theories have been proposed about its name, but none have been proven true. It is also known as Valley Park, and its neighborhood association is the Valley Park Civic Association. Most of its homes were built in the early 20th century. The area was annexed by the City of Milwaukee in 1925 after petition by its residents. Flooding has been a problem because of its river valley location, and a new concrete retaining wall was built in 2000.

Mount Mary

Mount Mary surrounds the college called Mount Mary University. It is bordered by Concordia Ave. on the north end, 89th St. on the east side, Center St. on the south and Menomonee River Parkway on the west location.^[68] With several curvilinear streets and fewer sidewalks, the neighborhood resembles a suburban neighborhood. Most of the homes were built in the 1950s. The City of Wauwatosa is to the south and to the west. Milwaukee County Kops and Cooper Parks also border this neighborhood. Portions are also named Golden Valley in which is made up of of 1950s tract homes built primarily by Welbilt Homes and Corrigan Builders.

Story Hill

Story Hill is a neighborhood located directly north of Miller Park and south of the Washington Heights neighborhood, as it is on the west side of Milwaukee. Story Hill is named for Hiram Story. Hiram, along with his brother Horace, founded a quarry on the land in this area.^[69] This neighborhood in itself lies on the hill just south of Wisconsin Avenue and it is characterized to be quite, tree-lined streets and an isolated from-city type feel, in sharp contrast to the busier and more depressed neighborhoods that surround it.

Story Hill was developed in the 1920s as a sanctuary place where middle class Milwaukeeans could live just east and toward downtown, in the once affluent Concordia district.^{[citation needed]} The demand for larger lots and a more suburban feel fueled the development of Story Hill. The housing stock consists of ornate early 20th-century houses, in which were usually made of brick.

Walnut Hill

Walnut Hill is made up of predominantly African-American neighborhood and is located on the west side, which is bordered by 27th Street, 35th Street, Vliet Street, and North Avenue. There is also a strong southeast Asian (Hmong) presence here. The area is one of the most blighted in the city.^{[citation needed]} Parts of the neighborhood included are streets without homes and large vacant lots. Despite severe problems in the neighborhood, several homes are under construction and some middle-income proposals are beginning to rise up and be seen.^{[citation needed]}

Washington Heights

Washington Heights neighborhood is characterized by its 1920s Arts and Crafts existing housing stock. It's boundaries of Washington Heights are 60th St. on the west, North Ave. on the north, 47th St. and Washington Park on the east, and Vliet St. on the south location. Washington Heights should not be confused with The Washington Highlands, a neighborhood on the other side of 60th St., in Wauwatosa, being a suburb of Milwaukee.

St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church is a prominent congregation in the area, which dates back to1920s. Mount Olive Lutheran Church and School situated across the street from Saint Sebastian Catholic Church and School, built respectively in the 1920s and 1930s, at North 54th Street and Washington Boulevard, are large congregations in which they both serve as strong cornerstones within the neighborhood community. There has been substantial growth of  business along its Vliet Street corridor, with many new art galleries, wine shops and restaurants. One business, a long time coffee shop recently turned into a pizzeria, is unique in that it has a large coffee cup on the roof. The central administrative office building of Milwaukee Public Schools has its location in this neighborhood.

Washington Heights, is a neighborhood that does advertisements indicating itself as, "In the City — Out of the Ordinary!" lies along this  Milwaukee western border. While the neighborhood is now only minutes from downtown and close to urban amenities, this area was once considered remote in the early years.

Development of the area commenced in 1838 when federal government gave a parcel of land to the Wisconsin Territory. The land was intended for use as a canal that would connect the Rock River to Lake Michigan, but the venture quickly failed. The land was then sold to private investors.

In 1839, approximately, two-thirds of what is now known as Washington Heights was purchased by George Dousman as he turned it into an gigantic farm. In addition to its agricultural business operation, the Dousman family founded the Ne-Ska-Ra Mineral Springs Company, which had sold bottled water from a spring located on their property. Today the elementary school named Neeskara occupies land where the spring flowed. In later years, the Dousman land was sold in several parcels between the 1880s and the 1920s.

Early settlement of the area owed much to two major 19th Century projects. The two projects were the extension of the streetcar line to Wauwatosa and the construction of Washington Park.

The area has a notably-strong neighborhood community organization, the Washington Heights Neighborhood Association.

Washington Park

Washington Park is located on Milwaukee's West Side and is bounded by 35th street in the east, US-41 in the west, Vilet Street in the south and North Avenue in the north location. Sherman Boulevard and Lisbon Avenue run through the neighborhood. Sherman Boulevard is lined and sits with large brick homes and old large trees. In the 1950s, The major business street was Lisbon, today though, with a rise in prostitution and the crime that comes with prostitution, it is home to several storefronts that are vacant. The neighborhood is now settled by a majority African American population.

Washington Park, (originally known as West Park), a 128.5-acre (520,000 m²) focal point and namesake of the neighborhood, was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the famed designer of New York's Central Park, and built in 1891.^[70] The Milwaukee County Zoo started in this neighborhood in 1892 as the "West Park Zoological Gardens," aa a small mammal and bird exhibition in the West Park barn.

On September 20, 1900, the West Park was renamed Washington Park and the zoo followed suit by renaming to Washington Park Zoo. The zoo was then relocated to the present location when Washington Park lost an 18-acre (73,000 m²) parcel of park property to make way for the freeway expansion in the early 1960s.^[71] Ice skating and regular outdoor concerts occurred in Washington Park until the early 1970s.^{[citation needed]} Today, the park houses an amphitheatre and pool. In 2007, Milwaukee's Urban Ecology Center (headquartered in Riverside Park on the East Side) opened at satellite center in the park in an effort to help rejuvenate the run-down green space and provide interactive nature programming to youth locals.^[70]

Lisbon and Sherman intersection, is the heart of the neighborhood, it stands an equestrian statue of Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, a German general who did assist George Washington in the American Revolutionary War. Across from this traffic circle features the new Washington Park Library, which has replaced the old Boulevard Inn restaurant, which burned down in the 1990s.

Milwaukee's Downtown

East Town

The East Town neighborhood encompasses the eastern portion of downtown area. as Milwaukee's central business district from the Milwaukee River on the west to Lake Michigan on the east end, and from Ogden Avenue (i.e., the lower East Side) on the north to Clybourn (i.e., the Third Ward) on the south.^[72]

Yankee Hill is a key part of the East Town neighborhood, being situated within East Town's boundaries, but yet closer to the lake and north of downtown area. The East Town area also contains the historic Juneau Town settlement, which had competed with the neighboring Kilbourn Town (present-day Westown) for people and resources. With the Milwaukee River as the dividing point, these were two "towns" that have remarkably different feels. East Town has dense, narrower streets and a more closer intimate feel, whereas Westown has broad, vast streets with old buildings on it.

The buildings in East Town are newer indeed. Strikingly modern skyscrapers of the Northwestern Mutual Life complex and Milwaukee's tallest building, the U.S. Bank Center, as well as the city's four other tallest buildings, dominate the eastern portion of this neighborhood. Other buildings worth mentioning are the Chase Bank building, the Wisconsin Gas Building, the Faison building, and the Morgan Stanley building. Two large condominium developments, University Club tower and Kilbourne Tower, have been recently completed in the northern half of the neighborhood. Both buildings are more than 32 stories tall and include multiple-million-dollar penthouse units.

The neighborhood also contains the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist and Old St. Mary's Church which have fortunately survived from the early days of Milwaukee. The East Town neighborhood association hosts Jazz in the Park, an outdoor music concert series at Cathedral Square Park. The area has become the center of nightlife in Milwaukee as thet feature several trendy nightclubs, in addition to outdoor eateries in an upscale nature. In the summer, East Town sponsors the Parisian festival called Bastille Days and in winter featuring Holiday City of Lights. The Milwaukee School of Engineering campus is located in this area.

Menomonee River Valley

The Menomonee Valley once was the (industrial) heart and livelihood of the Milwaukee, as it employed thousands of people servicing the heavy industry and railroading. In spite of spite decades in decline, the Menomonee River Valley is still the home to many manufacturers, the Potawatomi Casino, and Miller Park, being the home baseball field of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Menomonee Valley is home to the motorcycle pioneer, Harley-Davidson Museum, which opened in July 2008.

Redevelopment phase in Menomonee Valley added thousands of jobs and has transformed a once-blighted former industrial land into parkland and community gathering space. In 2007, the Sierra Club recognized Menomonee Valley as a national example of environmentally friendly urban renewal.

Historic Third Ward

This once home to Irish descendants, and then, Italian immigrants, the Historic Third Ward, located just to the south of downtown, has now become an upper-class neighborhood. The Third Ward is noted for large numbers of condominiums buildings and loft apartments buildings, antique stores, boutiques and art galleries. With access to Milwaukee's Henry Maier Festival Grounds, otherwise best known for Summerfest, can be obtained through this neighborhood. It is home to the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, ComedySportz, and it is also boasts as the center of Milwaukee's gay and lesbian community. Located just west of this now trendy neighborhood of nightclubs featuring outdoor "River Walk" restaurants, is Milwaukee's main transportation hub including the Milwaukee Intermodal Station, which services Amtrak, Greyhound Bus Lines, and Badger Bus.

The neighborhood is referred to as the Historic Third Ward since redistricting over the years currently has the area in the fourth (political) ward.

Westown[edit]

Westown is an area west of the Milwaukee River and downtown, bounded by I-794 on the south, Marquette University neighborhood on the west, McKinley Avenue on the north, and the Milwaukee river on the east.^[73]

The neighborhood comprises the original Kilbourn Town in what is now downtown Milwaukee. The Shops of Grand Avenue, along with various theaters, restaurants, nightclubs, lies along Wisconsin Avenue. Other attractions in this neighborhood include the Milwaukee Public Museum, the Bradley Center, the US Cellular Arena, the Milwaukee County Courthouse and Old World Third Street.

The area has also become a focal point for Milwaukee's urban scene with events such as RiverSplash!, a three-day block party which begins Milwaukee's summer festival season, and River Rhythms, both held at Pere Marquette Park.

The Westown neighborhood has seen quite the substantial abundance area in redevelopment since the 2000s. It is home to one of Milwaukee's two free, public Wi-Fi outdoor Hotspots which are located in Pere Marquette Park.^[74] Within West Town about 3,000 population reside. Some of the skyscrapers here, like the Wisconsin Tower have been converted into upscale condominiums. The city of Milwaukee have wanted to develop Westown as a neighborhood to eat, live and work.