Milwaukee, WI Road Trips

Milwaukee's human history begins with American Indian people who lived near the confluence of Milwaukee's three rivers into Lake Michigan for centuries. Tribes who inhabited the area that is now Milwaukee included Menominee, Fox, Mascouten, Sauk, and Potawatomi. With the arrival of Europeans and an increasing population, large and often violent divides become more prominent. These settlers built three dueling settlements, Juneautown, Kilbourntown, and Walker's Point, around what is now Downtown. The two former communities were extremely competitive and created two non-aligning street grids. This is why 1st Street is west of the Milwaukee River and many of the city's bridges cross the river diagonally (connecting the two grids). Milwaukee has historically been a major immigrant city. During the early 20th century, German and Polish immigrants tended to dominate. The city still strongly identifies with its German and Polish heritage. For part of the early 20th-century German was even the main language of the city, and German names are still very common. As waves of immigrants arrived in Milwaukee they tended (and tend) to form communities in specific areas. The Near North and Northwest sides used to be German, but are now mainly African American with Hmong enclaves. The Near South side used to be Polish but is now mainly Mexican. Juneautown was mainly settled by English immigrants and people from the eastern United States.

1 US Bank Center, 777 E Wisconsin Ave (between Van Buren and Cass Sts), ☏ +1 414-765-4460. Built in 1973, is the tallest building in the state at 42 stories. Bud Selig, the commissioner of Major League Baseball and former owner of the Brewers has an office inside. 2 Hoan Bridge, I-794. The Hoan Bridge is one of the most recognizable Milwaukee landmarks. It is a tied arch bridge suspended over the port of Milwaukee on the Milwaukee River. It's part of I-794 that leads into downtown. 3 Pabst Brewery Complex (between N 9th St, W Winnebago St, W Highland Ave, and I-43). The former brewery sits on the north east side of downtown, adjacent to the Milwaukee County Courthouse and overlooking I-43. It contains many wonderful "old world" style buildings. Though the brewery is no longer in operation it remains an icon of the city. It is being renovated and re-developed for condos, offices, and restaurants. 4 Pabst Mansion, 2000 W Wisconsin Ave (just W of the Marquette campus, bus 10 and 30 from Downtown), ☏ +1 414-931-0808, [email protected]. M-Sa 10AM-4PM, Su noon-4PM. In 1892, the Flemish Renaissance Revival Mansion of Captain Frederick Pabst, world famous beer baron, accomplished sea captain, real estate developer, philanthropist and patron of the arts, was completed. From the day the house was inhabited, it was considered the jewel of Milwaukee's famous avenue of mansions called Grand Avenue and represented the epitome of America's Gilded Age Splendor in Milwaukee. Adult $14; senior, college student, or military $12; child (6-15) $8; child under 6 free.

Breweries are integral to Milwaukee's image. Although the number of large scale operations has dwindled in the last decade, the nickname "the Brew City" still rings true, and microbreweries are booming. In several spots around the city, the smell of yeast from the beer factories is quite strong. Milwaukee was once the home to four of the world's largest breweries: Schlitz, Blatz, Pabst, and Miller. For many years it was the number one beer producing city in the world. Of those four only Miller remains. 1 Miller Brewing Company, 4251 W. State St, ☏ +1 414-931-2337. Miller Brewing Company offers excellent tours and also has a visitor's center at its gigantic brewing complex on Milwaukee's west side. Miller and Coors have merged operate the brewery jointly but the tour is still based around the historic Miller operation. The tour begins with a short video of famous Miller commercials, continues to the original brewery to demonstrate the growth and progress of the company, and finishes at a pub for a little beer-tasting. Call or go to their website to set up a tour. (updated Apr 2022) 2 Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery, 917 W. Juneau Ave, ☏ +1 414-223-4709. Gift Shop: M 11AM-5PM, Th 1PM-5PM, Fr 11AM-6PM, Sa 10:30AM-6PM, Su 10:30AM-4PM. Tours: M noon, 2PM & 4PM; Th 2PM & 4PM; F noon, 1PM, 2PM, 3PM & 4PM; Sa 11AM, noon, 1PM, 2PM, 3PM & 4PM; Su 11AM, 1PM & 3PM. While the company is long gone, a new tavern, reserveable hall, and a giftshop are open on the site.

With its immigrant heritage, Milwaukee is a major restaurant city. Good local restaurants serve almost every kind of food imaginable, usually quite cheaply. Different neighborhoods have different specialities when it comes to food. Old World Third St along (and just west of) the Milwaukee River provides a richer variety of restaurants and also many of the more upscale restaurants (and clubs) in town. Traditional Germanic and Mediterranean foods are the highlights. Milwaukee St, between Wisconsin and Wells Sts., offers many trendy and top rated restaurants in the city as well as an upscale nightlife for the after dinner drink. The east side also has many nice restaurants, bakeries, and cafes. Most places are clustered on Farwell, North, or Brady Streets. The Fifth Ward and South Side contain many different authentic and cheap Mexican and Latin American restaurants. Bay View has a variety of different kinds of places, especially with regards to "hip" comfort food. 1 Apollo Cafe, 1310 E Brady St, ☏ +1 414-272-2233. Su-Th 11AM-10PM, F Sa 11AM-3AM. Serves authentic Greek food the whole family can enjoy. A variety of healthy yet tasty food, it'll make you wonder why these sorts of food aren't more popular. (updated May 2016) 2 Conejito's Place, 539 West Virginia St. (on 6th St just N of National Ave), ☏ +1 414-278-9106, [email protected]. Daily 11AM-8PM. The best place to eat Mexican food on a budget in Milwaukee is here. Food and drinks are cheap and the atmosphere is one of the best in the city as far as Mexican restaurants go. under $10.

Milwaukee has a strong culture with a large number of unique local places despite the onslaught of Starbucks. Some are open late, until midnight or so. 1 Rochambo, 1317 E Brady St, ☏ +1 414-291-0095. M-F 7AM-midnight, Sa 8AM-midnight, Su 9AM-midnight. A popular down-to-earth teahouse in a great old house. Spills out onto busy Brady Street during the summer. Full drink selection as well. (updated Jul 2015) 2 Hi-Fi Cafe, 2640 S Kinnickinnic Ave (Bus 15), ☏ +1 414-486-0504. M-Sa 8AM-10PM, Su 9AM-10PM. A great retro coffee shop in Bayview. Its cheap and they have beer and basic meals, too. (updated Oct 2021) Roasters 3 Alderaan Coffee, 1560 N Water St, ☏ +1 414-395-9955. M–F 6AM-6PM, Sa Su 7AM-6PM. A cool spot for gourmet coffee with a rotating selection of different pour-over options. They also have homemade granola, yogurt, and pastries. (updated Jan 2018) 4 Anodyne, 2920 S Kinnickinnic Ave (Bus 15), ☏ +1 414-489-0765. M-F 6:30AM-9PM, Sa Su 7:30AM-9PM. A great small local roaster in Bayview, enjoy the coffee on-site. Their coffee is also used at Brewed on Brady St. Colectivo, Several cafes. The local roaster. Huge variety and creativity, normally very fresh and carefully roasted. Cafes in the 5th Ward, Downtown, East Side and Riverwest, also at the Airport before security or in concourse C or D. The Humboldt Blvd location is where they roast the beans, which takes place in the same room as the cafe. Stone Creek, Several cafes. The other roaster. Also very good and with a wide variety of coffees and cafe locations including Bay View and Downtown.

Visitors to Milwaukee find it easiest to stay in or near downtown, where most of the city's hotels are. Milwaukee has a youth hostel and an array of hotels to meet most budgets. There is a small bed and breakfast district on the Westside. Cheap hotels can be found on the Near South Side as well as the North Side, the quality of these tends to reflect the average quality of life in the areas these are in, hence may not be up to the standards of relatively affluent travelers. More generic cheaper hotels are outside the urban city. For instance, there is a strip of budget hotels on College Ave near Mitchell International Airport. Near most interstates you can also find chain hotels. There are several B&Bs in the Concordia Historic District on Milwaukee's West Side and near Marquette University. These are great and historic late 19th-century mansions that have been converted to outstanding Bed and Breakfast Inns: 1 Manderley, 3026 W Wells St, ☏ +1 414-931-7597, [email protected]. On the Westside next to Downtown in the Bed and Breakfast district. from $129. 2 Schuster Mansion, 3209 W Wells St, ☏ +1 414 342-3210. On the Westside next to Downtown in the Bed and Breakfast district. from $100. 3 The Brumder Mansion, 3046 W Wisconsin Ave, ☏ +1 414-342-9767, toll-free: +1-866-793-3676, fax: +1 414-342-4772, [email protected]. On the Westside next to Downtown in the Bed and Breakfast district. from $100. 4 Biller Hotel, 725 N 22nd St, ☏ +1 414-933-6000. West of Downtown. Known to be far less than perfect in security, cleanliness, etc.

There is an array of almost every transportation mode thinkable to get to Milwaukee. The cheapest way is by bus, but many travelers prefer the comfort and convenience of air, boat, car, or train travel. Chicago, a massive transportation hub, is less than 100 miles (161 km) away. Milwaukee is served by 1 Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE IATA). Southeast of the city. The airport has service with the following airlines from its 2 concourses. Concourse C: Southwest, United, and Volaris Concourse D: Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, and Frontier. Direct international flights are offered seasonally from Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. Other international travelers will have to connect or fly to Chicago and take ground transportation. Ground transportation: Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) buses run frequent airport service from roughly 4AM to 2AM. The fare is $2.00, which can be paid with cash (exact change required) or by card via the Umo app. The GreenLine express bus goes from Mitchell Airport to the North Shore via Bay View, the Third Ward, the eastern edge of Downtown and the East Side. Route 80 goes from Mitchell through the South Side into the middle of Downtown and continues north to Villard Ave. (Both lines cross the main Wisconsin Ave. transit corridor, and have stops a couple blocks from the Intermodal Station.) Go Riteway Airport Shuttle shared taxi-van shuttle. Approximately $12 to Downtown. Taxi approximately $30 to downtown.

Getting around in Milwaukee is easy. Block numbers are consistent across the city, including most of the suburbs, starting roughly where the Milwaukee and Menominee rivers meet. All numbered streets run north-south, increasing in number as you head west from 1st Street. Most named streets go east-west, with the notable exception of streets east of 1st St. Standard blocks are 1/8th of a mile long north to south, and 1/16th of a mile east to west. Milwaukee's bus system, MCTS, has an extensive coverage area (85% of Milwaukee County) and core routes with very frequent service. Outlying suburbs have shorter hours, slower and less-frequent service. Express buses called "UBuses" offer service to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. MCTS also serves Mitchell International Airport with both a local bus and a new, more express route; see Get In for details. Most routes run from about 5AM until at least midnight. Fares: Single trips are $2. For visitors with a smartphone, the easiest way to pay is via the Umo app. For those who do not wish to use mobile payment, MCTS also has a contactless smart card known as the WisGo card that allows you to load stored value. There is a one-time fee of $2 to purchase a WisGo card, which can be purchased online or at 120 sales outlets in Milwaukee County; they are not sold by bus drivers. The Umo app and WisGo card can also be used on the Waukesha Metro, which has connections to MCTS. At the stops for Connect 1, a bus rapid transit (BRT) line from downtown Milwaukee to the regional medical center in Wauwatosa, there are ticket vending machines.

Milwaukee, like all major American cities, has a relatively high crime rate. Since most crime is concentrated in specific poorer areas, the majority of the city is perfectly safe. Though virtually all tourist destinations in and around Milwaukee are safe and accessible during the day and night, common sense should always apply. Like anywhere else, it helps to be aware of your surroundings. As in most American cities, dangerous neighborhoods tend to be very run down. The areas of Milwaukee along the lakeshore (also where most attractions are) tend to be the safest. The west and south sides of Milwaukee also offer interesting tourist opportunities that include Milwaukee's famous Basilica and Frank Lloyd Wright's Greek Orthodox church. Crime can happen anywhere; don't let geographic stereotypes dictate your travels. The area bounded by I-43 on the east, Capitol Dr on the north, North Ave on the south and Sherman Blvd on the west contains some of the poorest areas of the city and is especially dangerous. The Near South Side also has serious gang-related crime problems but is fine during the day, especially along the main commercial streets.