Is Milwaukee Boring? (Madison, Wauwatosa, Brookfield: condos, high crime, hotel)

[Billiam]

Is Milwaukee Boring? im going in late july and want to know because a lot of people I know say it is very boring. What is there to do in Milwaukee?

[EnjoyEP]

Easy (and short) answer: NO.

Long answer:

I am convinced firmly that the most underrated city in the U.S. is the Milwaukee, WI area. While Milwaukee city itself has a declining population [down to about 575,000 after a few decades ago being the 10th biggest city in the U.S.] with many very bad pockets and very high crime (unfortunately) - mainly in the North sides of the city and the Central City, the entire metro area with its booming suburbs - many of which are 10-to-20 minutes from downtown Milwaukee - AND booming downtown / lakefront / east side of the City of Milwaukee itself - make the population a steady 1.5+ million.

I am a longtime Milwaukee resident who moved away 3.5 years ago largely due to climate, and am now eagerly looking into getting back. I spent two days in downtown Milwaukee early this month and 4 days there this weekend and was AMAZED at the renaissance and boom that the area is experiencing. It was pretty darn nice down there 3.5 years ago...now it is amazingly nice.

I defy someone to stay like I did in a decent downtown Milwaukee hotel (try the Hilton around 5th street or something like that), take a walk from say 3rd and Wisconsin Ave. all the way down to the beautiful Lake Michigan lakefront. Then, walk up the beautiful lakefront through to the East Side - streets like Prospect, Brady, etc., and tell me you are not just enamoured. ESPECIALLY in the summer (when you said you'll be there) where the weather is nearly perfect - warm or very warm, but cooler than southern or lower midwestern cities and moderated by the lakefront.

In this time, you will pass (on the routes I described above):

-Downtown:
*Eclectic, beautiful, diverse, new restaurants
*The amazingly beautiful Riverwalk, which is just about the prettiest thing you can imagine for an urban area in June when the weather is nice
*Beautiful, historic old large office / government buildings with their unique and - well, beautiful - architecture
*A live and happening Water Street filled with fun bars (and when the weather is nice, patios)

-Lakefront:
*Just a gorgeous, lush, green area filled with beaches, a marina, coffee shop, miles of lakeshore including boating (and endless views of a huge, vast Great Lake), some amazing lakeside restaurants, hills, historic and beautiful homes on hills, new hip and beautiful condos EVERYWHERE
*The pristine Milwaukee Art Museum / Calatrava
*Great festivals constantly in the warmer months

-East Side:
*I could go on and on, but just amazing old beautiful houses with lush green vegetation, hip and urban restaurants / bars, new and funky condos, etc.

I bet people unfamiliar with Milwaukee just knowing of Milwaukee's "rust belt, blue collar, beer drinking" rep could take this walk and think they are in a city they never imagined could be Milwaukee. The downtown, lakefront, east side, Third Ward, Walker's Point, and many suburbs are just BOOMING but the area is doing so in a rather unique, seemingly unforced and not-overly-pretentious way.

Then go up to beautiful, affluent, flourishing Milwaukee suburbs like Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, Cedarburg, Glendale, Menomonee Falls, Elm Grove, Brookfield, Franklin, New Berlin, Muskego, Wauwatosa, etc., and tell me you won't love at least many of these 'burbs. Check out the new retail at Mayfair Mall in 'Tosa, the Bayshore Mall in Glendale, etc., and it is just wonderful.

Milwaukee still has some identity issues to work out, and it would help greatly if the city itself started electing quality leaders that are pro-business, anti-taxes, and anti-crime (in this respect Milwaukee often has been its own worst enemy), but in spite of this, the greater Milwaukee area - despite the weather (although even that is GORGEOUS in summer, fall, and early winter) - is one of the underrated cities in the U.S. ALREADY.

Summer is also the prime time for the many ethnic festivals at Milwaukee's lakefront Summerfest grounds that occur every weekend virtually which are overall quite popular and unique to Milwaukee.

Also...do you like sports? The Milwaukee Brewers play in gorgeous and cutting edge Miller Park, and the team as of this writing is the best team in the National League and leads its division by 6.5 games. How can you beat a Brewers' game in July in Miller Park if you are a sports fan?

Constantly in the summer, games of beach volleyball, soccer, etc., are going on down at the Lake Michigan area.

Just a few fun links for pictures:

https://www.city-data.com/forum/milwa...ukee-july.html

MKE Album: images of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Travel Photos | Pictures

Milwaukeeans need to get over their inferiority complex ASAP because frankly, they have a great thing going. No, as a visitor, you will NOT be bored if you just get out.

(Plus yes, Milwaukee does have some awesome bars. Check 'em out in Downtown, the East Side, Shorewood even...great bars from small pubs to ultra modern and hip new places).

Oh, and do you like golf courses? Milwaukee has some of the most parkland and public golf courses of any major cities in the U.S., and the suburbs have some world-class private golf courses. Brown Deer golf course, a public course, even hosts a small PGA Tour event in July (same weekend as the British Open)...that is how nice it is for a public course!

[Empidonax]

I second what EnjoyEP said....

The city of Milwaukee has nearly 600,000 people, and the metro has 1.7 million. If you can't find anything unique or interesting to keep yourself entertained, you're either dead or you're not trying very hard.

[GreggB]

I "third" what Enjoy EP has said. It's a GREAT city. Something for anyone and everyone. Try and visit Madison also if you have time. it's only a little over an hour away. Smaller in size and population than Milwaukee, but a hoot of a place to vist!!!!

[Sideblinded]

No,

Milwaukee has a lot to offer, and is a great city!

[Fishtacos]

Originally Posted by m_r2z0

Is Milwaukee Boring? im going in late july and want to know because a lot of people I know say it is very boring. What is there to do in Milwaukee?

LOL...I noticed the Frederick MD in your location. Is that where you live? That is in middle of nowhere, and very rural in parts. You are an hour from D.C. on a good day. Milwaukee is urban.

Milwaukee, the city, is far from boring. Your friends are misinformed. No need to go outside of the Lakefront, downtown, Third Ward, Fifth Ward, East Side...which should fill up your weekend in the city. Plenty to see and do.

[Billiam]

Wow! thanks for your responses (esp EnjoyEP ) I don't think I will be bored now. im never usually bored in cities anyway. thanks again

Fishtacos
Theres no need to bash where I live just because i wondered how milwaukee was (and wasn't calling it boring btw and those people are not my friends). Frederick MD is not in the middle of nowhere. its 45 mins from DC + Baltimore and its not like the only thing in between is farms. Fredericks pop is 54000 and growing rapidly. it isn't some town that is in the middle of nowhere. I never said milwaukee wasnt urban and i never said frederick was. i wasn't being mean by asking if Milwaukee was boring, i was just interested

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by m_r2z0

Wow! thanks for your responses (esp EnjoyEP ) I don't think I will be bored now. im never usually bored in cities anyway. thanks again

No problem at all. I forgot to mention Bayshore Town Center (a rather large, new open-air shopping mall / restaurants / bars) in Glendale, only about 10 minutes north of downtown Milwaukee...if you like shopping, that would be cool to check out too. If you like to have a cocktail or two, sitting on a patio at a bar some nice summer afternoon on Water Street in Milwaukee is fun too.

Even if you were visiting in February, probably the bleakest time of the year in Milwaukee (due to weather stuff), you'd have tons of fun. However, summer, where the weather is generally nearly perfect and the city it truly alive, you'll have tons to do!

Have a blast in Brew Town!

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by m_r2z0

Wow! thanks for your responses (esp EnjoyEP ) I don't think I will be bored now. im never usually bored in cities anyway. thanks again

Fishtacos
Theres no need to bash where I live just because i wondered how milwaukee was (and wasn't calling it boring btw and those people are not my friends). Frederick MD is not in the middle of nowhere. its 45 mins from DC + Baltimore and its not like the only thing in between is farms. Fredericks pop is 54000 and growing rapidly. it isn't some town that is in the middle of nowhere. I never said milwaukee wasnt urban and i never said frederick was. i wasn't being mean by asking if Milwaukee was boring, i was just interested

m_r2z0. Nice job on a mature response to an immature post.

Milwaukee's great, I went to grad school there. For a real MKE experience, check out the fish fry at Turner's Hall on Fridays and check out frozen custard, an extreme form of ice cream! Also, the lake front is a refreshing place to relax on a hot summer day. As the others said, you'll have a great time there.

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by Ben Around

Milwaukee's great, I went to grad school there. For a real MKE experience, check out the fish fry at Turner's Hall on Fridays and check out frozen custard, an extreme form of ice cream!

Ditto big-time the suggestion for a Friday fish fry and frozen custard...how could I have forgotten that!!!??

Also, how about a good ol' brewery tour? Check out Sprecher or Lakefront Brewery!