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Two Sides of Milwaukee
Beer, Brats and Gemutlichkeit
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Milwaukee Art Museum
(ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: MAY/JUNE 2005)
Milwaukee is justly famous for its beer, brats and gemutlichkeit, a neighbors-over-the-fence congeniality handed down from German settlers. Visitors can attend a Brewers game, stop at the corner tavern for a Friday fish fry and revel in the rumble of Harley-Davidson motorcycles where they've been built since the company's founding here more than 100 years ago.
But the city is on its way to building a new, more upscale reputation, based on cutting-edge architecture, a lively arts scene and fine dining.
Longtime visitors find themselves enthralled by the changes, but delighted with the familiarity.
Wide-as-an-ocean Lake Michigan still stretches at the city's doorstep. Sturdy bungalows and no-nonsense frame duplexes line street after tidy street, as they have for generations. Storefront restaurants of many ethnic persuasions remain.
But coffeehouses and condominiums have emerged, touchstones for the city's energetic renewal. Double-half-caf lattes seem to be available on every corner. Hometown roaster Alterra and dozens of quirky "let's-open-a-coffee-shop" spots are Milwaukee's answer to look-alike national chains.
Suburban empty nesters and savvy singles are opting for urban living in cosmopolitan condo developments that have transformed gritty factories and empty warehouses.
