Neighborhoods of Milwaukee

This is a list of Neighborhoods of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Avenues West

Avenues West is an area west of Milwaukee's downtown. It is bordered by I-43 on the east, 27th St. on the west, I-94 on the south, and on the north by Highland Avenue. While in the recent past this neighborhood has been one of low income levels and property values, it has seen signs of beginning redevelopment. The most commonly sited example being the Ambassador Hotel that was until recently was closely linked with drug dealing and prostitution and has since been restored to an upscale establishment. Other notable places in the area include Marquette University, the Pabst Mansion, The Joseph B. Kalvelage House and The Rave/Eagles Ballroom. Unfortunately, the neighborhood continues to have higher crime rates than the city average in the areas of robbery and theft and as of 2000 its reported poverty rate was 46%. [1]

Bay View

Bay View is known for its views of the city skyline, and proximity to Lake Michigan. Bay View features a heavy concentration of trendy stores and music venues. Located about 3 miles south of downtown on the lake, Bay View originally sprang up around the Milwaukee Iron Company rolling mill as a company town. It incorporated in 1879 (Milwaukee's first suburb) with 2,592 people and 892 acres 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. It is best known to labor historians as the site of the 1886 Bay View Tragedy.

Bay View never saw the decline that other parts of the city saw. Bay View is a safe and well kept up community. Today the old neighborhood is experiencing great amounts of redevelopment, especially along Kinnickinnic Avenue. The neighborhood is also home to Bay View High School.[2]

Brady Street

Brady Street is another neighborhood noted for its trendiness. The neighborhood is filled with coffee houses, nightclubs, trendy restaurants, vintage clothing, and thrift stores. Once the center of Milwaukee's hippie counterculture, gentrification forced most of its Bohemian population out, many going to Riverwest and Bayview. However, this neighborhood still exhibits a strong independent flair, albeit an upscale one.

Brady Street is part of a very dense part of the city known as the lower east side. Brady Street runs from Prospect Avenue in the east to Van Buren in west where the street turns into Water Street, another popular club street. Brady Street is located in what was the heart of Milwaukee's Italian community. In the 1970's the neighborhood Italians began to leave for the suburbs and to be replaced by hippies and other bohemians. Today Brady Street is lined with art galleries, expensive shops, bars, clubs, and several restaurants.

Brewers Hill

Brewers Hill is a small, diverse community north of downtown on the Milwaukee River. The name (formerly "Uiehlein Hill") is derived from the large number of brewery workers (and owners) that once inhabited the area. Some of the factories are still intact; but most have been or are in the process of being converted into condominiums and apartments. The neighborhood is bordered by the Harambee neighborhood on the north, the Riverwest neighborhood on the east, the Milwaukee River on the south, and Martin Luther King Drive on the west. The area near the river, especially along Commerce Street, has been significantly revitalized in the past few years with upscale residential and commercial development, the most notable being the Beerline Development. For better or worse, Brewers Hill is generally regarded as Milwaukee's most prominent example of gentrification in action. [3] [4] [5] It also illustrates the role neighborhood identification plays in that process. Formerly considered part of Harambee, as redevelopment drove out lower income and minority residents, "Brewers' Hill" was coined as the area's new name.

Bronzeville

Bronzeville was an African-American neighborhood that historically was situated between what is now the Harambee neighborhood and the North Division neighborhood. This district was formerly centered on Walnut Street until it was razed to make room for the US Interstate program(I-43) and other arterial road expansions. Today there is a rebuilding and rebranding of the commercial area of nearby North Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive into "Bronzeville". The many new businesses that have opened recently as well as older fixtures such as The Black Holocaust Museum, are helping to make this a thriving area once again.

Cold Springs Park

Cold Springs Park is a small neighboorhood near the Miller Brewing Company

Concordia

Historic Concordia is an area between 27th, 35th, Wisconsin Avenue and Highland Blvd. is the home of both a local historic district and many national register historic properties. Notable homes include the 1850's Tower House and 1860's Col. Theodore Yates residence. Many 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. [6] A neighborhood located on the near west side of Milwaukee; it once housed Concordia college. The college's former facilities now home to the Indian Community School. This neighborhood once housed families like the Pabsts, Harnischfegers, Gettlemans, and many others in large mansions. Many of these homes have been converted into bed and breakfasts, and Concordia was declared Milwaukee's only bed and breakfast district.

East Side

East Side is a broad area that basically refers to anything east of the Milwaukee River, north of downtown, and south of the suburb of Shorewood. This area includes Brady Street, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus, the lakefront, and the marina. The streets and buildings in this neighborhood range from towering, expensive high rises and condominiums along the lake to brownstones and walkups a few blocks inland to cheap duplexes near the river. An economically diverse group of people live in this neighborhood. Brady Street (from Prospect to Holton) and North Avenue (from Prospect to the Milwaukee River) both feature popular, pedestrian-friendly commercial strips of nightlife, restaurants, and shops intermingled with residences. Downer Avenue (from Bradford to Newberry) is a similar commercial strip but with fewer bars. Milwaukee County Transit System's bus routes 30 and 15 are the major North-South transit arteries for the neighborhood.

East Town

East Town is the portion of Milwaukee's central business district east of the Milwaukee River. It is bordered by Brady Street on the lower east side, the Third Ward on the south, and Lake Michigan on the east. This area contained the original Juneau Town settlement which competed with the neighboring Kilbourn Town (see Westown) for people and resources and has a remarkably different feel. East Town has dense, narrower streets and a more intimate feel, whereas Westown has broad, vast streets with older buildings. The 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 the neighborhood. Other noteworthy buildings include the Chase Bank building, the Faison building, and the Morgan Stanley building. Also, two large condominium developments, Kilbourn Tower and University Club tower, have been recently completed in the northern half of the neighborhood. Both buildings are over 32 stories tall and have multi-million dollar penthouse units. The neighborhood also contains the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist and Old St. Mary's Church which have 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.

Granville

Granville is a historically working class neighborhood located on Milwaukee's far northwest side. It has often been associated with urban blight and crime, even though it's development is suburban in nature. Despite its reputation, there have been many new subdivisions being built along with continued development of the area's industrial parks. While Granville Station, the former Northridge mall, has undergone extensive renovations and attracted new, large format tenants.

Harambee

Harambee is a lower to middle-class, predominantly African-American neighborhood on the North Side. Recently, it has seen an increasing influx of residents to its south, along its border with Brewers' Hill. Generally they are attracted by the eclectic housing stock and close proximity to downtown. Harambee lies west of Riverwest, from Holton Street to Interstate 94, just north of Brewers' Hill. Harambee includes the highest residential elevation in the city, a tall ridge running along 1st Street, that in the early twentieth century was built upon by the city's wealthy families.

Havenwoods

Havenwoods is a working class, mostly African-American neighborhood on Milwaukee's north side, centered near Silver Spring Drive and 60th Street. The neighborhood itself is moderately urban in character, with a mix of strip malls, older retail buildings, and townhouses. Within the neighborhood's boundaries lie Havenwoods State Forest and the US Army Reserve Center.

Hillside/Lapham Park

Hillside and Lapham Park lies north of Downtown from Metro Bvld on the south to Brown street on the north. It includes Carver Park that lies north of Lapham Park. It lies west from 6th street to east 12th street. It lies east of I43

Historic Mitchell Street

Historic Mitchell Street is a street located about 1.5 miles southwest of downtown. The Mitchell Street neighborhood is the heart of a densely-populated, largely Hispanic area of Milwaukee's near south side. Most of the houses in the neighborhood are two- or three-story Polish flats, but this area also has a fair amount of five to six story brick walk-ups and apartment buildings. Mitchell Street itself is a popular and vibrant retail district is only six blocks long.

Jackson Park

Jackson Park is a neighborhood on the south side, located about 6 miles south of downtown. Jackson Park's architecture consists largely of two-story wood frame houses that were constructed in the early 20th century. Jackson Park's makeup is mostly Caucasian, lower middle class, and blue collar. In recent years, it has also seen a growing number of Hispanic residents.

Jacobus Park

Jacobus Park is a neighborhood on the far west side of the city near the city limits of Wauwatosa. It is a moderately urban neighborhood, with brick bungalows and two story brick apartments being the main housing stock. The area's populace is mostly Caucasian and middle class.

Jones Island

Jones Island is a peninsula located located at the Milwaukee Harbor. It began as a fishing village populated by Polish settlers from the Kaszubes region in 1870 and now hosts much of the city's municipal services, including the Port of Milwaukee and Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District.

Layton Park

Layton Park is located on the city's near southwest side. The neighborhood is bordered by 35th Street in the west and by Layton Boulevard to the east. Layton Park is today a middle class Hispanic community. The neighborhood was developed in the 1920's and is comprised of red brick bungalows.

Martin Drive

The Martin Drive neighborhood is located on Milwaukee's west side. The neighborhood is across the Highland Avenue Viaduct from Miller Brewing and Harley Davidson. The neighborhood was built up in the 1920's and is home to several beautiful old apartment buildings. The neighborhood has retained its density and is still one of the safest neighborhoods in the city. Martin Drive is bordered by Martin Drive in the south, Highland Avenue in the east, Vliet Street in the north, and I-41 in the west. Milwaukee's Washington Park is located just north of the neighborhood. After several decades of stagnant growth the neighborhood is now seeing redevelopment with a few new businesses and building renovations.

Menomonee River Valley

The Menomonee River Valley is an industrial neighborhood surrounding the U-shaped southern bend of the Menomonee River. It cotains Miller Park, the home stadium of the Milwaukee Brewers, as well as the Potawatomi Bingo Casino.

Merrill Park

Merrill Park is a small 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 with African-American and Latinos comrising a significant percentage of the population. There is little in the way of commerce in Merrill Park, largely confined to the boundary streets, which are major arterials.

Metcalfe Park

Metcalfe Park is an area bordered by Burleigh Street on the north, North Avenue on the south, 20th Street on the east, and 35th Street on the west. Metcalfe Park is considered one of Milwaukee's most dangerous neighborhoods[7]. According to the U.S. Census, the poverty rate for the neighborhood and adjoining areas exceeds 60%. Much local media attention has been devoted to the problems in this area. The national media have also reported on Metcalfe Park, after a mob beating perpetrated by youths, some under 13 years old, left Charlie Young, Jr. dead. Over 150 murders have occurred in this area in the past decade. Its reputation aside, Metcalfe park is making efforts to improve itself. New commercial and residential development has sprung up on North Avenue. The area, which is poor but still intact and populated, has many community groups to help improve the image and conditions in Metcalfe Park. [8]

Midtown

Once synonymous with crime and poverty, this neighborhood on Milwaukee's North Side is being improved through commercial redevelpoment and community programs and organizations such as "Project Respect." Midtown Centre, a newly developed shopping center is largely considered the economic heart of the area, filling the void left by Capitol Court which was shut down a few years ago.

Mount Mary

Mount Mary surrounds Mount Mary College. It is bordered by Concordia Ave. on the north, 89th St. on the east, Center St. on the south and Menomonee River Parkway on the west. With its curvelinear streets and few sidewalks, it resembles a suburban neighborhood.

Piggsville

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 has been proved 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 1900s. 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.

Riverwest

Riverwest is a neighborhood located west of the Milwaukee River and east of Holton Street, near Milwaukee's East Side. Riverwest is noted for its racial and ethnic diversity including large numbers of African-Americans and growing Iranian, Russian, Asian and Hispanic populations. Businesses like a grocery co-op, the Riverwest Currents, and cottage industries are often taken as an indicator of the neighborhood's "counterculture" population but may also be seen as signs of "gentrification" or the resurgence of mostly white, middle-class residents. After the 1990s and a long period of decline, Riverwest saw some new housing and commercial development and rising property values, but crime and the perception of it has been an abiding problem. Compared to the East Side, Riverwest features generally cheaper rents in its bungalows, duplexes, and "Polish flats." Noteworthy streets include Humboldt Boulevard, Center Street, Clarke Street, Holton Street and Locust Street (which connects Riverwest to the East Side and the UWM area via a bridge). The Riverwest Neighborhood Association is among the city's most active and organized neighborhood groups. The Riverwest Currents provides the area with its own monthly newspaper. The Riverwest Grocery Co-Op & Cafe and Riverwest Investment Cooperative are volunteer-driven, home-grown businesses. The Riverwest Neighborhood Network helps residents connect and share information online.

Sherman Park

Sherman Park is a north side, middle class, very integrated neighborhood, that was once the heart of Milwaukee's Jewish population. Today, residents are predominantly Black, but Sherman Park retains a small, close-knit, and growing group of Hasidic Lubavitch Jews. The neighborhood is comprised of large Tudor and Georgian revival homes.

Story Hill

Story Hill is a neighborhood located directly north of Miller Park on the west side of Milwaukee. The housing stock consists of ornate early 20th century houses, usually made of brick. The neighborhood itself lies on a hill just south of Wisconsin Avenue and is characterized by quiet, tree-lined streets and an isolated feel, in sharp contrast to the busier and more depressed neighborhoods that surround it.

The neighborhood was developed in the 1920's as a sanctuary for middle class Milwaukeans living in the once affluent Concordia district closer to downtown. Demand for larger lots and a more suburban feel lead to the development of Story Hill. The neighborhood has held up throughout the years and continues to be one of the city's safest and wealthiest neighborhoods.

Historic Third Ward

Historic Third Ward is an upper-class neighborhood located just to the south of downtown, the Third Ward is noted for a large number of condominiums and loft apartments, antique stores, and art galleries. It is also a center of Milwaukee's gay community. It's also home to the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. It is called the Historic Third Ward because redistricting over the years has the area in the current fourth political ward.

The prominent feature of Milwaukee's rebirth and redevelopment, the Third Ward is a symbol of pride for the city and the region. A successful attempt to keep and attract young professionals to the city.

Third Ward Neighborhood

Tippecanoe

Tippecanoe is located on the city's far south side. A solidly middle class and well maintained neighborhood. Most of the neighborhood's homes date back to the 1940's and 50's. The homes are often in the cape cod style and made of red brick. The neighborhood has long been caucasian but has recently been developing a small hispanic population. The neighborhood is noted for its clean streets, kept up homes, and lack of crime.

Town of Lake

Town of Lake Water Tower

Town of Lake, located near the Mitchell airport, is a neighborhood based on its namesake township which was established by the Territorial Legislature in 1838 and covered much of what is now the south side of Milwaukee, as well as the city of St. Francis. Over time, the township was parceled out among different area cities. The original boundaries for the Town of Lake were Greenfield Ave to the North, Lake Michigan to the East, College Ave (originally called Town Line Rd) to the south, and 27th Street to the west. In 1951, St. Francis incorporated to prevent annexation by Milwaukee, in effect "seceding" from the Town of Lake. Before being annexed, the township's northern boundary was Howard Ave, except for a strip of land west of 20th Street going farther north to Morgan Ave. The old town hall on 6th & Howard is still 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 water treatment facility. The Town of Lake was officially annexed in 1954. The township's residents had voted not to incorporate as the "City of Lake" in 1928; 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. In addition, it is also likely that the Milwaukee suburb of St. Francis would not have felt the pressure to incorporate, nor (hypothetically) would Cudahy have made further strides into the township's agricultural land. The ethnic makeup of this neighborhood is predominantly white.

University Hill

University Hill is a downtown neighborhood that is the home of Marquette University. Generally this neighborhood is lumped in with "Avenues West".

Walker's Point

Walker's Point is a neighborhood that lies south of the Third Ward, it is noted for being mostly an industrial neighborhood with some housing in pockets throughout. There is also a strong presence of the city's gay and lesbian nightclubs and bars. Recently this area has seen condo, office, and retail development spill over the river to this neighborhood. However, it is not displacing anyone as the spaces undergoing development have mainly been former storage or empty industrial space. Rockwell Automation also has their headquarters in this neighborhood. Some real estate agents and promoters have begun referring to the area as "Fifth Ward," apparently hoping to capitalize on the prestige of the Third Ward located just across the Milwaukee River.

Walnut Hill

Walnut Hill is a predominantly African-American neighborhood on the west side, bordered by 27th Street, 35th Street, Vliet Street, and North Avenue. There is also a strong southeast Asian presence here. The neighborhood is one of the most violent and blighted in the city with several abandoned homes. Despite the severe problems in the neighborhood, several new homes are under construction and now some middle income proposals are beginning to be seen. Parts of the neighborhood include streets without homes and large vacant lots. Proposals contend to fill those with large middle class homes.

Washington Heights

Washington Heights is a neighborhood characterized by 1920s Arts & Crafts housing stock and known for converting duplexes to single-family homes. The 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. It also includes the few blocks across Vliet, immediately south of this otherwise perfectly rectangular area. Most area residents are of middle and upper middle class status and are caucasians.

Washington Park

Washington Park is located on Milwaukee's West Side and is bordered by 41st street in the east, I-41 in the west, Vliet Street in the south, and North Avenue in the north. The neighborhood, once a wealthy Jewish and German neighborhood has seen great decline in the last 40 years. Sherman Boulevard and Lisbon Avenue run through the neighborhood. Both were once prominent streets in the city. Sherman Boulevard is lined with large brick homes and old trees. Lisbon was a major business street, today though it is home to several vacant storefronts. The neighborhood is now primarily African American as the white population continues to head west to the suburbs. Crime and blight have become major issues in the neighborhood as murder and robbery become more common. Washington Park was once the crown jewel in the Milwaukee Park system. Washington Park, designed by Fredrick Law Olmsted was home to the zoo, an amphitheater, and a pool. After years of neglect and decline, the park is seeing a great deal of renovation. In the heart of the Washington Park and at the intersection of Lisbon and Sherman stands a magnificent statue of George Washington on his horse. Across from the traffic circle stands the new Washington Park Library.

Westown

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 river on the east. This 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 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! and River Rhythms at Pere Marquette Park.

The Westown neighborhood has seen a substantial amount of redevelopment in the last ten years. Wisconsin Avenue the main throughfare through Westown is being rebuilt and streetscaped in an attempt to attract more businesses to the area. The construction of a new convention center, hundreds of new lofts, renovated hotels, and a number of new shops and restaurants have helped to bolster the neighborhood's image. Three major hotel and condominium towers are currently planned in the area.

External links

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