Milwaukee Department of Public Works

I did not know that Milwaukee is so culturally diverse! I had been told by organic Milwaukeens that the people are friendly. I come from the south, so I know «friendly people» (who else says howdy and greets you as an old friend when you just met, inviting strangers in for a glass of sweet tea in the summer heat?). They were on target! I have experienced that the people are quite friendly and welcoming! I am greatly entertained by the accent that is unique to this area, as I am sure mine is equally entertaining to them.
Not only do the local Milwaukeens go out of their way to help, they go above and beyond to ensure you are appropriately taken care of during your entire stay!
Wish I had more time in this wonderful, beer cheesy place! ;)

I did not know that you could review a city on Unilocal,but now that I know… I shall.
I’ve been living in and around Milwaukee for going on 4 years now, and it’s everything I ever wanted in a home (except for mountains. step up your mountain game Milwaukee).
This city has some incredible dining experiences. I’m telling you there isn’t a meal you’ve eaten that can’t be blown away by one of these restaurants. Between the Indie restaurants on Brady St, to the fine dining downtown, to the great bars (Blu, Angelos, the Spy Bar), to the countless amazing burger/​ethnic/​brunch places littered all over the city… it’s impossible not to be overwhelmed with restaurants you love.
In the summer it seems that there’s an event every weekend. Between Milwaukee and the surrounding areas, there is almost too many events to go to; StrawberryFest, GermanFest, ChocolateFest, PrideFest, SummerFest… it’s non stop.
There are tons of cheap family attractions too. Constant events at the Bradley Center, the Art Museum, the History Museum, the Science Museum, the beaches, or the nearby Kettle Morraine parks. You’ll never be left with nothing to do.
Milwaukee really has everything you love about a city, without all of the obnoxious tourists and traffic. Unlike Chicago, you can drive downtown here without all the road rage.
There are some unsavory spots of Milwaukee, just like any city. They are easily avoidable.
I really believe that Milwaukee has something for everybody, which is why I’m constantly telling the rest of my friends and family that they need to move here ASAP.

Dear Milwaukee, I love you.
As a former resident of a city (that shall remain unnamed) that sucks pretty hard, I can appreciate everything that Milwaukee is, and forgive everything that it is not.
Milwaukee is where you can find enough culture to attract local tourism, but not so much that we’re constantly swarmed by crazies with cameras. And there’s enough tourist-​y restaurants and spots to attract them, keeping my favorite lesser known locations open for reservations on a Friday night.
Like the insane deliciousness that is Ardent — and its Jekyll/​Hyde transformation into Red Light Ramen when the midnight hour peaks.
And the epic Italian experience that is Tenuta’s.
And TACTICAL laser tag at CMP.
And almost every type of ethnic cuisine you could desire has a pretty solid representation. Ethiopian. Korean. Serbian. Venezuelan. Puerto Rican. You can take a tiny vacation on a whim and have a culinary adventure without packing a bag.
BUT…you can still park pretty much ANYWHERE for free/​cheap. And score theater tickets for $ 20. And have major performing acts stop for a show less than 15 minutes from your house.
And the people are the just the best. All that warmth and love makes you forget that you can’t feel your face when you go outside for the six months of winter, and that your knuckles are all dry and cracked and sad. I’d take away a star for winter… but Milwaukee can’t help where it is. And it certainly makes the best of it.
LOVE.

Love MKE, Love Riverwest. So happy to be a part of this great city on the lake!

Another review of the DPW, because for the first time in my life I’ve actually been hung up on by an automated phone system.
See, a few days ago I tried to update my night parking permissions. The problem is that on the confirmation email, there are illegal characters on the license plate (specifically, DPW has swapped two of them out for $ symbols). I doubt this is a security feature, because DPW has never before bothered to obscure license plate information (nor is there any real reason to do so). I believe the entry actually got corrupted on their end and that they have my license plate recorded with two dollar signs in it. I’ve been burning through guest overnight parking permits while waiting to get this fixed, but I can’t actually reach anyone at the DPW’s offices.
Now that that’s done, let’s discuss forestry…
These people are equally ridiculous. Shortly after I moved to the south side DPW workers cut down a tree in front of my house. It did need to go, its roots were damaging the sidewalk and the water lines.
They left the stump. They promised they’d be back.
They didn’t come back. Eventually I complained.
No response.
Then, about a month after my complaint someone stuck a sticky note to my door. «Don’t worry,» it said «your stump isn’t forgotten, it’ll be taken care of by July 2014.
On 7÷31÷14, another notice on my door: «Yeah…your stump just isn’t a priority right now. We’ll get to it whenever.» That, I understood. I can’t say as I was thrilled about it, but I was content to leave it well enough alone.
A week later, DPW took the liberty of fining me $ 50 for not maintaining the weeds around the stump. The stump pushed the ground up so I couldn’t mow it (especially considering I use a mechanical mower), I don’t own a weedwacker. And the stump isn’t supposed to be there in the first place! (Additionally, I disagree with the city over whether the weeds were even in violation; ordinance gives you 7 inches, these weeds were no more than 4 or 5 when you account for the slope created by the stump).
And their appeals process is a joke, probably by design. Pay half the amount of your fine just for the chance to make your case to a DPW employee as to why the DPW is wrong? Yeah right.
The thing that really gets to me though is that up until the week before I complained, I had a bunch of four or five foot ragweed in one of my flowerbeds. The city didn’t give a damn about that until I started asking questions.
They finally did remove the stump recently. It took over 30 official complaints via phone and DPW’s website, as well as the involvement of a goddamn city alderman.
Why the hell do we put up with this department, Milwaukee? Fire them all, I say.

«…in case I don’t see you, ‘Good morning, good evening, and goodnight.»
Dear Milwaukee,
You were by design, a little more than a one year happenstance because of my wife’s work. I didn’t want to get too attached because I knew that rightly or wrongly, for better or for worse, we can’t be together right now for the long term.
But I grew to love you anyway, even though admittedly, my intimacy with your neighborhoods is lackluster at best.
I grew to love your festivals, even though for all intents and purposes, many of the food vendors are the same. But given any reason to celebrate, the people of this wonderful town and suburbs will flock out to Summerfest, particularly when admission is free or discounted with charitable donations, e.g., to the Hunger Task Force.
I grew to tolerate the weekly commute between Milwaukee and Chicago, and consider myself lucky that I only make one round trip commute per week when I know that many others who work for MillerCoors do it on the daily. I even renamed my Wifi Hotspot to «Quiet Car. Zip it».
I have never been in a city where so many people can imbibe so much, yet still be in control. I never once saw or encountered a native MKE’ean acting a fool or throwing up in a garbage can, or outside of a car window. Sadly, I was guilty of the last transgression on at least one occasion. Brat House. Old German Beer Hall. Ashleys Que. I will miss your ridiculous happy hour specials. Lakefront — your live polka music on Fridays with the awesome beer will stay with me. Nessun Dorma, marry me now. GLD, keep selling your deeelicious stuff to Ashley’s so I can keep drinking grape drank and electric lemonade.
I once considered myself lucky to have lived in Chicago for so long with no end of classy restaurants in sight. Then I found you, and realized that great food doesn’t need to have an attitude or a pomp and circumstance. And that a restaurant doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to try to be better day by day. Sanford, you were wonderful. Mader’s, you were overhyped. Prodigal and All Purpose, keep improving. Bavette — you will always have the key to our hearts (literally and metaphorically, ha). In the great custard debate, let me throw in my 2 cents and say that Kopp’s plain is the jam, but their specialty flavors are hit or miss. Gille’s does better all around. Pop’s in Menomonee Falls has a certain character, and Leon’s — I’m sorry I never went. Culver’s, GTFO of this conversation.
I grew to embrace the calmness of living in Milwaukee, of not being in such a rush all the time, of stopping to say «hey» and to pet the dogs that actually WANT to be pet. That calmness subsided each week when I went into Chicago’s Union Station.
Not all of our relationship was rosy, MKE. I grew to learn that just as Chicago, you are very segregated, and there are inequalities that persist. The task of righting this wrong is a task commensurate with cleaning the Augean stables, but don’t stop trying. And you f*cktards in Riverwest, stop burning bonfires and singing at 3am — our Unilocal CM works too hard for your entitled self righteous trust fund mentalities to ruin her atmosphere.
Lastly — dear MKE Unilocal.You have been a wonderful entity to work and deal with. Between RFelly and the photog genius of LRosy, this organization should, and will, prosper. The fact that our CM picks up the tab AND gratuity at Elite events speaks volumes about her professionally and personally. My only regret on this front is that I didn’t get to know you and Luke better.
And so I leave you with my greatest wish,
Om Mani Padme Hum. Peace and love be with you all.

Milwaukee. My first love. When Philly and NYC came calling in my early years, I still couldn’t leave you. No disrespect to two very awesome cities, but this is home.
This might be the best place to spend a summer ever. Most people spend their Summer vacations far away from home, but most of the Folks from our fair city enjoy Summer staycations. We are the «City of Festivals» for a reason. From the multiple ethnic festivals that happen almost every weekend in the city, to the church festivals and community celebrations, it’s hard not to find something to do. And if that doesn’t float your boat, we have lakefront beaches, kick ass museums, one of the best ballparks in the majors, fantastic city/​county parks and all the shopping, restaurants and nightlife you can ask for.
I honestly think we are one of the best food cities in America. People focus on our brats, cheese, frozen custard and of course our beer but we are so much more than that. I’ve been here all my life, a good 35 years and I still find new, great restaurants on almost a weekly basis.
And while we continually build new things in this city, we also still have great respect for the old with literally hundreds of historical buildings and landmarks still functioning and in just as great as shape as they were when they were built.
We are a big city with a small town feel. We are the best of all worlds.

I like this listing, I like it a lot! Milwaukee, before I moved here for work I was kinda like, it’s just a city, nbd. But after living and working here and really digging in to all they have to offer, I’m seeing so much more than the huge grunge buildings that I hardly noticed when driving through (and by grunge I mean vintage scenic architecture).
MKE has a lot to offer in the way of food and festivities. Literally a festival every week during the summer, my fav is Summerfest, not to mention the enormous monster of the State Fair (hello shaved ice!!), but it is super runner friendly. They have trails that run through the city and parks that are paved, and they’re wide enough for runners and bikers and walkers to enjoy. Their parks, a-​mazing for walking your dog or just taking a walk with your sweetheart after work.
The variety of ethnic food rivals that of it’s neighbor to the south, Chicago. Indian, Thai, Mexican, Ethiopian, American, Gastropub, Italian; I mean, so many options! And if you’re a night owl, the sheer amount of bars and clubs is overwhelming (in a good way).
Hats off to you MKE!

This city is pretty great, you guys. Reading over other people’s reviews made me note the prevalence of lists while describing the virtues of this town. I, however prefer a haiku:
I’m walking downtown
In the distance: Milverene
That dude is bitchin’.

There are two parts to the Milwaukee government. Firstly, there is the City of Milwaukee. All the downtown stuff. The tall buildings. Some of the parks. Street parking downtown (more on that later). The Milwaukee Police Department. These things.
All of this is incorporated into Milwaukee County. This is the much larger area and includes Oak Creek and Brown Deer and Cudahy and Franklin and Glendale and Greendale and a few more places. The population of the county is about half again the population of the city and they run the zoo and the bus lines and more, including the Milwaukee County Sheriff.
So this review is for the CITY of Milwaukee only.
And here’s my big complaint. Did you know that you need a ‘night parking’ permit in order to park your car on the street in Milwaukee? Even though the sign on the street says that it’s metered parking during the week, if your car is at that same meter between 2:00 and 6:00 AM, you’ll earn a $ 20 parking ticket. I say «bullshit» to that. While «ignorance of the law is no excuse», who thinks to search the city’s web site to see if they’re allowed to park at night when there isn’t a sign on the street saying so. Thumbs down.
PS… These were separate reviews but Unilocal unhelpfully merged them.

I came to Milwaukee for love, but as life would have it fell out of love with that person and in love with Milwaukee. Long before that relationship ended I was already beginning one with Milwaukee.
Milwaukee and I have what I would consider to be a true love.
In a loving relationship you have fun together and share some of the same interests. Milwaukee and I have so much fun together! Brewers games, Bucks games, beer gardens, parks, bike paths, the lake, delicious restaurants, beer, drinks, bowling, breweries, festivals, Summerfest, farmers’ markets, state fair, etc., etc. Milwaukee has so much to offer and we always have a good time together.
True love accepts you for who you are and takes the good with the bad. Look, I recognize that Milwaukee isn’t perfect. Our winter weather sucks. We have a lot of poverty and very segregated neighborhoods. I used to work for MPS and I know firsthand the struggles that district has. But there are also a lot of dedicated teachers, social workers, and other professionals working feverishly to make our schools and neighborhoods better places. The winter really isn’t that bad. There’s football to be watched, museums to go to, concerts at the Domes, late nights at the Art Museum, and plenty of good food to be eaten. I love Milwaukee for all its good and accept its flaws.
True love lasts forever. I may not live in Milwaukee or Wisconsin forever. I might go back to where I grew up in the (gasp) Chicago burbs. But I won’t stop singing Milwaukee’s praises and I will always stand up for Milwaukee. The lakefront, the people, the entertainment, the beer, the cheese, the restaurants. Yup I think Milwaukee rocks and I’ll love it forever, no matter where I live.
It’s settled. Milwaukee and I are definitely in love and in a long-​term relationship. I should probably change my nonexistent Facebook relationship status to «in a relationship» with Milwaukee.

Yea, we get a bad and totally unfair wrap sometimes. People from big big cities think of Milwaukee as a little town, people from the ‘burbs think of our downtown as a“scary” place. Geez, peeps, make up your minds!
Milwaukee is great when it goes for a friendly, slightly urban type of Midwestern vibe without trying too hard to be too ‘big city cool’.
If you visit, try to visit from April-​October, when everyones out and about. There’s tons of festivals, our parks are beautiful, and the lakefront, with the calatrava, Bradford beach and other parks truly earns its place as the ‘third coast.’ Our Downtown has really grown over the years, but the surrounding neighborhoods of the third and fifth wards, Bayview, riverwest, and the eastside sometimes rival the actual downtown in terms of nightlife and restaurants.
I loved the city when I first drove down Maryland avenue to my unversity home and love it many years later.

Milwaukee… I’ve been a resident for 425 days! Folks have noted the festivals, great beer, awesome restaurants, light traffic and many other pluses. They’ve also noted a few minuses notably the segregation. Here are a few more that make me love Milwaukee!
I can bus everywhere I want to go so I don’t have to worry about enjoying too many of the wonderful microbrews. The bus system is sorely lacking money, so routes have been trimmed back severely, but I will continue to ride and wish more of us would do the same. When I don’t bus, I can ride my bike to work on the beautiful Oak Leaf Trail!
Whether busing or biking, I absolutely LOVE watching the sun rise over the Lake every morning. I think our Lakeshore is the best anywhere! It is gorgeous and well-​maintained with miles of walking, biking paths, swim beaches, volleyball, kites, Northpointe Burgers, Alterra Coffee, and the Bradford Beach Cabana!
The Art Museum is the coolest piece of architecture I have ever seen, a sailboat and a seagull wrapped into one! Speaking of architecture, Milwaukee has done a marvelous job of preserving many beautiful historic buildings downtown and all of the awesome east/​south/​west-​side neighborhoods. I am so proud to show off our city to out of town guests!

Warning… parody long
For those that don’t know the song play this link in another window while reading along.
Wisconsin Love– sung to 2Pac’s California Love.
Start that crazy drum beat… Boyee!
Wisconsin love
Wisconsin knows how to party
Wisconsin knows how to party
In the citaaay of Milwaukee
In the citaaay of Franklin
In the citaaay of Cudahy
We keep it rockin
We keep it rockin
Now let me welcome everybody to the mild, mid west
A state that’s untouchable like Elliot Ness
The track hits ya eardrum like a brat to ya chest
Pack a cooler for your Brews in the city of Suds
We in that dairy state with a bomb ass brew beat
the state where ya never find a dance floor empty
And pimps be on a mission for them Greens and Gold
lean mean money-​makin-​machines servin fiends
I been in the game for ten years makin rap tunes
ever since honeys was wearin sassoon
Now it’s ’95 and they clock me and watch me
Diamonds shinin’, lookin’ like I robbed Liberace
It’s all good, from Dirty stallis to tha Mah-​waukee Bay
Your city is tha bomb if your city makin pay
Throw up a finger if ya feel the same way
Dre puttin it down for
Wisco– Son–
[Chorus]
Wisconsin (Wisconsin)…knows how to party (knows how to party!)
Wisconsin (East coast)…knows how to party (yes they do)(that’s right)
In the city of Milwaukee… (city of West Milwaukee .)
In the city of good ol’ Glendale (good ol’ Glendale)
In the town, the town of Shorewood (town of Shorewood)
We keep it rockin! We keep it rockin! (come on, come on, come on…)
Shake it shake it baby
Shake it shake it, shake it baby
Shake it shake it mama
Shake it Sconnie
Shake it shake it baby (thats right, uh)
Shake it shake it baby baby, shake it shake it mama, shake it Sconnie…
[Verse Two: 2Pac]
Out on bail fresh outta jail, Wisconsin dreamin
Soon as I stepped on the scene, I’m hearin hoochies screamin
Fiendin for cheese and alcohol
the life of a west side playa where cowards die
and its all war
Only in MKE where we riot not rally to live and die
In MKE. we wearin Chucks not Ballies (that’s right, uh)
Dressed in Reds and Green and Gold and ride is what we do…
Wisconsin (Wisconsin)…knows how to party (knows how to party!)
[Up to chorus]

I’m really quite horrible with goodbyes. I get too sentimental, and teary eyed, the whole nine — so I simply leave without ever giving proper closure — which, I have learned, is not good.
How do I get proper closure from a city, and people, I have adored for the past 4 years? I guess I write a review.
Milwaukee is so self-​conscious, always comparing itself to Chicago and believing it doesn’t add up. Bullshit! Milwaukee, if you only knew just how damn beautiful you truly are.
Your parks beckoned me in the summertime and I was never short of content at McKinley, Big Bay, Bradford, Veterans, Atwater, Beach Drive, and so many of the hidden beaches and sanctuaries that you surprised me with on my many adventures cruising your shoreline. You never failed to impress me. I sat for hours watching the sunsets and the moon rise, watching the waves touch the shore — and burying my toes in your sand. Milwaukee, you gave me peacefulness.
Your running trails are what I will miss the most. Oak Leaf trail during spring, summer, and fall is a runner’s dream come true. You give me city and nature, solitude and the camaraderie of fellow runners — depending on which part of your trail I decide to follow. You give me calm mornings of pink hued skies and a runner’s high — deep breaths of fresh air — dew laden trees. I will miss this part of you most, Milwaukee.
Milwaukee, you gave me genuine people — kind souls, people so full of laughter and fun, smiles and hellos from strangers passing by, polite conversation on public transit. You showed me struggle and hardship Milwaukee, you showed me segregation and women and men who have lost hope. You showed me pain, and resilience against all odds. You showed me what it means to survive and thrive.
Milwaukee, you gave me my first feeling of being part of a community. You made me care about my neighbors, my neighborhood, my community, my city. I trekked by foot, by bike, and mostly by bus, and made the east side, the south side, downtown, riverwest, walker’s point, west town, harambee, walnut hill, third ward, my home.
I love everything about you, even your flaws. I care about you, I worry about you, I hope you pull through financially in the next 5 – 10 years — I hope you integrate and take better care of your most vulnerable members.
Most of all, I hope you remember me. I hope your streets breathe me in at night, as I have you so many times. I hope you remember my footsteps on your sidewalks and in your hallways. I hope you remember my laughter and my tears, and remember my growing pains as I sauntered through your lower east.
Goodbye Milwaukee.

As promised, because they did go post-​season. And the only chance I have of seeing them play this year is going to be if they get to the post-​season again.
I’ve missed this city over these last several months. One day to drink it all in again while on leave isn’t enough.

I’ve lived here all my life and I’ll probably die here because my husband doesn’t want to move. I do enjoy Milwaukee — the cost of living is reasonable, people are generally nice, we have great restaurants and (according to a co worker from New Orleans) we know how to party. If you are new to the city, I offer my list of «true Milwaukee» experiences in no particular order.
1. Take a walk in one of our beautiful parks. I like the lily pond at Humboldt Park.
2. Go tailgating at Miller Park. The game itself is optional — you’ll make new friends, play some bag toss and probably get loaded.
3. Attend one of the great ethnic festivals at the lakefront
4. Eat some custard at Kopps or Leons
5. Have a Friday night fish fry somewhere on the south side during Lent.
6. Play beach volleyball at Bradford with drinks at the tiki shack
7. Visit the Usinger factory store, the European Sausage Shop and/​or Klements
8. Wander through the shops in the 3^rd Ward or on Brady St.
9. Hit up one of our glorious brewery tours for some refreshment (NOT Miller!)
10. Find a local dive bar and close it. Wolski’s tends to be the cliché choice but you get a bumper sticker so…
If we had better shopping, I’d bump this up to 5 stars (yes, I am a shallow person)

I wouldn’t say I’ve seen the world, but I’ve been around. I’ve seen some places that I loved and some places that I, well, didn’t. No matter where I’ve been, I’ve always been excited to touch back down in Milwaukee.
I kind of treasure the fact that Milwaukee is like the Timbuktu of the Midwest. On the east coast, I’ve met tons of people who don’t even know where it is. It’s on lake Michigan, about 90 miles from Chicago I tell them. You might as well tell them you can dance your way there from Old Zealand.
I have lived here for most of my life. I’ve watched Milwaukee grow from rust belt after thought to what it is today, a somewhat cosmopolitan city that fondly remembers it’s immigrant roots. It’s comfortable in it’s own skin (unless the Cubs are in town), the people are friendly and, if needed, a beer is always within shouting distance.
Cooler near the lake. Brewers Radio Network. Don’t mess our fest. These terms always make me smile.
Summerfest be damned, give me German Fest. Same food, livelier music, better hats.
Give me a brat in the parking lot at Miller Park, and I’m a happy man. If the wind is right, you can get a whiff of the Miller Brewery. I wouldn’t say it smells great, but it smells like home.

Oh Fair Milwaukee– How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…
1. Affordable housing withing walking distance of EVERYTHING that makes you great!
2. The beautiful Milwaukee lighthouse!
3. Alterra on the lake– a great place to read the Journal Sentinel
4. The Cheese Mart on 3^rd–
5. County Clare by the Nick– check in and get Unilocal!discounts-​YES!
6. Solly’s Butterburgers– Oh My GOD– Who knew butter could be so good?
7. Koz’s Mini Bowl– Frozen Pizza– 90’s tunes on the jukebox– and the last human pinsetters known to man!
8. The Public Market– every last inch of it– from the fish guy, all the way to the coffee chick. Especially the Spice House and the Bread Smith! (Free parking on the weekends!)
9. Old World 3^rd– walking distance from our condo– and so much German beer and food goodness… Mmmm Beeeeer…
10. Oh fair Milwaukee, your summers make us love you so much, with your festivals and activities.

I don’t know how I found this listing, but I did… and even though it’s ridiculous, I kind of like it and can’t help but to want to review Milwaukee. Um…
I love Milwaukee, Milwaukee’s great and anyone who says otherwise really doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Do a little homework, putz.
Of course, sometimes I wish we were a little bigger, or had a little more in the way of options (shopping, food/​drink, culture, etc.)…
But here’s the thing. For a city our size, we’re pretty effing great. Representative sample and all that. We have a lot going on. I could try to break everything down, but suffice it to say that we do pretty well for ourselves in every category.
And honestly, big city+small town = perfect for me. I may eventually live somewhere else, but for now (& for always), I think MKE is home and home because I choose it to be.