September 2006
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48 Hours: Milwaukee
By Husna Haq Photo by Catherine Karnow
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Visitors explore the Quadracci Pavilion of the Milwaukee Art Museum. |
With a new science museum and lively Riverwalk, lakefront Milwaukee creates a buzz.
 n the September 2006 issue of National Geographic Traveler, Margaret Loftus reveals the city of Milwaukee, where 600,000 residents enjoy vast parkland, expansive museums, and funky boutiques. But shh, they don't want you to tell.
Log onto the websites below for advice on area restaurants, art, and entertainment from some of Milwaukee's insiders.
Blogs
Podcasts
Newspapers
Magazines
Radio
Maps
Books
Movies
Blogs
Play in the City
Go along for the ride as media professional and Milwaukee maven Erin Leffelman explores her hometown, discovering tasty restaurants and cafés, dropping in on local events and homecoming galas (like one for a Great Lakes schooner at Pier Wisconsin), and trying out the city's other sports (Frisbee golf, kite-flying, or go-karting, anyone?). Check out the left-hand column of the site for great Milwaukee sites, links, and more blogs. This blog is funded by the Milwaukee Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Saucy Stadium Secrets
Sports are to Milwaukee what gambling is to Las Vegas, and if you want to understand the city (not to mention chat with the locals), brush up on Brewtown's ball scene. OnMilwaukee.com's senior editor, Drew Olsen, keeps locals up-to-date with crisp, no-nonsense entries on the Bucks', Brewers', and Packers' latest stats, draft picks, and injuries.
Podcasts
Socialist Walking Tour of Downtown Milwaukee
This 11-minute podcast walks visitors through Milwaukee's socialist history, which produced numerous members of City Council, three mayors, and the first socialist member of U.S. Congress, not to mention early advancements in the eight-hour workday, living wages, and public parks. Who knew? Download the podcast and hit the ground for a walking tour of Turner Hall, Milwaukee Area Technical College, and City Hall, among other sights.
620 WTMJ News Radio
Choose from a long list of WTMJ shows and commentators via podcast. Download one, or subscribe to a show. Check out Jeff Wagner's podcasts for intelligent news analysis and interviews, and Brewers Radio Network for sports coverage.
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Newspapers
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The more you look, the more you find on this site bursting with practical ideas for visitors. Check out "Day Watch" for up-to-the-minute local news bulletins, "Calendars" for categorized event listings (try books, kids, comedy, or festivals), and the "Visitors' Guide" for fun and handy tips (Wi-Fi hotspots, top dining picks, an hour in the life of an interesting Wisconsinite).
MKE
Enjoy the fresh, cheeky commentary in this free weekly distributed by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Besides the usual dining reviews and event calendars, check out "One Tank Trips" for Brewtown excursions, "Free Stuff Guide" for fun on the cheap, and "People and Connections" for a bevy of blogs, forums, and profiles.
The Shepherd Express
Browse this alternative paper online for a funky, offbeat take on the city's news, events, and people. Check out "Best of Milwaukee" (Best Restaurant for Gluttons, Best Place to People Watch, Best Local Character), the "Menu Guide," "In Review" (picks on music, books, dining), and "Calendars" (browsable, searchable, exhaustive list of events).
Magazines
Milwaukee Magazine
Turn to Milwaukee's highest-circulation, glossy monthly for profiles, policy pieces, fashion, and some of the city's best advice on dining and arts and entertainment. Good choices: "This Weekend" and monthly events.
OnMilwaukee.com
Learn more about this beer-and-brat burg by clicking through this daily online magazine cum city guide packed into tidy categories like "Milwaukee Buzz" (100 Milwaukeeans you need to know), "Arts & Entertainment" (read about Milwaukee's fire performance troupe, Arson Etiquette), "Politics" (trouble brewing at Pabst Farms), and "Travel & Visitors Guide" (try Smashing Milwaukee Stereotypes). Come up for air before you dive in again for their "Archived Guides" ("100 Things to do Near Milwaukee," "Milwaukee Neighborhood Guide," "Best of Milwaukee") blogs, podcasts, and forums. Whew.
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Radio
WMSE
Originally launched by the students of the Milwaukee School of Engineering, WMSE 91.7 today is the city's alternative radio station, offering an eclectic mix of jazz, alternative rock, and world music. Check out the website for a listing of Milwaukee's alternative music events, and tune in for entertaining shows run by some of the station's 100 volunteer DJs (WMSE schedule).
WTMJ
The news, analysis, and banter offered on Newsradio WTMJ and its punchy, info-packed shows will leave you feeling like a local. Tune in for local, national, and world headlines and some of the station's commentators: Charlie Sykes for sharp news analysis, Jeff Wagner for justice and advocacy issues, and Jessica McBride for media commentary.
WUWM
The best thing about this station: You can tell its hosts and reporters love what they're doing. Tune in to Milwaukee's public radio station mornings and evenings for incisive local stories that go beyond headlines; AT10 for discussions with local politicians, businesspeople, and artists; and Café Tonight for local music.
Maps
Milwaukee Interactive Maps
Zoom around Milwaukee with these interactive maps detailing the city's downtown, Historic Third Ward, and greater Milwaukee areas. Search or browse from an extensive menu of attractions (including accommodations, dining, nightlife, shopping, and theater). With a click of your mouse, pinpoint your attraction on a map and pull up address, phone number, and description.
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Books
Milwaukee Sketchbook, by Fran Bauer (2005)
The best way to experience the Cream City—and remember it after your trip—is with this radiant book, created by 16 Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design students who walked the city with sketchbooks in hand over the course of a year. The result: 123 captivating paintings of the city's landmarks, great and small—and a refreshing new perspective on a proud city and its people.
The Turk and my Mother: a Novel, by Mary Helen Stefaniak (2004)
Affairs, wars, and mysterious disappearances are just the beginning of the decades of family secrets unfurled in this novel that tells the story of Croatian immigrants who settle in Milwaukee after WWI. Stefaniak spans continents, generations, and emotions in this rich, tangled tale about Milwaukee's immigrant roots.
Red Weather, by Pauls Toutonghi (2006)
The year is 1989 and 15-year-old Yuri Balodis lives in Milwaukee's Third Ward with his working-class parents who escaped Soviet Latvia in a shipping container full of hogs. As his patriotic parents embrace country music and glossy American magazines, shy Yuri joins the staff of a socialist paper, quotes Marx and Lenin, and falls for the daughter of prominent Milwaukee socialists. "As Milwaukee as a novel ever has been," declares OnMilwaukee.com.
Little City by the Lake, Celia Wilkins (2003)
Anne of Green Gables and Little House on the Prairie-readers will love this sweet, charming tale about 15-year-old Caroline Quiner who leaves her Concord, Wisconsin, home in 1855 for the (relatively) great, bustling city of Milwaukee, to attend the Milwaukee Female College. The sixth book in the 'Caroline Years' series, Little City by the Lake follows the life of wholesome Caroline, who became the mother of Laura Ingalls Wilder.
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Movies
American Movie (1999)
When all is said and done, this is just another movie about one man's quest for the American Dream—but it's contemporary, clever, and roll-in-the-aisle funny. This independent film records the trials of shaggy-haired Milwaukeean Mark Borchardt as he faces the financial, family, and spiritual crises of making an independent film. Get an up-close view of the gray skies, rusty cars, and hearty characters of northwest Milwaukee in this 1999 Sundance Film Festival award-winner.
The Godfather of Green Bay (2005)
Two struggling stand-up comics from L.A. head to Green Bay when they hear a talent scout's in town for Tonight Show bookings. The real comedy starts when the L.A. comics encounter Green Bay natives in their beer-guzzling, mullet-wearing, Packers-rooting glory. Midwestern self-deprecation at its best.
Milwaukee, Minnesota (2003)
Albert's got an overprotective mother, a knack for ice fishing, and a brain that works slower than most. When his mother dies, this small-town Wisconsin kid's on his own against two con artists out for his ice fishing prize money. Midwestern wit and heart conquer their wily schemes—and perhaps viewers' stereotypes—in this light drama set in Brewtown's frigid suburbs (not Minnesota).
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