One of the Milwaukee Locals. Photographer William Rieselbach
I have to admit, when my wife made the suggestion that we move from the Northwoods to Milwaukee, it took me a while to wrap my mind around it. Growing up and spending many summers in Wisconsin, Milwaukee was always one of those cities where we went to visit people, but didn’t hang out much. My only real memory of it from my childhood was the one time we went to the Ice Capades with my cousin’s maternal grandparents. Other than that, pretty much nada.
Like many my age, our exposure to the city was through the shows, “Happy Days,” and “Lavern & Shirley” (both filmed in Hollywood, California). Arnold’s Drive-in seemed like a pretty cool place to hang out but all I ever thought about was that it’s known for its beer and Harley Davidson motorcycles.
Over the years, Milwaukee developed a pretty rough reputation. It hit the skids several years ago, when the beer and auto industry picked up its stakes, moved to other locations, or sent their work elsewhere. Manufacturing was down and the local economy took quite a hit. A lot of what Milwaukee had been known for, down to earth, salt of the earth people, became forgotten and people started to see it as a place no different than the South Side of Chicago. This, at least, was my impression. So, as mentioned, when my wife brought it up, I almost laughed in her face. Good thing I didn’t, because as with many of her ideas that seem preposterous on the surface, it turned out she was onto something.
During the winters in Northern Wisconsin, Jessica and I would get cabin fever, so we’d head to Southern Wisconsin for things to do. We found ourselves hitting Milwaukee time and time again. We found ourselves finding that its reputation didn’t reflect the whole story. The picture I had in my head of Milwaukee did not even come close to coinciding with the picture it was being replaced with. Jessica was right.
Milwaukee has a lakefront that I would put up against any lakefront in the US. Entertainment abounds at some of the historic theaters in downtown (not far from the venue), and the food! Wow! While we have plenty of the things Wisconsin is known for, like cheese, sausage and the best steaks on Planet Earth, you’ll find that we have just about every other type of food you’d expect to find in a much larger city. . . AND IT’S GOOD!
The biggest surprise that you’ll find, though, is that the people, despite the harsh winters and the years of rebounding, are amazingly kind, generous and welcoming. If you have not experienced Midwest Hospitality, you’re missing out!
So, in the spirit of said hospitality, I’d love to invite you to come and explore the city. Come to WordCamp Milwaukee and enjoy one of the most fun WordCamps you’ll ever experience (it’s the people – really!), and between now and WordCamp Milwaukee, I’ll be posting articles covering all the things to do here in our fine city! We’ll be sure to send you home smiling.
(OH! I also forgot to mention. . . We chose that weekend because, in theory, we should have some great fall colors showing up! You won’t want to miss those!)