Brewer City

Although we have visited Milwaukee before, those times we didn't really see anything more than the fabulous art museum, an instant design classic by Calatrava  (see the post MAM), or the Bead&Button Show. Being only an hour north of us, we decided to do another visit, but this time to explore the city. We started at a local bead store to stock up on much needed glass beads, delicas and pretty stones for various projects. This took a nice but substantial chunk of time, and left us hungry and late for lunch. Fortunately the historic Third Ward just south of downtown is buzzing with activity all day long, so we had no trouble finding a nice table on Water Buffalo's patio for a late lunch with some locally brewed beers.

Milwaukee has a large German immigrant population, who mad the city synonymous with beer, and gave it its nickname "Brewer City". In the 1850s it already had an average of one tavern per 40 residents, and it still boasts today to have the country's highest concentration of bars. It gives the city a pleasant vibe, and the beautiful afternoon weather during our trip made it even more lively.

The Third Ward looks a bit like what was done in the London Docklands or Amsterdam Western Harbor area, except for the brewery boat tours that moored off and on for a tasting at the local microbreweries, or for the powerboats returning with roaring engines from a trip on Lake Michigan.

The area is filled with warehouses that are converted to residential lofts or spaces for hip businesses and shops. So that meant browsing art shops, artsy clothing stores and make-up studios, and enjoying a Starbucks on the riverfront.

And although not a typical Milwaukee souvenir, how could we resist bringing home this little fella. His name is Koibito and he perfectly embodies the spirit of this funky water neighborhood. We will be returning....