Understand
Milwaukee has advertised itself as the "City of Festivals," especially emphasizing an annual fair along the lakefront called Summerfest. Listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest music festival in the world, Summerfest attracts around 900,000 visitors a year to its twelve stages. Smaller festivals throughout the year celebrate the city's German, Native American, African-American, Italian, Irish, Asian, French and Polish heritage.
Newspapers
Get In
There is an array of almost every transportation mode thinkable to get in. The cheapest way is by bus, but many travelers prefer the comfort and convenience of air, train or boat travel.
By Plane
Milwaukee is served by Mitchell International Airport (MKE).
Midwest Airlines, frequently rated #1 in domestic air service, is based at Mitchell International Airport.
Other airlines include: Air Canada, AirTran Airways, American Airlines/American Eagle, Continental, Delta, Frontier, Northwest, United, US Airways/America West, and USA 3000.
Direct international (but some seasonal) flights are offered to Canada, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. Other international travelers will have to connect or fly to Chicago O'Hare international and take the shuttle service to Milwaukee Union station.
Like many European airports Mitchel features a rail link to the city, use the Amtrak train to Milwaukee Union Station ($6), Badger Coachesalso operates a $6 service to the city where as a more frequent, cheaper $1.75, yet slower normal city bus line(# 80), to downtown is operated by MCTS
Some air travelers choose to fly into one of Chicago's main airports (O'Hare-ORD or Midway-MDW). Some passengers find this to be a cheaper solution, particularly, but not necessarily, for overseas travel. There is a direct shuttle from both of the Chicago airports to Milwaukee Union Station (O'Hare to Milwaukee $23, Midway to Milwaukee $36). Increasingly, travelers are may chooseing to take an 'eL' train from either of the Chicago airports to Chicago Union Station($1.75-$2) and then go on to Milwaukee with either Megabus.com($1-$8.50) services or with Amtrak trains ($20); Potentially totaling a savings of up to nearly $30.
By Train
Amtrak serves a downtown and a new airport station. The Hiawatha has 7 daily round trips to Chicago, and the Empire Builder has 1 daily round trip from Chicago through Milwaukee to Seattle/Portland, Via Minneapolis and Spokane (among other cities).
By Car
I-94 comes in from Madison to the west, and continues to Chicago to the south. I-43 will get you to the city from Green Bay from the north, and continues south-west to Rockford.
By Boat
The Lake Express is a high speed ferry that operates across Lake Michigan to Muskegon, MI.
By Bus
Milwaukee features numerous Greyhound services to Chicago, Madison, and the Twin Cities among other place. The Badger Bus makes runs between Milwaukee and Madison. The cheapest way to get to Milwaukee, Megabus.com, offers an eight time daily round trip serivce to Chicago, and one daily bus from Minneapolis from $2.50 round trip.
Get Around
Getting around in Milwaukee is mostly easy. Block numbers are consistent across the whole city, including most of the suburbs, starting roughly where the Milwaukee and Menomonee rivers meet. All numbered streets run north-south, increasing in number as you go west from 1st Street. Most names streets go east-west, with the notable exception of any street east of 1st Street (the East Side). Standard blocks are 1/8th of a mile long north to south, and 1/12th of a mile east to west. Parking Downtown and on the East Side is a minor hassle, but abundant elsewhere.
By Public Transit
Milwaukee's bus system,MCTS, is actually quite good, taking into account the almost complete lack of rail support. You can take a bus from anywhere, to almost anywhere in the city, with minor excursions to the suburbs.
Standard Fares
One week passes and ten ride ticket packs are available from outlets displaying an MCTS sticker. (Mostly grocery stores.)
Fare includes one hour transfer, make sure to ask the driver for it if they don't automatically give you one. This transfer will allow you to board as many buses as you wish before the time runs out.
One item of useful note: Drivers have plenty of information, and transfers, but nothing else. They do not carry change, nor do they sell tickets or bus passes. If you do not have exact change, expect to pay a little over. (e.g.: $2 instead of $1.75)
Most of Milwaukee's 500 new low-floor buses feature Transit TV monitors that have a constant display of the upcoming stops along the route, verbally and visually announced approximately half a block in advance. In the event that the displays are not properly functioning alert the operator and ask for your stop to be called. Many operators miss the old days when they got to call the stop and thus enjoy the opportunity. If you are unsure of where you are going they will be happy to help, as well.
Many buses terminate at the MCTS Downtown Transit Center located across from the Betty Brinn Children's Museum, or kitty-corner from the famous Calatrava wing of the Milwaukee Art Museum.
Tourist 'Trolley'
Trolley Loop is a frequent scheduled trolley bus service sponsored by local businesses. Rides are free though service is seasonal.
By taxi
While there are plenty of taxis to meet demand, do not expect to simply flag one down. With the notable exceptions of queues at larger hotels, the airport, train- and bus stations and largely attended events you should call for one. The number one company is Yellow Cab, at 414-271-1800, with the phone numbers of other taxi companies available here.
By Car
While it is possible to use the bus to go to many suburbs, some tourists prefer driving. Parking outside the Downtown/East Side are is a overall a non-issue. Traffic conditions may vary, especially in the next few years durning the reconstruction of the city's main freeway interchanges.
See
While it is not known as a tourism mecca, Milwaukee is a vibrant city with plenty to see and explore.
Landmarks
Arts & Culture
Sports
Milwaukee is famous for it's sports teams particulary Baseball & Basketball. Home run slugger Hank Aaron hit most of his home runs in Milwaukee. Additionally, the Bucks are the youngest team to ever win a NBA title. There are a variety of professional and college sport teams in the area.
Neighborhoods
From downtown take a number 10 bus north or east in the direction Bayshore or Capitol (or #14 in the direction Capitol) north to Locust or Center St. (or anywhere around there). Exit there and head west (east from the #14). If the weather is nice, just walk north from downtown with the river in the corner of your right eye until you reach Humboldt St. or Holton St. take one of these north.
Parks
Because of Milwaukee's socialist past, it had one of the best public parks systems in the country. Unfortunately, funding for them has eroded in recent years, but there are still many great parks around the Milwaukee area!
Downtown
East Side
Do
Learn
The Milwaukee Art Museum along the lakefront is renowned for its new Calatrava addition (2004). The giant bird-like structure juts out towards the lake and has been adopted as the new symbol of Milwaukee, featured on all of the flags and welcome signs. The Calatrava building is free to the public, and going just to appreciate the architecture and great views of the lake is recommended. Exhibits vary.
Work
Milwaukee is home to several Fortune 500 companies; in fact, the metropolitan region (defined as the Milwaukee-West Allis-Waukesha area) was "ranked number five in the nation when measuring the number of Fortune 500 companies as a share of the population - just behind the number four Minneapolis-St. Paul region in Minnesota." The area has a wide employment base, with companies ranging from high-tech and specialty manufacturing firms (GE Medical, Harley Davidson) to retail and finance corporations (Kohl's, Northwestern Mutual).
Milwaukee Area Fortune 1000 Companies
(As of 2004 ranking)
The Milwaukee-Racine metropolitan area was also rated one of the Top 20 Hot Cities for Entrepreneurs in 2005.
Buy
Eat
Milwaukee's Old World Third Street along (and just West of) the Milwaukee River has many of Milwaukee's best restaurants and night-clubbing locations. Brady Street, on the Northeast side, also has many nice restaurants and shops. Brady Street and Old World Third Street are undoubtedly the two best areas to get food in Milwaukee. Brady Street consists of relatively inexpensive but high-quality restaurants, bakeries, and bars. Old World Third Street provides a richer variety and also many of the more upscale restaurants (and clubs) in Milwaukee. Traditional Germanic and Mediterranean foods are the highlights.
America's House of Steaks located in the Four Points by Sheraton Milwaukee Airport Hotel is the newest addition to Executive Chef Axel Dietrich’s long history of exceptional restaurants. He serves only the choicest ingredients including high quality properly aged steak that is hand cut on the premises by his experienced staff and served to his guests. Chef Axel’s special Prime Rib of Beef is hand rubbed with his own special seasoning to guarantee the tenderness and flavor you expect, but he doesn’t stop there. You can choose from equally flavorful items such as Veal Porterhouse, New Zealand Rack of Lamb, Country Style Duck, or Sauteed Scampi. http://www.fourpointshotel.com/dining_americas.cfm
Budget
Apollo's on Brady Street serves authentic Greek food that the whole family can enjoy: a variety of healthy yet tasty food. It'll make you wonder why these sorts of food aren't more popular.
The best place to eat Mexican food on a budget in Milwaukee is Conijito's Place on 6th Street just north of National Avenue. Food is cheap, drinks are cheap and the atmosphere is one of the best in the city as far as Mexican restaurants go. In most cases you can eat and get a couple drinks for $10 dollars.
Mid-range
Located on Milwaukee's Old World Third Street, the Safehouse is entered through an alley. It is infamous for requiring a password to enter. It can be entered even without the password, but you will be required to act silly to convince them to allow entrance. Once inside you will find one of the world's greatest museums to spying including numerous gadgets and displays. As you eat you will be able to watch video monitors of other patrons acting silly to gain entrance, just as you once did.
On the East Side, you can get some great pizza at Gil's on Downer Ave before or after a movie at the nearby Downer Theater, or head over to the intersection of North and Oakland Avenues, where you'll find local favorites like Beans & Barley (healthy/organic), Pizza Man, Von Trier's (German), the BBC (bar & grill), and the Twisted Fork (pasta). Louise's is also a great Italian restaurant.
A bit farther up Oakland Avenue near Locust Ave. (near the UW-Milwaukee Campus), you'll find an exciting variety of restaurants like the Oakland Trattoria (Mediterranean), Sharrazad (Middle Eastern), Lula's Cafe (East African), Thai-A-Kitchen, and Oakland Gyros (Greek).
Splurge
Mader's, also on Old-World Third, provides traditional German cuisine in a fancy atmosphere. It is expensive but exquisite - well worth it.
Mimma's, on Brady Street, serves the Americanized version Italian cuisine. But it is also incredible, well worth five stars. In addition to every pasta you can imagine it comes with an excellent array of wines, albeit expensive.
Drink
There's no shortage of night life in the Brew City. Milwaukeeans spend more (per capita) on entertainment than the citizenry of any other major American city, and you can bet that a good percentage of that entertainment is served in liquid form.
Trendy night life areas include Water Street in the heart of the city's downtown area, Brady Street and North Avenue on the Lower and Upper East Sides, respectively, and National Avenue to the south. RiverWest, a local hipster enclave, also offers a large variety of artsy drinking holes. Finally, Bay View has several bars scattered throughout the neighborhood, but many are located along Kinnickinnic Ave.
The city is also the unofficial Capital of the Corner Bar; no matter where you go in Milwaukee, there's sure to be a neighborhood bar only a few blocks away.
Sleep
Visitors to Milwaukee will find it easiest to stay downtown, where most of the city's hotels are located. However, if you are looking for cheaper accommodation and don't mind the ride/drive, there is a strip of budget hotels on College Avenue near Mitchell International Airport, as well as in other locations around the cities suburban districts.
Budget
There is a HI (Hosteling International) Youth Hostel seasonally located downtown by Marquette University.
Cheaper hotels near the airport include MainStay Suites, Exel Inn, Comfort Inn & Suites, and a Radisson Hotel.
Downtown, travelers on a budget will find plenty of options.
Mid-range
Splurge
If you're in the mood to splurge on a hotel in Milwaukee, there are two great places to do so.
The Hotel Metro is Milwaukee's hippest boutique hotel. They offer a variety of different room types (including luxury spa suites, pet-friendly suites, and meeting suites), as well as amenities such as 24 hour concierge and room service, and a great location just blocks from the Water Street entertainment area, downtown museums, the theater district, and the Riverwalk. The Hotel Metro is located in a fabulous 1930's art moderne building at 411 E Mason St.
A few blocks away is the Pfister, Milwaukee's most famous and luxurious hotel, which has been serving visiting VIPs since 1893. Like the Hotel Metro, the Pfister is just blocks from all of downtown's most exciting attractions, including the Art Museum and the Historic Third Ward. Even if you can't afford to stay at the Pfister, it's worth your time to take a walk through the building and explore the spectacular lobby, or check out the museum's impressive art collection.
Stay Safe
Milwaukee can be a very fun and enjoyable trip, but like any large city, Milwaukee is not free the problems that come with its size. Though virtually all tourist destinations in and around Milwaukee are as safe and accessible during the day and night, common sense should always apply. As a general rule one should be sure to be aware of their surroundings regardless, especially in areas unknown to yourself.
The Downtown, Third Ward and East Side communities are typically the most clean and safe areas within Milwaukee. Also, the Fifth ward continues to experience a urban renewal much due in part to it's relative location to the Third Ward. Bordered by Hispanic, Asian and Caucasian blue-collar communities the neighborhood can be largely enjoyed during the day. Some caution is advised during the evening hours due to it's proximity to the above-mentioned locations.
Of all the areas, the Milwaukee North-West side (from North Avenue to Capitol Drive (South To North) and MLK Drive to Sherman Blvd (East to West) and West-Riverwest carry the most danger for travelers, and should be avoided less necessary. Largely African American neighborhoods, the locations are composed mostly of low-income housing and exhibit higher crime than other areas.
Cope
Weather patters in Milwaukee can fluctuate daily, with often little consistence in temperature or conditions.
Milwaukee is the largest city within the state of Wisconsin and 22nd largest (by population) in the United States. The city is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. As of the 2006 U.S. Census estimate, Milwaukee had a population of 573,378. The city is the main cultural and economic center of the Milwaukee–Racine–Waukesha Metropolitan Area with a population of 1,753,355.
The first Europeans to pass through the area were French missionaries and fur traders. In 1818, Frenchman Solomon Juneau settled in the area, and in 1846 Juneau's town combined with two neighboring towns to incorporate as the City of Milwaukee. Large numbers of German and other immigrants helped increase the city's population during the 1840s and the following decades.
Once known almost exclusively as a brewing and manufacturing powerhouse, Milwaukee has taken steps in recent years to reshape its image, in large part by reviving its downtown. In the past decade, new additions to downtown have included the Milwaukee Riverwalk, the Midwest Airlines Center, an internationally renowned addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum, as well as the major renovations to the Milwaukee Auditorium and U.S. Cellular Arena. In addition, many new skyscrapers, condos, lofts, and apartments have been constructed in neighborhoods on and near the lakefront and riverbanks for the purpose of attracting new residents to the city.
History
The Milwaukee area was originally inhabited by the Fox, Mascouten, Potawatomi, and Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) American Indian tribes. French missionaries and traders first passed through the area in the late 1600s and 1700s. The word "Milwaukee" comes from an Algonquian word Millioke which means "Good/Beautiful/Pleasant Land" (c.f. Potawatomi language minwaking, Ojibwe language ominowakiing) or "Gathering place " (c.f. Potawatomi language manwaking, Ojibwe language omaniwakiing).
Milwaukee has three "founding fathers," of whom French Canadian Solomon Juneau was first to come to the area, in 1818. The Juneaus founded the town called Juneau's Side, or Juneautown, that began attracting more settlers. However, Byron Kilbourn was Juneau's equivalent on the west side of the Milwaukee River. In competition with Juneau, he established Kilbourntown west of the Milwaukee River, and made sure that the streets running toward the river did not join with those on the east side. This accounts for the large number of angled bridges that still exist in Milwaukee today. Further, Kilbourn distributed maps of the area which only showed Kilbourntown, implying that Juneautown did not exist or that the east side of the river was uninhabited and thus undesirable. The third prominent builder was George H. Walker. He claimed land to the south of the Milwaukee River, along with Juneautown, where he built a log house in 1834. This area grew and became known as Walker's Point.
By the 1840s, the three towns had grown quite a bit, along with their rivalries. The 1840s brought on some intense battles between the towns, mainly Juneautown and Kilbourntown, which culminated with the Milwaukee Bridge War of 1845. Following the Bridge War, it was decided that the best course of action was to officially unite the towns. So on 31 January 1846 they combined to incorporate as the City of Milwaukee and elected L. Solomon Juneau as Milwaukee's first mayor. A great number of German immigrants had helped increase the city's population during the 1840s and continued to migrate to the area during the following decades. Milwaukee has even been called "Deutsches Athen" (German Athens), and into the twentieth century, there were more German speakers and German-language newspapers than there were English speakers and English-language newspapers in the city. (To this day, the Greater Milwaukee phonebook includes more than forty pages of Schmitts or Schmidts, far more than the pages of Smiths.)
During the middle and late 19th century, Wisconsin and the Milwaukee area became the final destination of many German immigrants fleeing the Revolution of 1848. In Wisconsin they found the inexpensive land and the freedoms they sought. The German heritage and influence in the Milwaukee area is widespread. In addition to Germans, Milwaukee saw large influxes of immigrants from Poland, Italy, Ireland as well as many Jews from Central and Eastern Europe. By 1910, Milwaukee (along with New York City) shared the distinction of having the largest percentage of foreign-born residents in the United States.
The late 19th century saw the incorporation of Milwaukee's first suburbs. The aforementioned Bay View existed as an independent village from 1879-1886. In March of 1889, that city saw four days of protest and one day of rioting against its Chinese laundrymen. Sparking this city-wide disturbance were allegations of sexual misconduct between two Chinese and a number of underaged white females. The unease, and tension in the wake of the riot was assuaged by the direct disciplining of the city's Chinese. In 1892, Whitefish Bay, South Milwaukee, and Wauwatosa each incorporated. They were followed by Cudahy (1895), North Milwaukee (1897) and East Milwaukee, later known as Shorewood, in 1900. The early 20th century saw the additions of West Allis (1902) and West Milwaukee (1906), which completed the first generation of "inner-ring" suburbs.
During the first half of the twentieth century, Milwaukee was the hub of the socialist movement in the United States. Milwaukee elected three socialist mayors during this time: Emil Seidel (1910-1912), Daniel Hoan (1916-1940), and Frank Zeidler (1948-1960). It remains the only major city in the country to have done so. Often referred to as "Sewer Socialists," the Milwaukee socialists were characterized by their practical approach to government and labor. Also during this time, a small, but burgeoning community of African-Americans who emigrated from the south formed a community that would come to be known as Bronzeville.
Milwaukee continued to grow tremendously until the late 1950s. Milwaukee was home to immigrants from Ireland, Germany, Hungary, Poland and other central European nations. There was also great northward migration of African-Americans from the Southern United States. With the large influx of immigrants, Milwaukee became one of the 15 largest cities in the nation, and by the mid-1960s, its population reached nearly 750,000. Starting in the late 1960s, like many cities in the "rust belt," Milwaukee saw its population start to decline due to various factors, including the loss of blue collar jobs and the phenomenon of "white flight." However, in recent years the city began to make strides in improving its economy, neighborhoods, and image, resulting in the revitalization of neighborhoods such as the Historic Third Ward, the East Side, and more recently, Bay View, along with attracting new businesses to its downtown area. The city continues to make plans for increasing its future revitalization through various projects. Largely due to its efforts to preserve its history, in 2006 Milwaukee was named one of the "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Milwaukee's name
The name "Milwaukee" comes from an Algonquian word Millioke, meaning either "Good/Beautiful/Pleasant Land" (c.f. Potawatomi language minwaking, Ojibwe language ominowakiing) or "Gathering place " (c.f. Potawatomi language manwaking, Ojibwe language omaniwakiing). Early explorers called the Milwaukee River and surrounding lands various names: Melleorki, Milwacky, Mahn-a-waukie, Milwarck, and Milwaucki. For many years, printed records gave the name as "Milwaukie". A Short History of Milwaukee, by William George Bruce, gives the story of Milwaukee's final name:
:''"ne day during the thirties of the last century a newspaper calmly changed the name to Milwaukee, and Milwaukee it has remained until this day."
Although the general pronunciation is , it is pronounced as by its native born residents. A google search of M'waukee returns 1,080 results (June 26, 2007). The "proper" pronunciation can result in the question "where are you from."
Geography and climate
Milwaukee lies along the shores and bluffs of Lake Michigan at the confluence of three rivers: the Menomonee, the Kinnickinnic and the Milwaukee. Smaller rivers, such as the Root River and Lincoln Creek also run throughout the city. Because Lake Michigan is too large to see across, Milwaukee's waterfront resembles an ocean rather than an inland lake.
Milwaukee's terrain is relatively flat, except for steep bluffs along the lakeshore that begin about one half mile north and four miles south of the downtown.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 251.0 km² (96.9 square miles). 248.8 km² (96.1 square miles) of it is land and 2.2 km² (0.9 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.88% water.
Cityscape
The city runs largely on the grid system, although in the far northwest and southwest corners of the city, the grid pattern gives way to a more suburban-style streetscape. This is no coincidence as former mayor Henry Maier sought to create "suburbs within the city" using recently annexed land to help counteract the urban sprawl that was damaging the city's economy. North-south streets are numbered, and east-west streets are named. However north-south streets east of 1st street are named, like east-west streets. The north-south numbering line is along the Menomonee River (east of Hawley Road) and Fairview Avenue/Golfview Parkway (west of Hawley Road), with the east-west numbering line defined along 1st Street (north of Oklahoma Avenue) and Chase/Howell Avenue (south of Oklahoma Avenue). This numbering system is also used to the north by Mequon in Ozaukee County, and by some Waukesha County communities.
It is crossed by Interstate 43 and Interstate 94, which come together downtown at the Marquette Interchange, which is currently under an extensive construction project set to be completed in 2008. The cost of the reconstruction will be around $810 million. The Interstate 894 bypass runs through portions of the city's southwest side, and Interstate 794 comes out of the Marquette interchange eastbound, bends south along the lakefront and crosses the harbor over the Hoan Bridge, then ends near the Bay View neighborhood and becomes the "Lake Parkway" (WIS-794).
Climate
Milwaukee's location in the Great Lakes Region means that it often has rapidly changing weather, and the city experiences the full range of the seasons throughout the year. The warmest month of the year is July, when the average high temperature is 82°F (28°C), with overnight low temperatures averaging 66°F (19°C); January is the coldest month, with high temperatures averaging 27°F (-3°C), with the overnight low temperatures around 13°F (-11°C). Of the 50 largest cities in the United States, Milwaukee has the second-coldest average annual temperature, next to that of Minneapolis.
Milwaukee's proximity to Lake Michigan causes a convection current to form mid-afternoon, resulting in the so-called lake effect, causing the temperatures to be warmer in the winter than regions farther from the lake, and cooler in the summer. "Cooler near the lake" is practically boilerplate language for local meteorologists during the spring and summer. Some local station began tagging CNTL (Cooler Near The Lake) onto their weekly forecasts. Also, more snow falls in Milwaukee than surrounding areas, due to the lake effect. The lake causes relative humidity in the summer that is far higher than that of comparable cities at the same latitude, meaning that it feels hotter than the actual temperature.
Milwaukee's all-time record high temperature is 105°F (41°C) set on July 17, 1995. The coldest temperature ever experienced by the city was -26°F (-32°C) on both January 17, 1982, and February 4, 1996. The 1982 event, also known as Cold Sunday, featured temperatures as low as -40°F (-40°C) in some of the suburbs as little as 10 miles (16km) to the north of Milwaukee, although the city itself did not approach such cold temperatures.
In Milwaukee, the wettest month is August, due to frequent thunderstorms. These can at times be dangerous and damaging, bringing hail and high winds. In rare instances, it can bring a tornado to the more inland parts of the city. However, almost all summer rainfall in the city is brought by these storms. In spring and fall, longer events of prolonged, lighter rain bring most of the precipitation. Snow commonly falls in the city from early November until the middle of March, although it has been recorded as early as September 23, and as late as May 31. The city receives an average of 47.0 inches (1.19m) of snow in winter, but this number is highly variable. In 2000, 49.5 inches (1.26m) of snow fell solely in the month of December.
Environmental organization SustainLane ranked Milwaukee, along with Mesa, Arizona, the least likely to suffer natural disasters, in a study of 50 U.S. cities measuring the risk of a natural disaster striking the city. The study used the possibilities of "hurricanes, major flooding, catastrophic hail, tornado super-outbreaks, and earthquakes" as criteria.
Transportation
Two of Wisconsin's main Interstate highways intersect in Milwaukee. Interstate 94 comes north from Chicago to enter Milwaukee and continues west to Madison. Interstate 43 enters Milwaukee from the southwest and continues north to Green Bay. Milwaukee has two branch interstate highways, Interstate 894 and Interstate 794. I-894 extends from the western suburbs to the southern suburbs, bypassing downtown. I-794 extends east from the Marquette Interchange to Lake Michigan before turning south over the Hoan Bridge toward the airport, turning into Highway 794 along the way.
Milwaukee is also served by three US highways. U.S. Route 18 provides a link from downtown to points west. U.S. Route 41 and U.S. Route 45 both provide north-south freeway transportation on the western side of the city.
U.S. Route 41, connects the city with the Fox Valley, is being considered for expansion which will qualify it for an upgrade to Interstate status. The proposed Interstate 41 would become Milwaukee's third main Interstate.
The Milwaukee County Transit System provides a bus transit system. The city is also served by the Hiawatha Amtrak express service between Milwaukee and Chicago. In addition, Milwaukee is home to two airports, General Mitchell International Airport on the southern edge of the city, and the smaller Timmerman Field on the north side.
A tram system known as the Milwaukee Connector was proposed and passed by the common council, but mayor Tom Barrett vetoed the bill over problems of cost and availability. Currently, a 0.5% sales tax is being proposed for the counties of Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha by the Southeast Wisconsin Regional Transit Authority to fund a commuter rail from Kenosha to downtown Milwaukee. The tax would also be used to fund the bus systems in those counties which currently rely on property taxes.
In recent years, Milwaukee has become one of the more bicycle friendly cities in the Untied States. In 2006, it obtained bronze-level status from the League of American Bicyclists , a rarity for a city its size. The city has over 65 miles of bicycle lanes and trails, most of which run alongside or near its rivers and Lake Michigan.
Media
Milwaukee's leading newspaper is the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The most prominent weekly is Shepherd Express, a free publication. Other local newspapers, city guides and magazines with large distributions include M Magazine, Milwaukee Magazine, MKE (magazine), The Onion, and Riverwest Currents. OnMilwaukee.com is an online magazine providing news and events.
Milwaukee's major network television affiliates are WTMJ 4 (NBC), WITI 6 (Fox), WISN 12 (ABC), WVTV 18 (CW), WCGV 24 (MyNetworkTV), and WDJT 58 (CBS). WMLW 41 is a popular independent commercial station in Milwaukee largely due to its coverage of local collegiate sports teams. Spanish language programming is on WBWT 38 (Azteca America) and WYTU-LP 63 (Telemundo). Milwaukee's public broadcasting stations are WMVS 10 and WMVT 36.
There are numerous radio stations throughout Milwaukee and the surrounding area.
See also:
Sister cities
Milwaukee has eight sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc (SCI):
External links
