East Side (Milwaukee)

St. Hedwig's Roman Catholic Church in the distance off of Brady

The Lower East Side is a neighborhood North of Downtown and East of Riverwest. It is bounded by the Milwaukee River on the west, Lake Michigan on the east, North Avenue on the north and State Street on the south.[4] Brady Street itself runs west from Prospect Avenue (overlooking the Lake) to Water Street.

In the 1880s, Brady Street became a commercial district of Yankee and German owned shops.[5] Regano's Roman Coin, one of the original Pabst tied house taverns, is still located on Brady Street, though the vintaged beer signs outside read "Blatz". This tavern was built in 1890 and is unique in that it was designed by architect Otto Strack, who also designed Milwaukee's Pabst Theater.[6] Today, Lower East Side is filled with coffee houses, nightclubs, restaurants, vintage clothing, and thrift stores.

Lower East Side is often associated with being once the heart of Milwaukee's Italian community, even being called "Milwaukee's Little Italy". But before World War II, it was largely home to Polish immigrants. In fact, historic St. Hedwig's Roman Catholic Church, a long-time Polish church, which was built in 1871, stands at the corner of Brady Street and Humboldt Avenue. In the 1960s, Italians and other assimilated groups began to leave the neighborhood for the suburbs, while the hippies and other bohemians moved in.[4] The 1980s saw blight, neglect and decay, but now the area has been revitalized and has become a model for New Urbanism.[4] Starting in the late 1990s, most of the bohemian population moved to Riverwest and Bay View. But this neighborhood still exhibits a strong, albeit upscale, independent flair. For instance, the annual Brady Street festival in July brings together the neighborhood in block party fashion.

The East Village is a term for the Lower East Side area on the east bank of the Milwaukee River north of Brady Street, from Humboldt Avenue east to Warren Avenue.[7] Most of the neighborhood makes up the Brewers Hill Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[8]

It includes Caesar's Park, Pulaski Playground, and Wolski's Tavern. The area was a traditional working-class neighborhood inhabited by Polish-Americans, including many Kaszubs; the architecture includes a number of Polish flats and other forms of modest housing.[9]

Murray Hill is located adjacent to the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee within the larger East Side neighborhood. It is bounded by Downer Avenue on the east, Oakland Avenue on the west, Hartford Avenue on the north, and Bradford Avenue and North Avenue on the south. It is primarily a residential neighborhood with housing dating to the early decades of the 20th century, primarily bungalows, two-family duplexes, and larger apartment buildings. The neighborhood is bisected by Newberry Blvd. which connects parks on Lake Michigan (Lake Park) and the Milwaukee River (Riverside Park). Murray Hill is home to both a student population and many long-term residents. The neighborhood has an active neighborhood group, the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association.[10] The childhood home of famous industrial designer Brooks Stevens[11] was in Murray Hill.

Cambridge Woods - sometimes called Cambridge Heights - is a small, vibrant Eastside Milwaukee neighborhood nestled between Riverside Park, the Milwaukee River Greenway with its Oak Leaf Recreational Trail, the Village of Shorewood’s Hubbard Park, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. It is primarily residential in nature though some businesses exist along Oakland Avenue which is also home to the Milwaukee County Transit System Green Line.

Mostly developed in the early 20th century, the neighborhood has a mix of single-family, duplex, condo, and multi-family units. Homes are eclectic in style, ranging from Queen Anne to bungalows, including the legendary “boathouse" a home located along the Oak Leaf Trail that closely resembles a boat. The area has a high walkability rating like many of Milwaukee's pre-war neighborhoods. The area has a large population of students from neighboring University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee which has at times been a source of tension with long-time residents.

Riverside Park was created in 1890 as one of three Milwaukee County Parks designed by Frederick Law Olmstead. It once sloped into a tree-lined valley; on the northern edge there was a limestone tunnel into the park. There was also a sledding hill, a waterfall, a pavilion and, on the river, skating, swimming, fishing and boating. A large portion of the topography of the park was flattened in the 1970's for an addition to Riverside University High School. Pollution from Milwaukee's industrial era gradually made the river unfit for swimming, and invasive plants took over as maintenance declined due to repeated budget cuts by the County Government. In 1991, the Urban Ecology Center was created and began a major campaign to revitalize the park and restore it to its former glory. Environmental Scientist Dr. Else Ankel created the outdoor educational program. Since its conception, crime has decreased significantly, a paved bike trail known as the Oak Leaf Trail was constructed and the river has once again become a desirable destination.

Looking northwest along North Downer Avenue on Milwaukee's Upper East Side. The Downer shopping district that stretches south from East Park Place is in the foreground. UW-Milwaukee, with the prominent Sandburg Halls, is pictured in the background.

Northpoint is an affluent residential neighborhood situated along the coast of Lake Michigan with a population of 5,705. Northpoint is in Milwaukee County and is regarded as one of the best places to live in Wisconsin due to the high quality of its housing stock, good parks, high level of safety, clean environment and abundant public services. The North Point Water Tower was constructed in 1873-1874 and is the most prominent physical landmark in the neighborhood. Northpoint is also home to the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum, Columbia St. Mary's Hospital, North Point Lighthouse, Back Bay Park and Bradford Beach.

The Upper East Side is an affluent residential neighborhood on the East Side of Milwaukee. The neighborhood is bounded by peaceful green spaces like Frederick Law Olmstead designed Riverside Park, with its Urban Ecology Center and public artworks, and Lake Park. Residents and students from the nearby main campus of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee frequent Indian, Chinese, Greek and Italian eateries on lively Oakland and Downer Avenues. Downer Avenue is also home to the historic Downer Theatre. The Tour of American Dairyland's bike racing circuit hosts an annual bike race known as the Downer Classic. Milwaukee's Riverside University High School is located on the Upper East Side.

Downer Woods is a small, laid-back primarily residential neighborhood home to the main campus of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The area encompasses the Manfred Olson Planetarium, Golda Meir Library and Thomas A. Greene Geological Museum. Also on campus, the Downer Woods Natural Area is an enclosed forested area lined with trails open to public use. Casual, student-friendly restaurants serve quick eats, from pizza to tacos on Oakland Avenue - the primary retail corridor in the neighborhood. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is the primary driver of activity with its large student population, libraries, cinemas and multi-purpose recreational complex, the Klotsche Center. Many of the residential streets in Downer Woods are lined with mature tree canopies and historic homes from a diverse range of architectural styles.