Milwaukee

In the study of real estate there is a theory called the life cycle of a city: growth, equilibrium, decline and rejuvenation. Growth is where the city is building its tax base, new construction, and extensive renovation. Equilibrium is when it reaches its peak and seems to stall. There is very little new construction, many apartments are vacant, empty store fronts, and factory buildings lay dormant. The last stage of the cycle: rejuvenation occurs when a momentum of change starts to build. It is more the groundswell of investment of money, time and entrepreneurship that push a city into a new growth cycle. This rejuvenation has occurred in many of the major cities and has made millions for those speculators and investors who knew where and when it would occur. Well I do! I have seen it in Milwaukee!

I am certain it was not supposed to be that way. I came here on a writing assignment to do an article about the walking tours. But over 35 years of real estate work have put an instinct in me to sniff out something big - and this is big! Here's the scoop: Historic Milwaukee Incorporated is an educational organization that conducts walking tours of various Milwaukee neighborhoods. Each tour guide gives the history and background of a different and distinct neighborhood. I went on five of these tours in one weekend. Each guide started out their talk with the background and history of that city section. I listened patiently as each speaker spoke about the settlement of the town, the major founding fathers and the economic development of the city; and then went into a different slant emphasizing the particular district we were in. I heard stories of intrigue, physical growth and major investment, change in economy from wheat to dairy, growth of the railroad to the south in Chicago and not in Milwaukee, and post Civil War immigration into Milwaukee of a large German population. I know I am probably leaving out some additional factors, but remember this article is not a history lesson. The point is that, as each docent was describing a historical section, the audience could see how similar factors had an impact on the development the various neighborhoods.

In each case they inadvertently were doing what is called neighborhood analysis. The amount of new construction, renovation and converted use is almost overwhelming and can be used as a living textbook. In one section of town, I saw old factories turned into condominiums, large office buildings converted into hotels and small office buildings made into clubs and restaurants. There are renovated theaters, both historical and storefront, and turn-of-the-century brownstones used as professional offices. The Metro, the hotel in which I stayed, is a converted office building. It is an all concrete structure that was the first air-conditioned office building in Milwaukee. I stayed in a two-room suite over looking a main street. I think my room must have been an accountant's office because I could see money in the wind. Right across the street a building is being converted into a condominium complex, with a restaurant on the ground floor. A few blocks up, still within sight, was an office complex and city hall. Down the block, a new enclosed public green market is to open later this year. It will supply this area with fresh produce. A quarter mile away is an open air green market is supplying that neighborhood with fresh produce. What should be competition seems instead to be teamwork for improvement. All of this is within a few blocks of the new river walk promenade. Here in the early morning, joggers and walkers rule. Then in the afternoon, business folks can be seen at the local restaurants and coffees shops. Even city hall has renovation going on. The older buildings still show their beauty from pre-Civil War to late 19th Century. Even the great architects of the early 20th century, Stanford White and Frank Lloyd Wright got involved. The super- rich, rich and middle class, are all working together to build a city.

A tour of the Yankee Hill area reveals the integration of the old and relatively new. There is even new construction of apartments in process. Some of the house designs show an adventurous architectural spirit, while others hold to a spirit of classic tradition-- perhaps a refection of Milwaukee itself.

The Post Office that became a church

Today the faces are more international, but is each hard working. After my tour of Walkers Point, I was intrigued enough to return the next day for a Mexican style breakfast and view the interior of the 160 year old Our Lady of Guadeloupe church, although not at the same time. The church retained much of the original design, including the ropes to ring the bell and an elevated pulpit. I then went slightly further south and stopped in the Basilica of St. Josephus, made out of the stone from a demolished customs house. The story of the construction is certainly a point of pride for the parish, and the gift shop gave me a short hand sheet of the history. I compared the old pictures to today's building and could see the Custom House design in the stone.

The North Point Mansions tour shows off lake shore vistas and Frederick Law Olmstead at his finest. Here, his gift to the city is the effect of parkland on the people. It is the atmosphere of country relaxation while overlooking Lake Michigan.

The Metro, an office building into a hotel

To learn about Milwaukee as an investment or to find a home, first learn about the "Walking tours of Historic Milwaukee". The tour docents have done their research too well and, but for the price of a ticket, give it all away!