What are some good Wisconsin downtowns other then Madison and Milwaukee (Green Bay: city hall, hotels)

[MattDen]

I was wondering which cities in Wisconsin have very nice downtowns.

I have heard Appleton, La Crosse and Superior have nice downtowns. Any one here have any information on what they are like.

[mikki]

If you like small and quaint, the City of Waukesha has done a great job of revitalizing their downtown. You will find galleries, coffee shops, antique shops, and some neat specialty shops with unique items.

[sunflower53072]

Pewaukee's lakefront is very nice. It has been all redone and has some cute shops, restaurants and a nice beach. There are lots of festivals and free concerts there in the summer too.

[CrimsonJosh]

Appleton's downtown used to have cool shops before the mall opened. If you like drinking and eating sub sandwiches I would say Appleton's downtown is good.

You're not going to find one better than Madison though.

[gypsychic]

My sister has lived in both Madison and Appleton. She lives in Appleton which is nice, but Madison is outstanding. It's pretty hard to beat actually.

[GreggB]

I have seen the downtowns of Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh, Fond Du Lac, Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Madison, Janesville, La Crosse, Eau Claire, Wasau, Beloit, Superior and many other smaller state cities. My favorite-La Crosse. Second-Madison. Worst-Appleton. Nothing but bars, 2 over priced hotels and city hall. All the retail is dead and gone. People wanted their malls and now they got em. Gives em a place to drive to in their Expeditions, Traiblazers, Hummers and Lexus SUVs. And while Mom and Dad pick out a new riding lawn mower at Sears to mow their quarter acre suburban lot, sis can drop in at the Gap for a hundred dollar pair of jeans while brother picks up some new X Box games. But hey-life is good. Bush and Cheney got it all in check!!!

[kjay_wis]

Appleton is where my (now) husband and I met! Oktoberfest is good fun! The downtown is kind of young drinking crowd type but there is at least a variety of things to do at a variety of prices. Shopping at the mall to free frisbee golf to martini bars to restaurants.
Delafield is very nice. Good shopping, adorable downtown, 30 minutes from downtown Milwaukee.

[Milwaukee Ronnie]

Originally Posted by CrimsonJosh

You're not going to find one better than Madison though.

Having lived in both Milwaukee and Madison, I actually prefer Milwaukee's downtown, especially in recent years.

The Capitol Square in Madison is one of the finest public spaces in the Midwest, and of course State Street is a nice place. But overall for me the whole atmosphere is far too collegiate and one-dimensional for my tastes.

Milwaukee's downtown is the heart of a real city. It has great variety, some grit, some class, and just about everything in between. A great mix of architecture, a sublime riverwalk with nice patios and a lot of river activity in the summer months. Multi use recreational paths along the Lakefront. The Milwaukee Public Market.

Different streets in Downtown Milwaukee comprise very different scenes. Old World Third Street is very different from Milwaukee Street which is very different than Water Street which is then very different from Broadway in the Third Ward, etc. etc.

10 years ago, even 5 years ago I think you could say without question Madison had the most happening downtown in Wisconsin. Not anymore. Downtown Milwaukee has arrived.

[Milwaukee Ronnie]

Check out Racine. This town always gets a bad rap on boards like this one (where anything even close to "blue collar" or perceived "low class" is to be avoided like the plague), but Racine has a very nice Downtown. There's a great new art museum there, a nice main street full of lively shops, restaurants, etc. Great architecture, nice Lakeside location.

I've heard Beloit's downtown has made a huge comeback in recent years.