Where exactly is River West? (Milwaukee, Shorewood: apartments, rental, condos)

[jywilske]

Moving to Milwaukee soon. I keep seeing ads on Craigs List for apartments in River West. I've also read some debate on this site about River West being "up and coming." Where exactly is River West and what is it like compared to the East Side/Brady Street and Shorewood? I'm noticing rent prices there are lower and am figuring that might be for good reason?

[43north87west]

Originally Posted by jywilske

Moving to Milwaukee soon. I keep seeing ads on Craigs List for apartments in River West. I've also read some debate on this site about River West being "up and coming." Where exactly is River West and what is it like compared to the East Side/Brady Street and Shorewood? I'm noticing rent prices there are lower and am figuring that might be for good reason?

It's for a good reason, all right. There are very nice places available there, but the proximity to some ghetto (west) is that much closer, plus there's not a natural boundary (body of water) to keep crime from having countless access points to and from the area as there is to the east. I think the "up and coming" thing has tapered off somewhat. It boomed, is still escalating, but not escalating quite as fast. The trend du jour is towards the luxury downtown condos and townhomes that aren't immediately adjacent to ghetto, rather than close-to-downtown homes, so Riverwest isn't seeing the upwards growth.

I should say there are some pretty cool restaurants and bars in that area. It has the classic old apartments and homes, plus a mix of people.

Check out the Milwaukee Neighborhoods Map from the city. Some of the neighborhoods have neighborhood associations.

http://www.ci.mil.wi.us/display/disp...ublic/map4.pdf

Also Riverwest Neighborhood Network - Home has some info, not sure the source of most of it. I hope the above links don't get whacked... I don't think they're competing sites.

All of the above are a product of my humble (but accurate) opinon.

[Milwaukee Ronnie]

I would say Riverwest is pretty much everything west of the Milwaukee River (hence the name), north of North Avenue, and South of about Keefe.

The western boundary of Riverwest is a lot more controversial, because it is on the west that Riverwest sits adjacent to some no-so-nice parts of the city. Generally speaking, the further west you go in Riverwest, the less desirable it becomes. Most people would agree that Holton forms the far western boundary of Riverwest, but Holton is an absolute mess. If you live a block east of Holton, you're in "Riverwest" but you're also living a block east of one of the worst streets in the city of Milwaukee.

If you stay within about 3-4 blocks, either way, of Humboldt, you'll be in the very desirable, hip, urban, walkable neighborhood that really forms the heart of Riverwest. The real meat of it is in the blocks adjacent to Center and Locust. A lot of great restaurants, a fine co-op, nice houses.

[Eshea]

Meh- I have lived in Riverwest for over 20 years. It is CAPITOL on the North, Holton on the West, the Milwaukee River on the East AND South. Those are the borders.Not sure where the other posters are from, but EVERY street is block to block, safety wise, including Humboldt. I would argue about Holton being an "absolute mess". It is not. The further South you go on Holton, the more rental units and questionable activities...that is one of the biggest challenges of Riverwest, absentee landlords. The further North on Holton you go, the more owner occupied dwellings you will get.
Your best bet is to look up actual crime statistics on RW and the East Side and Shorewood. If you are afraid to live in a neighborhood in flux, check out BayView. It is just as quirky and fun as Riverwest.

No neighborhood is really walkable anymore, and many criminals target the East Side due to the large number of naive students/newcomers and the easy score they represent.

Good luck with your search!

[Nuclear_Art]

I wouldn't characterize it as "up and coming". It's persistently stayed as a counter-culture area as long as I can remember (since the 1970s). Center Street did see some development and renewal but it remains an area for artists and left-bank types. I like the fact that it has always remained ethnically diverse and still remains a working class neighborhood. Sure it has problems but that keeps the condo developers from ruining a good thing. It is what Brady street was like before development sanitized everything.

[Evil Seizure Ben]

Eshea defined the boundaries of Riverwest perfectly.

The neighborhood is racially diverse and has a great mix of people: college kids, working class folk, artists, musicians, hippies, punk rockers, and lefty political activists. There is not one place in the neighborhood I do not feel safe in during the day, and pretty much the same at night (Holton is more annoying than dangerous). It isn't perfect, and the chances of being a victim of minor crime isn't far fetched, but as far as I am concerned that minor risk is far outweighed by the benefits, such as the diversity, the relative affordability, and all the great places to gather, eat, drink, etc, etc.

[city414]

Originally Posted by 43north87west

It's for a good reason, all right. There are very nice places available there, but the proximity to some ghetto (west) is that much closer, plus there's not a natural boundary (body of water) to keep crime from having countless access points to and from the area as there is to the east. I think the "up and coming" thing has tapered off somewhat. It boomed, is still escalating, but not escalating quite as fast. The trend du jour is towards the luxury downtown condos and townhomes that aren't immediately adjacent to ghetto, rather than close-to-downtown homes, so Riverwest isn't seeing the upwards growth.

I should say there are some pretty cool restaurants and bars in that area. It has the classic old apartments and homes, plus a mix of people.

Check out the Milwaukee Neighborhoods Map from the city. Some of the neighborhoods have neighborhood associations.

UnexpectedError

Also Riverwest Neighborhood Network - Home has some info, not sure the source of most of it. I hope the above links don't get whacked... I don't think they're competing sites.

All of the above are a product of my humble (but accurate) opinon.

downtown homes? where? maybe apartments! yes but no houses unless you go on the east side

[radraja]

Ehh. Just be careful - this area is very close to the dangerous ghetto.

[city414]

Originally Posted by radraja

Ehh. Just be careful - this area is very close to the dangerous ghetto.

[Lookout Kid]

River West has been described as "up and coming" for as long as I can remember. I'm always amazed at the slow pace of gentrification in Milwaukee. Change is much more rapid in Chicago.

Holton is a bit of a mess in places, but the southern part is pretty decent down by Brewer's Hill. But obviously living further east in River West is considered more desirable, and Center Street is where the action is.