Any parts of Milwaukee that remind you of Chicago? (Racine: subdivisions, swimming pool)

[Chicagoisthebest]

The area around grand ave mall and third ward district
Grand Ave mall area is like lake street and third ward is Randolph street

[Master Jay]

Chicagoisthebest, well welcome to MY city, although today I'm actually down in yours!

You know I am not a real city downtown type of guy, I guess. Once in a while is fine, but not my usual stomping grounds. Probably because I don't like things TOO congested, with less free parking.

I DO like Millenium Park. I like the Pizanos that is across the street, on Madison. Incidentally, Milwaukee opened a Pizanos on Water Street a couple of years ago. I never went and I don't even know if it's still open.... I worked for almost 10 years in the County Jail which is essentially downtown.

[SonySegaTendo617]

Originally Posted by Empidonax

Those are definitely some good comparisons.

I've often marveled at the similarities/parallels between Milwaukee and Chicago with regard to the downtown layout and infrastructure--the riverways, the bridges, the lakefront parks, the lakefront highways (LMD and LSD), the placement of museums (MAM and AIC), the built-up downtown core flanked by loft neighborhoods and warehouse districts.

UW-Milwaukee parallels UI-Chicago (both non-flagship urban public research universities), and both occupy a place just outside of the downtown orbit, though they do not have parallel geographical and sociodemographic locations (UIC lies in the old Italian neighborhood west of downtown Chicago; UWM resides north of downtown Milwaukee in a tonier neighborhood, though not too far from Brady St., a legacy Italian neighborhood).

I'm not sure that Marquette has a parallel in downtown Chicago, but perhaps De Paul's downtown campus or Loyola's Water Tower campus serves the function of an established private school in the city's core.

There are some parallels between both cities with regard to older mansion districts (each city has/had a district just north of downtown near the lake), though I'm not sure that Chicago has a parallel to the old Concordia neighborhood and adjacent Wisconsin (Grand) Avenue, and Chicago seems to have had many more pockets of mansions in other parts of the city and inner-ring suburbs than Milwaukee did.

Both cities have fairly typical geographic patterns of urban poor outside the wealthier east side and upper east side, though Milwaukee's Bronzeville established itself west of the downtown-east side corridor, and Chicago's version has been south of downtown. (Chicago does have a sizeable black population in the city's near north side, somewhat parallel to Milwaukee's profile.) Milwaukee may have more of a "northside" (working class black and urban poor) vs "southside" (white working class) mentality than Chicago does, though I agree that Bridgeport and adjacent areas (spreading into the southwestern suburbs) parallel Milwaukee's working class southside a bit.

I'm not sure if Chicago has a geographic or functional equivalent of the Menomonee Valley--perhaps the old stockyards? That tags into Bridgeport, though.

Milwaukee's main legacy cemetery is Forest Home, southwest of downtown and "out of the way" of the historically wealthy downtown and northside residential areas, but it seems that Chicago's main legacy cemetery is Graceland, very much in the path between historically wealthy neighborhoods downtown, north of downtown, and in the North Shore. Even though these sites are not geographically parallel, they nevertheless serve(d) a similar purpose--to lay to rest and monumentalize the city's leading figures.

If Mitchell International is Milwaukee's equivalent of ORD, then perhaps Timerman Airport on the west side occupies the functional place of Midway (though they are very different kinds of airport). Does Chicago have a Miller Valley? Milwaukee has "company towns" such as West Allis and Cudahy--is there anything similar in Chicago?

There are some 'company town' like areas in the Chicago region, such as Pullman on the far south side of Chicago. Which originally was a company town, for the former Pullman Palace Car Company. I think Marktown in Northwest Indiana(near Whiting and East Chicago, IN), was the same sort of early company town type development.

Originally Posted by Master Jay

Chicagoisthebest, well welcome to MY city, although today I'm actually down in yours!

You know I am not a real city downtown type of guy, I guess. Once in a while is fine, but not my usual stomping grounds. Probably because I don't like things TOO congested, with less free parking.

I DO like Millenium Park. I like the Pizanos that is across the street, on Madison. Incidentally, Milwaukee opened a Pizanos on Water Street a couple of years ago. I never went and I don't even know if it's still open.... I worked for almost 10 years in the County Jail which is essentially downtown.

I didn't realize Pizano's had a Milwaukee area location, interesting to learn! I remember eating there once, and liking their pizza. Supposedly Lou Malnati's recentliy opened a west suburban Brookfield, WI location, but not sure if that location is carry out only or it also does dine-in(at least till whenever the COVID restrictions are lifted, and darnit do I wish indoor dining would come back....).

For Milwaukee neighborhoods, I always liked the area north of downtown, near say like Farwell and Brady Streets. Which had longtime businesses like Oriental Theater, Von Trier, Nomad World Pub, etc. I hope all those businesses make it through COVID, especially Von Trier(a bar I always really liked, for how old school it was). For south side Milwaukee neighborhoods, I always liked Bay View, and also the area near Mitchell Street has a little bit of an urban Chicago vibe to that neighborhood. And the cocktail bar Bryant's, is a nice bar to check out. Back in Chicago, I haven't been able to find a bar I like quite as much, as Bryant's. Victor Cocktail Bar is fine and I often settle for going there, but I wish I could find a cocktail bar in Chicago that was more similar to Bryant's, complete with it not having a menu to encourage patrons to be original and self thinking with their cocktail orders.

Speaking of Milwaukee things and trying to find something similar in Chicago, has anyone ever gone to the Chicago location of Safe House? I admit I've only been to the Milwaukee one, and wonder how the Chicago one compares. Also I remember hearing the parent company of Marcus Theaters bought Safe House, so not sure if that bar isn't as good as it was under the old ownership. Can anyone provide some insight and opinions, on my questions about Safe House today? In fact it was so many years ago I last was at Milwaukee's Safe House, that I remember it was a year or 2(I think?) before the smoking ban took effect in Wisconsin.

[Master Jay]

Sony, you here in the Milwaukee forum, too!!!

I'm currently at Old Orchard Mall in Skokie.

Thrre is a Lou Malnati's north of Milwaukee in Mequon I believe. It is carryout only. The one by Brookfield Square is open for dining. I went once. I wanted to feel like I was in my city of Chicago! Meh, it was ok.

[Chicagoisthebest]

I go to old orchard all the time there is a underground indoor part of old orchard with a drug store and charging station

[Master Jay]

Chicagoisthebest, today was a Barnes and Noble day my friend!

[Chicagoisthebest]

Masterjay, Last time i went to Milwaukee the third ward district reminded me of Randolph and walkers point looked like Bridgeport/back of the yards.

[Master Jay]

Chicagoisthebest, I missed your post last night! Good morning. Stay warm!

I am not that familiar with Back of the Yards. I went there several years ago.

You mentioned our downtown is like Randolph. I gotta tell you. When I worked in the downtown jail/courthouse, I WAS always glad that it is easier to drive through our downtown than yours.

I live near Alverno College. Google map that area and tell me what Chicago neighborhoods that reminds you of!

[Chicagoisthebest]

Masterjay, Hello, I checked google maps and Alverno college area reminds me of prospect heights-north eastern area of mount prospect. Chicago neighborhoods are very urban, Milwaukee has a suburban feel expect near the downtown.

[Master Jay]

Chicagoisthebest, Mt. Prospect is not my typical hang out

Alverno College is 4 blocks north of me. To me, across the street, going to the west of Alverno College reminds me of parts of Forest Glen.

There are lower income apartments across the street to the south.

It is, therefore, a very diverse part of town. I love it. And I'm right by the expressway to take me down to my Illinois trips!