Tips for Milwaukee visit (Lincoln, Arlington: loft, condos, how much)

[5Lakes]

I'll be heading to Milwaukee for a weekend trip this summer and would like a few pointers if possible. I have been to Milwaukee before but this time I will be more responsible for the agenda. I do know basically where to go in the city, but I was hoping to get some insight on a few things.

Nightlife:
I will generally be looking to hit up some local dive bars with character as well as some brew pubs. Looking to avoid a college scene or a "bro" fest, as I'm in my 30s.

What are the general differences in demographics between going out in Downtown (Old World/Water St./Cathedral Square) vs. Brady St./North Ave. vs. the Third Ward? I'm guessing I'll find mostly what I'm looking for around Brady Street?

Also kind of intrigued by the Bayview area, as it looks like there are some interesting taverns around there. Although I'm thinking it's not worth the hassle of heading down that way from Downtown at night. I'm guessing this is a largely blue collar area that is becoming a hipster hot spot?

Taxis:
What is the story with cabs in Milwaukee? Can they be hailed on the street around the popular nightlife areas? Are there cab stands?

Parking:
I'll be staying at a hotel located in the Cathedral Square area and was wondering how much it would cost to park my car per day in a lot or parking garage around there? I do not want to park it at my hotel, as I know they will rip me off. I don't mind walking a few blocks with my luggage.

Thanks!

[mizzou65201]

In my humble opinion...

Water Street/Old World 3rd St: Out-of towners (since all the hotels are here) and college/dudebros. There are a couple OK spots but nothing I, as a local, consider a "destination"
Cathedral Square: You have Elsa's and the SURG restaurants (Carnevor, Umami Moto) that cater to very well-dressed people looking for a "stylish" night out. This Is It is a gay dive bar with a fun jukebox.
Third Ward: Former warehouse district turned into loft condos, retail, and offices. Residents are mostly young professionals & empty nesters who want to (and can afford to) live in an urban area. I think of this area as more good restaurants than a big nightlife scene.
Brady Street: Mix of 20 & 30 something locals. Really depends on the bar. There are places like Hi Hat which always seem a little "trendy" (by Milwaukee standards.) Around the corner you have Wolski's which is the quintessential Milwaukee low-key hangout.
North Ave: On the one hand, it's 20 & 30 something locals, so not that different from Brady Street....but yet it has a more low key vibe than Brady Street. Hard to describe.
Bay View: Those who like Bay View (like myself) enjoy that it has just enough good restaurants and bars to be fun, but not so much that it is an annoyance to live near. Those who dislike Bay View tend to think it is "too quiet." Good mix of families, retirees, young professionals and, yes, "hipsters."

As far as local bars with character here is a very, very small number of suggestions. Note that not all of these are "dive bars," just good local spots.

*Wolski's
*Von Trier, North Ave and Farwell. German atmosphere & nice patio.
*Paddy's Pub, Murray Place just north of North Ave. Like the Irish version of Von Trier.
*Bryant's Cocktail Lounge, 9th & Lapham.
*Koz's Mini Bowl, 6th? & Becher.
*Bay View Bowl, KK in Bay View
*Sugar Maple, Lincoln just east of KK in Bay View (Craft beer bar)

Taxis in Milwaukee suck. At non-peak times there is almost always a cab or two sitting outside of all of the major downtown hotels. Later on in the evening, getting a cab can be a crapshoot. But we have Uber and Lyft now, and the Common Council has not killed them (at least not yet.) It is not a hassle at all to get down to Bay View or adjacent areas.

The cheapest way to do overnight parking in Milwaukee is actually on the street. Saturday night into Sunday morning there is no permit and no regulation. Most time limitations and meters end at 6 pm. Depending on the street there may or may not be any regulations on Saturday. You can go online and get up to 3 days of night parking permission per month for the other days of the month for free. Frankly I would find that to be safer than parking in a garage--easier for a criminal to go unseen in a garage then on a downtown street.

[thefragile]

Jamo's on Arlington always makes me think I'm in someone's finished basement, lol. It's a cool place though, I recommend. Water St has lots of students, Third Ward is more uppity (in my opinion), Brady is usually a good mix of people, it's my favorite area to hang out. Bayview isn't too far from downtown but if you want to stick close, I'd stick with Brady or Water depending on your preference. I find the cab drivers here to be super slow, both in their actual driving & in their response time. You can try to hail a cab if no one's in it but usually you have to call one, Yellow or American. I know there are more out there but those are the two most used I believe.

[famlife]

I can't answer most of your questions, but when you said 'dive bar with character' I thought of this place. I've only been there once but you can keep the cups.. They have a few to choose from. The drinks are rough and piratey/Caribbean lol it's really dim in there. Your eyes have to adjust.

It's worth a visit, if only one.

Foundation Bar

[cheese plate]

I don't know, people love Foundation but to me it had a lot more character before it "went Tiki." People seem to like it, though, so this might be a good suggestion. Quarter's around the corner has bands most nights, and is a gritty punk bar with a lot of history, if that sounds interesting.

If you want character, try Wolski's, Polish Falcon, Roman's, Koz's Mini Bowl, Kochanski's, and so on. If you make it down to Bayview, you could do Blackbird/Lee's Lounge/Burnhearts, though these are often referred to as "hipster" and probably are, I guess, but they have good atmosphere, good beer, and better music than most places in town.

[thefragile]

I wouldn't consider Foundation a dive bar. Especially since most of the drinks are $10+ & the decor alone just doesn't conjour up "dive" for me.

[cheese plate]

Originally Posted by thefragile

I wouldn't consider Foundation a dive bar. Especially since most of the drinks are $10+ & the decor alone just doesn't conjour up "dive" for me.

Right, it was definitely a dive before the ferns and Polynesian nick nacks, though.

[thefragile]

I haven't lived in Riverwest long enough to know what that bar was like before it turned tiki. I do enjoy the tiki though, it's a great make out place, lol.

[famlife]

Mm. Seemed like a dive to me. Maybe it was the crowd that particular night, or the very dim lighting. Or the jukebox that took my money with no remorse. I guess it just had the dive bar 'feel' without the dive bar prices. It certainly is very laid back, if nothing else. Cool place, dive or no.

[thefragile]

They have a jukebox there? I thought they just had Martin Denny on perpetual rotation.