Riverwest 2010. (Milwaukee, Howard, Lind: foreclosures, rentals, condos)

[Milwaukee City]

Riverwest has been an up and coming neighborhood for some time now. Some say Riverwest is where the hippies roam and the eccentric people live as well as a large art community, a nice music scene, college students and many people in their 20's and 30's. Riverwest has always been the grittier neighborhood of all the up and coming areas of Milwaukee. Recently more development has gone up in Riverwest such as a new UWM college dorm overlooking the Milwaukee River, and condos being built in old warehouses. More and more restaurants have been opening up along with more boutiques and bars as well. A lot of progress has been made to the area but along with Riverwest very convenient location comes a single edge sword. Just over the North Ave and Locust st bridge you have the prosperous and bustling Upper East side of Milwaukee where rents and home prices are sky high with more amenities than one could ask for. On the sharper edge of the sword is the Harambee neighborhood Neighborhoods of Milwaukee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Now because of Riverwest's western neighbor is a neighborhood with a lot more problems and more social issue than Riverwest, Riverwest is affected by the spill-over effect. Typically the crime in Riverwest and other east side neighborhoods isn't from the people that live in these neighborhoods but rather from adjacent or close lower income and more troubled areas of the city and since Riverwest is right next door to a troubled area their is a lot of spill over crime.

Riverwest is still a desirable neighborhood for those veteran city dwellers and urban pioneers that know how to live in a big city it still suffers from it's biggest challenge CRIME. Without the crime Riverwest would really take off, however due to the spill over effect some people double think about going over to Riverwest or living their. Now I must admit I love Riverwest and don't mind Harambee neighborhood, Riverwest does suffer from a bad PR problem due to the fact of some recent murders that took place their where some UWM students where killed in robberies. You all can remember the pizza delivery robbery a couple years back and now this.

So here's my question about Riverwest, What does Riverwest need to do to combat the crime that happens their? and do you feel safe during the night in Riverwest and would YOU live their?

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[Nuclear_Art]

Look at it this way, if Riverwest were 100% safe and family friendly would it be as interesting or cheap?

The best way to combat crime is with strong neighborhoods and people who look out for each other. Unfortunately with lots of rentals, it becomes more difficult to know your neighbors as they move in and out every year.

[caieva]

There has to be something between 100% safe and the slew of recent murders.
I think part of the problem is the proudness of the anti-cop anarchy segment - it drives away people who might live in and invest in the neighborhood because of some perceived fear of gentrification.
They turn a blind eye to small crimes, and don't seem to draw the connection that small crimes ignored lead to big ones later on.
My daughter was in the RiverView dorm and it was wonderful, her stepsisters lived right in RiverWest and didn't have a problem though their neighbors were robbed, and I looked into renting until the most recent escalation of violence, but knew I'd have to sell my minivan or I would get tagged/be looked down on,
and, you know, what's up with that?
I think the best advice would be don't be out at bartime, but what fun is that for the young?

[Allan Trafton]

Keep in mind that one of the murder victims was on probation for drug dealing. Not that it makes it alright, but it does put it in a different light.

Gentrification is way way overblown in Riverwest. This is 90% hype and 10% reality. South of North Ave around Commerce there was been redevelopment, but the rest of Riverwest. Very little. I don't believe many residents are being pushed out due to high rent or home prices. Riverwest is not and has never been a high rent area.

The anti-establishment types makes a big deal concerning gentrification in Riverwest, but I don't see it. Most of the homes are modest wood frame duplexes and single family homes. There nice, but nothing special, expect for areas on Humboldt and a few blocks east of Humboldt around Kern park.

The southwest area around Holton and North is not great, but the neighborhood improves farther to the northeast. I have no problem going out during bar time in the Riverwest area. I don't agree with the previous post and the bit concerning the minivan made no sense.

Overall it's a nice neigborhood which has some problems from time to time.
I don't believe it's an area people should fear.

[Nuclear_Art]

Originally Posted by caieva

There has to be something between 100% safe and the slew of recent murders.

Not to downplay their murders but two is not a slew. It could just as easily happened anywhere.

I think part of the problem is the proudness of the anti-cop anarchy segment - it drives away people who might live in and invest in the neighborhood because of some perceived fear of gentrification.
They turn a blind eye to small crimes, and don't seem to draw the connection that small crimes ignored lead to big ones later on.

There is no such thing as an "anti-cop anarchy segment" in Riverwest or anywhere for that matter. There are gangsters and petty thieves but come on let's be realistic and call them what they are. Riverwest hipsters are not part of an anarchist conspiracy. There are bigger factors in violent crimes than attributing them to a mythical "anti-cop anarchy segment".

I think the best advice would be don't be out at bartime, but what fun is that for the young?

Not necessarily, Howard Lau of the Riverwest Neighborhood Association was quoted as saying, "Part of being street-smart in places like Riverwest and the east side is realizing criminals sometimes target college students or naïve-looking individuals as easy marks." For the most part it is using common-sense. Be aware of your surroundings and travel in groups. Know the area and you will be fine. Surprisingly quite a few incidents with college students is due to trying to buy drugs from gangsters or dealers. If you feed the rats, don't be surprised that they move into your home.

[caieva]

3 if you include the mugger who was shot and killed. I guess that's sort of self defense.
and OMG if you don't know the anarchists, they're actually an interesting bunch. Cream City and other spots host and the like national convention or whatever you would call it is usually at Gordon park or nearby. And as far as working with the police, it's been a struggle for the RNA (the neighborhood association) to get widespread cooperation.
The minivan story I would think is still somewhere google-able, but a year and a bit back on my friends' block a bunch of cars were tagged and tire-slashed. All the nicer ones, and every minivan.
It was a pretty obvious statement.
That being said, again, I think Riverwest has a lot to offer, but the troubles will escalate as more homes go into foreclosure, which will weaken the neighborhood more. And there's a lot of them headed that way.
Peace!

[NorthsideSlumlordWatch]

What mugger got killed? Yeah, two murders is not a slew, but there have been several other shootings in Riverwest this year, some fires/arson and other problems that are largely the consequence of the banksters and slumlords:
Tosa bank lost gamble on shaky loan deals - JSOnline
Riverwest, time to wake up | Riverwest Neighborhood
You can find a lot more data, discussion and thought about this over the past few years here:
http://www.riverwestneighborhood.org/views (and elsewhere on the site)

There DEFINITELY has been a history of "anarchist" kids ("who are anti-hipster") doing vandalism aimed at hipsters, yuppies, whatever. Search on riverwestneighborhood.org or get it from the horse's mouth--the anarchist sites and especially the mke indymedia. The have often posted photos of their vandalism to cars and other property in Riverwest and the East Side.

At the same time, this is a handful of nutjobs in Riverwest, even within the overall wingnut population. The RNA--which has never been representative of the neighborhood as a whole--still has vocal anti-cop/anti-people-with-more-money/"anarchists"/crazies but it's a lot more muted than in the past. After the cops, FBI, etc. got interested in them and made arrests following their big east side raid May 1, things quieted down. The persistent attacks on green construction and blogging about interstate conspiracies against federal targets show these kids aren't the brightest bulbs on the planet but they've had the sense to lay low.

Help share and tend Riverwest and Milwaukee news, analyze city data, crime, whatever you're interested in at:
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[caieva]

It was on Clarke just west of Hubbard I think..
Victim Kills Would-Be Robber | Today's TMJ4 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin News, Weather, Sports, WTMJ | Local News

That article on the slumlords was really eye-opening. Brophy should be in jail for life. The sad thing is, owners who occupy their home is just what Riverwest needs, and horrible slumlords who helped drive up the seeming worth of those homes have contributed to just the opposite - foreclosures and pricing the decent houses out of the reach of lower income families.

[NorthsideSlumlordWatch]

@caieva: That failed robbery/shooting happened in Harambee near 1st and Clarke. The photo shows the pastel-painted houses on 1st just below Center St. to the east of All People's church. Thanks for mentioning that--I didn't hear about it and I live just a few blocks from there.

The slumlord vs. owner-occupancy situation in Riverwest has really improved over 10-20 years. The current problems are mainly along Holton and in Harambee, but they are not huge or insurmountable. Most of the north side is like that--I think there is mainly just a lack of political and public will to make the relatively easy wins.

Right now the city ZND is starting the meeting with the landlord licensing/rental unity certification pilot program. If passed (I expect it will) this will be tried around UWM and in Lindsay Heights. The organized slumlord lobby is out in force. They tried some pathetic, aimless online trickery and lie-spreading recently to stump up fear and opposition. I am not sympathetic:
Poor Landlords! | Riverwest Neighborhood