One of my favorite summer pastimes is taking an evening stroll in my neighborhood. Bay View, while part of the city of Milwaukee (it was first a suburb but later joined the city in 1887) always manages to feel tucked away. With mighty Lake Michigan just a five minute walk east, it often feels like a cozy New England coastal town, one where most everyone seems to know one another.
As picturesque and quaint as Bay View can sometimes look and feel, small town America it will never be. Take a walk and you'll hear Latin music dancing out of windows, kids skateboarding and young tattooed couples with toddlers in tow. It's also not uncommon to witness the ever argumentative and questionably homeless crackheads that hang out in front of the Siegel Liquor store on Kinnickinnic.
As picturesque and quaint as Bay View can sometimes look and feel, small town America it will never be. Take a walk and you'll hear Latin music dancing out of windows, kids skateboarding and young tattooed couples with toddlers in tow. It's also not uncommon to witness the ever argumentative and questionably homeless crackheads that hang out in front of the Siegel Liquor store on Kinnickinnic.
But beyond the Mr. Roger's like friendliness you find most times, the great food (love the tortas from Riviera Maya), great festivals (Shore South Frolics & Bay View Bash) and the beautiful lake, the most elemental factor comprising Bay View's charm are the homes that inhabit it. From Victorian style cottages and ornate German-inspired lake front manors, to humble blue-collar bungalows and century old brick buildings, Bay View has some of the coolest looking homes I've ever seen. The only thing better than walking past these homes would be seeing them on the inside.
3 comments:
Awesome! I totally want to do a blog that's all peoples' tributes to their neighborhoods. I did something somewhat similar a few weeks ago. http://berrylies.blogspot.com/2010/06/tippecanoe.html
I read your post and it was perfect. You have a great way with words.
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