Bradford and Atwater Beach

When I first moved to Milwaukee, I had no idea how close I would be living to a beach. It was a wonderful surprise to walk a mile and a half and get to have a lazy day on the beach. Bradford and Atwater beaches are two great places to spend a day relaxing.  

Bradford Beach is located just 2.5 miles away from Sandburg and 1. 5 miles from RiverView and Cambridge Commons (map). Bradford is a really great place to hang out with friends, run, take a romantic walk, play volleyball, or grab a burger. This beach isn't just a beach that only offers sand, water, and sun (although it has all of those things), it offers many other activities besides tanning.

There are many different activities that you can be a part of. Every summer you can be a part of the Bradford Beach Volleyball League and compete against other teams in the Milwaukee Area. It doesn't matter how good you are, you can participate no matter what. And if you don't have the desire to compete you can just play for fun at one of the many volleyball courts.


Bradford Beach has paired up with CrossFit of Greendale to provide other opportunities to exercise and get involved at the beach over the summer.  Every summer you can sign up to take yoga classes on the beach. Classes are offered on Saturday and Wednesday throughout the entire summer. There are also some intense classes you can take. A description provided by the website is: "You will learn and the Olympic lifts (clean, jerk, snatch) swing kettlebells, drag sleds in the sand and on pavement. Climb and swing ropes, flip tires and do handstand pushups, just to name a few.  We will provide all the equipment necessary, all you need to do is bring the intensity." This sounds amazing to me, but I have to admit it would be very difficult to get me out of bed that early on a Saturday.


Located at Bradford is a small restaurant called The Bradford Beach House that has all of your beach cravings. Hamburgers, chili cheese dogs, wraps, chips, ice cream, and many beverage options, basically whatever your heart desires.

Every year SHAC (Student Housing Administrative Counsel) puts on an University Housing wide event to help clean up Bradford Beach. This is a great way to meet new people, get involved, and help the environment and your new community. When you get to UWM make sure to keep an eye out for the signs to find out when this event is taking place in the Fall.


If you want to know anything else about Bradford Beach, just check out the website.


Atwater Beach is located 1.5 miles north of Sandburg (map) in Shorewood. Currently the beach is undergoing some renovations, but the The Friends of Atwater Beach have a great plan for it.


The thing I really love about Atwater Beach is how naturally beautiful it is. It is calm and quiet, perfect for a picnic or a walk. It is a perfect place to go and relax. The view is phenomenal, so don't forget to pack your camera.


With the renovations happening, The Friends of Atwater Beach is partnering with UWM's Community Design Solutions department. Hopefully soon the beach will be restored to its former glory, but don't count it out. It has a lot of built in character and is still a great place to enjoy a swim.

If you would like to learn more about Atwater Beach and how you can get involved, check out the website.