Welcome to Milwaukee!

For all you who have chosen UWM, you probably looked at Milwaukee as a whole before applying.  Perhaps you didn’t, but either way, you are soon to be a resident of Milwaukee.  I grew up about an hour away from Milwaukee and made frequent trips to explore all the different things it has to offer.  I’m starting my third year living in Milwaukee, and I couldn’t be happier to live here!  Milwaukee is one of the most interesting cities in the US, boasting world renown businesses, rich history, and historic public figures.

Up until the 1600s, the Milwaukee area was home to many native tribes, including the Menominee, Ho—Chunk, and Potawatomi tribes.  Because Milwaukee is right on Lake Michigan and has the best natural harbor in Wisconsin, it became an essential trading stop for early entrepreneurs.  In the early 1800s, small settlements joined together to become the city of Milwaukee.  As it still is today, Milwaukee was prized for its brewing and meat packing.  Milwaukee also produced many new machinery and technologies for the Midwest.  Milwaukee was a promising site for newcomers to Wisconsin to find jobs.  Milwaukee was populated by many German, Irish, Polish, Italian, Greek, and Jewish immigrants.  Milwaukee came to be one of the most diverse cities in the US, as it was home to a plethora of ethnicities and races.  In the early 1900s, Milwaukee became the only major city in the United States to be governed by primarily socialist government.  Under the socialists of Milwaukee’s early history, Milwaukee thrived. 

Milwaukee Art Museum

Traces of Milwaukee’s history can still be found today.  The Milwaukee Public Museum, Art Museum, and Third Ward offers an in-person look at Milwaukee’s history.  Milwaukee is also home to many entertainment venues such as the US Cellular Arena, Summerfest Grounds, the RiversideTheater, along with many others.  Milwaukee offers entertainment for all tastes and preferences.  If you are in Milwaukee this summer, I encourage you to visit the Wisconsin State Fair, Summerfest, and the Great Circus Parade. 

All summer, Leya, Zachery, and I will be blogging about different things to do in Milwaukee.  Although, it’s a little hard to confine our experience of Milwaukee to just  a paragraph or two.  There are so many places to visit, people to meet, and things to do here.  Find us at New Student Orientation and ask us our favorite thing about Milwaukee.

For a more extensive look at the history of Milwaukee, visit http://www.themakingofmilwaukee.com.