I Heart My City: Milwaukee Edition

My City Questionnaire, brought to you by National Geographic Traveler. National Geographic's Traveler Magazine focuses on cities this month, and they're asking for input from readers to represent their city. Let's hear it for Milwaukee!

The Cream City is My City.

The first place I take a visitor from out of town is Lucille's Rockin' Piano Bar. Where else can you sit on a piano and be called dirty names?


When I crave a night of belly laughs I always go to the original, Comedy Sportz Milwaukee.

To escape the winter doldrums I head to Milwaukee Public Museum's butterfly garden.

If I want to be placed on hold and enjoy a good waste of time I go and dial Topper's pizza to order a pie for delivery (414) 466-7777.

For complete quiet, I can hide away perusing the J.R.R. Tolkien Collection at Marquette University Library. Including hand-written manuscripts for The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

If you come to my city, get your picture taken with the Bronze Fonz or the Milwaukee Brewers Racing Sausages.


If you have to order one thing off the menu from Crawdaddy's it has to be the jumbalaya. Be sure to have a local brew on hand to put out the fire - this dish is spicy delicious!



Milwaukee Public Market is my one-stop shop for great fresh, independent food.

Locals know to skip Starbuck's and check out Alterra instead. This coffee shop specializes in free trade, environmentally friendly products.

When I'm feeling cash-strapped I go to shows at The Rave.

For a huge splurge I go to big ticket shows at The Pabst.

Photo ops in my city include Milwaukee Art Museum's Quadracci Pavilion and the best vantage points are inside the Windhover Hall, and along the lakefront.


If my city were a celebrity it'd be Drew Barrymore - glamorous when necessary, fun-loving and easy-going the other 98% of the time.

The most random thing about my city is we were voted Most Sexiest City in 2008 by Marie Claire magazine.

My city has the most friendly, fun-loving men.

My city has the most down-to-earth women.

In my city, an active day outdoors involves sailboat lessons, kite flying, and playing frisbee with friends along the lakeshore.

My city's best museum is the Betty Brinn Children's Museum. Don't judge - we're all kids at heart.

My favorite jogging/walking route is along the Menomonee River Parkway. Removed from the crowds at the lakefront, this winding, tree-lined path is the perfect escape for your workout.


For a night of dancing, go to Salsa Saturdays at the Hot Water Wherehouse. Or, for live music, check out Cafe Luna Lounge for some jazz, R&B, and funk.

Pizza Shuttle on the East Side is the spot for late-night eats.

To find out what's going on at night and on the weekends, read OnMilwaukee.com.

You can tell a lot about my city from seeing the diversity of folks who attend Jazz in the Park every Thursday night in the summer. From socialites to college frat boys, this event has something for everyone


You can tell if someone is from my city if they know their lagers from their ales.

In the spring you should put away the snow shovel, and celebrate the first spring thaw by wearing shorts and flip flops when it's 50 degrees outside.

In the summer you should attend at least one cultural festival per week. Irish Fest, Italian Fest, German Fest, Bastille Days, Indian Summer, Mexican Fiesta, and more - summer in Milwaukee is a celebration of the diversity of its population.

In the fall you should celebrate Oktoberfest at the Bavarian Inn.

In the winter you should take a ride on the Jingle Bus to tour the city and Milwaukee's Holiday Lights Festival.

A hidden gem in my city is the view from Milwaukee's Old North Point Water Tower.


For a great breakfast joint try Cranky Al's on North and 68th.

Don't miss the world's largest music festival in Summer Fest.


Just outside my city, you can visit the Jelly Belly factory in Pleasant Prairie, WI.

The best way to see my city is to sample the city's breweries on The Brew City Queen II Riverwalk Boat Tours.

If my city were a pet it would be a golden retriever - trusting, gentle and friendly. Would also make a poor guard dog.

If I didn't live in a city, I'd live (where?) on a cottage on the Adriatic Sea. Preferably in Croatia.

The best book about my city is Cream City Chronicles: Stories of Milwaukee's Past by John Gurda. It's a collection of short stories based on Milwaukee's history, and John Gurda's Sunday columns in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

When I think about my city, the song that comes to mind is You Know You Should by The Faders.


If you have kids, you won't want to miss the weiner dog races at Germanfest.


The premise of TV's great Laverne & Shirley could only happen in my city. Saturday tours of Lakefront Brewery allow visitors to enjoy an homage to the show with the age-old glove-on-the-bottling-line schtick.


My city should be featured on your cover or website because everyone loves seeing the underdog win.