8 reasons why the Historic Third Ward is MKE’s coolest neighborhood
From its ever-present history to its unbeatable shopping to its opportunities to embrace the outdoors, Third Ward is hands down MKE’s coolest neighborhood.
Anyone who has passed through Milwaukee is aware that it’s an extremely cool city, and certain areas and neighborhoods help contribute to that. But what makes a place cool, exactly? Is it an abundance of cafés or vintage shops? Or is it having plenty of places to see a concert or go to a festival? It’s hard to pin down exactly what makes a neighborhood cool—you can just feel it when you go there. That’s the case for Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward neighborhood.
It’s hard to say what specifically makes the neighborhood so cool: instead, it’s a combination of factors. The neighborhood is proud of its history, including the historic warehouse district, which was first starting to be built in the late 19th century, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. But it’s also not opposed to embracing modernization, without sacrificing its charming history.
The Third Ward is also filled with things to do: from concerts to plenty of places to shop to some of the city’s most exciting restaurants and bars. Or, if you like being outdoors, head to Lake Michigan, the Milwaukee River, or Lakeshore State Park. Whatever it is that you like doing, it can most likely be found in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward—and that’s pretty cool.
Here are some of the many reasons why this neighborhood is one of the coolest in Milwaukee.
1. It’s a perfect blend of modern and historic
With a name like the Historic Third Ward, it’s no wonder that the neighborhood has a lengthy, fascinating story behind it. Originally just marshland along Lake Michigan, the Historic Third Ward is one of Milwaukee’s oldest neighborhoods, since it started to be built up in the 1850s. A fire in 1892 destroyed 16 square blocks of the neighborhood, but it was rebuilt into a bustling commercial district, with the warehouse buildings that the Third Ward is now known for.
Now, it continues its history of being a thriving area for commerce. There are plenty of shops, restaurants, and cultural spaces that have been integrated among the neighborhood’s charming, historic buildings. In 1984, several of the Third Ward’s warehouses and buildings were placed on the National Register of Historic Places, but they have modern uses today. These include the Pabst Brewing Company Saloon and Boarding House, a two-story brick building that now houses the craft cocktail bar, Tied House Milwaukee, and the former American Candy Company building, which was first constructed in 1902, and is now the site of the stationery store, Broadway Paper.
2. The neighborhood provides easy access to the lake
One of the best things about the Midwest is the region’s proximity to the Great Lakes. Milwaukee conveniently sits along Lake Michigan, but if you’re in the Historic Third Ward, you’re a step closer than many of the city’s other neighborhoods. The neighborhood, which is almost entirely surrounded by water, is bordered by Lake Michigan on its east side.
One of the most scenic features of the Third Ward is the Lakeshore State Park, which has a small beach and paved trails. The trails connect to other lakeshore parks in the city, as well as the 15.2-mile-long Hank Aaron State Trail. The park is known for its Pierhead Lighthouse, the only active lighthouse in Milwaukee County. Even when the weather isn’t ideal for a day on the lake, it provides a scenic backdrop all year long.
3. It’s Milwaukee’s arts district
One of the things that helps push the Historic Third Ward over the edge in terms of its coolness is the neighborhood’s reputation as the arts district of the city. While the Milwaukee Art Museum is a must-see for visitors and residents alike, if you want to see some of the city’s best modern art offerings, stop by one of the galleries in the Historic Third Ward.
Gallery 218 is a cooperatively-operated art gallery showcasing contemporary work with rotating exhibits for more than three decades. One of the neighborhood’s historic warehouses, the Marshall Building, is home to several art galleries, as well. Want to bring home some of the art yourself? Stop by the Milwaukee Public Market and visit an artisan shop to pick up handmade crafts.
4. There are plenty of great places to eat and drink
Without a delicious and varied dining scene, there is almost no chance that a neighborhood can be considered cool. Luckily for Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, the neighborhood’s culinary options are some of the city’s best. From Café Benelux, which draws inspiration for its menu from cafés found across Belgium and the Netherlands, to the unbeatable dumplings served at Chinese-American joint DanDan, no matter what your tastes are, there is a good chance that you’ll find a delicious meal in the neighborhood. If you want a lot of options at once, stop by the Milwaukee Public Market, a food hall in the city that has more than a dozen food vendors, serving everything from locally-roasted coffee to barbecue, baked goods, and tacos, among many other items.
You can’t forget about finding a great place to drink in Wisconsin, either. Wizard Works Brewing has a dozen brews on its beer list, including the Secret Handshake, an Irish red ale, and the Abracadabra, an 1800s-style English IPA.
5. It’s central to much of the city
The Third Ward is great, and there are enough activities, restaurants, and events going on to keep you busy for quite a while. But if you were itching to get out of the neighborhood and explore other parts of the city, it’s pretty central, so it’s not too difficult to travel anywhere else.
As one of the city’s earliest-built neighborhoods, much of Milwaukee was built up to surround it, making it convenient to get just about anywhere. The neighborhood is adjacent to Milwaukee’s downtown, riverfront, and lakefront, and it’s a good connecting point for some of the city’s other cool neighborhoods, like Bay View, in southern Milwaukee, and northern Riverwest.
6. The neighborhood is great for culture
Residents might complain about the traffic and street closures during Summerfest, but there is no denying that it’s pretty convenient to be walking distance from the world’s largest music festival each summer. Each year, Summerfest is held at the Henry Maier Festival Park, a sprawling festival grounds that spans 75 acres along the lakeshore adjacent to the Historic Third Ward. Held over three consecutive weekends, Summerfest brings in hundreds of musicians, bands, and performers over nine days, including artists like The Killers, James Taylor, and Megan Thee Stallion.
Summerfest isn’t the only big event that takes place at the festival park. Each year, there are dozens of concerts, festivals, and other events that help contribute to the Third Ward’s cool factor. Head out to the festival grounds to sample some diverse cuisine at German Fest or Mexican Fiesta, or check out the entertainment at PrideFest and Black Arts Fest MKE, all of which are annual celebrations of arts and culture. The neighborhood is also home to the Milwaukee Ballet as well as the Broadway Theatre Center, which houses two performance spaces: a 90-seat black box theater and a 358-seat opera house-style theater.
7. It’s a shopper’s paradise
The easiest way to stay cool is by keeping up with the trends. Anyone in Milwaukee’s coolest and most stylish neighborhood can do that easily with all the shopping opportunities that the Historic Third Ward offers. Stores like Unfinished Legacy, which sells streetwear, help contribute to the neighborhood’s reputation as the fashion district of Milwaukee. You can also browse through Lela Boutique for vintage wares, come home with a souvenir, or rep your city with merchandise from 414 Milwaukee.
If you’re not in the market for clothes, there is still plenty to shop for in the Third Ward. Treat yourself to culinary delights at stores like The Spice House, located inside the Milwaukee Public Market. With four locations across the country, including one in the Historic Third Ward, Orley Shabahang offers a wide assortment of contemporary and antique rugs that can help you replicate the neighborhood’s coolness in your own home.
8. It offers plenty of opportunities to get outdoors
During the winter, many people in the Midwest go into a sort of hibernation. It’s just so cold that you don’t want to go outside. But in the summer, there is no better place to be. Conveniently, the Historic Third Ward offers an abundance of ways to make the most of the season by exploring the outdoors. One of the best ways is by exploring the waterfront Lakeshore State Park, which sits along Lake Michigan, with its scenic Pierhead Lighthouse.
The neighborhood also sits alongside the Milwaukee River and the city’s riverwalk. In the Third Ward, the Milwaukee Riverwalk System first opened in 2004 and runs for one mile in the neighborhood, spanning more than three miles along both sides of the Milwaukee River throughout the city. In 2005, the Historic Third Ward riverwalk system was connected to the city’s downtown neighborhood’s riverwalk.
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