History UsefulNotes / Milwaukee

Milwaukee isn't generally known as a massive sports town, but it does host the [[UsefulNotes/MLBTeams MLB's Brewers]] and the [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation NBA's Bucks]], and the local private Catholic school Marquette University is a college basketball power. Milwaukeeans' greatest sport loyalty, however, is generally regarded to be to a team that doesn't even play in their city. The [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague Green Bay Packers]] play 100 miles north of the city, but they played some of their home games in Milwaukee every year until the mid-'90s. Because so many "cheeseheads" call Milwaukee home, the city remains treated as part of the team's "local market" by the NFL; it is subject to the same blackout rules as Green Bay proper, and most of the reporting on the team is done by Milwaukee papers.

Famous people from Greater Milwaukee include Creator/OprahWinfrey, Les Paul, [[Music/SteveMillerBand Steve Miller]], Creator/GeneWilder, Heather Graham, Al Jarreau, Eric Benet and Speech (of Arrested Development... the hip hop group, [[Series/ArrestedDevelopment not the TV show]]), and Golda Meir (who came to Milwaukee at the age of six and grew up on the North Side).

Milwaukee's status in the world of pop-culture has been [[BrokenBase a contentious issue for its citizens]]. Never was this more obvious than in 2008 when a privately-funded bronze statue of [[Series/HappyDays Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli]] was erected along the city's Riverwalk to heavy controversy. Many residents feel that the city's portrayal as an urban {{Eagleland}} in ''Series/HappyDays'' and its spinoff, ''Series/LaverneAndShirley'' was not only historically inaccurate [[note]]During the RedScare in TheFifties, when the shows took place, Milwaukee's mayor was Frank Ziedler, one of the three Socialists whom Music/AliceCooper alluded to in the ''Film/WaynesWorld'' quote at the end of the last paragraph.[[/note]], but has hurt the city socially and economically by stigmatizing it as a stodgy, blue-collar town. In fact, Creator/GarryMarshall, the shows' producer, had never even stepped foot in the state of Wisconsin until the statue's dedication. This is such a big issue locally that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, upon being elected in 2004, quipped that one of his goals was to let the world know that "[[TakeThat Laverne and Shirley don't live here anymore.]]" The stodgy image extends to the [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Milwaukee city's flag], a crowded mish-mash of buildings, seals and icons that was created in the 1950s (and includes a few now non-existent things, like County Stadium) and is maligned in the flag and design communities (ranking fourth last in one poll, only ahead of 'futzing around in UsefulNotes/MSPaint' entries for smaller towns). It has been oddly defended by older city politicians and residents; only in 2018 has an incredibly simpler and acclaimed "People's Flag" begun to gain strength for an official adoption by the city.

Milwaukee's status in the world of pop-culture has been [[BrokenBase a contentious issue for its citizens]]. Never was this more obvious than in 2008 when a privately-funded bronze statue of [[Series/HappyDays Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli]] was erected along the city's Riverwalk to heavy controversy. Many residents feel that the city's portrayal as an urban {{Eagleland}} in ''Series/HappyDays'' and its spinoff, ''Series/LaverneAndShirley'' was not only historically inaccurate [[note]]During the RedScare in TheFifties, when the shows took place, Milwaukee's mayor was Frank Ziedler, one of the three Socialists whom Music/AliceCooper alluded to in the ''Film/WaynesWorld'' quote at the end of the last paragraph.[[/note]], but has hurt the city socially and economically by stigmatizing it as a stodgy, blue-collar town. In fact, Creator/GarryMarshall, the shows' producer, had never even stepped foot in the state of Wisconsin until the statue's dedication. This is such a big issue locally that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, upon being elected in 2004, quipped that one of his goals was to let the world know that "[[TakeThat Laverne and Shirley don't live here anymore.]]"

Today, the north side is predominantly African-American, though the outer reaches have more of a racial mix. It is often stereotyped as a blighted {{Gangsterland}}. This is understandably a point of contention for many local residents, as the north side is a fairly large area with its share of middle-class residents; and only a handful of neighborhoods are truly as bad as portrayed on the local news, where many of the stereotypes come from.

Milwaukee's status in the world of pop-culture has been [[BrokenBase a contentious issue for its citizens]]. Never was this more obvious than in 2008 when a privately-funded bronze statue of [[Series/HappyDays Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli]] was erected along the city's Riverwalk to heavy controversy. Many residents feel that the city's portrayal as an urban {{Eagleland}} in ''Series/HappyDays'' and its spinoff, ''Series/LaverneAndShirley'' was not only historically inaccurate [[note]]During the RedScare in TheFifties, when the shows took place, Milwaukee's mayor was Frank Ziedler, one of the three Socialists whom Music/AliceCooper alluded to in the ''Film/WaynesWorld'' quote at the end of the last paragraph.[[/note]], but has hurt the city socially and economically by stigmatizing it as a stodgy, blue-collar town. In fact, GarryMarshall, the shows' producer, had never even stepped foot in the state of Wisconsin until the statue's dedication. This is such a big issue locally that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, upon being elected in 2004, quipped that one of his goals was to let the world know that "[[TakeThat Laverne and Shirley don't live here anymore.]]"

Towards the end of TheSixties, the east side's corner bars and coffee shops such as the Avant Garde became incubators for Milwaukee's growing counterculture that eventually centered on Brady Street. Predictably, this led to a wave of gentrification through TheNineties, turning the surrounding area into a [[BourgeoisBohemian bourgeois bohemia]]... especially on or near the lake. In turn, the original Brady Street scene has since moved west across the Milwaukee River into the neighborhood of [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Riverwest]].

* ''Mr. 3000''

Famous people from Greater Milwaukee include Creator/OprahWinfrey, Les Paul, [[Music/SteveMillerBand Steve Miller]], Gene Wilder, Heather Graham, Al Jarreau, Eric Benet and Speech (of Arrested Development... the hip hop group, [[Series/ArrestedDevelopment not the TV show]]), and Golda Meir (who came to Milwaukee at the age of six and grew up on the North Side).

Famous people from Greater Milwaukee include OprahWinfrey, Les Paul, [[Music/SteveMillerBand Steve Miller]], Gene Wilder, Heather Graham, Al Jarreau, Eric Benet and Speech (of Arrested Development... the hip hop group, [[Series/ArrestedDevelopment not the TV show]]), and Golda Meir (who came to Milwaukee at the age of six and grew up on the North Side).

* "My Cousin In Milwaukee" was most famously recorded by Ella Fitzgerald.

Milwaukee's status in the world of pop-culture has been [[BrokenBase a contentious issue for its citizens]]. Never was this more obvious than in 2008 when a privately-funded bronze statue of [[Series/HappyDays Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli]] was erected along the city's Riverwalk to heavy controversy. Many residents feel that the city's portrayal as an urban {{Eagleland}} in ''Series/HappyDays'' and its spinoff, ''Series/LaverneAndShirley'' was not only historically inaccurate [[note]]During the RedScare in TheFifties, when the shows took place, Milwaukee's mayor was Frank Ziedler, one of the three Socialists whom Music/AliceCooper alluded to in the ''Film/WaynesWorld'' quote at the end of the last paragraph.[[/note]], but has hurt the city socially and economically by stigmatizing it as a stodgy, blue-collar town. In fact, GarryMarshall, the shows' producer, had never even stepped foot in the state of Wisconsin until the statue's dedication. So much of an issue is this locally that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, upon being elected in 2004, quipped that one of his goals was to let the world know that "[[TakeThat Laverne and Shirley don't live here anymore.]]"

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' universe, Milwaukee is the known as "The Most Romantic City on Earth" and the "Birthplace of [[TenWithATwo Beer Goggles]]."

* '''Bay View''': Just down the lake from the Third Ward. Bay View wasn't part of Milwaukee until the turn of the 20th century, but its residents still consider Bay View to be socially and culturally different from the rest of Milwaukee, even more that usual. They even tend to list their addresses technically incorrectly as "Bay View, WI." Indeed, Bay View does retain a "small town" feel and its commercial center, Kinnickinnick Avenue, is not unlike many small town Main Street's (albeit, with a more urban and [[BourgeoisBohemian bohemian]] flair). It was also the site of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_View_Massacre Bay View Massacre]] in 1886 as laborers went on strike to demand an eight hour work week.

Famous people from Greater Milwaukee include OprahWinfrey, Les Paul, [[Music/SteveMillerBand Steve Miller]], Gene Wilder, Heather Graham, Al Jarreau, Eric Benet and Speech (of Arrested Development... the hip hop group, [[Series/ArrestedDevelopment not the TV show]]).

* '''Far Southside''': When Music/TheBeatles toured Milwaukee in 1964, Music/JohnLennon famously quipped that Milwaukee southsiders reminded him of [[OopNorth Liverpudlian scousers]]. Indeed, most of what people think of as the "traditional" Milwaukee south side applies here as the area is marked by a now-aging population of blue-collar Polish and Serbian Catholics, many of whom pack into Serb Hall for the traditional Friday night fish fry. This area also tends to be more conservative, politically and socially, than the rest of Milwaukee, and (right or wrong) many of its residents draw comparisons to [[AllInTheFamily Archie Bunker]]... especially its infamous [[GrumpyOldMan Alderman Bob Donovan]].

* '''Historic Third Ward''': Wedged between Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee and Menomonee Rivers, the Third Ward was originally a community of Irish immigrants. An inferno wiped out the neighborhood in 1892, which became a warehouse district for most of the 20th century. The combination of a boom of high-rise condominiums early in the 21st century, and the emergence of MIAD as a premier art school turned the area into an [[BourgeoisBohemian art district]] almost overnight. As such, many smaller, independent boutiques and art galleries can be found here.

* '''Bay View''': Just down the lake from the Third Ward. Bay View wasn't part of Milwaukee until the turn of the 20th century, but its residents still consider Bay View to be socially and culturally different from the rest of Milwaukee, even more that usual. They even tend to list their addresses technically incorrectly as "Bay View, WI." Indeed, Bay View does retain a "small town" feel and its commercial center, Kinnickinnick Avenue, is not unlike many small town Main Street's (albeit, with a more urban and [[BourgeoisBohemian bohemian]] flair).

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee was founded in 1956 [[note]]out of a merger between the already established Wisconsin State College of Milwaukee on the upper east side to the University of Wisconsin Extension in Downtown Milwaukee[[/note]], and has since grown to boast one of the top film schools in the world. Many UWM Film School grads find work in Hollywood and over 100 episodes of {{CSI}} have been shot by UWM alumni. The film school is also credited for the numerous film festivals that now call Milwaukee's East Side home, the biggest of which is the Milwaukee Film Festival, which takes place every September and into October.

* ''Series/That70sShow'' took place in a fictional Milwaukee suburb in Kenosha County. A few episodes even took place in Milwaukee itself.

Today, the north side is predominantly African-American, though the outer reaches have more of a racial mix, and is often stereotyped as a blighted {{Gangsterland}}. This is understandably a point of contention for many local residents, as the north side is a fairly large area with its share of middle-class residents; and only a handful of neighborhoods are truly as bad as portrayed on the local news, where many of the stereotypes come from.

Unlike the other two "sides," this is the only side that's almost never referred to as _____ Milwaukee or "The ____." Presumably, this hasn't caught on due to the existence of South Milwaukee, a completely separate town [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin just south of Milwaukee's border]]. It is also the hardest "side" to classify, as many neighborhoods that don't fit traditional south side definitions have emerged in the past two decades. Milwaukee's south side includes the following:

* '''Historic Third Ward''': Wedged bewteen Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee and Menomonee Rivers, the Third Ward was originally a community of Irish immigrants. An inferno wiped out the neighborhood in 1892, which became a warehouse district for most of the 20th century. The combination of a boom of high-rise condominiums early in the 21st century, and the emergence of MIAD as a premier art school turned the area into an [[BourgeoisBohemian art district]] almost overnight. As such, many smaller, independent boutiques and art galleries can be found here.

* '''Far Southside''': When Music/TheBeatles toured Milwaukee in 1964, Music/JohnLennon famously quipped that Milwaukee southsiders reminded him of [[OopNorth Liverpudlian scousers]]. Indeed, most of what people think of as the "traditional" Milwaukee south side applies here as the area is marked by a now-aging population of blue-collar Polish and Serbian Catholics, many of whom pack into Serb Hall for the traditional Friday night fish fry. This area also tends to be more conservative, politically and socially, than the rest of Milwaukee, and (right or wrong) many of its residents draw comparisons to [[AllInTheFamily Archie Bunker]]... especially its infamous Alderman Bob Donovan.

Situated on the western shore of Lake Michigan and known as as [[ArtifactTitle "Brew City" or "The Brew"]] for having been home to four major brewing companies throughout its history [[note]]Blatz, Schlitz, Pabst, and Miller... the first two are now owned by Pabst and the last two are now headquartered in Illinois[[/note]]. Milwaukee is also home to Harley-Davidson, a motorcycle manufacturer that is known just as much for their [[BadassDecay clothing line, hotel and restaurant chains, and making high-priced toys for wealthy executives]] nowadays. [[Film/WaynesWorld One of the more interesting aspects about Milwaukee]] [[Music/AliceCooper is that it's the only major American city to have ever elected three Socialist mayors]].

Milwaukee was incorporated on January 31, 1846 as an end to the violent "Bridge Wars" between three different settlements along the Milwaukee River: Juneautown, Kilbourntown, and Walker's Point. Although Milwaukee grew generously, in population and physical size, it never truly lost the feel of three separate towns; as the immigrants who came to Milwaukee tended to settle in ethnic clusters along those same lines, thus entrenching it for generations to come.

* ''Film/Dogma'' - Bartleby and Loki's opening scene is set in Milwaukee, presumably at General Mitchell International Airport. Fun fact: the address on the envelope addressed to Bartleby has the correct zip code, but "Redemption Blvd" does not exist.

* ''Film/{{Bridesmaids}}''

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' universe, Milwaukee is the known as "The Most Romantic City on Earth" and the "Birthplace of Beer Goggles."

Milwaukee's status in the world of pop-culture has been [[BrokenBase a contentious issue for its citizens]]. Never was this more obvious than in 2008 when a privately-funded bronze statue of [[Series/HappyDays Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli]] was erected along the city's Riverwalk to heavy controversy. Many residents feel that the city's portrayal as an urban {{Eagleland}} in HappyDays and its spinoff, LaverneAndShirley was not only historically inaccurate [[note]]During the RedScare in TheFifties, when the shows took place, Milwaukee's mayor was Frank Ziedler, one of the three Socialists whom Alice Cooper alluded to in the ''Wayne's World'' quote at the end of the last paragraph.[[/note]], but has hurt the city socially and economically by stigmatizing it as a stodgy, blue-collar town. In fact, GarryMarshall, the shows' producer, had never even stepped foot in the state of Wisconsin until the statue's dedication. So much of an issue is this locally that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, upon being elected in 2004, quipped that one of his goals was to let the world know that "[[TakeThat Laverne and Shirley don't live here anymore.]]"

Famous people from Greater Milwaukee include OprahWinfrey, Les Paul, [[SteveMillerBand Steve Miller]], Gene Wilder, Heather Graham, Al Jarreau, Eric Benet and Speech (of Arrested Development... the hip hop group, [[Series/ArrestedDevelopment not that one]]).

* LewisBlack, a regular at Summerfest [[LongRunner since 1991]], has a monologue about drinking in Wisconsin where he tells a story about what happened one night after performing in Milwaukee.

* ''{{Bridesmaids}}''

* ''MajorLeague'' - Milwaukee County Stadium and Milwaukee's television/radio stations become the SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute of {{UsefulNotes/Cleveland}} in the film)
* ''WaynesWorld'' - the Alice Cooper Scene

* "Milwaukee" by Al Jarreau
* "My Cousin In Milwaukee" was most famously recorded by Ella Fitzgerald
* "213" by Slayer was written about the Jeffrey Dahmer murders and named after his apartment number.

* "What Made Milwaukee Famous (Made A Loser Out of Me)" by Jerry Lee Lewis