Jill Florence Lackey

“I’ve noticed the ways that telling the story of each little neighborhood, one-by-one, ends up telling the story of Milwaukee as a whole, and all the eras that Milwaukeeans lived through. It is constantly a narrative about new populations emigrating or migrating in, their experiences, and what they added and continue to add to the overall appeal of the city. But what sickens me is having a glimpse of the Milwaukee that could have been, save for those decades of urban renewal and freeway building that broke through the center of ethnic life, tossing communities and local main streets to the wind. There was hardly a neighborhood in the city that didn’t experience some effects from the displacements, and we have yet to interview a resident that thought these changes made this a better city.”

Sienna Jacks

“Working on these studies we had such a chance to compare. Some neighborhoods are perfect for one kind of resident and others for another kind of resident.

• A family with children would find a perfect home in Lincoln Village or Baran Park because of access to a plethora of parks, kids’ programs galore, sports leagues, and a massive community center. King Park is another possibility.
• People looking for an old-fashioned, cohesive neighborhood could select Pigsville.
• If your love is architecture, you’d want to live in Northpoint.
• If you need to feel the old Socialist presence, Garden Homes is your neighborhood.
• If you want a gorgeous home for the price of a cottage, go to one of the Sherman Park neighborhoods or Brewers Hill.
• If you want to be part of a new, developing community go to Beerline B or Harambee (site of new Bronzeville).
• If you want to live in the country while being a Milwaukee resident, go to North Granville.
• If gardening is your absolute love and you might want to sell some of your produce, any of the Garden Districtneighborhoods will work for you.
• If you like night life, you would be at home in Bay View or the Third Ward or Brady Street.
• If art is your thing you might want to look into Riverwest or Walker’s Point.
• If you like elegant living in historic houses, you should be happy with Yankee Hill or Historic Concordia.
• If you want a place where residents really take charge of their neighborhood you might be happy in Triangle (Lindsay Heights) or Merrill Park or Martin Drive.

I could go on and on.”

Rick Petrie

"Working on this website has given me an opportunity to explore many neighborhoods that I was not familiar with at all. I’m impressed with all the assets and resources our neighborhoods have to offer.
While it’s easy to be impressed by the magnificent structures and beautiful houses we can find in many neighborhoods, there are other assets that are sometimes overlooked. You can find beautiful little pocket parks such as the Ezekiel Gillespie Park in the North Division neighborhood and small community gardens in many other areas that are creating community spaces in formerly empty lots.
Finding and documenting these assets has been a very gratifying experience."

Chrissy Haikel

“I've really enjoyed getting to work on the neighborhoods project. Being a Milwaukee outsider, I went into it knowing very little about the Walker's Point neighborhood. After collecting oral histories, I feel like I've gotten to know the ins and outs of this one particular place. Residents I interviewed often referenced many of the same important neighborhood features, events, and people, with each adding their own perspective and creating a more whole picture of the neighborhood. It's such a treat to have residents share their personal stories with you!”

Rebecca Fetzer

"My very first experience conducting ethnographic fieldwork as an anthropologist was with Urban Anthropology Inc.  The opportunity to work with a plethora of ethnic groups in Milwaukee was genuinely rewarding because of the wealth of information people were willing to share and the ability of the anthropologist to then give back to the community by educating others about these unique ethnic histories. One group in particular that I interviewed was the Kashubes during their annual picnic at Kaszube’s Park on Jones Island. They were an incredibly welcoming and lively group who were eager to answer my questions. Here, I was able to observe the dedication of the descendants of former settlers to preserve a part of their heritage through music, food and personal stories about their family histories as well as how they carry on their traditions today. These individualized and highly personal stories contain information that one cannot find in a general history book, but are instead collected in an anthropologist’s notebook. These are the stories of Milwaukee’s past that need to be heard by all to truly appreciate the city’s extraordinary diversity."