So I’m driving all the way from Florida to Milwaukee to see The Promise Ring on their reunion show this Friday. It’ll be my first time in Wisconsin ever. I might look at a hotel in town if it is walkable and not too dangerous and not too expensive.
So are there any places I should avoid? Any places I need to see while I’m there like museums or cultural places of interest?
(I’d also say “hey, any Milwaukeedopers wanna do lunch on Saturday”, but my cell phone just died )
Where are you staying? You’ll most likely be within walking distance of either the Milwaukee Public Museum or the Milwaukee Art Museum.
The only place I can tell you off the top of my head to avoid (until the suggestions roll in) is The Safehouse. It’s a restaurant with a spy theme. It’s purposely very hidden…because of the spy theme and you’ll spend more time trying to find it then actually eating. It has no front. Just a single door on a back alley with the name of a different business on it. You really need to go there with someone that’s been there before or you’ll never find it. Other then that, from downtown (depending on where you’re staying) you shouldn’t be near any bad neighborhoods…at least not close enough to accidentally wander into them. Downtown Milwaukee is a pretty safe area.
Previous thread about Milwaukee from last year here: Milwaukee!!! Whoo hoo! - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board
I’m not sure, I might try to bid on hotels within a certain radius of Turner Hall, which is where the concert will be, because then I’ll be able to walk to and from the concert (especially if there are no warm up bands, since it starts at like 6 pm.)
Wow, coolness! Google has bus times when you click on the Bus signals on Google Maps! Which isn’t to say that I wouldn’t drive anywa if it was a choice between busses or driving, but if I really really wanted to drink enough that I was willing to take a bus to do so, it looks like I’d be able to since a lot of the bus lines stay open until 10pm or later.
If you’re looking to drink, head for Water St. Half of Milwaukee descends on Water St every night (or so it seems). The other half avoid it like the plague, parking is awful and it’s mostly people bar hopping. If that’s your thing (or if your just looking for a couple of drinks and a crowd) that’s the place to go.
As I typed this I realize “Water St” sounds like the name of a bar. I mean the actual street called Water, it’s full of bars. You’ll find it just East of the river. If you look at the map you linked to, you’ll see a place called Rosie’s. As someone who’s spent almost no time bar hopping (so I could be wrong), I’ve always considered Rosie’s the epicenter of Water St.
How long are you in town for? What do you like to eat, we have restaurants that specific to just about every ethnic background you can imagine. German, Polish, Italian, Serbian, just a good burger and a shake, Mexican…
Even if you don’t stay at the Pfister Hotel, take the time to go into the lobby and look around. If it’s as beautiful as it was when I stayed there, it’s worth your time. I always thought the Pfister Hotel was a funny name they made up on Laverne & Shirley. But it’s a classic luxury hotel built in 1893.
I just thought of something else. Instead of telling your friends back home about the Art musesum or the dinosaurs and rocks at the Public Museum (both great places BTW), you could go to the Harley Davidson Museum. I haven’t been there yet, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about it. It’s about a mile away from Turner Hall.
Downtown is very safe. Turner Hall is a great venue for shows, and I’ve always been impressed with the sound there.
I don’t care much for the Water St bars, but early in the evening (assuming you’re going before the show), it’s not too bad. AJ Bombers is a couple blocks from Rosie’s and won a Food Network showdown for best burger. There are plenty of great places within 10 minutes of Turner Hall, and unless there’s a Bucks basketball game Friday night, parking shouldn’t be an issue (if you’re driving to the venue). A couple places in the 3rd Ward (just a mile south of Turner Hall, and on the east side of the Milwaukee River) that are good are the Milwaukee Ale House and Cafe Benelux (good beers). After the show, Brady St will have a mix of college and 20s/30s people. Besides drinking, the museums Joey P mentioned are good (I haven’t been to HD, either), and there’s a cool exhibit at the Milwaukee School of Engineering called Man at Work. Since you obviously like music, a couple record stores to check out if you have time are the Exclusive Company on the East Side and Rushmor Records in Bayview (south of downtown).
Adding to what Sigmagirl said, the Pfister is a great building, and there’s a martini lounge on the top floor called Blu, should you want martinis with a great view of the lake and city.
I visited Milwaukee a few years back and enjoyed it a great deal. Lots of good restaurants and taverns. Also, the people were nice. It had the feel of a big “small town.”
The Hyatt, The InterContinental, and Aloft are all good hotels, and very close to Turner Hall. I would avoid the Best Western on Old World Third St - it’s cheaper, but I have some friends who complained about a bad smell and poor service there.
I second the suggestions to hit the Art Museum and to have a martini at Blu at the top of the Pfister. If you’re looking for an authentic German meal (it is Milwaukee after all), try Mader’s or Karl Ratzsch’s. Mader’s is right around the corner from Turner Hall and has a cool medieval-like atmosphere, but I prefer the food at Karl Ratzsch’s.
Bump.
I’m just curious what you ended up doing in our fair city. Did you head to Chicago for the Promise Ring’s Saturday night show, too?
I was originally going to go to Chicago instead of Milwaukee but the tickets were all sold out before I made plans. A handful (literally) were released just before but I didn’t feel like taking off an extra day even assuming I could snatch one of them.
Milwaukee was nice, and friendly (although of course some of that had to do with interacting with service personnel and people partying on a Friday night). Dropped $85 at Capitol Grille since it was on my way. Saw the Art Museum, and it was pretty good although some of that may have been the bottle of Beaujolais-Villages I’d had 
The concert was awesome too, they played almost all my favorite songs, which was about 1/3 of their catalogue. The only way the venue could have been better was if it was wider rather than longer so more people could be closer to the performers, but that’s okay cause I got in the front row