A life-size bronze sculpture of the happy days legend Henry Winkler. I was curious why he's here…read moresince he's from New York City and understand. I read the "Bronze Fonz" statue is in Milwaukee because the popular TV sitcom Happy Days, which starred Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli, was set in 1950s Milwaukee. The statue, located on the city's RiverWalk, was erected in 2008 by Visit Milwaukee to honor the iconic character and boost tourism, becoming a popular landmark and selfie spot. However, we walked and walked and walked, and I never found him. We saw another strange set of Riverwalk statues. I'm glad we came back in the morning and found the Fonz. He was surrounded by tourist and sad people talking to them themselves passed out on the bench. My GPS said there's a safe house around the corner.

The Fonz: "AYYY!" [Milwaukee WI]…read more It was a bit challenging finding parking here since there was construction going on at E Wells Street. We circled the area for a while trying to find a spot and couldn't find one nearby. We eventually found street parking at the Milwaukee City Hall and walked across towards the Pabst Theater on E Wells Street and there by the Milwaukee River... is the Bronze Fonz! "Whoa" LoL! Flashback!! there he was, a life-size statue of Fonzie doing the double thumbs up while saying his iconic catchphrase "AYYYYYY!" ahhh! These Days Are Ours... Happy Days! For the younger generation, Happy Days was one of the most iconic TV shows of all time, featuring Ron Howard as Richie, Anson Williams as Potsie, and Donnie Most as Ralph Malph, but the star of the show was Henry Winkler as Arthur Fonzarelli. The show aired from January 15, 1974 to July 19, 1984 "Ayyyyyy!" Review #3835

Situated in an upscale neighborhood in suburban Fox Point is a one and one-third lot on the west…read moreshore of Lake Michigan. On this lot is a modest home that belonged to Mary Nohl. What makes it unique is Ms. Nohl's collection of sculptures, silhouettes and paintings that surround the cottage and are part of it. Technically it is named the Mary Nohl Art Environment but in popular lore it is also known as "The Witch's House". Mary L. Nohl was born in 1914, the youngest of three children. Her father, Leo Nohl was a noted attorney in Milwaukee. In 1924, he purchased this parcel of land on the shore of Lake Michigan to build a summer home for his family. Mary graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1938 and started a career as an art teacher in Baltimore junior high schools. Unhappy as a teacher, she gave up teaching and returned home to pursue her art. She ran her own commercial pottery studio for 10 years. When the studio was in the path of what is today I-43, she closed it and returned here, where she stayed. (Her oldest sibling died as an infant and her famous brother, marine engineer Max Nohl, died in a tragic head-on collision in 1960.) Her mother passed away in 1968, leaving her the home on the shore of Lake Michigan and enough of a fortune to live out her life and pursue her artwork. She created sculptures with concrete, stone and tree trunks. Her whimsical subjects were mystical creatures, fish, children, mythical structures, couples and a miniature Easter Island display comprised of four sculpted Moai-like heads. If you were fortunate enough to visit this home, you would also have seen groups of stylized figures and architectural structures. Ms. Nohl's reclusive nature and unusual artworks were the subject of numerous urban myths. She was rumored to be a witch ("The Witch of Fox Point") and her home became known as "The Witch's House." Mary took it in stride, even creating a mosaic on her front porch that spells, "BOO!" Her property was the target of many youthful visits, most by the curious, but some visits were from malicious vandals. No matter how many more reasonable explanations were made, the popular culture persisted. The vandalism forced her to put up a chain link fence with barbed wire topping it. Ms. Nohl passed away in 2001. She left her estate to the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, her property, and all her artwork to the Kohler Foundation. The Kohler Foundation is a friend of the arts and restores art sites in Wisconsin and around the country. Several of the sculptures were removed to the Kohler Foundation facilities for restoration. Local zoning prohibits the property from being opened as a museum, but the Kohler Foundation maintains the site, it is restoring artwork that needs attention and keeps someone at the property at all times. The Greater Milwaukee Foundation used her gift to fund the Mary L. Nohl Fund Fellowships for Individual Artists program administered by the Bradley Family Foundation. At one time, the Kohler Foundation planned to dismantle Ms. Nohl's home and carefully move it to Sheboygan County. The sculptures were also to be moved and the site recreated in a safe and viewable place. However, the sculptures are too fragile to move and will remain onsite and for now, inaccessible. Parking is virtually impossible and you are not allowed on the property. You can only view the artwork through the fence, but there are coffee table books published about Ms. Nohl and her delightful artworks. Despite the rumors and legends, despite what her neighbors might (or might not) think about her and her home, Mary L. Nohl was a friend of the arts, and dedicated to her work as an artist. She was more than just an artist. Her life was art, and she lived her art, right here on the shore of Lake Michigan.

Right on the Lake and behind some vined fences, you can see National Register of Historic Places…read more#05001109, the Mary Nohl Art Environment. This was also designated a Milwaukee County Landmark in 2006. The late Mary Nohl was a sculptor and jeweler, and many of her concrete statues are on display at her former house. There are dinosaurs, moai, and spooky walls of faces. Really cool stuff. You can stop by and take pictures, but the works are on private property, so no touching. There is an illegal parking spot nearby that you can use if you want to risk it. Definitely worth a jaunt to this offbeat attraction.

It's changed a lot. This year there were only three stages, one beer vendors, and a few food…read moreoptions. It was crammed with vendors to the point that moving through was a problem. Typically this is our fav festival but this year was really disappointing for the lack of music alone. Meh.

One of Milwaukee's best festivals! It's Riverwest, through and through, and I love it all. See some…read moregreat local bands, the food selection is really good and diverse, as is the crowd. There was a good variety of Lakefront Brewery beers on tap, and I also enjoy spending a little time in Riverwest Public House for WMSE DJs, and conviviality. Make sure to leave some money with the many high-quality DIY makers that sell here. Overall, this is a great summer hang in Milwaukee.

Polish fest is a fantastic family friendly event celebrating the rich Polish culture and its ties…read moreto the Milwaukee lakefront. We went in a beautiful Saturday afternoon and explored the three stages with active music and or traditional dance programming. The polka music was exciting and fun to dance to! After grabbing a Tyskie we walked the grounds to explore the several tents showing off the many cultural organizations, arts, and travel experiences to Poland. We also got to taste some really great authentic Polish food. All of it was great but would highly recommend the smoked Polish sausage, paczki, and potato pancakes! All in all it was a fantastic afternoon, the only reason it wasn't a five star review was that the line to get in and through security was really long and there was no daytime/ early bird discount on admission for Saturday.

Polish Fest is full of nostalgia for me - I went every year as a kid with my grandparents. We ate…read morepotato pancakes, I learned the chicken dance and at least once, I was accidentally given liquor filled chocolates. Good times. I hadn't been in years but hit up Polish Fest 2017 to watch a friends kid dance (adorable of course). Most days, you can score free or reduced admission - check their site for promos. Parking cost ranges but I paid $10 and was seriously like 50 steps from the gate. As others have noted - only about 1/2 the grounds are open. That said, there was a good amount to see and do - I did appreciate the cultural tents (agree 100% they should be bigger!!) and was truly amazed at some of the traditional craftsmanship. I also appreciate that you can get actual Polish beer (ahem, German Fest) plus lots of other options like vodka, schnapps and even bloodies! The only thing missing is a brandy old fashioned stand, IMO. Hell, you can even get pull tabs! Food ranges from amazing to uninspired but you won't lack for pierogies, potato pancakes, kielbasa or goblackis. Of course, Venice club has eggplant and Saz's has their festival famous offerings. Prices range widely as well so shop around. Some of the best values can be found at the Old European deli and Polonez stands near the Harley stage. Because I love you all and don't want anyone to suffer bad pierogies, I sampled several places. With confidence, I can tell you that the Stuffed Pierogi truck is #1 with Old European Deli coming in a close #2. Both taste just like what we had in Poland. Run away from Kuchina Polska - gummy and sad. If you're looking for a good band, Box On is a family group from Chicago with a ton of talent and energy. And of course you can't miss Milwaukees own Vern and the Originals! Overall, Polish Fest might not pack in the crowds that Festa Italiana or Irish Fest do, but there's a lot of fun to be had here!

named in honor of Daniel Webster Hoan (a socialist before the cool kids wrecked socializing)…read moreun-originally dubbed the Harbor Bridge it was finished in 1972 but only opened to traffic five years later - but still not completely connected up until 1998 because, well, you know... Milwaukee!! clocking in at just over 10,000 feet long the Hoan Bridge carries six lanes of I-794 some 120' above the Milwaukee River. the crazy yellow arch dominates the view eastward during the day and multi-color LEDs create a spectacle after sunset. one more thing: contrary to local rumor the Blue Brothers' car chase was NOT filmed here (M. J. Prigge, Sheppard Express, 12-Sep-2016)

Boy oh boy do I love heading north on the Hoan Bridge....this beautiful and stinky bridge gets me…read morefrom Bay View to Downtown Milwaukee in 5 minutes! I love crossing over Lake Michigan and seeing the Downtown Milwaukee skyline. You have plenty of great views including Lake Michigan, Summerfest, Milwaukee Art Museum and so on. It truly makes Milwaukee look great! The only problem I have with Hoan Bridge is that smells terrible...some days are worse then others, but overall, it smells like poo. It's not the bridge's fault, of course. I love this bridge!

The perfect dive bar includes a cheeky bartender, and when my husband ordered a Spotted Cow, and…read morewas given directions to a farm, I knew we had found the best place for a day drink. We had a great time here and will stop back the next time we are in Milwaukee. Worth noting, a bachelorette party came in, and the fun bartender worked all the drink orders like a pro. While we did not eat there, they seem to have a great brat deal. I hope to check that out when we go next time.

Zad's is a type of bar I wouldn't recommend to everyone as it may not be the place for everyone…read more They offer cheap drinks and kind service but the bar patrons have unfortunately made me uncomfortable more times than none. It's definitely a place I only go to during the day but it's great since it opens so early at 6am!! For you night shifters needing a post-shift drink this is a place available to you! Definitely a dive style bar.

They moved this a few years back to its current location in Franklin at the Croatian beer garden…read more Though we don't appreciate the longer drive, there is a lot more space for events. They have a series of food vendors and then some good drinks (beer, scotch). Unfortunately, this year, the food ran out pretty quick as they only have a few vendors for what turned out to be a large crowd. Adult tickets are $15/pp but there's free parking. Unlike 2024 when it was rainy and not as busy, it was booming in 2025. It was hard to find parking. We regretted not ordering food right away too because many kept running out of something while we were in line. However, they had a lot of great events - live music, dance, heavy and bagpipe competitions, haggis taco eating competition, sheepdog demo, etc. We love coming here and can't wait for next year!

Real family fun for a Saturday afternoon…read more The 2012 Highland Games did not prove to be a large festival. But they did serve up some great festival fun that was family friendly. Some of the entertainment included cricket, athletic competition (men and women throwing objects for distance), dancing, and bag pipe bands. There were also demonstrations on axe throwing, knife throwing, sword fighting, and sheepdogs. There were cultural tents, vendors, and a beer tent with music for much of the day. Sadly, the food we experienced wasn't note-worthy. There was a Papa John's pizza truck along with 2 other food vendors serving regional fare (1 was McBob's, and I forget the other). We got food from the other. I spent $18 for a Fish & Chips and a Shepherds Pie. The Fish & Chips were decent, but I had a hard time stretching their value to the ~$9 price tag. I also expected a bit more out of the Shepherds Pie. Portions were not very big either. And there was some inconsistency. Two people in our group got Fish & Chips. One person got 3 pieces of fish, the other person only got 2 pieces. And it wasn't because they happened to get bigger pieces than everyone else. They all seemed to be pretty much the same size. So I don't know what that was all about. But here's the thing, they were serving 20oz cups of Guiness, Harp, and Smithwicks for $5. Yes... that's correct. An imperial pint for $5! And the bartenders were happy to pour a half-and-half for you. My first thought was, "did someone make a mistake on the beer pricing??" Well, I'm certainly not going to say anything! So after spending the afternoon taking advantage of those beer prices, all the food really had to do was fill my belly. I like to think that I forgave the food experience because of the price offset by the beer. But it could just be because I was a bit sauced up. Oh... and they were also serving 12oz ciders and 12oz gluten-free beers for $4. Admission was $10 and I felt it was a very fair price for the afternoon. In general, some of the event locations felt a little disjointed (that is partly because of the layout of Hart Park). But they had signs pointing the way to specific event areas. The one thing I missed was the Haggis Taco eating contest. But that might be a good thing after downing all those Guiness.

It's so great to see a community of people who work together to help make this event happen year to…read moreyear. Talk about a group people who love celebrating for more than just 24 hours. I had a chance to experience this event on a reservoir rd aka twizzler alley this is an open road event with intersection spotters at a few locations hopefully in the future they could have more volunteers help warn bikers as they approach some of the most heavily traveled sections day and night. it made me nervous watching how fast they go and how easy a collision can occur Riverwest is a community that cares. Roll on Thank you sponsors and community volunteers! 36/2016

RW24 is as good as the soul of a city can breathe out! It is the culmination of good vibes and…read moremasterful planning, uh hum, or at least flying by the seat of your pants. My Milwaukee neighborhood of Riverwest is alive more than usual for a full 24 hours of parties and camaraderie. Anywhere you walk the streets are shut down or at least barricaded off. A buzz is in the air from an event so killer, only a Milwaukee neighborhood nestled on the West side of the river could dare pull it off. All things Riverwest are in full swing, all hands on deck for a truly good time. Most streets are a mayhem of elated pandemonium to show the world or at least Wisconsin how much it means for a neighborhood to come together. Some sleep and others don't. Either way by the time the 24 is up any involved are feeling it. Long live the RW24!