Black Cat Alley is an eclectic art experience in Milwaukee. It's what Black Alley calls "an outdoor…read moreart gallery" or simply said a collection of cool murals. I love seeking out new street art, so I added this alley to my Milwaukee itinerary. You can say it was right up my alley. LOCATION: I Uber'ed to the East Side to the Axe Bar (AXE MKE) which is right next to the alley. You'll find the alley behind the historic Oriental Theater at the intersection of North Avenue and Ivanhoe. Entry from Prospect Avenue and Ivanhoe are both available. Personally, I get lost everywhere and found it right away entering from the Prospect Avenue. The locals must not all know about this alley because my Uber driver was unfamiliar with this location. The area has some cool businesses, grab some food nearby! ART: Free and open 24/7. You'll find 21 murals by 24 different artists in the alley. You'll find the stories behind the art on Black Cat Alley's website or via QR codes next to the art. All murals are vibrant and creative. It's an equivalent of a museum where you'll linger by the art and try to find some meaning. The art is by global artists from places like Germany, Colombia, and others. My favorite mural was Catalina Bayona's "We Are All Immigrants" depicting wild animals and migration. It's very powerful when you think about it a little longer. All art is photogenic but be sure to check what releases you'll need for any commercial use. I wish that every city had art alleys. It's such a creative way to beautify cities. I look forward to my next visit to Milwaukee and another visit to the alley. I'll read up more about the art here before my next visit.

[Please keep in mind I travel a lot and hunt graffiti everywhere so this review is a direct…read morecomparison to other graffiti areas.] It's a small alley dedicated to graffiti. Some professional, some tagging. Some look like they were commissioned, some you can tell some were definitely done on the fly. It's not the best graffiti but I appreciate that Milwaukee has a small dedication to one of my favorite things- graffiti. Also- it's a safe alley. We went early in the morning and got donuts nearby. Drove by again a day later and a boba place is right around the corner.

Milverine is back! The local "Super Hero" threw out the first pitch at a recent Brewer Game…read more Way to go Brewers for bringing back this Milwaukee Legend!

This is HECKA OVERDUE!!! Okay, so the other night I was on my way walking to a friend's house and…read moreI see someone walking towards me just as I'm breaking out a smoke . I quickly put the smoke away coz I'm polite and assume most people don't like it when I smoke around them. I take a double look, I'm all like, OMG!! Pure SHOCK and JOY!! It's him!! I go up to him and ask, very shyly, "Milverine?? Are ya, Milverine?" He said yes. I told him I had seen the video on Vice and had seen him on the news (not really even sure if I was in Wisconsin when I first saw him in the media). I told him I was still kinda new to Wisconsin and that I'm a contemporary Vagabond. He was more than happy to tell me about the history of Milwaukee. The whole experience was really REALLY COOL!! He is 110% intelligent, respectful, and true to keeping it real. Most people out there nowadays do not want to do any kind of research, and unfortunately, fall for all kinds of nonsense when that all could have been avoided had they just done at least a little bit of research on their part. I enjoyed learning about the history of Milwaukee as well as the sound advice he shared with me. One of the best things about meeting and chatting with Milverine is he reminded me of the simple fact that it's always worth the while of doing a lil bit of research when you hear something, anything and especially before making an important discussion that'll have an impact on your life. I have nothing but mad respect for the man. If Milverine is reading this, I just want to say, Many Thanks!!

Fun spot for good food and drinks in an admittedly crowded Milwaukee staple (or so I'm told)…read more I'm not gonna make it a victim of its own success just because it's super crowded and the parking lot is a stressful experience! Its heavy attended volume is well deserved; lots of interesting stalls line the ground floor, from coffee and candy to bbq and Thai. I wouldn't say it could replace regular grocery shopping; it's more like a fancy spot to shop for artisan goods like cured meats, sweet treats, baked goods, and other accoutrement. Plenty of seating on the open second floor (also a good spot to take photos of the market) if you want to eat there; otherwise grab some delicious food to go and enjoy the surrounding neighborhood!

Due to limited availability of street parking, we decided to use the market's parking lot that…read moreadvertised 30 minutes of free parking. That was perfect since we were only going to be there for a few minutes while we had some shaved ice. The market offers everything from cheese, seafood, pasta etc. as well as many restaurants to choose from. We were in the mood for something cold on a hot summer day and Chillwaukee hit the spot. We finished our shaved ice and headed back to our car. We thought we had plenty of time to make it out of the parking lot in less than 30 minutes. When we got in the line to exit there were only 4 cars ahead of us with 5 minutes left of time. No problem, I thought. I was wrong. When it was my turn to exit I was told I had to pay for an hour of parking even though we were only over by a few seconds!! When I explained that I had been in line for 5 minutes, the attendant said that the same thing had happened to other customers before me and that there was nothing he could do about it. I would agree if I had shown up one minute late and there was no line to leave. Other than the parking situation, I enjoyed my short visit to the market.

Some may say this is the bridge to nowhere, but I personally think this is the bridge that connects…read morethe Eastside to Riverwest or vice versa. It does all that in style as it was built right below the Holton Street Bridge making it a part of that structure. Not only is this spans' eye appealing but it allows you to see the area in a way you normally could not. Perched well above, or below take your pick, the Milwaukee River and running next to the Mighty Lakefront Brewery this bridge makes pedestrian traffic across the river a breeze. We walk from our Riverwest home down and across the Viaduct regularly. It connects the two sides and are known to some as part of the Oak Leaf Trail or by others as the Marsupial Bridge or to even those as simply the bike path under Holton. Either way this project helped connect two dissociated neighborhoods into an accessible thoroughfare that is used by so many. This is the essence of taking full advantage of the urban landscape and turning it into something so useful.

All I know is Lake Front Brewery is on one side and I felt very animal like as I took the short cut…read moreand scampered up the side of the bridge landing versus taking the long way down east and back up to cross the bridge. If i were more into fitness I would have enjoyed the cardiac value of being chased by street thugs. Be careful at night I don't talk to strangers, so sorry if I seem curt and impolite. As I make my way back home. I have bad memories of billy goats gruff and trolls under the bridge. Not internet trolls the real living breathing diseased, TB flea infested trolls that carry all kinds of hepatitis, STD's and whatnots. I recommend lawful carry for personal safety.

Art fills the streets of Milwaukee. I'm amazed that it doesn't get destroyed being outside &…read moreexposed to the elements. No one has stolen or destroyed all of the unique & beautiful pieces. Every corner had a box with maps & descriptions. Found the life size statue of the Fonz here because Happy Days took place in Milwaukee. I think Laverne & Shirley were more iconic Milwaukee's; they need a statue!

Sculpture Milwaukee is an annual world class sculpture installation along Wisconsin Avenue, and is…read moregreat for self-guided walking tours. We hit up the installation every year, and the fourth annual event in 2020 had more than a few stellar pieces. Standouts were Nari Ward's Apollo/Poll neon, Alex Katz Park Avenue Departure, pieces by Thomas J. Price and Julian Opie, and Tony Tasset's Blob Monster was a visual show stopper. There's plenty of signage to help you learn about the artwork, and with pieces installed from MAM to the Wisconsin Center, it's a nice easy two mile round trip walking tour. Audio Tours and even a musical audio pairing can be found on Sculpture Milwaukee's website. Guided docent tours or trolley tours seem to be offered from time to time, as well as curated virtual talks with the artists. A few pieces have ended up in the permanent collection, installed around City Hall, or around Wisconsin Avenue such as Roxy Paine's "Cleft" metallic tree. This is a world class annual installation, and definitely deserving of more awareness and Milwaukee's attention.

The Godmobile has been a Milwaukee fixture for at least 25 years, when, similar to a scene in The…read moreBlues Brothers, an ancient station wagon complete with an electronic bullhorn strapped to the roof began driving up and down Wisconsin Avenue, blaring out religious sermons. Scores of pious Marquette students were either spiritualized or traumatized by its appearance. The Godmobile still lives and reigns supreme, albeit in a newly incarnated 1982 Chevy Caprice Classic. For easy reference, current and past iterations of the Godmobile are attached so one can easily spot it. The Godmobile has been spotted all around town, from Lake Drive in Shorewood to Brady Street in front of the Dry Hootch to the intersection right outside Discovery World. No matter what you believe, you can have faith that if you are in downtown Milwaukee you will eventually spot and scope out - The Godmobile!

Every major city has it's share of...unusual...but beloved characters. Chicago has the Walking…read moreDude, Atlanta has the fabulous Baton Bob and NYC has the Naked Cowboy. Milwaukee is lucky - we've got Freeway, Milverine, the late Dick Bacon and of course, Brother Ron driving the Godmobile. There have been several iterations of the famous Godmobile over the years - generally all of them are total beaters and most have been station wagons. They start out subtle, with just a few bible verses and sayings painted on them but eventually the current Godmobile becomes a rolling art project - completely covered in verses, sayings, a giant megaphone, creepy baby dolls, a sandwich board and sometimes those giant plastic candles you put in your yard on Christmas. You can expect to see Brother Ron all over town - mostly cruising up & down Wisconsin and Water but sometimes you might see him parked at the McDonalds on South 27th St. Itinerant preachers gotta eat too, I guess. My favorite Brother Ron/Godmobile story comes from a former co-worker: he claims that he was in line behind Brother Ron at Leon's Custard and dude's total came to exactly $6.66 and the man FREAKED out and left. No Satan Custard for him! Anyway, I like to appreciate the Godmobile for what it is - a little piece of what makes Milwaukee unique.

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

Spillover II is the statue at Atwater Park. With all art, it's a personal opinion, so in my…read moreopinion this is a lovely piece. Unique, fluid and peaceful. It has enough letters to occupy the space up close but from far away it blends into a mirage. I wonder what the statue thinks of having to stare at Lake Michigan all day. I would try it for a day if I could.

This was the best event activity I've likely ever done. Much faster setup and more group friendly…read morethan the puff-up sumo suits. Waivers must be signed. My knees are suspect at best, yet I had far less soreness after a 5 minute match than any short run, and approximately 180 times more fun.