Milwaukee, Wisconsin constitutes the remnants of a few industries long gone and the emergence of others that render the city somewhere between a resurgence and an evolution. It certainly never faded completely, but there’s undoubtedly something new to it all. That doesn’t mean the best parts of the city are those that opened recently though. Milwaukee adores its longstanding bars (Bryant’s) and fast-food joints (Kopp’s Frozen Custard), but is proud of its newly opened arts hotel and a Santiago Calatrava-designed addition to the city’s Milwaukee Art Museum.
To best experience the city is to indulge in its offerings that actively amplify and reference the businesses that came before them. That may be in a hotel that features works by local artists or by sipping a beer made a few miles outside of town, but these suggestions are mere starting points for delving into the city’s comprehensive network of restaurants, bars, creameries, breweries, museums and much more.