Humans of Interest
Milwaukee is a special place in so many different ways.
We are situated on a beautiful lake, at the convergence of three rivers, offering many opportunities for recreation. We have great parks and architecture, new and old. The list goes on and on. But despite our many assets, it’s people that are our true wealth. Our city is filled with interesting people doing interesting things.
And hence the problem: choosing who to include in our feature story (“Who Runs This Town?” page 38.) While the team here typically takes an objective approach (as is the way of the journalist), we went in another direction this time around: This is a highly subjective list, comprised of personalities who seem particularly vibrant at this particular moment in time. Some are well-known, some fly under the radar. The common denominator is that each individual, in their own unique way, is pushing, nudging or cajoling Milwaukee forward.
Tell us who you’d pick to be a Betty this year!
You’ll find some who we admire (Giannis), some who make us laugh (Charlie Berens), some who are elected (Mayor Johnson) and some who simply had a good idea and ran with it (Meagan Johnson and the Milwaukee Diaper Mission).
You’ll recognize many of them from previous issues of Milwaukee Magazine. A few appear elsewhere in this issue – see The Big Story (page 34) which features both Greg Marcus and Peggy Williams-Smith. John D. Johnson turns up in Insider’s Data Dive (page 31), and Liz Joy’s sweet shop earns a mention in Best of the Burbs (page 52.)
Overall, reading about this disparate group made me proud of my fellow Milwaukeeans. I hope you feel the same.
There’s more to enjoy in this issue, including our semi-annual Home & Design section (page 59). We feature a recent makeover of a Shorewood home, designed with an eye towards making it hospitable to future residents, whoever they may be. And don’t miss the aforementioned Best of the Burbs, where you’ll find readers’ selections of the best places to eat, shop and more.
As I write this, it’s late February, but the cold has broken and the temperatures feel more like April. I hope that by the time this issue lands in your hands, we’re seeing the first of the crocuses emerge and feeling the surge of energy that comes with spring in Milwaukee.
Cheers to spring!
— Carole Nicksin, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher
carole@milwaukeemag.com, @CaroleNicksin
Features
- Who Runs This Town?: Who’s who in Milwaukee? Meet 47 of our picks for the most influential, powerful and just plain interesting Cream Citizens.
- Best of the Burbs: Milwaukee’s good stuff doesn’t end at the city limits – far from it, in fact. Our readers singled out the restaurants, parks, shops and other attractions that make the suburbs destinations in their own right.
- Home & Design: A Shorewood duplex gets a stylish makeover, plus tips on how to make a small kitchen ultra-appealing.
The Big Story
- Room for Growth: The city’s hopes of adding a third convention headquarters hotel don’t necessarily conflict with an operator’s unexpected plan to shrink one of them.
Your 414
- Art: Sign-painter Michael Cerda adds a pop of color to local shops.
- People Places Things: A blossoming fashion show of wearable flowers, plus ways to celebrate 414 Day, a play in two languages and more
- Milwaukee Film Festival: This isn’t the first fest for new executive director Susan Kerns.
- Brewers: Radio play-by-play man Jeff Levering talks about his baseball obsession, bad catchphrases, and the first season without Bob Uecker.
The Dish
- Cafe: A new local gathering spot for healthy meals with a purpose
- Tidbits: An indoor farmers market that operates like a grocery store, plus a coffee roastery from a local virtuoso
- Dumplings: Dainty Asian delights, from mandoo to shumai
- Specials: Don’t stay in on Monday night – not with these delicious, wallet-friendly reasons to dine out.
Insider
- Development: Can Bob Lang pull off his big plan for a destination golf course in Lake Country?
- Neighborhoods: A recent project brings the sounds of a Mexican jungle to Mitchell Street.
- Pets: How bad is it really to let your cat outside?
Explore
- Museum: A fun, immersive homage to machinery in South Milwaukee
- Travel: Why Manitowoc isn’t just a drive-through town on the way to Door County
- Outdoors: Fishing is therapy for this lifelong angler.
