The four-day run of the Republican National Convention gave Milwaukee an opportunity to showcase itself to an estimated 50,000 visitors, many of whom were seeing the city in person for the first time.
“Milwaukee’s a beautiful place. I think it was a great choice for this convention, I really do,” said Kevin Austin, a North Carolina delegate from rural Yadkinville. “The culture here is awesome.”
After having a full schedule of convention activities the first three days, Austin said he found himself with considerable free time on Thursday.
“I’m just soaking it in,” he said, while enjoying a drink at the 3rd St. Market Hall bar. “Me and some friends spent a couple of hours weaving around and taking it all in. I love experiencing new cities like this. I grew up in a large city, but I now live in a very rural area, so when I get to go to places like this, I really like to see what the flavor of it is.”
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Austin expressed fondness for the city’s views of the Milwaukee River. “It’s beautiful. It sure is something else,” he said. He also visited the Old German Beer Hall and pulled out a T-shirt he purchased there. “I went for lunch. I had schnitzel,” he said.
Jo-Anne Hodgson, a Massachusetts delegate from Bristol County, also had high praise for the city. “I think Milwaukee is cool,” she said while standing outside the bustling Hyatt Regency Milwaukee. “I think I’m going to move here.”
Milwaukee residents made an impression on Hodgson with their kindness.
“I’m so struck by the people. How warm they are,” she said. “You’re in the hotel, you’re in Walgreens, you’re in a restaurant, and the people are so nice. The police officers have also been so nice and accommodating. That’s not like where I come from, in the Boston area.”
Hodgson said she stayed close to her hotel during her stay but was able to have meals at a few nearby restaurants.“Carson’s was great. The food was outstanding,” she said.
Hodgson also offered positive feedback of Fiserv Forum and the programming for the convention. “It’s been a great convention,” she said. “I’ve particularly enjoyed that this program has been infused with real people and not just elected officials.”
Kay Wildt and Pauline Bruno, two additional North Carolina delegates from Pinehurst, chatted about their Milwaukee experience as they waited near a rideshare service stop for transportation to the Milwaukee Art Museum.
“I love Milwaukee, are you kidding? I grew up in Chicago, so we’d come up to Wisconsin for the summers because my dad liked to fish,” Wildt said. “When my husband and I retired, we drove down to Pinehurst and there are these tall pine trees. It’s the closest thing to northern Wisconsin that you can find.”
Bruno said she enjoyed her interactions with Milwaukee residents. “The people of Milwaukee are so welcoming and nice to us. It’s been outstanding,” she said.
Bruno and Wildt also trekked from their hotel along the RiverWalk to the Harley-Davidson Museum. “So many people stopped and talked to us. It was amazing,” said Bruno, who spoke highly of the museum. “I love Harleys. I’m afraid to ever get on one, but I love them. I thought that was the best.”
Downtown’s rich and varied architectural landscape also caught their attention.
“We were both just commenting on the old buildings and how they are being renovated,” Wildt said. “They add so much to the view here in Milwaukee. Modern buildings are fine but old buildings, like the Pfister Hotel, make the city great. It’s so beautiful to see how the city has preserved these buildings and not destroyed them.”
Wildt said she got to visit the Warner Theatre, home of the Bradley Symphony Center, and the Miller High Life Theatre. “They are both so gorgeous and just magnificent inside,” she said.
