Famous for retro sitcoms, this US city is finally cool

“Laverne and Shirley don’t live here anymore” joke many of the 600,000 residents of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that sprawls along the shores of Lake Michigan. They’re referring to the characters in the 1970s TV-sitcom – two friends who worked at the fictional “Shotz” brewery in 1950s Milwaukee. This show and its precursor, Happy Days, helped define this revitalised Midwestern rust-belt city for a time.

But tired of being caught in a retro time warp, Milwaukeans stress how their city has changed.

A don’t-miss experience: Milwaukee Art Museum.

I spend two days here, the departure point for my Viking cruise of the Great Lakes. To orient myself, I wander along the RiverWalk that connects downtown neighbourhoods along the Milwaukee River. (The city is at the confluence of three rivers and locals tend to use these when giving directions). I’m surrounded by grand brick buildings with names like Pabst and Pfister, opulent legacies of Milwaukee’s German beer barons who arrived in the 19th century.

In the water below, kayakers paddle leisurely, pulling up here and there outside craft breweries that dot the riverfront. I continue on foot, until I’m forced to stop: one of the city’s 20 or so moveable bridges is raised and lowered to allow boats through. It’s an intriguing and novel sight, at least for visitors. At the Historic Third Ward, a refurbished district and neat grid of streets that’s home to the Milwaukee Public Market, I settle on a good coffee at Anodyne, one of several excellent local roasters.

But the pick of Milwaukee’s experiences is the Milwaukee Art Museum. With two massive wings that span the top of the extraordinary Quadracci Pavilion, it resembles a giant bird about to launch over Lake Michigan. American works include those by Wisconsinite (and American favourite) Georgia O’Keeffe, which join others by Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Kandinsky, Rothko and Frank Lloyd Wright. It’s mind-boggling.

Glorioso’s Deli is 120 year olds.

After hours of viewing, and with a grumbling tummy, I head to Brady Street, a strip north of the CBD that’s lined with hip cafes, funky craft breweries and a multicultural food scene. I demolish sausages from WurstBar (another legacy of the German migrants), and snack on cheeses at the 120-year old deli, Glorioso’s, started by Italian immigrants who flocked to Milwaukee along with Irish, Polish and Greek people after World War II.

The city is home to many funky craft breweries.

Dinner is more contemporary at The Diplomat. Modern American share plates include roasted beet salad, octopus and trout dishes. It’s quality cuisine; many top chefs are drawn to Milwaukee attracted by the city’s enthusiastic diners and access to surrounding farms. That said, some quirky foodie traditions linger.

Milwaukeans are known for their extreme takes on the Bloody Mary, the tomato juice and vodka cocktail. The drink’s garnishes verge on the ridiculous: sausage sticks, celery, prawns and yes, fried cheese curd nuggets (a Wisconsin specialty) can hang off a glass. If you’ve the stomach for it, all Bloody Marys come with a beer chaser known as a “shorty”, a short pour (235ml). I confess I’m not tempted.

The next day, I head to Bronzeville, a strip that stretches along Dr Martin Luther King Drive, and the city’s latest revitalisation project. It was where African Americans were segregated, after millions moved here during the Great Migration between 1910 and 1970. The extraordinary exhibits of the Black Holocaust Museum focus on African American slavery, the enforced segregation and ongoing injustices of racism. It’s sobering stuff and I emerge blinking, before heading to the nearby The Bronzeville Collective to peruse the beautiful artworks made by artists of colour.

The extraordinary exhibits of the Black Holocaust Museum focus on African American slavery, the enforced segregation and ongoing injustices of racism.

It’s a complete change of gears at the cutting-edge Harley Davidson museum, situated in an industrial district south of the Menomonee River. I immerse myself in the classic models, a stunning collection from the 1940s to the present, plus the “tank wall”, a colourful and artistic display of Harley designs since 1903. On realising the hour (late!), I hightail it to Viking Octantis.

As I pull away with Viking Octantis’s welcome cocktail in hand, I toast Milwaukee – minus any nostalgia but with respect for what the city has become.

The writer visited Milwaukee courtesy of Viking Cruises.

THE DETAILS

Suites on Viking’s eight-day Great Lakes Explorer cruise from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Thunder Bay, Ontario from $7995 a person for a Nordic balcony suite (based on a June 2024 departure). Some itineraries offer guided shore excursions in and around Milwaukee. See vikingcruises.com.au