MKE Streetcar--The Hop: Overview of the route in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

MKE Streetcar "The Hop": Overview

Edited by John December / Updates: johndecember.com/mke

Highlights of the Route

Milwaukee's Lakefront, Lakefront Station, 909 E Michigan St. Milwaukee's foundation as a human settlement for many centuries has been its location next to Lake Michigan and land among the rivers that flow through the city to the lake. The Lakefront station of The Hop is the gateway to the "front yard" of Milwaukee--its internationally-known Milwaukee Art Museum, its greenspace in parks all up and down the Lakefront, Discovery World Museum, Lakeshore State Park, Festival Grounds, and more. If you visit Milwaukee, get to the Lakefront at least once.
The Milwaukee Public Market, 400 N Water St, milwaukeepublicmarket.org. A food hall, shopping, and gathering place; one of the most visited destinations in the city. Area: Public Market.
The riverwalk near Buffalo Street Landing, N Water St and E Buffalo St. Climb the Buffalo spiral and overlook the Milwaukee Riverwalk, a stunning achievement of urban transformation and livability, a spine of city walkability, enjoyment, and commerce and winner of the Global Award for Excellence from the Urban Land Institute. Dine at one of the restaurants along the riverwalk. Area: Public Market.
The Pabst Theater, 144 E Wells St, pabsttheater.org. A historic performing arts stage created by Captain Frederick Pabst; architect Otto Strack; National Register of Historic Places; National Historic Landmark. Area: Wells Street
Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N Water St, marcuscenter.org. Live performance center including Vogel Hall, Uihlein Hall, Todd Wehr Theater, outdoor Peck Pavilion; Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Ballet Company, Black Arts MKE, Florentine Opera Company, First Stage Milwaukee, Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, Broadway shows Area: Wells Street
Jewish Museum Milwaukee, 1360 N Prospect Ave, jewishmuseummilwaukee.org. A museum presenting the history of the Jewish people in southeastern Wisconsin and Jewish heritage and culture. Area: Burns Commons
Cathedral Square, 520 E Wells St, easttown.com. A county park outside St John's Cathedral; formerly called Courthouse Square from 1836 to 1939 as the site of Milwaukee County's first courthouse on the north end. Busy during festivals, jazz in the park, or farmer's market. When there is no festival, marvel at Saint John's Cathedral and eat at a spot nearby. Area: Cathedral Square
The Pfister Hotel, 424 E Wisconsin Ave, thepfisterhotel.com. A historic hotel completed in 1893; guests have included presidents, rock stars, sports stars; renowned art; resident artist; Historic Hotels of America; several restaurant choices, including the top cocktail bar, Blu. Area: Wisconsin Avenue
Grohmann Museum, 1000 N Broadway, www.msoe.edu/grohmann-museum. Man at Work Art Collection, Milwaukee School of Engineering. Area: Cathedral Square
Milwaukee City Hall, 200 E Wells St, city.milwaukee.gov. A historic civic building completed in 1895 with 108-meter bell tower; world's tallest habitable structure until 1899; National Register of Historic Places; National Historic Landmark. Self-guided tour, see information desk. Area: Wells Street
Metro Market, 1123 N Van Buren St, metromarket.net. A unique take on an urban grocery store in a walkable neighborhood with full-service groceries plus a food court for ready-to-eat food. Area: Juneau Avenue
Colectivo Third Ward, 223 E St Paul Ave, colectivocoffee.com. Sit with a beverage and watch the life of the city. If you sit here long enough, you'll see someone you know walk by. People-watching in the heart of it all! Area: Public Market.
Some notable taller buildings: you can see buildings from three centuries from 1 to 37 floors.

Overview of Areas

The Lakefront: Front Yard and Office: From The Hop's Lakefront Station, you can explore the world-class parks, museums, and festival grounds of Milwaukee. The station is also in the transit concourse of Wisconsin's tallest residential tower, The Couture, and next to many of Wisconsin's tallest office buildings. So while weekday office hours will find the place buzzing with workers, at festival times and special lakefront events, you will find many people there.
The Third Ward Mixed Use: From the corner of N Broadway and E St Paul Ave, you can explore a unique architectural, historical, and cultural setting that is unparalleled in the entire state of Wisconsin in terms of walkability, mixed uses, and a largely intact cluster of repurposed historic buildings. The Historic Third Ward is home to businesses, an art school, restaurants, bars, coffeeshops, spas, theaters, galleries, boutiques, apartments, condos, dorms for the art school, and more. Area: Public Market.
Cathedral Square Entertainment: Near the corner of N Jefferson St and and E Wells St, you'll find lively restaurants and bars; major festivals including Bastille Days, Jazz in the Park, a farmers market, and more. This is part of the East Town neighborhood. Areas: Cathedral Square and Wells Street
N Jackson St and E Ogden St Practicality: you'll find two full-service grocery stores plus familiar chain eateries. At Jackson at Juneau, you can go to the Metro Market grocery or stop near Jackson and Ogden and go to the East Pointe Marketplace for the Pick N Save grocery store plus familiar quick-service eateries. Areas: Juneau Avenue and East Pointe
Wisconsin Avenue Businesses: Within two blocks of the streetcar stops on Wisconsin Avenue (at Broadway and at Milwaukee), you have everything from the 37-floor 100 East Building to the 30-floor 411 building, the historic Milwaukee Club, the US Federal Courthouse, the 250 Building, the historic Wells Building, the historic Railway Exchange Building, and the historic Iron Block Building. See MilwaukeeDowntown.com. Areas: Wisconsin Avenue and Wells Street
Generally residential: The blocks along North Jackson and along East Ogden contains thousands of apartments and condos--from large apartment and condo complexes to small buildings with studio apartments. The area around the steeple of All Saints Cathedral is called "Yankee Hill" (not to be confused with the apartment and condo towers called Yankee Hill on Jackson and State) and is an area of historic mansions, hotels, churches, and smaller apartment buildings. Of course, there are hundreds of other places to live throughout the area along the route, but this area has a larger proportion of residential population than other segments of the route. Areas: Juneau Avenue, East Pointe, and Burns Commons
The most empty area: Aside from the fantastic Milwaukee Intermodal Station, Stone Creek Factory cafe, the streetcar barn itself, and the intruiging Pritzlaff Building, the streetcar route west of the Milwaukee River along St Paul is remarkably empty. Further to the north, Westown offers the convention center complex, the former "Shops of Grand Avenue," offices, apartments, and considerable amounts of car storage. The US Post office on St Paul still occupies its bunker-like building straddling the railroad tracks; and there are empty lots along the Milwaukee River along Plankinton Avenue. Areas: Plankinton Avenue and Intermodal Station