When I see cool, new designs in Downtown I have to give props.  So, hats off to Water Street Brewery, 1101 N. Water St., on its new facade.  The new wooden awnings look great and provide a classier look to that stretch of Water Street. 

I’ve driven and walked by several times recently, and I've got to say that the rich, deep wooden look catches my eye and truly stands out.   The building also has a new coat of paint and lighting that enhances the exterior.  

All of these improvements are needed and welcomed, and they should help better position the longtime brew pub once the new Bartolotta gastropub opens in the fall at the old Eagan's space.  

Water Street Brewery, by the way, has been serving beer and food on Water Street in Downtown Milwaukee since 1987.  It will celebrate 25 years in 2012. It’s a bit of an icon, and with its massive collection of beer memorabilia it’s also a fun and historic place to visit.

Owner R.C. Schmidt also owns and runs Rudy’s, Louise’s, Trinity, SoLo and The Harp.  

Steve Rushin, a 1988 graduate of Marquette University (and the 2007 commencement speaker), is also a regular columnist at Sports Illustrated. His new column is titled, "Milwaukee would love its new slogan to be: Fear the Brewers."

It's another in a seemingly endless stream of national love for our hometown. Of course , the Brewers are red hot and their recent series against the Cardinals brought a ton of national media to town.

Rushin's piece is laced with the typical beer, brats, "Laverne & Shirley," and sausage stuff but hints at something bigger – that Milwaukee needs a winner.

Rushin's use of "Fear the Brewers," of course, is a testament to the Milwaukee Bucks most recent playoff appearance in 2010.

The Bucks do have a world championship banner not to mention two Eastern Conference titles and 13 Divisional titles. The Brewers are still chasing championship No. 1. So, their current hot streak, big plays and big personalities have the city abuzz.

I, for one, hope the Brewers go deep this year. Milwaukee needs a winner, and it's great to see national media firmly on our civic love bandwagon.

In other Brewers news, if you missed this MLB Network piece yesterday please enjoy it. Kudos to the "security guard" for his "Live United" T-shirt and his support of the United Way.

Several free standing doors have popped up around Milwaukee's greater Downtown. I drove by one on Water Street at about Pleasant Street today, and stopped to do a bit of research.

The doors have a logo and QR code. Do a search for Doors Open Milwaukee or scan the QR code and you'll find out that the they're linked to Historic Milwaukee, Inc. and its "Doors Open Milwaukee (DOM)" program.

Doors Open Milwaukee, Sept. 24-25, will give you access to nearly 100 buildings in Downtown Milwaukee. It's a cool program that gives you the ability to see private offices, boardrooms and other spaces that are seldom open to the general public. Similar events have been done in many other cities.

Historic Milwaukee's website explains it like this, "From belfries to boardrooms, judicial chambers to prop shops, green roofs to private museums, DOM will be like getting a back-stage pass to buildings' restricted areas that visitors never see. Churches, museums, theaters, clubs, office buildings, markets, shops, historic homes, cultural centers, architectural firms – any site of historic, cultural or architectural interest."

So, there you have it. Now you know what those doors are all about and you have a new event to add to your calendar.