Milwaukee is a city of neighborhoods. Each of them, like tiny hamlets, encompass an array of interesting people, sights and sounds.
One of Milwaukee's older neighborhoods is currently experiencing a sort of renaissance, and its rejuvenation is sparking a new interest with residents and business owners alike. That neighborhood is Bay View, located in view of the lakeshore, and huddled astride its main thoroughfare, South Kinnickinnic Avenue.
A few years ago, the buildings along KK, as it is known, were in sad shape, and businesses were struggling. However, all that has begun to change, with the help of some dedicated business owners.
A little more than a year ago, those business people built a foundation for bettering the neighborhood and changing its image so it could begin to attract a new base of people -- both businesses and residents.
Chris Ward, who grew up in Bay View and has extensive family ties to the neighborhood, opened Oranje on KK last September. Their unique store sells European and Asian cosmetics, and since opening, Ward realized that the other businesses in the area needed a forum to communicate and make changes that would attract more people to the area.
In 2001, she took control of the ailing Bay View Business Association whose job it is to work with local businesses. Now it holds regular meetings and focuses on the neighborhood's concerns to help create a positive image of the growing retail outlets on KK Avenue.
"We took over (the old Bay View Association) in 2001 as a vehicle to revitalize the neighborhood, and we recruited among businesses," Ward says. "We have a great mix of owners -- new, older and established -- with a goal to see the neighborhood come back."
And since their acquisition last year, the group has set three goals to help sustain business and increase the amount of visitors to the area. According to Ward, the goals set by the Bay View Business Association included, "increased awareness in crime, improved aesthetics and new development."
{INSERT_RELATED}As for the increased awareness in crime, Ward says that the business owners have created a liaison with the second district police department, along with informing residents and business owners the true crime statistics in the neighborhood.
Ward also mentioned that the area had some buildings whose facades, which offer the public their first view of a building, were in bad condition. With the help of the Bay View Association, business owners can apply for façade grants from the city of Milwaukee's development office.
The association is also sponsoring a logo contest, which will be announced at the end of the summer. And soon new banners will adorn the KK Avenue light poles, along with signs welcoming visitors to Bay View at both ends of busy KK Avenue as they come into the neighborhood.
And perhaps the most important agenda for the association is securing new business owners to open up shop and join some of the other unique stores. So far their work has succeeded, and a host of new stores have made their home along the stretch of KK Avenue. Stores such as Eyes Unique, an upscale eyeglass store, and the future opening of Au Bon Appetit are the signs of the coming renaissance on the street.
These new stores join a host of others such as Hi-Fi café, Rush-Mor Records, Starship and the Lulu Café who have all decided to take a gamble and roll out their welcome mats in the diverse neighborhood. The Avalon Theatre is also slated to reopen.
Sarah Jonas, one of the owners of Café Lulu can attest to that. Says Jonas,"I felt Bay View had an interesting group of people, clientele and artists who were different." She also says her perspective to Bay View is that some of those who come here, "are from the East Side and who like the lake, but can't afford the East Side, so they live in Bay View."
Chris Ward says that attitude may come from the area's deep socialist views and thinking. Bay View is comprised of a host of family businesses that are all supported by residents of the lakeside neighborhood. It is the locals that keep these new businesses up and running, rather than taking their business to larger chains in suburban areas of the city.
Chris Ward says that part of the reason why the area of Bay View is so alluring and enjoyable to shop and visit is because of what she calls, the "Bay View mantra." Ward says, "I encourage people to go out their way to go somewhere in Bay View-to shop locally, make a statement. You can revitalize your neighborhood by shopping there because you are dealing with people who are emotionally and financially invested."
Ward's beliefs carry over not only to Bay View, but also for any of the diverse neighborhoods Milwaukee has to offer. She says, "this mantra goes for every neighborhood, not only our neighborhood, but all neighborhoods. Strength lies in that. If you go to Wal-Mart, you are not part of the solution."
And for the changes that are expected to be the catalyst for the neighborhood, Ward provided some hints as to what can be expected in Bay View in the upcoming months. "Changes are in store--great things are coming, we are looking for an opportunity for organic groceries, bookstores and other development."
Those changes have not only sparked interest from the alderwoman, but also from many of the businesses, even if they are not involved in the Bay View Business Association. Take Front Room Photography, a business owned by Eron Laber and Neil Kiekhofer, that specializes in color and black and white wedding photography. Looking for a change, their business moved to Bay View from Rivervwest last August.
Laber says his business' rebirth, and the new growth that has been sparked in Bay View has been very appealing. "There used to be a lot of spacing in the neighborhood," Laber says, who has a distinct notion for spatial judgement in his everyday use of photography. "It used to be a long way till you found the next cool thing, now that has changed."
Laber, like other business owners, is also excited about the re-opening of the Avalon Theatre. Along with the hair salons, tiny cafes and eateries popping up, more people are sure to visit Bay View, a neighborhood whose South Side flair has drastically changed. Laber recalls, "It's a neat time for this place. The area felt so 'South Side,' and now that is changing with all these new creative things."
Suzanne Breier, Alderwoman for the 14th district that encompasses KK Avenue has been in office for quite some time, and says the changes in store for the neighborhood are exciting. Brier says, "I am thrilled about the KK Avenue revitalization. I am excited we have a new Bay View business group. It's been 10 years I've been in office and we have to keep, keeping on, I see progress that absolutely thrills me!"
Ward suggested that Bay View residents enjoy reading, and that there has been a lack of nice bookstores in the area (although Schwartz Bookshops scouted locations in the neighborhood more than two years ago -ed.), as well as high-end organic grocers like Outpost Natural Foods or Sendik's. Both are things that would be greatly appreciated by Bay View residents.
