Here's a guide to Milwaukee's Midtown neighborhood

Located on in central Milwaukee and straddling the city's west and north sides, the Midtown neighborhood is one of Milwaukee's more than 75 distinct neighborhoods.

Here’s what to know about the Midtown neighborhood, which is home to nearly 7,000 people.

Where is Milwaukee's Midtown neighborhood?

Neighborhood boundaries are not always clear-cut.

Official sources say Midtown is bordered by North Avenue to the north, 20th Street to the east and Highland Avenue to the south. The city considers part of the western border to be a railroad track that runs from North Avenue down to Vliet Street, from where the border juts east and follows 27th Street from Vliet Street to Highland Avenue.

UW-Milwaukee's Encyclopedia of Milwaukee says the neighborhood's western boundary traditionally extended further west, following the railroad track all the way from North Avenue to near Highland and North 37th Street.

The city, however, considers to the section south of Vliet Street, between 27th and 35th streets, to be the Cold Spring Park neighborhood.

If you ask Midtown residents, they may have a different idea of the borders. Many view the busy Lisbon Avenue as the northern boundary of their neighborhood, said Arijit Sen, a professor of architecture and urban studies at UW-Milwaukee who has conducted work in the neighborhood.

Midtown was settled by German immigrants in the 1800s

Midtown is located on lands that once were inhabited by the Ho-Chunk, Potawatomi and other Indigenous peoples, according to the Canadian nonprofit Native Land Digital.

It was settled in the 19th century, largely by German immigrants. Midtown's homes ranged from massive Victorians to backyard cottages.

The neighborhood went through a dramatic transformation in the 1960s and 1970s when it was part of a controversial "urban renewal" project, according to Milwaukee historian John Gurda. Funded by federal dollars, the project was meant to eliminate blight by tearing down and replacing old houses, but opponents condemned the project as destructive.

In the end, historic buildings were razed, total housing units dropped by nearly 40% and Midtown's population fell by half, according to Gurda.

"On the other hand, hundreds of old homes were in fact improved with the help of grants and low-interest loans, Midtown had its first real park and the new homes were generally superior to those they replaced, even if there were fewer of them," Gurda wrote in a column for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Today, Midtown is home to a diversity of people

Today, Midtown is known for its diversity and for its deep history in the heart of the city. Many historical homes and mansions dot the neighborhood, especially on Highland and McKinley avenues.

The neighborhood is centrally located and only about a mile from downtown.

The Midtown Neighborhood Alliance is working to build neighborhood identity and cohesion. During the pandemic, the alliance, in partnership with several other groups, organized drive-in movie screenings.

What to eat, see and do in and around Milwaukee's Midtown neighborhood

In a corner of the neighborhood is Alice's Garden, a 2-acre community garden at Garfield Avenue and 20th Street. Especially during the growing season, the garden is a regular gathering space, with gardening workshops, artisan markets, free yoga classes and other activities. It also features walking paths.

The garden is named after Alice Meade-Taylor, a former director of the University of Wisconsin Extension in Milwaukee County who was deeply involved in the community and in projects supporting young people of color.

Midtown also is home to St. Michael's Catholic Church, at 1445 N. 24th St., the city's most multicultural Catholic church, where as many as six languages are spoken in a single Mass.

Originally founded in the late 1800s by German immigrants, the church is a hub of activity for the city’s newer community of migrants from southeast Asia and Latin America. It counts among its congregants refugees escaping persecution in Myanmar, immigrants fleeing instability in Latin America, and Hmong and Lao refugees. Half of the parishioners are under 35 years old.

More: Milwaukee's most multicultural Catholic church exudes the Easter message of new life

Tiefenthaler Park is a 10.6-acre park located at 25th and Galena streets that was built in the 1970s. The park features basketball courts, baseball and soccer fields, and a recently rebuilt community center, home of the Kellogg PEAK Initiative, which provides after-school, weekend and summer programs for young people. The park is named after Leo Tiefenthaler, a longtime Midtown resident, civic activist and citizen watchdog who was a regular at local government meetings until his death in 1974.

Another green space, Lynden Hill, is located on the site of the former Misericordia Hospital, which relocated to Brookfield in 1969. Located at McKinley Avenue and 22rd Street, Lynden Hill serves as a neighborhood sledding hill in winter.

Milwaukee High School of the Arts is a longtime neighborhood anchor, as well.

New to the neighborhood? Here’s how to access Milwaukee services

• Midtown is located in the 15th aldermanic district (though if you consider the Cold Spring Park neighborhood to be part of Midtown, that falls within the 4th aldermanic district). You can check your specific address at bit.ly/MKE_FindMyDistrict to find your district. Contact your alderperson and find news about your district at city.milwaukee.gov/CommonCouncil/Council-Members.

• The neighborhood is in Police District 3, which holds public safety meetings at 5:30 p.m. on the last Thursday of every month, except December, at the District 3 station, 2333 N. 49th St. The November meeting in 2024 will be held on the second-to-last Thursday.

• Find your garbage and recycling schedule at city.milwaukee.gov/sanitation/GarbageRecyclingSchedules.

• Learn how to register to vote and find your polling place at city.milwaukee.gov/election/Voter-Info.

• Need to borrow tools for a home improvement project? Check out the city’s Tool Loan Center, 2500 W. Capitol Drive. More details at bit.ly/MKE_ToolLoan.

• Want to get emailed updates about police activity, new development and more in your neighborhood? Sign up for the city’s e-notify system at city.milwaukee.gov/News-Events/enotify

Tell us about your Milwaukee neighborhood. We want to hear from you!

What makes your Milwaukee neighborhood special to you? Do you have any photos in the neighborhood you'd like to share? Share more at bit.ly/MKE_Neighborhoods.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A guide to Milwaukee's Midtown neighborhood