With our people on the streets and fall in the air, OMC brings you our monthly look at the stuff, tid-bits, rumors and buzz that shape our wonderful city. As usual, you'll read it here first. On Milwaukee!
NEW DOWNTOWN HOUSING, RECORDS?
The Majestic Loft Apartments are coming to 231 W. Wisconsin Ave. The project will renovate an historic office building into 134 loft-style apartments. The building has 14 floors and is connected on the south and west lower floors to the Shops of Grand Avenue. And up the Avenue at 301 W. Wisconsin Ave., the majority of the first floor of this building is rumored to become the new home for the area's first Virgin Records.
ONYX OUT, NEW RESTAURANT COMING
Onyx, the very cool Third Ward dining spot, has closed. It's sad to see since Onyx had a great vibe, good food and the space won the Mayor's Design Award in 2002. The building owner, though, has already leased the space to another high-end restaurant.
THE SOCIAL ON THE MOVE
Walker's Point hot spot, The Social, is looking for a new home in the Historic Third Ward. See note above and the pieces might fall into place.
JEWEL OF INDIA
Jewel of India, a new Indian restaurant, will open at the site of the now closed Bouchard's, 1003 Old World Third St. in downtown.
TONY'S BACK
Former Wauwatosa East, Marquette and LA Lakers basketball star, Tony Smith, is back in Milwaukee as a scout/community events representative for the Milwaukee Bucks.
WHAT'S THE 311?
311 W. Wisconsin Ave. is getting a new restaurant/bar called Three Eleven. Watch for it soon.
TOSA GIRL NOT ON BACHELOR
Milwaukee met Wisconsin's newest hopeful appearing in ABC's "The Bachelor" during a local, primetime special on WISN-TV (Channel 12), on Wed., Sept. 17. Shelly, of Wauwatosa, vied for "Bachelor Bob" Guiney's heart in the newest season of "The Bachelor." The new edition of "The Bachelor" premiered with a two-hour primetime special on Wed., Sept. 24. But, Shelly, despite her friendly Wisconsin-girl personality, was not selected. There's now absolutely no reason to watch this silly show.
STOUT BROS. SALE
Brew pub and restaurant Stout Bros. on Water Street has been closed since Labor Day weekend. The owners are said to be negotiating the sale of the building that may close the place down and possibly replace it with a large Mexican restaurant. The family that owns El Rey Mexican Foods is rumored to be the potential operators.
MO'S IRISH PUB ADDS FOOD
Mo's Irish Pub has opened its upstairs featuring traditional Irish food and live Irish music. A VIP party on Sept. 22 featured the Trinity Irish Dancers.
FLASH MOB?
We hear Oct. 1 at various East Side locations. 5 p.m. at Farwell/Brady. Flash mob could strike.
ALVERNO'S NEW PREZ
Alverno College has a new president. She's Mary Meean, a former top administrator at Seton Hall University. Meean replaces Sr. Joel Reed, who retired but is still very active. Meean is the first lay person to assume the presidency at Alverno.
WHOLEFOODS?
WholeFoods, the world's largest retailer of natural and organic foods, with over 120 stores throughout the country, continues to scout for and get suggestions for possible Milwaukee locations in The Historic Third Ward, downtown and/or the East Side.
"Y-M-C-A" ... NOT!
For the past several decades, the familiar Village People song "YMCA" has been one of the most-recognizable and annoying tunes, luring event goers into using their bodies to spell the letters Y-M-C-A while swaying to the disco beat. This fall, the YMCAs of Metropolitan Milwaukee are parting ways with that old worn-out song and image and choosing to dance to the beat of a different drum. To celebrate the end of one era and the start of a new one, the YMCAs of Metropolitan Milwaukee invited area residents, families and YMCA members to visit the West Suburban YMCA at 124th & North Ave. on Sun., Sept. 28 from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.. for an afternoon of live music, food, beverages, games and smashing of a jukebox that played that horrible song.
BREW CITY BACK AT SOUTHRIDGE
Brew City Bear Gear is set to re-open at Southridge Mall. A beer delivery vehicle will serve as the storefront.
HARLEY BUZZ
Seen in town for the 100th, Jack Nicholson, Jay Leno, and Kevin Eubanks (who is rumored to have a house here). The Milwaukee Art Museum was one of the favored stops around town during the weekend as Harley riders passed through Milwaukee for the Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary. More than 39,000 people visited MAM over Harley Weekend. The event also made the front pages of both The Chicago Tribune and New York Times. And, for all the local talk about Elton, several international media were very impressed with the choice. Go figure.
MORE HOGS, THIS TIME ON WGN
Chicago's WGN -TV will air a special on the H-D 100th on Fri., Oct. 3 at either 7 or 8 p.m. Watch for it.
NEW TREAT FOR TREATS
Treats, 2221 N. Humboldt Blvd., has a new beer garden.
MORE TULA'S BUZZ
We told you a few tid bits about Tula's, 117 E. Wells St., last month. Now we hear that the restaurant is getting a whole new menu and "a complete overhaul." Stay tuned.
NONPROFIT MERGER
The largest association of nonprofit in Wisconsin, the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee (NPC), and the Volunteer Center of Greater Milwaukee (VCGM) are consolidating. As of October 1, the Volunteer Center will become a program unit within the Nonprofit Center and will retain its present services and name.
NEW AMTRAK STATION
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is about to enter into a public-private venture to rehabilitate the outdated Amtrak Station to provide a much-needed new look and expanded services. Public meetings are being set; the first was held on September 9. Call (262) 548-8767 for details on the plans.
PANTHERS GO NATIONAL
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's basketball tem will play North Carolina State in a nationally-televised contest this winter. The Panthers will face the Wolfpack Sun., Dec. 7 on the Fox Sports Net "ACC Game of the Week," which is televised nationally by all Fox Sports Net affiliates. Locally, the game will air on Fox Sports North.
DOWNTOWN, THUMBS UP
A recent survey by Monalco, Inc. and Milwaukee Downtown asked 496 about their perceptions of downtown Milwaukee. The study showed more people in the six-county area say that overall downtown "is getting better." Downtown is strongly perceived as the regional destination for performing arts, cultural attractions, festivals and restaurants. Shopping was a major thumbs down in the survey, but it's getting better slowly but surely.
MTG, RIP
The Emmy-award winning Making The Grade, the MPS television show produced for and by teenagers, is off the air due to cuts in funding. Each episode had a solid moral lesson as well as a movie and book review segment, and a very cool segment called "The OnMilwaukee Minute" as wells as an ongoing animated segment called "The Streeters." MPS students provided all of the voicing for the characters in the series and also provide creative input on show themes and content. We are sad to see MTG go.
MILWAUKEE THEATER SET TO OPEN
Renowned singer/pianist Michael Feinstein, one of the foremost contemporary interpreters of popular American music, will join the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra on Fri., Nov. 7 to help launch the Grand Opening Weekend at the new Milwaukee Theatre. On Sat., Nov. 8, former Styx keyboardist and lead singer Dennis DeYoung will be accompanied by the Festival City Pops Orchestra and the Chicago Children's Choir in a celebration of "The Music of Styx -- and More." On Sunday afternoon, November 9, festivities culminate in a concert by Manhattan Recording Artist Daniel Rodriguez, "America's beloved tenor," joined by the Festival City Symphony and the Heritage Chorale of Milwaukee.
TALK BACK TO THE CREW
The Brewers will host their second Fan Forum on Tues., Oct. 21, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Miller Park. This will be an opportunity for fans to ask questions of President and CEO, Ulice Payne, Jr., General Manager, Doug Melvin and Field Manager, Ned Yost. Fans attending the Fan Forum will get the opportunity to engage in "Instant Fan Surveying" by voting on selected areas targeted for change in 2004. In addition, those in attendance will be the first to learn of exclusive opportunities for 2004 season seat holders.
TRICK OR TREAT
Trick or Treat in Milwaukee will be the last Sunday in October (the 26th) from 1 to 4 p.m.
START SMART
Start Smart Milwaukee has produced its "State of Milwaukee's Children" report. If you go toward the end, there's data on school outcomes for Milwaukee compared to the rest of the state, www.wccf.org/pdf/startsmart.pdf/.
SOAK UP THE SUN, DOWNTOWN
A new sun tan shop is coming to downtown. Details as we get them.
NEW SALONS/SPA
A new spa/salon is rumor to be opening around the corner from Trocadero on Hamilton Street.
SPEAKING OF TROCADERO
Trocadero, just 72 seconds from downtown, is getting ready to open a bar upstairs.
MORE NEWS TO YOU
The Buzz breaks more news as we are the first to tell you that a new café called "Brueke" (pronounced brew-ka) is coming to the East Side. It will located on the 2100 block of North Prospect Avenue. "Brueke" owners Chrisa and Jerry are seeking a Class B Tavern license from the city for their cafe.
