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Bay View Community Center has opened a new beer garden called The Exchange in the newly upgraded Zillman Park on Kinnickinnic Avenue and Ward Street in Bay View.
According the Kyle Vetter, founder of 1840 Brewing, which is located just steps away, “it is super unique because it features beer from every Bay View brewery! I'm not certain, but I think that Bay View is the most brewery-dense zip code in the State with seven breweries, counting MKE Brewing Co., which is yet to open.”
Other Bay View breweries include Component, Enlightened, New Barons, Supermoon, Torzala and 1840.
In addition to the hyper-local beer, the beer garden has Odyssea Sangria from the owners of Lost Whale, across the street, Cache Cider – made in Bay View – and other Milwaukee-made options, like System alcoholic and NA seltzers, and Sprecher soda.
“My favorite part is that in addition to being a fundraiser for the BVCC, they are also opening up the space to fundraise for other charities,” Vetter says.
“If a charity wants to host an event in the park, BVCC has committed to donating $1 from each beer sold during their event to said charity, even if those beers were sold to members of the public.”
Interested nonprofit organizations can apply via The Exchange website.
While the Flour & Feed food hall planned for the first floor of the adjacent KinetiK apartment building (which was meant to include a Gathering Place Brewing location) did not materialize – thanks, Covid – a Paloma Taco location has opened and is bustling.
Other nearby businesses, including Cheeba Hut, Ester Ev, Todd and Room Service have helped create a little boom in the area of the park.
The Exchange is open Thursdays, 4-8 p.m., Fridays, 4-9, Saturdays, 2-9, and Sundays, noon-8.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
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