By David Wise
WisPolitics Milwaukee Bureau Chief
MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee image-makers may want to move beyond beer and brats, but the results of the Milwaukee Press Club’s “Gems of Milwaukee” survey shows Milwaukeeans haven’t forgotten all of their roots.
Summerfest, the week-and-a-half long festival of music and beer, topped the list. Also placing in the top 10 with Milwaukee’s Calatrava-designed art museum were Friday-night fish fries and frozen custard.
The results of the survey, compiled from more than 7,000 responses, were announced yesterday at the city’s 160th birthday party downtown Milwaukee.
They were read by actress Jane Kaczmarek, a Milwaukee native who has starred in “Malcolm in the Middle” and other programs, via a pre-recorded video presentation.
The Top Ten Gems of Milwaukee:
1. Summerfest
2. Milwaukee Art Museum
3. Ethnic Festivals
4. Milwaukee’s Lakefront
5. Harley-Davidson
6. Milwaukee County Zoo
7. Frozen Custard
8. Allen Bradley Clock Tower
9. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
10. Friday Night Fish Fries
In his remarks before the announcement, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett pumped up progress in the city citing the planned move of Manpower Inc. to downtown, the Menomonee Valley redevelopment and plans for a city-wide wireless network. Barrett tied these developments to job creation. “The emphasis here is on …jobs, jobs, jobs,” Barrett said.
In any such list, things are bound to be left out. Vince Bobot, who recently announced his bid to unseat David Clarke as Milwaukee County sheriff, pointed to what he felt was a glaring hole in the list—Miller Park. In an interview, Barrett said he thought the city’s brewery tours should have made the list, too.
The party, hosted by the Milwaukee Press Club, was a classy, subdued affair set in the historic trappings of the Milwaukee Hilton City Center hotel. Food stations greeted guests at every turn with offerings from hors doeuvres to prime rib. Miller and Sprecher products were included in the $20 admission. Of course, birthday cake was plentiful.
The several hundred attendees represented a mix of the city’s business and political world. Some notable attendees included: Barrett, Common Council President Willie Hines, and Common Council members Michael D’Amato, Michael Murphy, Robert Bauman and Willie Wade. Also in attendance were: J.D. Watts and Jane Carroll, both candidates for Milwaukee County judge, City Attorney Grant Langley, and 2004 mayoral candidates Bobot and Sandy Folaron.
