The stage is in place.  The vendors are setting up.  Metro Market is soon to be buzzing with shoppers.  Friends and neighbors are preparing to skip out of work a little early, run home grab the chairs, a bottle of something, and head to Cathedral Square.  Yes, it’s opening night at Jazz in the Park, kinda.  Because that is how it use to work.  Today used to be one of my favorite days of the year, but as East Town has yet to back off their position of no longer allowing alcoholic carry-ins into the festival, things aren’t quite in order for the start of festival season.

I know this seems like a pretty minor issue, that’s hardly newsworthy, but to many Milwaukee residents this new policy reduces a great East Town event.  In fact there’s been talk on various Milwaukee email lists of boycotting Jazz in the Park until the rules regarding carry-ins are changed and I’ve joked about holding alternatives events, but the truth is the party will go on, just not in quite the same manner.  Really, who hasn’t snuck a flask into a football game or hidden a beer in their jacket, so surly people will find a way to continue to bring their own.  A local liquor store is even selling a product called Pocket Shots with Jazz in the Park specifically in mind, but this misses the point because this event isn’t a football game.

The point isn’t that people can drink or not, they still can.  It is about the random gatherings that occur over a bottle of wine or twelve pack of Miller, and the characters that make it unique and interesting.  I think of Downtown Diamond Dave and his “Brooklyn cooler,” a Walgreen’s bag, twelve pack of beer, and some ice.  Or the monster martini glass guy, who’d wander the square sipping on his martini.  I think of the experiences had and relationships built without out a plan, without effort, simply by reaching in the cooler and saying “want a beer?”  Yes, there will still be music, and there will of course still be people sitting out, but until State Rep. Leon D. Young’s (D-Milwaukee) legislation makes it to Governor Doyle’s desk, it’s likely that many will head straight for Taylor’s skipping the park all together, and that’s a shame.

The streets, E. State St. and E. Wells St., need to lose some weight because these multi-lane one-way expressways that run through East Town disrupt an otherwise walkable neighborhood.

The neighborhood that E. State St. runs through includes MSOE, the Juneau Village Towers and the Yankee Hill Apartments.  This is important because these apartment complexes are two of the higher density housing structures in the City of Milwaukee and combined with MSOE students brings thousands of pedestrians the area daily.  Despite the large pedestrian population the current street design is apparently geared towards peak automobile traffic days such as the Fourth of July because, it is rare if ever that this street is congested.  What does happen along this stretch of road, that is a direct result of it being a one-way street, with little congestion, and having multiple travel lanes is that people speed excessively.  With the amount of pedestrian traffic in the area and little congestion it seems that removing a travel lane, converting the street to two-ways, and potentially adding curb-separated or standard bike lanes, would offer significant benefits.  The benefits would include, encouraging more people to bike instead of drive, slowing traffic, creating a more pedestrian friendly environment, and in fact improving automobile access to the neighborhood.  The good news is that E. State St. received approval at the last meeting of the Public Works Committee, that if also supported by the full Common Council will soon start the project to convert the E. State St. to two-ways.

Although this pair of streets act similar, in that they both act like freeways, the difference between the streets is primarily comprised of the uses along them.  E. Wells St. runs past Cathedral Square which is one of the most highly utilized parks in the city and is truly a destination nightlife district.  Because of this, concerns around the safety of pedestrians is of importance, but so are accessibility and safety a concern for drivers along this street.  It isn’t all that uncommon to see a driver go the wrong way down E. Wells St., turn left from the center lane, because the nature of the street doesn’t fit with the location.  Additionally, it is common to see cars continuously circling the block because the parking spot is not easily accessible without circling the neighborhood.  The changes to E. Wells St. should include the same features as E. State St., removing a travel lane, converting the street to two-ways, and adding of some form of bike lanes.  On top of those enhancement curb bump-outs and enhanced materials could be utilized at the Jefferson St. and Jackson St. intersections to further improve the pedestrian experience.

Putting this pair of streets on a diet may not encourage redevelopment like the Broadway recommendation could, but it should improve the walkability, accessibility, and safety of East Town.

1. Jazz in the Park, it’s back June 4th and despite the drama, will be just like it has been in years past.  River Rhythms starts across the river on June 10th, and Chill on the Hill kicks off June 2nd.

2. Bike racks on buses, they’re coming.

3. The Milwaukee RiverWalk, take a stroll along the RiverWalk where the built environment meets the natural environment.  It’s not just for walking though, eat to your hearts content at Rock Bottom Brewery, the Milwaukee Ale House, or the Water Buffalo (by no means a complete list of RiverWalk eateries).   Lakefront Brewery has a nice RiverWalk segment and they serve beer, check that out.

4. RiverSplash gets the festival season going early, starting on June 5th.  Hopefully there will be a few more street closings this year to calm the crowds.  Seriously, we close way too few streets downtown for events.  If pedestrian overcrowding was a concern, just make the area bigger.

5. The Bastille Days run.  An athletic urbanist’s dream, what other event lets you run through the streets of downtown Milwaukee with only the fear of getting hit by a stroller?  Milwaukee needs more runs in the city.  The lakefront is great, but nothing compares to running through the city streets with 10,000 other people.  North Avenue?  Brady Street?  Westown?  All would be fun.

What did I miss?

It was just a few years ago when Milwaukee was named the #2 Party City in America, and although that might seem like a funny or insignificant title it was actually a well deserved and beneficial honor.  I believe this title meant more than the number of beers sold at Summerfest or bar stools per capita.  I believe it considered that because of Milwaukee’s great events “party goers” of all backgrounds can come together to enjoy music, art, the outdoors and a good drink.  This ranking didn’t just show that we Milwaukeean’s like to knock back a few but more importantly it showed young professionals, baby boomers, and outsiders that Milwaukee was a vibrant, fun city to live in.  This ranking reflected what those of us who live in already knew, summer in Milwaukee is about as good as it gets.

Then the Winter of 2008 arrived, and as President Obama indicated “change has come to America”.  More specifically change has come to Milwaukee’s summer time events.  Unfortunately not to the betterment of Milwaukee.

First, we heard that after 18 years of allowing carry-in liquor, Jazz in the Park is throwing out the tradition that made the event special.  Next, we heard that Gallery Night is being harassed by the State of Wisconsin over a couple of free glasses of wine.  And now we hear of neighbors whining about music on Bradford Beach.

Understand that I’m not lamenting the loss of cheap liquor or loud music for their sake, but more so regarding what these changes mean.  Furthermore, I know there has been an outrage in the mainstream media over drunk driving in Wisconsin, deservedly so, but going after great events such as Jazz in the Park or Gallery Night isn’t the solution.

The ability to carry-in your own choice of beverage allows groups of friends from all income levels and races to gather and celebrate together.  It facilitates spontaneous gatherings, random meetings, and yes, community building.  By changing this rule East Town has turned Jazz in the Park from a community event into a street festival, and although street festivals are still enjoyable something is lost.

The wine offered at galleries during Gallery Night serves a purpose other than inebriation.  It takes the fairly individual act of browsing art and opens it up to groups of friends and strangers.  Furthermore, it attracts first time art fans which opens a new world of interest to those who may not ever of chosen to explore art.

For years, some would say decades, Bradford Beach was in decline.  Until last year.  Last year the Hi-Hat Group and X-Ray Marketing took over operations of the Bradford Beach House and began to schedule a variety of events which included live music.  Anyone who made it down the beach last year knew times had changed for the better.  People were playing volleyball, sun tanning, swimming, and enjoying the music.  A great Milwaukee amenity was re-born and enjoyed by thousands of Milwaukeeans throughout last summer.  As with Jazz in the Park and Gallery Night, this great amenity, this great event, this part of Milwaukee’s rebirth is already coming under fire.  Recently a small group of East Side residents complained to the County Board, apparently because they didn’t approve of the choice of music, and now the fun, the rebirth of Bradford Beach is in question.

This “war on fun” needs to be looked at in a larger view, beyond the individual events.  Beyond the individual concerns and complaints.  I hope that we as a city begin to realize that events big and small add to the vibrancy of our great city.  I hope that soon enough we realize the value these events bring to our city, because if we choose rigid and muted, over vibrant and lively, we move a step closer to Generica, U.S.A.

We had originally speculated about the origins of the ban on carry-ins at Jazz in the Park.  Our speculation was that it was really a money issue, but that we thought the East Town Association had the right to and should attempt to generate money from the event.

Today we received just about all we needed to confirm our suspicions, a couple of great quotes from the Milwaukee Chief of Police Edward Flynn courtesy of the Journal Sentinel article Jazz in the Park fans have a whine and cheese party.

“It’s the first time I’ve been thrown under a bus by a wine-drinking Brie-eater,” he said.

“Listen, I can’t tell you the Police Department is not going to enforce appropriate laws. I will tell you that when it comes to an event like this, we’re going to respond to conduct. We’re not doing anything pro-active.”

Translation: The police don’t care if you uncork your own bottle of wine or pop a few carry-in beers at Jazz in the Park, as long as you’re peaceful and behave.

Flynn communicated this to Kate Borders, East Town’s executive director, when he saw her at the fest last summer. “Against the backdrop of 19 years of no major incidents there, I certainly assured her that we weren’t suddenly going to become revenuers,” Flynn said.

It’s perfectly reasonable for the East Town Association to want this event to break-in, or even generate a profit to support area businesses, no one should complain about that.  What is a shame is how this whole thing has been handled.  The East Town Association has done nothing to help itself here, failing to control and soften the reaction at every step of the way.  The statements from Chief Flynn, that contradict earlier reports from the East Town Association, are just another step in this saga that probably isn’t over.

Let’s at least give it a catch title.  Jazzgate?

The East Town Association has posted a question and answer response to their recent policy change banning carry-ins.  Check it out, and let us know what you think.

At some point someone might want to ask why Westown’s River Rhythms hasn’t announced a similar policy yet.

In a stunning announcement today, OMC reports that Jazz in the Park will no longer allow carry-ins of alcohol.  The event which is run by the East Town Association at Cathedral Square is a popular event for a large number of Milwaukeeans every Thursday night from June until the end of September.  The article states that the Milwaukee Police Department and a Wisconsin law are the reasons for the shut down.  We’re wondering if the changes are related to finances and not the law.

The event is free to attend and has an interesting revenue model.  As I have been led to believe by a board member, Bastille Days the French heritage festival held annually in July actually generates a substantial amount of the revenue that allows Jazz in the Park to operate.  Furthermore, and I last discussed this issue in 2006, there was looming concerns that the rainy day fund accumulated by the East Town Association was running low.  I don’t know whether any of that is still true at this point, but assume it is for the sake of debate.

How do you raise revenues?  One option may be standing by and accepting the no carry-ins ruling that has been placed upon you by the Milwaukee Police Department and selling more alcohol on the premises to a crowd that is reduced in size.

Another option for East Town may be to charge admission  to the event.  Could East Town also sell reserved spaces for the event (my group puts our blanket out at noon)?

What about a mix of value-added services included valet parking, a reserved space on the grass, and a food and drink package?

How about not allowing carry-ins, but allowing all businesses with liquor licenses within distance X (say 2 miles) to sell alcohol on the premises (helping Metro Market and upstart Blatz Liquor significantly, along with Taylors and company)?

Is there a way to generate more parking revenue?  MSOE currently sells parking to benefit their athletics program.

What would you do?  We would love if it you would post a comment with your idea(s).  Also feel free to email your alderman to share your idea or just to lend your support for Jazz in the Park as it has been in years past.

Powells
Originally uploaded by compujeramey

Portland, Oregon is getting on-board with a program I would love to see Milwaukee jump on in the near future.

Slated to happen on June 22 (in conjunction with the International Carfree Conference), Sunday Parkways will offer Portlanders a chance to stroll, pedal, and play on a six-mile loop of streets that will be closed to motor vehicle traffic from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm…. reports BikePortland.org

They’re linking the route up with parks and live entertainers, to offer a little more than a unique place to ride your bike.

As far as Milwaukee goes, it would be amazing to have a loop available on a Saturday or Sunday during the summer for people to just play in the absence of dangerous cars everywhere.

Linking up with parks for entertainment value I think is huge, along with having a view of the lake.

A potential route starting at Cathedral Square might include heading north on Van Buren Street, east on Brady Street, south on Prospect Ave, and west on Wells or Kilbourn to come back to the starting point.

This is really a tool the Third Ward, East Town and West Association’s could use to market their neighborhoods as safe places for both fun and work by drawing people in from other areas who are otherwise intimidated by the speed and noise of the cars on city streets.

I would imagine businesses would be behind this and traffic on Saturday or Sunday mornings is next to nonexistent anyway, so it would bring business in, not chase it away.

The only thing that I can think of that compares on a scale basis is the Bastille Days Run through downtown with Jazz in the Park going on afterward.

Milwaukee needs to convert that to an open day-time event for everyone to enjoy in a non-competitive environment.

Any thoughts? Support? Yays or nays?

Special thanks to the Streetsblog for pointping the Portland event out to me. I can’t find anything, but I think they have something like this in Manhattan too.

Federal Building Photographers
Originally uploaded by compujeramey

I attended my first Cream City Photowalk this past Saturday with a bunch of other members of the Cream City (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) photo group on Flickr.

If there a measure of photowalking success, where when photos get taken things are a success and when photos don’t it’s not, this event was a success.

We walked from John Hawk’s Pub in the 100 East Wisconsin building to the Milwaukee Federal Building, down to Cathedral Square and then back. The cold and the slight drizzle were only to keep some of us back.

My photos from the walk are tagged with “creamcityphotowalk2007november”