Old World Third Street Is A Good Place To Do Business
If you haven’t had the chance to check out Old World Third Street in Milwaukee’s Westown neighborhood in a while, make it a point to do so. The past year has brought a lot of new businesses to the street, including enough new restaurants to feed you for a week. Brick 3 Pizza, Capone’s, a greatly expanded Wisconsin Cheese Mart, Notte, Molly Cool’s, Bootleggers, Milwaukee Brat House, Suite. All new businesses that opened since the spring of 2008, and all businesses that appear to be thriving.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recently ran a piece detailing the expansion of Ken McNulty‘s Wisconsin Cheese Mart. The story is a feel good piece about a man who purchased a long-running business and has been able to not only sustain the store’s operations, but expand despite the worldwide economic recession.
There was a part of the story that caught my eye though.
He approached the Chocolate Tree owners next door to see if they would be willing to move.
The Chocolate Tree moved to West Bend. As part of the deal, McNulty paid for the move and developed a Web site for its Internet sales.
And the chocolate store will keep a presence on Old World 3rd St. The Cheese Mart will sell its chocolate truffles and other chocolates.
What’s interesting is that Patrick McIlheran of the Journal Sentinel reported on this same chocolate store closing earlier, claiming the store left because of bad parking in the area. No mention of the Wisconsin Cheese Market’s expansion, just a note that the Chocolate Tree would be leaving for the northern ‘burbs (where the store owner resides).
So despite Mchileran’s doom and gloom analysis of downtown businesses, it appears things are actually going quite well on Old World Third. On top of all the new businesses, there is even an Aloft Hotel under development in the Park East land.
A special thanks goes out to Ken McNulty and all the other business owners on Old World Third Street for not only keeping their businesses in downtown Milwaukee, but expanding their businesses in downtown Milwaukee.
Patrick Mchileran’s Blog should be titled “Wrong Again” instead of “Right On” or whatever it is. He is as clueless as your typical talk radio bum. Narrow mindedness is such a sad downfall to these people. Anyway, thanks for clearing that up about Cheese Mart and Chocolate Tree. I love Old World Third, I often walk up from the Third Ward to dine and have a few drinks. Love it!
No surprise to see McIlheran purposefully leaving out vital info to support another one of this anti-urban blogs. If it were up to “Captain Right On”, I’m sure he’d prefer to see half the street bulldozed to make way for surface parking lots. But his sad one-sided views aren’t really worth paying any attention to.
Any reasonable person who has spent time in downtown MKE can attest to the ease of parking. Note the use of the word “reasonable.” Those who gripe about having to walk a block or two probably should avoid urban centers all together.
Great to see Old World Third taking off. It’s a wonderful compliment and counterpoint to Water Street. Let’s hope these two districts continue to knit together.