The History of Sydney HiH
The life and times of a beloved city icon.
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The life and times of a beloved city icon. Back to the full article.
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Categories: Real Estate
Beloved? Those broken-down buildings — with only minor historical or architectural significance — were eyesores for years. If the full block had survived, you could make an argument for a historic district. As it was, the buildings sat totally out of context with the surrounding area. Good riddance.
Maybe not to you, Jeff, but these buildings were beloved by many. It’s hard to argue context in an area devoid of any recent meaningful definition. The Sydney Hih sat next to a freeway wasteland and eventual barren wasteland for years. Eventually a cheaply-built/designed hotel went up to the East while an elegant tower rose to the South. Part of the intrigue was the staying power alone.
The Sydney HiH sat quite comfortably within the historic nature of 3rd street. It just happened to be in isolation on all other sides. It could have served as a bridge to more thoughtful development in the Park East had it been adaptively reused like many of Milwaukee’s best streets. But that’s the past. Now we get another vacant lot that will likely house a hotel development every bit as lifeless as the ALoft.
Looking forward to seeing the gallery exhibit tonight.
Thank you for the interesting article on the history of the building. I’m curious what HiH stands for, if anything.
@ Sharon –
“Hih” is yiddish for “in honor of”.
The complex will always be fondly remembered by me…taking the Park East towards my home near Murray and Greenwich, the building stood as a welcome back to the East Side from the suburb I worked in. A place where a young man could sample arts, food, drink, and culture within a diverse yet overwhelmingly accepting part of town. Not to mention seeing Smashing Pumpkins and other great bands in the most raw and personal way imaginable, then heading upstairs to jam and socialize in a setting that will probably never be recreated again here. It is a shame that neglect and outside pressures led to the demise of this gem that could have served so many other purposes, perhaps part museum of Senn and other Milwaukee science pioneers’ achievements, part Milwaukee music and culture history display, or even accessible recording space for local musicians looking for a break into the business. But, like the Norman, most relegate these spots to bygone eras and accept their passing. Hopefully social media will not entirely replace the social interaction that brought so much to so many under this and other roofs.
My husband and I and two friends were reminiscing here in Florida about the good times we had in the “70’s. Sidney HIH came up and we googled it to find that it no longer exists in substance, but now only in our memories. We had great times partying in that neighborhood and will never forget that part of Milwaukee’s history. Now at 75, I can no longer party, but enjoy the remembrances.