Patrick Yates

How long have you lived in Milwaukee and why did you choose to live here?
Almost 3 years now. I graduated from UW-Whitewater and knew I wanted to live in a city, I felt like staying in Wisconsin made the most sense in order for my education to actually have some name recognition. In my opinion Madison is too much of a college town so Milwaukee pretty much won by default… and I couldn’t be happier! Milwaukee has everything you could want in a big city with the niceties of small town charm. This city offers so much to its residents. To name just a few: Sailing on Lake Michigan all season long thanks to the Milwaukee Sailing Center, enjoying our many Brewery Tours (Lakefront Brewery is my favorite), a plethora of quality classes through the Milwaukee Recreation Program,  learning how to play a new instrument at the Conservatory of Music… and my favorite is that Milwaukee residents just know how to have a good time! I love how much diversity and culture we have in a city the size of Milwaukee filled with a population that is friendly and sincere.

What is one thing about MKE you would like to see change?
I grew up in a village of about 1,200 people in the middle of cornfields so Milwaukee has been a GREAT change of pace. But from my perspective one thing I would like to see improve would be more residents of Milwaukee bragging about how great of a city we live in and to become a part of the energy that is passionate on making this city even better. Clever Sauce Creative, W Girls, Historic Milwaukee, MiKE, and the Urban Ecology Center are doing amazing things that make us so lucky to be able to call Milwaukee home.

What is your favorite local event?
Can I just say Summer? I mean really, Summers in Milwaukee – Kick Ass. We have The World’s Largest Music Festival, Awesome Ethnic Festivals every week, multiple Outdoor Music Series, Neighborhood Block Parties, and of course the Beautiful Lakefront! After 27 years of living in Wisconsin I’m finally starting to adjust well to the seasons by hibernating in the winter and enjoying the heck out of warmer months.

What is one piece of advice you would give to someone moving here?
Volunteer and don’t think you know Milwaukee until you’ve experienced it for yourself.

What do you do?
For my day job, I am Project Manager of eCommerce Platform Implementations at C&H Distributors.