Peter Viravec

Peter Viravec. Photo courtesy of NEWaukee.

Where do you work and what makes your role awesome?

I work at La Macchia Enterprises as a User Experience Designer. Being able to work in the travel industry creating software and websites that allow people to plan their dream vacation with ease is fun and exciting. Plus I get to look at vacation pictures all day which is a nice perk. As a user experience designer I get to sit down with our users and talk to them about our websites. Hearing why they truly love our sites, and about their upcoming vacation they have planned is truly rewarding.

How long have you lived in Milwaukee and what brought you here?

I moved here 11 years ago from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where I went to college at Northern Michigan University. Before that I lived out in Vermont. I moved to Wisconsin when I took a job at La Macchia Enterprises. I moved here knowing absolutely no one and in 11 years I have strong circle of friends and have met a ton of great people.

What do you love most about Milwaukee?

The fact I can walk to pretty much anything in the city. I only use my car to get to and from work, and then it’s parked in a lot the rest of the time. I can take shuttles for Brewers games, public transit to do shopping, or use a ride sharing service to get to places just outside of the walking distance. The city is growing quickly too and with more and more businesses opening there are more things I can walk to.

What local restaurant is at the top of your list?

I am really enjoying the new breweries that are opening. My favorite so far is Good City Brewing on Farwell. The atmosphere there is great with a nice modern/clean look. The beers are some of the best I have had in the city and the food is superb. Once it gets nice out and they open their big windows it’s a great place to sit inside and enjoy a cool breeze.

What is your favorite Milwaukee tradition?

Opening day for the Milwaukee Brewers. The amount of people that go to tailgate is insane. Everyone is walking around, grilling, playing catch, and just having a great time talking to each other. Everyone is super friendly and willing to share their food, drinks or even condiments with each other which makes it such a fun experience.

What neighborhood do you live in and why do you love it?

I live on the East Side of Milwaukee. I enjoy living on the East Side as it always has something going on. It seems every week there is a festival or some event going that brings a lot of the Eastsiders together. It ranges from Bloody Mary tastings to kite festivals to bar crawls to charity runs to holiday celebrations.