Milwaukee has seen many changes since 1982 when the Shepherd Express, Milwaukee’s weekly newspaper and daily website, debuted. At that time, our city was in decline by many measures as the once-thriving “Machine Shop of the World” was sinking into the Rust Belt, and the “City That Means Beer” was losing its breweries. The city’s uplift began with a change of leadership in local government, but was (and continues to be) supported by local enterprise—by the individuals, businesses and community organizations that have made Milwaukee a great city for living, working and playing.
The Shepherd Express has played an important role in the changing face of Milwaukee. Over the past three decades, we have contributed to political change in the city and promoted the growth of its cultural life—including the remarkable proliferation of performing arts groups, craft breweries and artisan food and beverage makers of all kinds; the opening of new restaurants; the revitalization of dying neighborhoods; and a greater awareness of the city’s unique history.
Today, when fake news or poorly written pontifications are often substituted for real journalism and analysis, the Shepherd Express has remained a trusted and dependable voice for our 300,000-plus readers in print and online. From the cultural legacies left by our city’s beer barons and the socialist administration that gave us America’s greatest system of public parks, through the traditional work ethic of our industrial laborers and our present-day network of entrepreneurs and artisans, Milwaukee has always been a city that demands quality.
The Shepherd Express endeavors to live up to those standards in all that we do. We dedicate the 2018 edition of our annual City Guide to our readers, the people of greater Milwaukee.
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INSIDE THE GUIDE: • How Milwaukee Became America's Bowling Capital • Five Taverns that Embody the Unique Charm of Milwaukee Corner Bars • Milwaukee County Parks are Among the Nation's Best • Building Milwaukee's Lakefront • How Milwaukee Revitalized its River • Milwaukee's Unique Foodways
Louis G. Fortis Publisher and Editor-in-Chief David Luhrssen City Guide Editor
