A view facing south on Oakland Ave. in Shorewood
Spanning more than one-and-a-half miles, the Village of Shorewood boasts plenty of green space, a gorgeous beach on Lake Michigan, several bus lines, small shops and restaurants and amenities that would be impressive in a community three times its size. The compact village—conveniently located just north of Milwaukee’s East Side (about a mile from the UW-Milwaukee campus and just south of Whitefish Bay)—is extremely walkable.
Along with La Crosse, Wis., Shorewood has been designated as a bronze-level “Walk Friendly Community” by national nonprofit organization Walk Friendly Communities which promotes pedestrian safety and the environmental benefits of walkable communities.
Oakland Avenue, considered to be the village’s downtown, is lined with independently owned businesses, including coffee shops, restaurants and a full-service grocery store. Many residents can patronize the businesses without having to drive to them. “I love the pedestrian-friendly environment,” says Shorewood Village Manager Rebecca Ewald. “To have all these amenities here is phenomenal.” Resident Lisa Castagnozzi, an artist and owner of fair-trade store Just Goods (4451 N. Oakland Ave.), adds that the village’s walkability factor enhances its “strong sense of community.”
Shorewood boasts 260 businesses, many of them health and wellness related; a number that would be impressive for a community twice its size. The village “is increasingly vibrant, with an influx of people from all over the city visiting its retail (establishments) and restaurants,” Castagnozzi says.
Cyclists Welcome, Too
Shorewood Planning and Development Director Bart Griepentrog says that the village also embraces cyclists. Within the last few years, Shorewood, which is close to many bike trails (among them the Oak Leaf Trail), has created bike lanes on Oakland Avenue. Pinnacle Bike Service (4026 N. Wilson Drive) offers bicycle repair and building services. “I think Shorewood’s bike activity is pretty unique,” Griepentrog says.
Shorewood’s natural resources—Lake Michigan, the Milwaukee River, four parks and a beach—are treasures, and the village is determined to preserve them. Estabrook and Hubbard Parks and Atwater Park and beach, along with the village’s new River Park—with a baseball and soccer field—and the recently renovated Humble Park at North Oakland and East Edgewood avenues, offer visitors and residents plenty of tranquil green space.
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In 2007, the Shorewood Board of Trustees revived the Conservation Committee, dedicated to the village’s environmental conservation and sustainability. The board implemented The Natural Step in 2009, a sustainability model developed by Swedish scientists in 1983. Natural Step principles include protecting ecosystems and “eliminating [a] community’s contribution to fossil fuel dependence and wasteful use of scarce metals and materials,” according to The American Planning Association’s Planning for Sustainability Policy Guide. Due to its efforts to create and protect bird habitats, Shorewood was designated a “Bird City” in 2014.
Business Growth and an Inaugural ‘Street Feast’
Shorewood is gaining new businesses every year, including a new location for Blue’s Egg (4195 N. Oakland Ave.) and Casa de Corazon (4114 N. Oakland Ave.), a Spanish immersion day care. This fall, an Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s clinic will open at the former Sendik’s Food Market (4027 N. Oakland Ave.). Later this year, indoor cycling, workout and weightlifting facility Power Studio is expected to open at 4521 N. Oakland Avenue.
Griepentrog says the village has experienced a “renaissance of redevelopments” in the last decade. Six mixed-use developments, including the Metro Market and Mosaic—a grocery store and luxury apartment complex located at 4075 N. Oakland Ave.—have been built in the last few years. To help combat parking issues caused by the influx of small businesses, Shorewood officials say they are developing a comprehensive parking and transportation plan and will hold a series of town hall meetings.
With a population of about 13,300 (per the 2010 U.S. Census), Shorewood has a median home value of about $370,000, significantly higher than the city of Milwaukee’s $123,000 (according to zillow.com). The village has a mix of housing options, including older and newer homes, condos and apartments. “We have great housing stock,” says Business Improvement District (BID) director Ericka Lang.
Attorney Joel Rosenthal and his wife, who have three children, have lived in Shorewood since 1971. “We were very happy with the school system, and the education [my children] received,” he says. “We enjoy the village’s sense of community and its proximity to UWM, where we have many friends.” Resident John Holtz moved from Riverwest to Shorewood with his wife in 2014. Holtz says he liked the village’s proximity to Milwaukee. “Both of us wanted the benefits of an urban area,” he said. The couple now has two children. “We can walk to restaurants and some interesting shops, and our girls will be able to walk to school. The lake, and one of Milwaukee’s best parks and beaches, is right here,” he adds.
On Saturday, Sept.14, Shorewood will host its first Street Feast. Besides a five-course dinner highlighting cuisine by local chefs served at a table that seats 100 placed in the middle of Oakland Avenue, Street Feast will include activity zones for kids and adults and a three-on-three basketball tournament. “This one-day event is a reimagined street festival offering activities for all ages with a focus on great food and entertainment,” Lang says. Moving forward, Shorewood is “definitely looking for opportunities and keeping things on the radar,” Griepentrog adds.
