The place where I live, redux

My daughter dives into the pool at the Schultz Aquatic Center at Lincoln Park.

Last year, I wrote an essay - The Place Where You Live - Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which appears online and was also published in the January-February 2014 issue of Orion Magazine.  Written in September of 2013, the essay is a "deep appreciation" of my neighborhood, specifically the little few blocks area where my family lives.  It's no coincidence that I wrote those words in September, in the afterglow of summer and on the cusp of autumn.  The essay highlights the natural beauty and the sense of pride and community within my neighborhood, without sugarcoating the challenges that exist in most urban places.

I thought about that essay quite a bit this weekend because I felt fortunate to experience so many of the wonderful things that my neighborhood and my city have to offer.  It is true that summer tends to bring an increase in crime, with more people out and about.  And it's not hard to find stories of shootings or muggings or break-ins, on the evening news, in the local newspaper or on Facebook.  While I want to be informed and aware of crime in the area, I also want to keep that in perspective and to remember all the good things about living where I do.  My family and I spent the weekend enjoying many of the amazing things our city has to offer.

As I wrote about yesterday, I spent the morning and early afternoon biking and lunching with friends.  I can bike from my house to the lakefront, along the beautiful Oak Leaf Trail and past the Urban Ecology Center (another great asset to our city), and arrive at the Milwaukee Art Museum within 20 minutes.  Yesterday, our group biked from there through Lakeshore State Park past Discovery World and Summerfest, crossed through the vibrant and historic Third Ward neighborhood, passed the Harley Davidson Museum, and connected with the Hank Aaron State Trail.  The Hank Aaron State Trail runs along the Menomonee River, and - besides being a beautiful trail - connects with many other sights and destinations, including another branch of the Urban Ecology Center and Miller Park.  We biked as far as the Pettit Center yesterday.  On our way back downtown, we stopped along the river at The Twisted Fisherman and lunched outside on the deck.  We have lots of great restaurants in our city, too.  

Milwaukee is such an accessible city with so much to offer.  At the same time that I was having my biking adventure, one of my sons was taking the city bus in the opposite direction, north of the city to the Bayshore Town Center, where he could enjoy bowling and a movie with friends.  From where we live, it's easy to get around the city and nearby suburbs using the county transit system.  Meanwhile our older son was working as a lifeguard at a local county pool.  The Milwaukee County Parks system has several great pools, many beautiful parks and a huge variety of facilities and recreational opportunities.  Also - beer gardens.  Speaking of parks and pools, we visited the Schultz Aquatic Center at Lincoln Park this afternoon.  After an afternoon at the pool, I enjoyed dinner at cafe corazon with friends.  Two of us walked there, and another friend biked.  After margaritas and dinner, I walked home and sat down contentedly to write this blog.         

It's worth repeating - I appreciate the place where I live!