Sleek, fun and very SoHo, the new Aloft Milwaukee Downtown sits alongside RiverWalk.

What's New In Milwaukee

Friendly people, bratwurst and Miller Park. What more could you want? Wait. Don't answer that. Milwaukee has lots more, and here's the best of what's new.

Night Spots

You have to love a spot that notes it’s an “adult beverage establishment,” euphemistically stating the obvious while holding the beer tap wide open. Such is the pluck of Club Charlies (320 E. Menomonee; 414/763-8548; clubcharlies.com) in the Third Ward. Come for the sliders and Irish nachos (seriously); stay for the half-off bottles of wine on Thursday nights. Slip into Whiskey Bar (788 N. Jackson St.; 414/312-8566; whiskeybarmilwaukee.com) to hang with the glitterati and sip the best martinis this side of Chicago. 

New Hotels

With SoHo-like aspirations, the new Aloft Milwaukee Downtown (1230 Old World 3rd St.; 414/226-0122; aloftmilwaukeedowntown.com) offers guests a glorious setting (alongside RiverWalk and close to vibe-worthy nightspots), aesthetics (9-foot ceilings, mammoth windows) and sweet perks (complimentary wireless Internet and Camp Aloft for kids). Bring your hogs, boys and girls, to the Iron Horse Hotel (500 West Florida St.; 888/543-4766; theironhorsehotel.com), a hot-list boutique property across from the Harley-Davidson Museum that caters to the biz traveler and motorcycle enthusiast (they’re one and the same, right?).

A Neighborhood We Love

Roam the streets of the Historic Third Ward (historicthirdward.org), where you’ll find theaters (best bet: Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, 158 N. Broadway); galleries (we like The Fine Art Gallery, 207 E. Buffalo St.); pubs and upscale watering holes (you’ll like Vino 100, 219 E. Erie St., for its affordable wines, live music and friendly vibe); and shopping (don’t miss handcrafted footwear from shoo, 241 N. Broadway, and check out Grotta & Co., 207 E. Buffalo St., for hand-printed textiles, scarves and pillows.)    

Food Finds

Last fall, Ward’s House of Prime (540 East Mason St.; 414/223-0135; wardshouseofprime.com) introduced Brew City to its clubby setting and grub that is anything but old-school—try the stone-fired flatbreads and hearty New York strips. Come June, burger aficionados will make their pilgrimage to Sobelman’s Tall Grass Grill (1952 N. Farwell Ave.; 414/273-4727). The joint is the offspring of town fave Sobelman’s Pub & Grill. The new concept: Meat comes from open-range and hormone-free cattle.