Greater Milwaukee Men

Part of what we do here is celebrate when Milwaukee is recognized for excelling at something. Recently, Milwaukee was voted as having the 4th in the 10 Best Arts Districts in the Third Ward neighborhood by readers of USA Today. USA Today made this note: "Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward is home to a staggering number of galleries, studios, museums, performing arts spaces and art organizations, including the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design Galleries, Milwaukee Potters Guild, ArtWorks for Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Artist Resource Network." What makes this even better to me is that it's a Reader's selection, vs. the media. It's one thing for a reporter to travel around and visit and select their opinion, but to be in Reader's Choice means that people have actually been here and enjoyed it.  We beat out the likes of Denver and Chicago just in the top ten, not to mention all the ones that didn't even make it that high. Photo cr. Visit Milwaukee

Last month we were happy to pass along that Sprecher was supporting Milwaukee parks with their ParkLife Beer ,and today we get to applaud another local company for the same thing. Stone Creek Coffee has stepped up to give us the  LOVE YOUR PARKS 2-PACK  as part of the Love Your Parks Initiative . $2 of every purchase of Love Your Parks will be donated to Milwaukee County Parks. Read more about the Love Your Parks initiative at loveyourparksmke.com . Stoen Creek says the flavor profile is "the sweetness of dried fruit paired with citrus and cream."  This is a limited time offering and will only be available until August 26th. 

I'm probably not the type of person you would think of as being a Harley-Davidson brand loyalist. I don't look the part of the few different stereotypes whether it be cruiser outlaw, chopper boho, or midlfe crisis professional. I like the bikes that most other fans don't like, that they consider to be un-Harley. But having grown up in the Milwaukee area and loving my community and its brands, I also grew up loyal to the brand. Loyal regardless of the times they disappoint me. As I hear about the new round of layoffs at The Motor Company, the fact that its not doing well, I think about how similar my feelings are towards HD and our country, of America. I love Harley. I love America. Even with their rust, but especially when they shine.

Come see what's brewin'... Oh sorry, wrong team, still, the play on words, I had to. The Milwaukee Bucks and Colectivo Coffee are partnering on a limited-edition Bucks Blend Coffee that will be featured as Colectivo’s Coffee of the Week from Monday, Feb. 25 – Sunday, March 3 at all 13 Milwaukee-area Colectivo locations. Prior to that, the coffee will be available for sampling and purchase at Bucks games tonight and Saturday, Feb. 23, at each Bucks Pro Shop location at Fiserv Forum. In addition, one-pound bags of Bucks Blend Coffee are also available for purchase on a limited basis at shop.bucks.com. One dollar from the sale of each one-pound bag will go to the Milwaukee Bucks Foundation .

It's that time of year again - the Milwaukee Film Festival. In fact its the 10th anniversary of this great asset to our city and community. Events and films go on from Oct 18 to Nov 1 While there are lots of great options to see, I am for the first time listing those that fall in line with the GMM philosophy: ones that are inspirational for men in our community. Caveat: I haven't necessarily seen these, I am just going by descriptions and other reviews. But if you are up for being inspired to be a Greater Milwaukee Man, check some of these out:

From DesignMil's website, photo of a designer last year doing volunteer work for a local non-profit I was able to participate on the receiving end last year of a great collaborative in Milwaukee, a community event that supports non-profits in the area but is far bigger than that. DesignMil is collaborative event that provides free design services to local non-profits. Participation in the event provides many other benefits to the community for both the non-profit and the designers. This year, on October 20, the community will get together to make it better for all.

Milwaukee born and raised Colectivo Coffee seems to constantly roll out the types of charitable efforts we love at GMM, the ones men just may do, namely easy ones. Buy something, give something is usually the model here. It's a bonus when what you buy is exceptionally good, and in the case of what we promote at GMM - man-friendly. Well, for Colectivo that's fairly easy - coffee is after all universal and their products are as a rule exceptional. Right now their Coffee of the Week is  a Featured Farm Series coffee that checks all the boxes. Buy a bag of this unique, flavorful coffee and $1 goes to relief efforts in Myanmar by way of the UN's World Food Programme which helps not only Myanmar but other areas with conflict.

Milwaukee is great, just ask us. But sometimes you want to head out of town to see the rest of the country. For many destinations, if going by car that means heading through Chicago. That means Chicago traffic, tolls, and time. Since 2004 there has been a more relaxing way to head west, especially if going to or through Michigan: the Lake Express ferry. You can skip all that and have a relaxing ride across the lake to Muskegon, MI. Of course there is a cost to that convenience. It's not cheap, you could fly to Michigan many days depending on the current airfare rates, but then we know you are taking your car for some reason. Luckily there is a great way to reduce the cost. For a few years now, the Lake Express has partnered with Milwaukee Bicycle Collective on a bike donation program on or around Earth Day. In return for a donated bike you get one free round-trip passenger fare. This year the donation event is Thursday, April 20.

I'll always remember that smile The days when we are forced to both mourn and celebrate someone's life are always sad. This week we celebrate the life of Al Jarreau, son of Milwaukee, who passed on February 12. Known most for his music, his unique jazz roots that he stretched to pop and other genres, and a master of scat, during his life his roots and love of Milwaukee were less known. Alas as too often happens, much of his greatest work, behind the scenes in the community, is coming to light. And even after his passing, his legacy continues on in our city.

Brass Rooster Caps photo courtesy of Brass Rooster Brass Rooster , a local Milwaukee hat store and hat maker whose work we have celebrated before , has come out with new products that have socially responsible aspects to them. They are both recycled products and charitable items. The new Brass Rooster Caps include big apples, 8/4, ivy & drivers Caps using vintage patterns and all the caps are made from Military blankets. Hand quilted lining, blankets from WWII-current. Brass Rooster will donate 10% to different Veterans foundations.

Yesterday, Save The Soldiers Home , a partnership between The National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Milwaukee Preservation Alliance , made an announcement that will have a great impact on the Milwaukee community. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has selected a local team's proposal to rehabilitate and restore six of the Milwaukee Soldiers Home District's unused buildings for their original purpose - the service of veterans. The six buildings will be turned into 100 housing units with supportive services for veterans and their families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. I can't say how much I love the fact that this will be a double rehabilitative effort - both on the buildings and then their use to rehome and rehabilitate veterans. It's a one-two punch to improve Milwaukee. It's always a shame to lose historic buildings and this effort will keep these with such a rich background. They will also provide a much needed servi...

In our fine city, today - 4/14 - is celebrated as Milwaukee Day .  Started recently to celebrate and promote the city since the date corresponds to the phone area code of most: 414, it is meant to be a day to "celebrate, interact and create a better city at a grassroots level." Of course all events related to the celebration encompass all things Milwaukee from locations to people and products, you can see a list of official organized events here . If you want to join in you can attend the events, or simply go out and support something local: shop at a small local store, eat at a locally owned restaurant, or simply take in the sights of the city on a (finally) sunny Spring day. But we can do that any day, and I'm a little more interested in the last part of the mission: to "create a better city at a grassroots level." Think today on what you want Milwaukee to be, how we can all make it better, and how you can be part of that movement. You may think that it...

Stop by Palomino Bar or Honeypie Cafe until 9/4 to get "The Pit Stop"! $3 from the BBQ sandwich-peach cream pie combo goes to #wmse. Get it? 'Pit' stop? Nicknamed “The Pit Stop,” the sandwich is an al-pastor style pork beauty (with a vegetarian option also available) that’s topped with a peach coleslaw and coupled with a peach cream pie that’s so good, it’ll make your mama cry! Additionally, $3 will go straight to WMSE with each combo sold. You’ll not only be getting some delicious food but you’ll also be supporting musically-delicious radio programming! Stop into Palomino (2491 S Superior St) or Honey Pie (2643 S Kinnickinnic Ave) to get some pork, pie, and proceeds for WMSE!

It's that time of year again Mo Bros (and Mo Sistas) - time to take action to change the face of men's health - literally and figuratively. Men who participate in Movember (called Mo Bros) take action to change the face of men’s health by starting clean-shaven on Movember 1st and growing just a moustache (no beards, no goatees) for the month November. Movember is more than just an excuse to grow a fine piece of moustachery, it’s about creating conversations while raising funds and awareness for men’s health. It’s about having fun and doing good. In addition to general fundraising, many cities organize special events to promote and celebrate Movember, and Milwaukee throws down with the best of them. Here are all the events lined up for Milwaukee's 2014 Movember participation.

This is the winning bike from the  2013-14 BUILD season All things considered, it would always be my recommendation for youth to try their best to pursue higher education, whatever it may lead to. But some - confession myself included - just aren't cut out for the path of attending or finishing college after high school. For many, even with a degree, career pursuits that don't involve a college education's fruits are their path for one reason or another. For these people, getting a trade skill is very important but in today's education landscape that is becoming harder and harder as resources for public schools decline and the focus becomes more and more in higher education that may or may not be taken advantage of. Thankfully, there are programs to help young people get the skills they need to find a worthwhile and worthy career in manual trades. One such program is the BUILD Moto Mentor program started by the Iron Horse Hotel in Milwaukee which pairs local cus...

Is there a well-known Milwaukee restaurant you haven't made it to yet? Maybe you think its too expensive, you work downtown and think will take too long for lunch, or just simply haven't fit it into your schedule yet. Every year Milwaukee has an event that can help you solve those problems with incentives to get out and enjoy the great restaurants our city has to offer - Downtown Dining Week . Every day during the week, from June 5 to 12, you can enjoy three-course meals at $12.50 for lunch and $25 or $35 for dinner depending on the restaurant. To make the experience even sweeter, complete a Downtown Dining Week survey online and four lucky diners will be drawn randomly and awarded $500 in dining gift cards.

Even though you may not be able to avoid the first number, you can avoid being part of the second if it is detected early. Get checked. We all know men are notoriously bad at taking care of themselves, so sometimes an incentive can help kick us into action. This coming Monday men are given just that opportunity - to be spurred into action to get themselves checked out - in this case for prostate cancer. After the Brewers hopefully hand it to the Yankees this weekend, the Miller Park parking lot will be home to something quite different than tailgating. On Monday, May 12, fans of the Brewers and staying healthy can head on down to the lot where two mobile clinic vehicles will be there to perform prostate cancer screenings for free. Not only is it free, and you don't need an appointment, but you have the chance to get 2 free Brewers tickets. The event, presented by Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Health Network, Fox 6, the Milwaukee Brewers, ZERO-Prostate Cance...

Anodyne's new cafe in Walker's Point put them at #12 of the 50 best in America We all know Milwaukee has a long and storied history of brewing beer, many time having had the worlds top breweries though the years though which one changed over the years. A recent resurgence of craft or micro-breweries has put us back on the map of beer dominance. In addition to the tradition of brewing beer, Milwaukee has become a fairly recent addition to a similar movement in coffee - what could be considered the craft or micro roasting equivalent of coffee to similar breweries. In Milwaukee names like Anodyne, Colectivo, Stone Creek and Valentines hold a similar place in the coffee world to what Big Bay, Lakefront, Milwaukee and Sprecher have for beer. And just as our local beer brewers have received national recognition, so too are our coffee roasters and their cafes . The Daily Meal just released their America's 50 Best Coffee Shops list and 2 of Milwaukee's roasters/cafes were...

Parks can often be taken for granted, but if you take a moment to think, you will realize how many activities that so many of us participate in. Milwaukee County's parks aren't just green spaces for picnics, runs and walks, or general play. They are home to golf courses (regular and disc), tennis courts, soccer fields, bike trails, even dog exercise areas. County parks are places to watch fireworks, see free concerts, visit a farmers' market for fresh, local food and home to community centers. In short they are an integral part of Milwaukee county life and nearly everyone uses or is impacted by amenities provided by the parks. Since we all have a vested interest in keeping the parks doing what we want out of them, the public - you - can help the Parks Department plan for the future be part of Milwaukee County Parks’ 2015-2020 Strategic Planning Process at an upcoming Public Input Session. Dates for these sessions are listed below:

Since 2012, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation has organized and sponsored Match Day , a day to raise awareness and support for local organizations that serve Milwaukee. Today is the day for 2014, a day when you have a rare opportunity to strengthen the capacity of 20 food and shelter agencies in southeastern Wisconsin that are working hard to meet the increased demand from individuals and families. Each gift made online today will be matched and that generosity will be multiplied to benefit the participating agencies Over the past two years, more than 8,000 individuals in our community rallied behind these organizations and more than $4.6 million was raised to strengthen their capacity to serve. Your support makes a meaningful difference in the lives of thousands in our community.