Wednesday, November 30th -0001
South Second Street To Recapture the Glory Days
By Lindsey Killips
Milwaukeeans associate the railways
with the glittering new Amtrak
station on St. Paul Avenue, but it was South 2nd Street (formerly Reed Street) that had the market on Milwaukee’s rail traffic until the mid-1860s. With its Union Depot and constant influx of goods, 2nd Street acted as a shopping mecca boasting the newest fashions, buildings in flashy colors, and even a tobacco shop with –of course– its own wooden Indian.
Many things have changed since then. 2nd Street is now a familiar entertainment district touting a plethora of well received bars and restaurants, as well as a vibrant LGBT community. 2010 will see things changing yet again. In December,
the Milwaukee Common Council approved a $2.4 million plan to update the aging infrastructure
from St. Paul Avenue to National Avenue. The narrowing of the street to two lanes, wider sidewalks, tree and flower planters and bike lanes top the improvement
list. Proponents of the plan are hoping to make 2nd Street the just south of Downtown’s own little Brady Street, bringing back the street’s heyday of bright shops and ice cream parlors, while business
owners are more skeptical. Several owners have raised serious questions about the resulting traffic
congestion having the opposite effect and driving customers elsewhere.
With construction slated to begin July, both cynical business owners and delighted residents can agree that the lack of potholes, and maybe a few trees, will be a welcome relief.
Neighborhood: Walker's Point
