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Here’s a guide to Milwaukee’s Washington Heights neighborhood

Published

2 years ago

February 19, 2024

Here’s a guide to Milwaukee’s Washington Heights neighborhood

Milwaukee has more than 75 distinct neighborhoods.

Home to about 7,000 residents and surrounded by budding business corridors is Washington Heights — one of the most historic neighborhoods in Milwaukee.

Where is Washington Heights?

Located on the west side of Milwaukee, Washington Heights’ northern boundary is West North Avenue and its southern boundary is West Vliet Street.

The neighborhood’s western boundary is North 60th Street, which also marks the beginning of Wauwatosa’s Washington Highlands. The eastern edge is North 47th Street, and just east of that is Highway 175, which may be converted to boulevard, and divides the neighborhood from Milwaukee’s Washington Park.

Much of Washington Heights is old farmland

The area’s earliest nonindigenous civilization in the Washington Heights area began in 1835. George Dousman, a Michigan fur trader’s son was part of the first wave of European settlement that same year. He settled his family farm on much of what Washington Heights is today.

Dousman and his son, George P., continued to hold much of the land until the 1890s when he and his neighbors began to sell parcels to developers. This happened about the same time that the Milwaukee Park Commission Board hired Frederick Law Olmsted to design West Park — what is now Washington Park.

Nearly all of the homes that still currently stand in Washington Heights were constructed between 1910 and 1930. A number of prominent families owned homes in the area, including the Harleys and Davidsons of motorcycle fame.

As the neighborhood developed, the Germans built three churches, St. Sebastian’s Parish, Mount Olive Lutheran, and St. James’ Lutheran. A smaller Jewish community built a synagogue, Congregation Beth El.

By 1924, the boundaries of the City of Milwaukee were extended west to North 60th Street. The current set of map boundaries was established by the neighborhood association.

According to Richard “Rocky” Marcoux, Milwaukee’s longest-serving city development commissioner, Washington Heights had many attempts at establishing a neighborhood association, but finally the Washington Heights Neighborhood Association was formed in 1989.

There were two separate efforts in the 1990s and mid-2000s by residents to improve the neighborhood and its homes as realtors began to be concerned with status of the neighborhood as one of the most sought after places to live.

Where to eat, drink and hang out in Washington Heights?

Washington Heights, which is mostly a residential area, has budding business districts on both its northern and southern end.

“I love that the Heights is bookended by North Avenue and Vliet (Street),” said Sabrina Eder, president of the neighborhood association. “These budding business districts that continue to have growth and new businesses open up.”

Eder said the walkability of the neighborhood makes it possible for residents to get to restaurants and shops along the prominent Milwaukee streets. Many of the businesses along these corridors are owned by people who live in Washington Heights.

There are two main coffee shops in the neighborhood, along the southern edge is Valentine Coffee Co. at 5918 W. Vliet St. On the northern edge is Vennture Brew Co. at 5519 W. North Ave.

Many bars and pubs are in the neighborhood, including Neighborhood Draft at 5921 W. Vliet St. and McBob’s Pub & Grill at 4919 W. North Ave. — a Milwaukee staple known for its corned beef. There is also Charles E. Fromage at 5811 W. Vliet St.

For a hefty serving of barbecue check out Heavens Table BBQ at 5507 W. North Ave and for frozen custard there is Fred’s Frozen Custard & Grill at 4726 W. Vliet St., which has been around since 1967. For pizza, there is Wy’east Pizza at 5601 W. Vliet St.

What is unique about Washington Heights?

Washington Heights has many of its residents involved in the area’s events and the residents strive to get to know each other.

“We are a small town within a large city, and each block is its own community,” said Heidi Steeno, vice president of the neighborhood association. “Having lived many other places in the state of Wisconsin, I’ve never experienced the neighborliness the Heights offers.”

Many Washington Heights residents have been in the neighborhood for 20 to 40 years. Eder said there are different generations of families that were raised in the Heights, from children to grandchildren, who attend one of the many public and private schools in the neighborhood.

The residents often invest in their homes. “What is really special, is people are continuing to reinvest in their homes by updating them,” Eder said, adding that residents often ask for recommendations on contractors or painters. “So you know that people really care about their homes,” she said.

Likely the event that is most unique to Washington Heights is its nighttime trick-or-treating event it has every year called Spooktacular.

When the neighborhood association sponsored a Halloween party at Hi Mount School in 1991, the event included nighttime trick-or-treating. It was the first time a City of Milwaukee neighborhood had nighttime trick-or-treating in over 25 years.

The event was such a success it became an annual event, sparking other neighborhoods to take notice and bring back nighttime trick-or-treating. Washington Heights has the longest running nighttime trick-or-treating in Milwaukee.

Washington Heights is also home to the city’s only remaining independently owned children’s bookstore — Rainbow Booksellers at 5704 W. Vliet St. The side of the building features a mural called The Heights Dream Library and has many created book titles named by nearby residents.

“They’re not books that exist. They’re books that people would dream about finding,” said the building’s owner, Dan Schley.

Schley said the mural has become a staple in the community. “There’s been people taking wedding shots in front of it. There’s been people taking baby bump photos in front of it,” he said.

The mural was painted by artist Fred Kaems, a Washington Heights resident, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the summer of 2020.

Bastille Days, the popular downtown Milwaukee festival celebrating all things French, also has a west side adaption of the festival in Washington Heights called Bastille Day West.

Two noted painters lived in Washington Heights, Karl Priebe and John Wilde, and two former mayors of Milwaukee have lived in the neighborhood, Henry Maier and Tom Barrett.

This research comes from previous Journal Sentinel coverage, John Gurda’s “Milwaukee, City of Neighborhoods,” and Urban Anthropology Inc.

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Atmospheric Rivers Spread Flood Threat To California | Weather.com

Published

54 minutes ago

December 20, 2025

Press Room

Atmospheric Rivers Spread Flood Threat To California | Weather.com

Atmospheric River Soaking Northern California

A parade of Pacific storms accompanied by atmospheric rivers will continue to march into the West Coast through Christmas, spreading the threat of heavy rain from already flooded areas of western Washington and Oregon to California.

Now, the newest atmospheric river is set to arrive in California later today with increasing threats of flooding, mountain snow and gusty winds. This is further south than most of the atmospheric river events so far this month, but gives a break to the Pacific Northwest.

Let’s step through the timing, then who could see the most rain and the potential impacts.

Timing

Saturday night – Monday: The next atmospheric river arrives in Northern California late Saturday, stalls Sunday, and lingers Monday, especially north of the Bay Area.

Tuesday – Christmas Eve: A stronger storm will move into California with heavy rain and strong winds, first in Northern California, then spreading to Southern California Tuesday night. Some rain and mountain snow from this system could also stream into parts of Washington and Oregon.

Christmas Day: A second strong Pacific storm could surge into California, with a second round of heavy rain, strong winds and heavy Sierra snow that could linger into the day after Christmas.

(MORE: What Is An Atmospheric River?)

How Much More Rain, Snow

– Western Washington and Oregon: Up to an additional 2 inches of rain can be expected through Christmas week, with locally higher amounts in the coastal ranges, and foothills of the Olympics and Cascades below snow level. Parts of western Washington remain waterlogged from recent rounds of heavy rainfall.

– Northern California: Widespread 3-inch-plus rainfall totals through Christmas, with 8-inch-plus rainfall likely in the coastal ranges and foothills of the northern and central Sierra, below snow level. Parts of the Bay Area could see over 5 inches of total rainfall, which would equal over a month’s worth of rainfall for San Francisco. Flooding is possible.

– Southern California: Most of the L.A. Basin from Santa Barbara to Orange County are expected to pick up at least 3 inches of total rain during the Christmas week storms. Locally higher amounts are likely in the Southland mountains below snow level. San Diego County may also pick up an inch or so of total rainfall.

– Mountain snow: Several feet of Sierra snow is possible, mainly with the pair of storms during Christmas week. Elsewhere, over a foot of additional snow is likely in parts of the Cascades and northern Rockies.

Impacts

This heavy rain in California will likely trigger flash flooding and landslides, particularly in hilly and mountainous terrain and areas recently burned by wildfires. Be prepared to evacuate immediately if you live near a burned area. Long-duration flood watches are now in effect for Northern California and much of the Central Valley.

Rain will also fall at higher elevations than usual in these atmospheric river events, potentially melting existing snowpack adding to the threat of flash and river flooding.

Strong winds with the Christmas week storms could down trees and knock out power, particularly in areas where the ground is soaked.

In western Washington and Oregon, this additional rain could prolong existing river flooding in some areas and could only increase the threat of landslides due to saturated ground.

Current Flood Alerts By The National Weather Service

Storm Recaps

To say it’s been a terrible stretch of weather in parts of the West has been an understatement.

First, record flooding hit parts of western Washington. Then, as flood-ravaged areas were recovering, a powerhouse windstorm blasted much of the Northwest and Rockies on Wednesday, with winds clocked up to 144 mph and over 160 reports of wind damage in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado.

Spokane, Washington, recorded a wind gust of 75 mph on Wednesday afternoon. That is the second-highest known wind gust for the city. The Spokane River is also raging much higher than normal due to all the recent precipitation.

In nearby Pullman, Washington, widespread damage to trees, power lines, and traffic signals was reported along with a wind gust up to 81 mph. At least one house reported significant damage due to a downed tree.

In Idaho, two kids were seriously injured Wednesday morning by falling trees while waiting for the bus in Twin Falls. Local media is also reporting that one man was killed in northern Idaho when a tree crashed into his home.

An atmospheric river earlier this week dumped 2 to 5 inches of rain in the Cascades and Olympics of Washington state, with an additional 2 to 5 inches on Tuesday. These are the same areas that are still recovering from 10 to 18 inches of rain during last week’s procession of atmospheric rivers.

This led to a pair of levee breaches in King County, one along the Green River in Tukwila, just east of SeaTac Airport, Monday, then early Tuesday morning in the town of Pacific, east of Tacoma.

(MORE: Evacuations Prompted From Washington Levee Breaches)

Jonathan Belles has been a digital meteorologist for weather.com for 9 years. His favorite weather is tropical weather, but also enjoys covering high-impact weather and news stories and winter storms. He’s a two-time graduate of Florida State University and a proud graduate of St. Petersburg College.

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Report: Arizona football to hire Washington’s Aaron Knotts as general manager

Published

13 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

Report: Arizona football to hire Washington’s Aaron Knotts as general manager

Arizona is closing in on its next general manager.

The UA is set to hire Aaron Knotts as GM, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Knotts has spent the last 12 years at Washington, where he most recently served as Director of Internal Operations and Football Strategy. Knotts previously worked as Chief of Staff and Associate Athletic Director at UW.

As general manager, Knotts will be tasked with managing Arizona’s roster through player retention, the transfer portal and high school recruiting.

Arizona’s front office is undergoing a shakeup after former GM Gaizka Crowley left for the same position at Arkansas. Crowley and Director of Scouting Fletcher Kelly played a big role in building Arizona’s roster in the first two years under Brent Brennan. Kelly is expected to follow Crowley to Arkansas, according to Jason Scheer of Wildcat Authority.

Knotts began his coaching career as a tight ends coach at Division III Centre College (Ky.) before joining Chris Petersen’s staff at UW in the fall of 2014. Prior to working in operations and administration, Knotts served in various recruiting and personnel roles at UW.

Knotts was promoted to Associate Athletic Director/Chief of Staff in 2024. In his role as Associate Athletic Director, Knotts part of a three-person search committee for UW’s head football coach in 2024, which resulted in the Huskies hiring Jedd Fisch from Arizona.

Now Knotts in departing Fisch’s UW program to run Arizona’s front office.

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Washington Capitals 2025-26 W Magazine Now Available | Washington Capitals

Published

2 days ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Washington Capitals 2025-26 W Magazine Now Available | Washington Capitals

Arlington, Va. – W Magazine, a lifestyle publication produced by the Washington Capitals, is now available for purchase online at www.washcaps.com/wmagazine and at the Team Store at Capital One Arena and at the Team Store at MedStar Capitals Iceplex. The fan-favorite magazine, which features content surrounding every Capitals player along with hundreds of personal, never-before-seen family photos, is available for $8 plus shipping. In addition, season ticket members will receive a complimentary issue, with copies for season ticket members available at the Planholder Hub on the 100-level concourse during Capitals home games.

The cover story, written by Capitals senior writer Mike Vogel, goes in-depth with forward Pierre-Luc Dubois. Vogel speaks with Dubois, his teammates and family members for an extensive feature on the phone call that changed Dubois’ life and shaped his future with the Capitals franchise. Spanning more than 200 pages, W offers exclusive photography of Capitals players and their families, along with lifestyle content and interviews with every member of the 2025-26 roster. Highlights include:

John Carlson on fishing in Maryland with his sons
Brandon Duhaime on spearfishing and his related YouTube channel
Ryan Leonard on moving to D.C. and living with the Dubois family
Charlie Lindgren on his first offseason as a dad
Alex Ovechkin on celebrating back home after becoming the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer
Logan Thompson on his love of dogs
Trevor van Riemsdyk on pop-a-shot and pickleball

The magazine also features an in-depth look at the Capital One Arena transformation project, including exclusive photos, insights into future phases and Capitals player reactions to the new Capitals locker room complex. A special interview with Monumental Sports Network’s Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin reflects on the historic 50th anniversary season, while a day-in-the-life piece with Caps Radio’s John Walton and Katie Florio brings readers behind-the-scenes of a home game radio broadcast.

Additional features include a look at a regular day for former Capitals service dog in training Biscuit – now a facility dog at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center – and a photographic recap of Alex Ovechkin’s historic 2024-25 season. A new “Beyond the Boards” section spotlights community stories, while the fan-favorite “Short Shifts” section returns with Capitals players sharing thoughts on topics such as the best singer on the team, funniest teammate, personal goals beyond hockey, what everyone should try at least once, their ideal entrance theme song and more.

The magazine also profiles members of the Capitals Black Hockey Committee and introduces fans to the team driving the organization’s youth hockey initiatives.

W design services were provided by Matt Ryan. Player photography was provided by Greg Powers with assistance from Damon Banks. The cover featuring Pierre-Luc Dubois was photographed on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., with the assistance of captains and crew from City Cruises. Players were photographed for the publication at Origin in Arlington, Va.

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