For 27 years, residents of Milwaukee’s Historic Concordia neighborhood, located between 27^th and 35^th streets and Wisconsin Avenue and Highland Boulevard, have hosted an annual Home Tour, showcasing its rich variety of historic homes and vibrant social life.

Now, thanks to a partnership between HCNI (Historic Concordia Neighbors, Inc.) the City of Milwaukee’s Neighborhood Development Initiative Corporation, area businesses and residents, anyone with an internet-connected device can tour the neighborhood and its homes at any time, from anywhere. It is especially adapted for smartphones so people can use it while exploring the neighborhood by foot or by car.

“Our hope is that this virtual tour will invite people to explore and experience the history, architecture and community our neighborhood has to offer. Not to name drop but Hoan, Harnischfeger, Davidson, Pabst, Schlitz, Ziegler, Shuster and Miller are among the historic names to have called Concordia home,” said Scott Witte, a 33-year-resident of Concordia. He and his wife Sally raised their son and daughter here; both children attended and are graduates of the Milwaukee Public School system.

The idea for the virtual tour evolved from a post-2016 home tour conversation between neighbors discussing ways to promote the area. Robin Muller, a newer resident, suggested a brochure. Witte realized the depth of the information accumulated over the years. Eileen Hanley, another long-time resident, had discovered a Tennessee neighborhood with a virtual home tour. A core committee formed, work on the Historic Concordia Virtual Tour began in early July. It will be open to the public on November, 28, 2016.

To view the HCNI Virtual Home Tour, go to http://www.HCNI.org/virtual-tour/