Favorite of 2017: Last Call: Milwaukee’s South Side taverns | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
December 29, 2017
Sharon Ward, Safe Ride coordinator and treasurer of the Milwaukee County Tavern League, tended bar at The Last Drop, 1979 S. 15th St., until it closed a few months ago. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
I grew up on the city’s South Side, during a time when a corner bar or often times several, was no more than a block or two away. It was where we purchased penny candy as kids, and also where we’d run into our mailman or next-door neighbor. Needless to say, the tavern culture is deep in Milwaukee, especially on the South Side.
But, times have changed, and a stroll or drive anywhere in the 53204 or 53215 ZIP codes provides evidence that the old-time corner bars are a dying breed. I explored some of the reasons why in the first of my two-part special report on the decline of neighborhood taverns. The second part looks at crime and licensing issues that have also contributed to the decrease in corner bars.
Click here to read part 1.
Click here to read part 2.
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