The 5 Best Neighborhoods in Milwaukee

Did you know that out of all the ‘large’ cities in the United States Milwaukee is the 15th most walkable?! It’s true – Walk Score has Milwaukee ranked 15th with its score of 61, and if you look at the individual neighborhoods there are several in the city with a Walk Score that’s up in the 90s. But why is a Walk Score so important when looking at which neighborhoods are best in a city? Well, high walk scores mean there are lots of amenities within walking distance and if you can walk to work, shops, restaurants, grocery stores and more, you can enjoy a better quality of life. So which neighborhoods are top in Milwaukee?

Northpoint

With a Walk Score of 92 it doesn’t get much better than Milwaukee’s Northpoint neighborhood. Set just to the north of downtown, Northpoint (or North Point) is a popular neighborhood that’s home to around 3,500 people. It offers some very beautiful heritage homes and the most desirable ones are set on streets overlooking Lake Michigan. The lakeshore is full of parkland including the popular Lake Park, and there are sandy beaches to enjoy in the summer. Historic landmarks like North Point Lighthouse and North Point Water Tower are here too, and there are numerous restaurants, bars, grocery stores and more within walking distance of many homes. Northpoint is a very safe neighborhood compared to the Milwaukee crime index average. Violent crime is 59 percent lower, and property crime is 60 percent lower, making Northpoint safer than 99.4 percent of the neighborhoods in Milwaukee. The drawback for families is a lack of schools.

Murray Hill

Murray Hill also has a Walk Score of 92, so it too is a very walkable neighborhood. Just north of downtown Milwaukee and to the west of Northpoint, Murray Hill is home to around 5,600 people. It’s very close to restaurants and shops, and there are several schools here too. In terms of crime Murray Hill is also safer than the Milwaukee average, coming in safer than 95.7 percent of the neighborhoods in the city, and with the small town feel but proximity to downtown, this makes Murray Hill a great place to live. The only drawback with this is higher real estate prices.

Juneau Town

Juneau Town is where the city of Milwaukee first started to grow from 1818 and was named after the fur trader Solomon Juneau. Today it’s a historic part of downtown Milwaukee and with lots of amenities right on your doorstep this neighborhood has a Walk Score of 90. Juneau Town is a great place to live if you enjoy being in the heart of a city with everything close by, but being right in the heart of Milwaukee means homes cost a lot more here. The median value of owner occupied homes is over $576,000 while the Milwaukee average is just $140,000. But, if you can cope without a car you can save money there as Juneau Town is a great neighborhood with low crime levels.

Lower East Side

Lower East Side is the fourth best place to live in Milwaukee. It has a Walk Score of 89 and it’s set on the east side of the city, just north of downtown. Major features of this neighborhood include the city marina and its surrounding parks: Veterans Park and McKinley Park, and, being so close to downtown there are many restaurants, shops, services, and amenities close by. Housing is more affordable here but still way above the Milwaukee average, and though below the average for Milwaukee, crime levels in Lower East Side are higher than the previous neighborhoods mentioned above.

Kilbourn Town

Set on the west side of the Milwaukee River, Kilbourn Town was another original part of the city, developed in competition with Juneau Town, across the river. Also known as Westown, Kilbourn Town developed quite differently to Juneau Town with wider streets and large, historic buildings. It has a Walk Score of 88 and this is one of the best places for shopping in Milwaukee with The Shops of Grand Avenue located here. There are many places to eat and drink too, and it’s great for nightlife and entertainment, and for families a surprisingly good number of schools are here. The drawback with Kilbourn Town is a higher than average crime index, but housing is very affordable here at 17.5 percent less than the Milwaukee average.