Third Ward rocks

The Third Ward is one of the oldest Milwaukee neighborhoods and at first glance, it looks as if it hasn't changed all that much since the turn of the century, when it was rebuilt almost completely after a devastating fire. Faded advertisements for tonics, shoe stores and other companies that went out of business decades ago still adorn the sides of these classic Milwaukee buildings.

After the 1892 blaze, the once-Irish neighborhood became home to the immigrants arriving mostly from Porticello, Sicily, and other Italian towns and cities. When "urban renewal" came in the 1960s, the Third Ward was demolished almost wholesale and became something of a dead zone.

Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places as having the largest collection of turn-of-the-century warehouses in the country, the Historic Third Ward is once again alive and kicking. Many of the warehouses have been converted to office space, shops, theatres, condos, art galleries and restaurants and the Third Ward is now at its most vibrant (at least since the bustling Italian neighborhood vanished).

A walk around the neighborhood reveals a changing and evolving Third Ward.

For a complete guide, visit http://www.onmilwaukee.com/info/articles/thirdwardguide.html