Immediately north of Milwaukee is Glendale, a small city about ½ mile inland of Lake Michigan. Home to about 13,000 people, Glendale boasts a lower cost of living than other North Shore communities. This difference doesn’t indicate a shortage of amenities, however. Locals share the city with a sprawling outdoor mall, two expansive parks, employment opportunities, and considerable stretches of the Milwaukee River and Interstate 43. “Glendale is a very solid middle-class community with a range of financial and racial demographics,” says longtime resident Nyama Reed. “I really enjoy … and appreciate the amount of diversity in the community.”
BayShore Mall is an open air shopping center in Glendale.
Kletzsch Park has open green spaces and river frontage.
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From trout fishing to tennis matches
Glendale residents take the earliest possible opportunity to enjoy its ample outdoor amenities. “As soon as it’s 35 F, people are outside in their shorts, barbecuing,” Reed says. The Milwaukee River runs north to south through Glendale, connecting two large parks. Kletzsch Park fills over 140 acres with forested hiking trails, an archery range, softball and soccer fields and a sand volleyball court. Its waterfall on the river is a hotspot for local anglers. “People will travel from Iowa, Illinois and southern Wisconsin to go salmon and trout fishing there,” says Jesse Schober, outreach and administration coordinator for Discover the North Shore MKE. Part of the county-wide Oak Leaf Trail runs through Kletzsch Park and takes pedestrians and bikers to Lincoln Park, about 1 mile south. Much of this 313-acre green space, including its nine-hole golf course, falls within Glendale’s city limits. Meanwhile, Nicolet High School’s newly updated sports facilities include 14 community tennis courts. “They’re inviting the public to use it for pickleball, which is becoming really big here,” Schober says. “They’ll eventually host various tournaments because it’s a beautiful space.”
Waiting for a bite at Kletzsch Park in Glendale.
Students at Nicolet High School in Glendale, beginning tennis practice.
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"The root beer capital of the universe"
Glendale’s eastern section is home to Bayshore, an open-aired mall with over 70 businesses anchored by a central lawn. Target, Trader Joe’s, The Cheesecake Factory and ACX Cinemas are among its more prominent draws. Less than ½ mile away, the Bavarian Bierhaus immerses customers in a culturally authentic German dining and drinking experience. The surrounding Old Heidelberg Park has been a fixture of the North Shore’s Teutonic community for over a century. It houses a sprawling beer garden and the all-ages Bavarian United Soccer Club. Glendale is also home to Sprecher Brewing Co., whose craft root beers have become increasingly recognizable across the country in recent years. “They produce the most root beer within the state and the Midwest,” Schober says, calling Glendale “the root beer capital of the universe. That is something we’re very proud of.” Across the interstate, Solly’s Grille has served its locally famous butter burgers and other American fare since 1936.
Sprecher Brewing Co. in Glendale is well known for its beers and rootbeer.
Glendales Bayshore Mall attracts visitors from around Milwaukee
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Modest properties at modest prices
The average Glendale home is worth about $276,000, roughly $10,000 above the Milwaukee area average. It’s significantly less expensive than other North Shore communities yet boasts slightly larger lots than neighboring areas like Whitefish Bay. Modest single-family homes in Glendale include ranch-style, Colonial Revival and split-level houses from the mid-to-late 1900s. Apartment-style condos are also available, starting at around $90,000 for one-bedroom units under 700 square feet. The city’s most expensive houses can reach $700,000, including four-bedroom builds over 3,600 square feet on over ¾ acres.
Glendale has many ranch homes with large yards.
Homes can be found with wooded lots throughout Glendale.
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A two-time National Blue Ribbon School
Three schools serve all public school students in Glendale. Kids attend prekindergarten through third grade at Parkway Elementary before advancing to Glen Hills Middle for grades four through eight. Both of these schools have B-minus Niche scores. Nicolet Union High School has an A from Niche, which calls it Wisconsin’s 10th-best public high school. Further, the United States Department of Education named it a National Blue Ribbon School in 1991 and 2008.
The entry of Nicolet High School in Glendale.
The entry of Parkway Elementary School in Glendale.
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"Six full weekends" of Oktoberfest
Schober predicts 150 to 200 free public events are held in Glendale every year, primarily from May through October. Perhaps the most popular is Milwaukee’s Original Oktoberfest, which the Bavarian Bierhaus has hosted for decades. “It’s six full weekends of drinking beer,” Schober says. “They have a kids’ midway there, so it’s for everybody, not just drinking-age people. There’s polka dancing and various bands – it’s a really fun time. There are normally about 5,000 people there a day.” Many other events occur at Bayshore, including concert series, fashion shows, makers markets and holiday celebrations.
The Bavarian Bierhaus in Glendale knows how to celebrate.
Glendale is proud to have Sprecher Brewing Co. as part of the neighborhood.
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Less walkable than neighboring communities
Most Glendale residents rely on cars. Reed says it is noticeably less walkable than its North Shore neighbors. “There are literally no sidewalks,” she says. “If my son wanted to ride his bike when he was little, I would have to load it up and go to a park with him.” However, members of the city’s local synagogues often walk to Friday evening services while wearing reflective clothing. Several prominent employers operate in town, including Johnson Controls, a building systems management firm conglomerate, and Clarios, a vehicle battery producer. Milwaukee commuters can take Milwaukee County Transit System buses or hop on I-43.
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