West Allis was once a sizable industrial city, attracting people from all over the county to work for its namesake company, Allis-Chalmers, in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Factories and warehouses that created and stored tractors and agricultural machinery were the working places of thousands of men, including Nikola Tesla, from 1919 to 1922. However, like many industrial cities in the Midwest that grew rapidly during that time, West Allis faced hardship when factories closed, and businesses left towards the end of the 20th century. Instead of letting the city fall into disrepair, the community strives to bring it back to its glory. "Outside of the city, West Allis has this 'old' reputation, but I've seen a lot of people challenging that: there is a very new energy here," says Suzanne Singh, the Neighborhood Services Specialist for West Allis's planning and zoning department. "People take great pride in their businesses and homes, and the city is attracting young, hip and trendy residents."
Making new out of old, restaurants, shops, apartment complexes and office buildings are now in the once-empty warehouses, converted for modern use. The city has some large employers, including Aurora West Allis Medical Center. Still, many residents work nearby in Milwaukee or at one of the offices and businesses in the city's northeastern or northwestern ends. The city is in a constant state of reinvention and growth, and according to West Allis Mayor Dan Devine, "I don't know if you can point to one or two things that are catalysis for all the growth. But it just seems like there's an energy here that's trending upwards."
West Allis is experiencing a renaissance with a growing population of young people.
Many West Allis residents are employed by Aurora Health Systems.
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What came first? The shops or the shoppers?
There's no better place to witness the growth of West Allis than in its shopping and dining scene. "When I first became mayor, there were only about four non-chain restaurants in the area," Devine says. "Now, there are so many that I can't even get to them as often as I'd like. There are just too many options." Longstanding businesses have loyal customers who visit regularly despite a boom of new establishments joining the fleet. Two of the city's oldest spots are Kegel's Inn, a classic beer hall established in 1924, and the family-owned Freese's Candy Shop, which has delivered delectable chocolate concoctions since 1928. Ope! Brewing, located in Liberty Heights Park , is a new standout in the dining scene and more than just a spot to grab a beer. The microbrewery opened in 2020 and has food trucks, live music, volleyball leagues and indoor bar games. Based on the past two decades of census data, the area has seen an increase in racial diversity, specifically with its Hispanic population. As a result, the city has seen a rise in new Hispanic restaurants, each featuring a different cuisine, country or cooking style.
Small businesses have been no less prominent, with new stores coming to the city to fill in empty warehouses and storefronts. One city-wide project that supports and promotes small businesses is Tiny Tin West Allis. For $30, residents can purchase a small metal tin with gift vouchers and discounts to over 50 West Allis businesses. Proceeds from tin sales fund grants for new local businesses hoping to establish each year. The tiny coupon cases are worth over $500 and encourage residents to explore and discover stores they may have otherwise not known existed. "I always ask myself, 'What came first, the chicken or the egg,'" Mayor Devine Says. "Was it the people that made the businesses want to move here because there were so many new shoppers, or was it the opposite where there were so many shoppers in the neighborhood that businesses thought this would be a good place to set up shop?"
Ope! Brewing in Fairview Park hosts volleyball through the summer and fall.
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A 40-year-long tradition of raising donations around the holidays
West Allis is home to Wisconsin State Fair Park, the fairgrounds for the state fair that attracts more than 1 million visitors annually. The grounds are home to Milwaukee Mile, the oldest operating motor speedway in the world. A tradition that the city is known for is Candy Cane Lane in the Pleasant Valley neighborhood. Since. Since 1984, residents along the main streets create detailed, colorful and monumental holiday light displays. The city wraps telephone poles and light posts with red and white lights—the event collections donations for the MACC Fund, which stands for Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer. Current and retired players from the Brewers and Bucks often visit the event, which has raised over $2.2 million so far. More regular events include the West Allis Farmers Market and Food Truck Fridays.
The Wisconsin State Fair comes to Fairview Park every year in July.
Candy Cane Lane is West Allis raises funds for cancer research each year.
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A change in housing styles during and after an industrial boom
Established in 1906, West Allis consists of roughly 60,000 people living in 11 square acres. Home prices are consistent with Milwaukee averages, and there is a wide range of housing styles divided by Interstate 41. Bungalows, Cape Cods, workers' cottages and ranch-style homes are the most common styles in East Allis , built when West Allis was still in its industrial heyday in the early- to mid-1900s. Neighborhoods to the west of Interstate 41, including Rose Hill , Biwers Woods , Greenfield Park and Rainbow Gardens grew from the middle of the 20th century until recently, and houses tend to be larger with bigger yards. Colonial Revivals, modern Craftsman and midcentury modern homes are the largest styles with the highest price tags. Houses range between $100,000 and $615,000, and a few multi-family buildings are anywhere from $90,000 to $1.4 million. Homes sell fast, lasting only two weeks on the market, compared to the national average of 6 weeks. Condos are also available in Honey Acres and Root River Estates
Residents of Fairview Park take great pride in their homes.
Large ranch styles homes can be in found in Honey Acres.
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Changing structure to strengthen bonds and better use funds
West Allis-West Milwaukee School District combines the two small cities for education and has 13 traditional neighborhood schools, an online learning academy and an alternative high school. The city once offered school of choice but transitioned back to having zoned schools in the past five years to strengthen neighborhood connections. The district has an overall grade of C-plus by Niche and a diversity grade of A. Walker Elementary School is the highest-ranked primary school in the neighborhood, with a score of B. Nathan Hale High School has a career preparation program, considered best in the state and fourth-best in the nation by the American School Counselor Association.
In the spirit of growth and constant evolution, the city removed certain sports programs from elementary and middle schools in the district to better allocate money and time. Instead, youth programs are now available through the city's Recreation and Community Services Department, and participation has skyrocketed. The recreation center in the city's eastern half will be matched by constructing a center on the western end of West Allis, converted from the old Lane Middle School in the coming years.
For students who want to play football, Nathan Hale High School is an excellent choice.
Walker School is a wonderful, public elementary school in West Allis.
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Improving roads and adding micro mobility
Interstate 41 runs the length of West Allis from north to south and intersects with Interstate 94. The two major freeways connect downtown Milwaukee and the rest of eastern Wisconsin. Milwaukee County Transit System has 10 bus routes that service West Allis, and Lime Scooters were just brought to the city. "Some people love them, and some people don't," Singh says about the public scooters. The city also has bike lines on some main roads, and more are being created. West Allis also proactively schedules street repairs. "Every year, we have a capital improvements budget, and we look at how many street repairs we can afford," Mayor Devine says.
Like many northern Midwest cities, West Allis is no stranger to inclement weather during the winter. "We get one or two heavy snowstorms yearly," says Mandi Miller, Realtor at Re/Max Forward. "Some Halloweens, there is already snow on the ground. The storms aren't Rochester New York level, but they cover the roads." The city's Public Works Department is tasked with clearing snow and ice on public roads and regularly salts the streets to keep them safe for driving in low temperatures. Heavy storms occasionally cause the schools to close or delay, and the schools are allowed three snow days yearly. After that, snow days transition to virtual learning, a feature that the schools built during 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19.
Important to know
According to FBI data, crimes happen in West Allis at a similar rate to the national average. However, compared to the property and violent crime rates in the city of Milwaukee, West Allis is notably lower. FBI reports from 2023, the most recent year of available data, violent crime rates were about half of those in Milwaukee, and property crimes were also lower.
Small neighborhood parks and Milwaukee County trails
Small neighborhood parks are in many of West Allis' square and rectangular neighborhoods, but two large parks act as a home base for sports and activity. McCarty Park has baseball diamonds, a fishing pond, walking trails around sports courts and a large playground. Still, the biggest draw in the summer is the McCarty Park Pool. Residents can cool off in the lap lanes or the two-story-tall water slide. Greenfield Park also has walking trails and a pool but is home to a golf course and trails that connect to the Oak Leaf Trail, a 135-mile multi-use trail through Milwaukee County. Greenfield Park's 282 acres are tree-filled and remain some of the last undeveloped spaces in West Allis.
Cast a line and snag a fish on the pond in McCarty Park
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