May 6, 2007

A Milwaukee seahorse.

I'm in Milwaukee, the night before the 7th Circuit Judicial Conference. I'm doing a panel tomorrow morning, but this evening there was a reception at the Discovery Center, the lower level of which is an aquarium. Wandering around, I took this little film clip of a seahorse. The voices in the background are just some people at the conference.



Upstairs, I got some nice views of the Calatrava art museum:

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ADDED: The museum is actually called the Milwaukee Art Museum. Santiago Calatrava is the name of the architect. For a view from the angle as you approach the entrance and photographs of the inside of the place, go to this old post.

14 comments:

Ruth Anne Adams said...

Say 'hi' to Simon for me!

Titus said...

I always kind of thought of Milwaukeee as a city with so much potential to be a really great city but for some reason never really became a great city. The streets are so nice and wide but not much business or people actually living in the city. It reminds me Cleveland or Detroit.
When you walk around you see remnants of lot of business etc but now stuff is quiet and vacant.

I always get depressed when I go to the cities like that.

I want to see lots of foot traffic and energy and activity in a city. Cities like Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland make me think of cities that had their glory days in another time.

Also, the gay bars in Milwaukee are in the stereotypical area where you would expect to gay bars. Over some bridge by these abadoned buildings in the middle of nowhere. We would run from our car to get to the bar. Kind of like out of sight and out of mind.

Also, when I was much younger I used to frequent a bar that Jeffrey Dahlmer went to and that gives me the creeps.

That is one of the things I like about Boston our gay bars are right across from Fenway Park and in the middle of all the city integrated with all of the other clubs.

Sofa King said...

Also, the gay bars in Milwaukee are in the stereotypical area where you would expect to gay bars.

Hmmm? Have you been to the Third Ward lately?

Methadras said...

I'm in Detriot right now and I have to tell you, I don't think I'm ever coming back again. It's sunk to a level I never thought possible. It makes Beruit look like a resort. The city is fouled and rife with corruption. Even my old stomping grounds around 10 and 14 mile road are gone beyond repair. Detriot is finished. There really will never be a revitalization of this place and I'm glad I'm hopping on a plane in the morning to come back to sunny San Diego.

High Power Rocketry said...

What a cute guy!

Bissage said...

"That's the beer that made Milt Famey walk us."

SARA said...

Nice vid capture of that little seahorse!

Bob said...

I agree on the seahorse video, that is wonderful. The best sequence is when the seahorse seems to kiss its reflection; name him Narcissus!

Great video, Ann! Thanks for sharing it!

Radish said...

Sounds like boston70 hasn't been to Milwaukee in at least ten years.

amba said...

Well, I was going to say exactly what Bob said.

Titus said...

"Sounds like boston70 hasn't been to Milwaukee in at least ten years."

Actually I was there a couple of years ago and it reminded me of what I remembered when I used to go there in the mid 90's-which was 10 tears ago.

But it certainly could of changed.

Is there something I am missing?

A couple of years ago when I was there it reminded me of a city that has lost quite a bit of its business, population and strength.

Vacant store fronts and no people traffic depress me in a city.

Unfortunately, I have seen a decent amount of that in some of the U.S. northern cities. Although Minneapolis and Chicago are thriving.

Milwaukee reminded me of a city that was once great but now a shell of it's former self.

Yes, there were a couple of new loft conversions, as I am obsessed with cities and lofts.

But I am always willing to give it another try. I am originally from Madison and maybe the next time I am visiting family I will check it out.

Although, the Milwaukee skyline is still not very pretty.

One city that I recently traveled to is Calgary, Alberta. The growth of that city is absolutely amazing. High rises are going up everywhere. Same with Shanghai and Beijing. I guess I am fascinated about how some cities are able to reinvent themselves and grow and thrive and others (Detroit, Cleveland, and yes Milwaukee) seem to be stagnant or dieing.

Just my opinion though.

Titus said...

So sorry-it's looks like I may of spoken to soon.

I just went into the Third Ward and Milwaukee website and it does look like the city has changed quite a bit recently.

My bad. Not sure if it would be a place I would want to live but it does look like the city has invested quite a bit in new loft conversions, downtown business etc.

I am very glad to see the changes.

It says the city had a population of 750,000 in the 1960's but now it has a population of 550,000. That's a steep decline.

What are the industries in Milwaukee? Beer and manufacturing isn't doing much in Milwaukee today.

What types of business is in Milwaukee (besides Midwest Airlines).

Unknown said...

So the gays are rehabilitating another depressed city. Shocker. There they go again - destroying culture.

Anyway - you can see how Calatrava has really evolved his architecture, when comparing this building to his design for the new New York Path Station at Ground Zero. He uses piercing pieces of steel in both designs, but obviously much more in the Ground Zero building.

http://www.thecityreview.com/calatrav1.html

Emy L. Nosti said...

Between Calatrava and Gaudi, Spain is definitely the home of my favorite architects. You ever see his Art and Sciences complex in Valencia? The science museum is similar to the Milwaukee art museum, but the other stuff is just crazy. One looks like an eye at night (with its reflection in the surrounding pool) and the other has a huge seemingly unsupported overhang.