This August, we're celebrating a milestone in West Allis Downtown. 30 years ago this month, a group of business and property owners, citizens, and workers got together to form the Downtown West Allis Business Improvement District. This organization focuses on the support of small businesses and the viability of our neighborhood (Greenfield Avenue between 70th and 76th). To celebrate, we're going through the ABC's of West Allis Downtown!
A La Carte- West Allis A La Carte is the biggest non-fair park event in the city, bringing approximately 12,000 people to the downtown annually!
Benches- This year, the Downtown created the Art Bench Trail by having local artists paint each of the benches. Each bench has a line from an original poem written by Milwaukee Poet, Keith Gaustad.
Classic Car Show- Over 450 classic cars take over Greenfield Avenue the first Sunday in October for our Classic Car Show! Our show is one of the last ones of the season before the car enthusiast put their cars in storage for the winter.
Dessert- In West Allis Downtown, we have some great places to grab desserts, including Aggie's Bakery, Cook's Cake and Candy, and Freese's Candy Shop.
Eineichners-Dianne and Emily Eineichner are mother and daughter and have been working together for the downtown since 2011! During events, you will find Roger, Jeremy, and Justin Eineichner helping out too.
Flowers- Thanks to Eden Garden & Pets, our planters on the street have beautiful flowers that grow May-October.
Gathering places- Looking for a place for your next gathering? Benno's Genuine Bar & Grill, Double B's BBQ, and Steakhouse 100 all have party areas for you to use!
History- This year, we teamed up with the West Allis Historical Society and Historic Milwaukee to host a historic walking tour in the Downtown.
Ideas- Our organization is always open to new ideas to help the downtown grow.
Joe- Joe Palkowski has been our street cleaner since 2013. If you see Joe working on Greenfield Avenue, say hi and thank him for all his hard work!
Kiva- West Allis has become a Kiva City, meaning businesses who choose to take out a Kiva Loan will get matching funds through the city in order to reach their goal faster. To learn more about this partnership, come to the Kiva Launch party on August 7th at The Crimson Club.
Learning- Our organization hosts quarterly crime prevention meetings to learn about what crime is happening in the city and what we can do to prevent it. We also have hosted fire prevention and active shooter courses.
Main Street- West Allis Downtown is a Main Street Community, which means we must follow a four point approach created by Wisconsin Economic Development. The points are Design (beautification), Economic Revitalization (filling vacancies, building partnerships with community organiztaions), Organization (marketing) and Promotions (events).
Neighborhoods- The Downtown falls in the boundaries of two neighborhood associations, East Allis Neighborhood Association and Fairview Park Neighborhood Association.
Open for Business- In 2019, we have already welcomed two new businesses, Swaye Tea and JC Barbershop. We will be announcing the winner of our Open Up In Downtown Entrepreneur Contest by the end of August!
Pedlets- We were the first community in the United States to have pedlets vs parkelts. Pedlets (found at Urban Joe Cafe and Mis Suenos) are an extension on the sidewalk that pedestrians walk on rather than dine on.
Quick- Due to our centralized location, West Allis Downtown is a quick trip away from the Wisconsin State Fair Grounds, The West Allis Farmer's Market, and the Hank Aaron Trail.
Restaurants- West Allis Downtown is home to some great restaurants! Soon, we will be welcoming Pepi's Pizza to our downtown family as well.
State Fair- For the second year in a row, you will find our organization teaming up with Travel Wisconsin at the Wisconsin State Fair! On August 8th, come visit us in the Wisconsin Products Pavilion.
Treasures- West Allis Downtown has many hidden treasures, including the largest clock shop in the country and teh biggest supplier of bar supplies in the state.
Up and Coming- Word on the street is West Allis is the up and coming neighborhood! Though we're being compared to other nearby trendy communities, we continue to work towrds having our own identity. Always Growing, Forever Original :)
Volunteers-Our organization would be nothing without our volunteers! They do everything from pick up trash during events to sit on our board and committees.
Wood & Wings- When the forestry department calls you up asking if you can run an event around logs, how do you say no? To bring awareness to the emerald ash borer and the reuse of urban wood, we created Wood & Wings! Get your tickets to the third annual Wood & Wings here
Xmas Parade- West Allis Downtown is the route for the West Allis Christmas Parade as well as the Independence Day and Memorial Day Parades.
Yoga- West Allis Downtown is home to Yoga Is Served, a pay what you can yoga studio. Owner Susie Mellot also organizes 30 Days of Summer Yoga, a free program to get West Allis interested in yoga and support local organizations.
Zealous- Downtown West Allis is eager to continue supporting the community for at least another 30 years!