Blame it all on a simple twist of fate.
I’m moving back to my hometown. My lovely girlfriend Hannah and I will be Milwaukee-bound in early July.
My six-plus months in Newton and nearly two years in central Iowa have been wonderful. I learned a ton and met some awesome people along the way.
Living in Des Moines and writing for a weekly newspaper in Dallas County was the perfect start to my post-college life. After a brief stint in the insurance industry, I found myself in Newton writing for the Daily News. Every week, I find myself smiling about how incredibly welcoming Newton is.
Thank you for the ride, Newton. Although it was relatively short, I enjoyed the small-town vibe and community pride.
I didn’t plan on returning to Milwaukee so soon, but an opportunity opened up for Hannah we couldn’t pass up. The stars aligned.
Since I have Milwaukee on my mind, I’d like to highlight four great things about Brew City. The following list is far from comprehensive and is in no particular order. If you ever find yourself in southeast Wisconsin, feel free to look me up and check out these four things.
1.) Lake Michigan: Growing up on a Great Lake, it was easy to take the beautiful body of water for granted. If you've never seen Lake Michigan, however, the views will blow you away. With water as far as the eye can see, you could almost swear you're looking at an ocean. There are plenty of sweet beaches and cliff-sides. Bradford Beach on Milwaukee's east side is a popular place to hang out in the summer. The further north you go in the state, the cleaner and more beautiful the water gets, generally speaking. Venture up to Door County, too, if you have the chance.
2.) Miller Park: Home of the Milwaukee Brewers, the retractable-roof stadium is a must see for baseball fans. With seating for about 42,000 people and plenty of family-friendly activities throughout the concourse, Miller Park has something for everyone on game days. To get the full experience, you must tailgate outside in the parking lot before the game starts. The smell of brats on grills emanates through the air, as thousands of folks play bag toss and drink beer at every home game. As of this writing, the Brewers are in first place in the NL Central. Even when the team is mediocre on the field (which they are most years), Miller Park is central to the Milwaukee experience.
3.) The new arena: Although it's still in construction as I write this, the tentatively-named Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center is sure to be a game changer. First and foremost, it will host the Milwaukee Bucks. It will also host other sporting events and high-profile concerts. According to the Bucks, the new arena will anchor a world-class sports and entertainment district in downtown Milwaukee that covers 30 acres of land. And the young team on the court is as promising as ever. Led by All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks could be among the NBA's top contenders in the next couple years.
4.) Beer: It wouldn't be a Milwaukee list without beer. At one point, the city was known as the "beer capital of the world." Miller, Pabst, Schlitz and many other brewing giants originated in Milwaukee. The city is still home to a plethora of breweries and micro breweries. Tour the Historic Pabst Brewery, sample the many flavors at Lakefront Brewery or enjoy a free hour-long tour of Miller Brewing Co. To further experience the beer and nightlife in Milwaukee, spend a night bar hopping on Brady Street, Water Street or North Avenue. And please don't drink and drive.
In my first column for the Daily News, I started by announcing my habit of using song lyrics to convey feelings and explain real-life situations. Bob Dylan fans will notice my last column for this paper follows that trend and borrows language from songs.
It’s time to “strike another match, go start anew.”
Thanks again, Iowa.
Contact Justin Jagler at
jjagler@newtondailynews.com