Crew Cuts
David Fox
Impressed visitors often tell AirTran Airways station manager David Fox how much they enjoyed their stay in Milwaukee. Fox understands their pleasant surprise at his hometown’s charms. Though a city native, Fox left town for college and career opportunities in 1991, returning a decade later. “It was definitely not the same city,” Fox says. “Milwaukee has really reinvented itself, and it’s a city that, once you experience it, you’ll want to come back to. We’ve got everything that big cities like New York and Chicago have to offer—we’re just smaller.”
Fox’s preferred pastime is exploring Milwaukee, and while he has his favorite haunts, he loves discovering new gems. Fortunately, the city has enough museums, festivals and restaurants to keep him busy.
Summer Festivities
Every summer, Fox likes to experience festivals he’s never attended, and in the “city of festivals,” there’s no shortage of weekend fêtes for him to sample. Fox enjoys some of the larger ethnic festivals like Festa Italiana (www.festaitaliana.com) and Irish Fest (www.irishfest.com), as well as what is known around town as “The Big Gig,” or Summerfest (www.summerfest. com), the world’s largest music festival, which will be celebrating its 40th anniversary this June. Besides the larger affairs, Fox loves some of the smaller neighborhood gatherings, including the Third Ward’s jazz extravaganza, Summer Sizzle (www.historicthirdward.org) and Riverwest’s Locust Street Festival (www..locust-street.com). “Some of the smaller festivals are just as much fun as the larger ones,” Fox says.
Museums and More
Local festivities also lure Fox into some of the city’s other attractions. While taking in the Lakefront Festival of the Arts (www..lfoa.mam.org)—June 15-17—he’ll check out the Milwaukee Art Museum’s (www.mam.org) Quadracci Pavilion, the first Santiago Calatrava-designed building in the US. Fox also can’t deny his love for the music and food at the Milwaukee County Zoo (www..milwaukeezoo.org). “But in winter, I have to see the polar bears,” Fox says.
To re-experience the zoo of his childhood, though, Fox heads to the Milwaukee Public Museum (www.mpm.edu), which is hosting a commemorative exhibit called “Samson Remembered”, honoring the famed gorilla. “Anyone who grew up in Milwaukee remembers Samson,” Fox says. Check out photos of the 650-pound gorilla, along with several exhibits about the animal’s role in popular culture.
Dining Out
Fox loves good food, and he’s been really impressed with the new Milwaukee Public Market (www.milwaukeepublicmarket.org), the upper Midwest’s only year-round, public market. “I just love all the specialty foods you can find there. I love El Rey’s Mexican foods and all of the cheeses at West Allis Cheese & Sausage,” Fox says.
When dining out, Fox likes to mix it up. He’ll visit local classes like Kopp’s Frozen Custard (www.kopps.com) or Pizza Man (www.pizzaman.org), which is known not only for its Italian offerings, but also its extensive wine list. Fox also loves checking out new finds like the Caribbean-themed Good Life (www.goodlifemilwaukee.com). “I just had the best jerk chicken there,” he says. He also enjoys quirky neighborhood joints like the East Side’s Comet Café (414-273-7677). “I usually just get a bowl of mac and cheese there, and I tell them to make it extra cheesy,” Fox says.