{image1}Signs, signs, everywhere signs. But do you ever really look at them?
If so, then you've probably met my friend Marshall Deerfield, who lives on Interstate-94, on the way to Madison. Or you've bumped into one of rock guitar's living (?) legends in Harambee, Keefe Richards.
Milwaukee – and southeastern Wisconsin – street signs pay tribute to politicians and settlers, but also to all kinds of other people, places and things.
While Lapham (named for Increase Lapham, tee hee) doesn't intersect with Kisslich Place or Mount Court, thankfully it isn't anywhere near Hackett Avenue or Kneeland Street.
You might get some good advice on Landers Street, but steer clear of the pixies on Fairy Chasm and the potentially haunted Casper Street. Casper's animated friends are spread across town. Homer Street is in Bay View but the Peanuts gang is all over the place: Brown Street on the North Side, Linus Street in Bay View, Woodstock Place on the East Side and Marcy Street to the south.
It's amazing how many streets are named for characters of '60s and '70s vintage sitcoms and dramas: "Diff'rent Strokes" fans will want to visit Rae Avenue and Willis Place. While Thurston Avenue might be a little too rich for your blood, what about Murray (the cop) Avenue, Vera (Alice's co-worker at Mel's) Avenue or icky Quincy Avenue, where the mood is a little more somber even if the coroner's office isn't located there.
Perhaps that mood is what led the founding fathers of Brew City to wish they were elsewhere. Like Beale Street (named for the Memphis byway), Drury Lane (although there are no theaters on this one, or at least none to rival London) and Waverly Place (New York's doesn't have a lake view!).
While Duluth Avenue, Michigan Street and Brooklyn Place might be a little ho-hum, there's always a party on Rio Street and nothing says Euro fun like Dover Street, Geneva Place or Bremen Street.
Ironically, despite Horace's urging, one can't go west on Greeley Street.
Greeley wasn't the only one to get a street named for him. Even English prime ministers like Gladstone are honored and so are great minds, too, like Edison in Downtown and Euclid on the South Side.
It's just a shame that Story Parkway doesn't intersect with Poe Street, Faulkner Road or Ruskin Street.
I could go on but instead I'm going to see if I can make Olive and Vine meet up at Bender Road. If not, I guess I'll drown my sorrows over on Downer.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
