Thousands of visitors have wrapped up their time in the City of Milwaukee following the final day of the Republican National Convention. For many of those visitors, the trip was their first visit to Wisconsin. Both the state and the city have drawn varying reactions from attendees.
Margaret Siebert, part of the Illinois delegation, said she and her husband did not have much time to get out and explore the city due to their busy schedules. Siebert hadn’t spent too much time outside the hard security perimeter around the vicinity of Fiserv Forum but had enjoyed the few sections of the city’s architecture she had seen. She was also a fan of the city’s public transportation options.
“We’ve really enjoyed using the streetcar to get around,” she said.
John Sullivan, a New York resident, arrived in Milwaukee Friday. He said Milwaukee’s residents are what stood out to him the most. Sullivan, like many other RNC attendees, said he had not had much of an opportunity to explore any of Milwaukee’s attractions.
“I had no expectations. I loved the brats, the cheese curds and everyone is so nice,” he said.
The next generation of Republicans was also represented this week at the RNC. Yosef Herrera, a native of McAllen, Texas, traveled to the convention with his father. Herrera is the chairman of the High School Republican National Federation.
He and his father landed in Milwaukee at 2 a.m. Monday. The duo had never been to Wisconsin and only knew about the state’s world-renowned cheese production. They stayed in Madison throughout the four-day convention and were bused to Fiserv Forum each day.
The Herreras opted to stay within the pedestrian restricted security zone throughout the RNC, citing security concerns following the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump. Still, they said Wisconsin left an impressive mark on them.
“The Capitol was pretty nice, lots of neoclassical architecture,” said Herrera. “We saw lots of barns and rolling hills. It was much cooler than Texas, that’s for sure. We’ve had to stay inside the perimeter because of everything going on, but it was still really nice.”
Darleen Cross and Gayle Nash, sisters from Missouri, said they felt safe in Milwaukee and praised the convention organizers’ work to put on a “seamless, fun show.”
“I was a little disappointed when we saw that the nearest hotel we could get a room at was like 40 minutes away,” Darleen said of the Washington County hotel she was staying at. “I’ve been to a number of these conventions and this was the first time I had to stay this far away from the actual convention. Luckily, there’s really been no traffic on the way in or out.”
Despite keeping busy with convention-related events — and spending more time on the road than they’d like — the pair said they were able to make a trip to the Third Ward for an afternoon and appreciated the area’s charm and walkability.
“5 stars,” was all a delegate from Arizona had to say about the city.
Some attendees, however, believed Milwaukee leaders “did not work hard enough” to showcase the beauty of the city and the state. Sandra Carney, a native of Burma who now lives in North Carolina, criticized what she believed to be a copious amount of construction underway in the city.
“This is ridiculous that a beautiful city like this has turned into this decrepit place,” said Carney.
Burl Palumbo, in town from Florida, said he made a point of checking out the neighborhoods around the city, spending some time at a cafe and shops on the East Side and some bars and breweries in Walker’s Point.
“I read that the thing about Milwaukee is it’s neighborhoods,” Palumbo said. “It was eye opening to see the difference between neighborhoods and how quickly the city changes from downtown to the more rundown neighborhoods, but that’s why we’ve got to get the economy into a better place for everyone.”
Donna Bergstrom, a member of the Minnesota delegation, said it was exciting to see the construction around Milwaukee. Bergstrom, who has visited Milwaukee before, said she previously thought of the city as “a little bit smaller town” and “a little bit less eclectic in its offerings.”
“But what I’m seeing this time is it’s got really fantastic arts, culinary, just all sorts of offerings, so I’m happy to see that,” she said. “I didn’t realize it had grown so much.”
Milwaukee’s art scene also stood out to Rebecca Harary, a member of the Florida delegation. Before the RNC, Harary had never been to Milwaukee or Wisconsin, so she “had absolutely no idea what to expect.” Now she thinks Milwaukee “seems like a beautiful town,” she said.
“I wish I had more time to spend here and really discover it,” Harary said.
It was challenging to find places to eat within the RNC security perimeter, she said, so she mostly ate at restaurants inside area hotels.
“It’s been really difficult with all of this barricading, and even during the day, a lot of the restaurants are not open for lunch, so it’s been very difficult,” Harary said.
Bergstrom said she had “wonderful” dining experiences in Milwaukee, including at Mader’s restaurant.
Delegates also noted the kindness of people in Milwaukee. Bergstrom said she was encouraged to encounter many “friendly and helpful people.”
Hardam Tripathi, a member of the Florida delegation, said that while he loves Milwaukee’s architecture and historic aspects, “it’s the people that make the city.”
The Milwaukeeans that he’s encountered have been hardworking, friendly and down to earth, Tripathi said. It reminded him “of what America is all about.” This was Tripathi’s first time experiencing the city.
“No matter where you go in, people open doors for you here, it’s a community of people who care about each other, and I think that’s what it should be,” Tripathi said. “It should serve as an example for other cities across our country.”
– Ashley Smart, Samantha Dietel and Hunter Turpin contributed to this report
