No building better personifies the dynamic nature of Walker’s point than the Frederick Bahr Building, located at 801 S. Second Street. Built as a grocery store in 1887 by a German immigrant, the building demonstrates the rising material wealth and success of immigrant groups. In the early 1900’s, the Frederick Bahr building stood in the epicenter of Milwaukee’s so-called “Industrial Breeding Ground.” Many giants of Milwaukee manufacturing including Allen Bradley, Allis Chalmers, and A.O. Smith made a name for themselves in Walker’s point along the National Avenue corridor. Direct access to the river and an abundant source of loyal and proud immigrant laborers catapulted Walker’s point into the diverse manufacturing town it became.
In the 1980’s, an economic depression led to enormous losses and the collapse of hundreds of manufacturers in Milwaukee. Allen Bradley, which occupied the clock tower building visible from National Ave, shrank from 5,500 jobs in 1980 to just 300 in 2006.Though the community bears the marks of its decline in the empty lots and weathered buildings, new people have flooded in to fill the gaps: the LGBTQ+ community. |
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The large influx of LGBT individuals in the 1980’s mirrored a larger trend known as the “great gay migration.” According to Amin Ghaziani, author of There Goes the Gayborhood. Gay and Lesbian men and women often flocked in groups to cities known as “gay magnets.” As Ghaziani explains, “Amenities matter in gay and lesbian location decisions…. Within a given city, there are correlations between the number of same-sex residences in a neighborhood and an older and higher-value housing stock.” Due to the surplus of housing and commercial floor space along National Avenue, Walker’s point likely experienced the same gay influx experienced in coastal cities such as Los Angeles, Sand Diego, and San Francisco. Along with such a growth in the LGBT community came an explosion in spaces along National Avenue designated to the LGBT community, such as bars and clubs.
When the LGBTQ+ community moved into the area in the 1980's, the public opinion of the gay community wasn't as welcoming as it is today. The original design of LaCage Nite Club did not include large open windows to the public, however as time went on the public became more welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community, the role of LaCage has changed somewhat from mainly gay bar to a normal bar with both straight and gay patrons. Whether or not rapidly changing gay districts such as National Avenue retain their value to the LGBT community, their value as new, exciting spaces for diverse interaction remains. Walker’s point prides itself on its diversity and inclusiveness, and its primary social gathering spaces—the bars—must contribute to this identity in order for the neighborhood to thrive. So long as the people of Walker’s Point, both gay and straight continue to drink, dance, and socialize, the need for clubs and bars as spaces for mixing and interaction will never change, regardless of the label. |
Project 1
Leaving the GreenLine at the intersection of 1st and
National, one doesn’t get the sense that National Avenue was
once a great industrial thoroughfare. Of course, the torrent of
February rain did little to alleviate the negative impression: Cars
fly by well over the speed limit and rain flushes the trash down
to the sewer. Yet, hidden amongst the busy traffic and vacant
lots are beautiful detailed facades, and a rich history of diversity
and change.
No building better personifies the dynamic nature
of Walker’s point than the Frederick Bahr Building, located
at 801 S. Second Street. Built as a grocery store in 1887 by
a German immigrant, the building demonstrates the rising
material wealth and success of immigrant groups. In the early
1900’s, the Frederick Bahr building stood in the epicenter of
Milwaukee’s so-called “Industrial Breeding Ground.” Many
giants of Milwaukee manufacturing including Allen Bradley,
Allis Chalmers, and A.O. Smith made a name for themselves
in Walker’s point along the National Avenue corridor. Direct
access to the river and an abundant source of loyal and proud
immigrant laborers catapulted Walker’s point into the diverse
manufacturing town it became.
In the 1980’s, an ecomonic depression led to enormous
losses and the collapse of hundreds of manufacturers in
Milwaukee. Allen Bradley, which occupied the clocktower
building visible from National Ave, shrank from 5,500 jobs in
1980 to just 300 in 2006. Though the community bears the
marks of its decline in the empty lots and weathered buildings,
new people have flooded in to fill the gaps: the LGBT community.
No building represents Walker’s Point’s significance
to the gay community better than Bahr’s grocery store, now
known as LaCage NiteClub. Upon his installation of the brass
bank entrance, George Prentice’s LaCage Aux Folles gay bar
markedly transformed the dynamic of National Avenue for
decades to come. Prentice and his partner affably renovated
the 1887 structure with the hopes of attracting a new crowd.
They later, in 1998, remodeled the building’s façade: metal
was stripped, brick cleaned, trim redone, windows resized
and enlarged, and new entrances were added. With their new
updates and installations, Prentice and Grubb strived to bring
two, once adverse crowds together: the homosexual and
heterosexual parties.
LaCage NiteClub was a catalyst in the gay bar industry
of Milwaukee. It is remarkable to think that this prominent night
club was once hidden among the urban fabric; its windows
were covered and it contained no signage to hint what lied
within its brick façade. Its presence was unknown and
presumably unwelcome at the time by the straight community.
In the past, intermingling straight and gay people was too risky
for businessmen and their clientele. To draw the community
together, Prentice established MAPFest, an event held on Labor
Day with four other major LGBT bars to support the Milwaukee
AIDS Project. Straight and gay citizens alike arrived and
comingled to support the cause.
After his retirement in 2015, Prentice sold the bar to
Michael Jost and Kris Heindel and they re-adopted the LaCage
name. Their main motive was to prevent it from becoming a
“condominium or a Walgreens. Or worse… a straight bar.”
Today with new enthusiastic inhabitants, the
community around 1st and National thrives. It is a vibrant night
scene which embraces people of all walks of life, celebrating
acceptance. Though Walker’s point has changed physically in
a century, its dynamic character has stayed.
National, one doesn’t get the sense that National Avenue was
once a great industrial thoroughfare. Of course, the torrent of
February rain did little to alleviate the negative impression: Cars
fly by well over the speed limit and rain flushes the trash down
to the sewer. Yet, hidden amongst the busy traffic and vacant
lots are beautiful detailed facades, and a rich history of diversity
and change.
No building better personifies the dynamic nature
of Walker’s point than the Frederick Bahr Building, located
at 801 S. Second Street. Built as a grocery store in 1887 by
a German immigrant, the building demonstrates the rising
material wealth and success of immigrant groups. In the early
1900’s, the Frederick Bahr building stood in the epicenter of
Milwaukee’s so-called “Industrial Breeding Ground.” Many
giants of Milwaukee manufacturing including Allen Bradley,
Allis Chalmers, and A.O. Smith made a name for themselves
in Walker’s point along the National Avenue corridor. Direct
access to the river and an abundant source of loyal and proud
immigrant laborers catapulted Walker’s point into the diverse
manufacturing town it became.
In the 1980’s, an ecomonic depression led to enormous
losses and the collapse of hundreds of manufacturers in
Milwaukee. Allen Bradley, which occupied the clocktower
building visible from National Ave, shrank from 5,500 jobs in
1980 to just 300 in 2006. Though the community bears the
marks of its decline in the empty lots and weathered buildings,
new people have flooded in to fill the gaps: the LGBT community.
No building represents Walker’s Point’s significance
to the gay community better than Bahr’s grocery store, now
known as LaCage NiteClub. Upon his installation of the brass
bank entrance, George Prentice’s LaCage Aux Folles gay bar
markedly transformed the dynamic of National Avenue for
decades to come. Prentice and his partner affably renovated
the 1887 structure with the hopes of attracting a new crowd.
They later, in 1998, remodeled the building’s façade: metal
was stripped, brick cleaned, trim redone, windows resized
and enlarged, and new entrances were added. With their new
updates and installations, Prentice and Grubb strived to bring
two, once adverse crowds together: the homosexual and
heterosexual parties.
LaCage NiteClub was a catalyst in the gay bar industry
of Milwaukee. It is remarkable to think that this prominent night
club was once hidden among the urban fabric; its windows
were covered and it contained no signage to hint what lied
within its brick façade. Its presence was unknown and
presumably unwelcome at the time by the straight community.
In the past, intermingling straight and gay people was too risky
for businessmen and their clientele. To draw the community
together, Prentice established MAPFest, an event held on Labor
Day with four other major LGBT bars to support the Milwaukee
AIDS Project. Straight and gay citizens alike arrived and
comingled to support the cause.
After his retirement in 2015, Prentice sold the bar to
Michael Jost and Kris Heindel and they re-adopted the LaCage
name. Their main motive was to prevent it from becoming a
“condominium or a Walgreens. Or worse… a straight bar.”
Today with new enthusiastic inhabitants, the
community around 1st and National thrives. It is a vibrant night
scene which embraces people of all walks of life, celebrating
acceptance. Though Walker’s point has changed physically in
a century, its dynamic character has stayed.
Project 2
only descriptions with the images - check on t - drive
Project 3
If you ask Don Schwab what makes a gay bar
successful, he will not say the architecture. Instead, he claims
owners of gay bars only look for open space which innately
informs the architecture. He spoke of the need for gay bars
in the 1980s and how crucial it was for gay people to remain
unseen when going about their night life. They needed to create a
secure environment for young gay people to relax and socialize.
In the time since, the need for this security has dissipated. In the
generational change there has come a blending of cultures. The
older generation may feel more comfortable at gay bars, but
others do not see the need. This begins to explain how the once
defined city edge began to blend with the urban fabric. Don then
mentioned the progression toward bars like the Hybrid on Brady
where straight and gay customers are equally welcome though
a majority are gay.
To create a more blended environment and make
straight people accustomed to the gay culture, Don founded
the Guerilla Gar Bar Foundation around 2008. Members would
choose one straight bar each month and bring large groups
to show up by surprise. He slowly saw a difference in the
crowd and eventually noticed that they would feel comfortable
enough to visit these bars on their own afterward. When
asked what makes LaCage so special, Don mentioned that it
was one of few dance clubs and certainly the oldest. He also
spoke of the many bachelorette parties held there; however,
perhaps the most influential element in its success was the
environment LaCage has created, both inside its dwellings and
the surrounding street.
Leaving the GreenLine at the intersection of 1st and National, one doesn’t get the sense that National Avenue was once a great industrial thoroughfare. Of course, the torrent of April rain did little to alleviate the negative impression: Cars fly by well over the speed limit and rain flushes the trash down to the sewer. Yet, hidden amongst the busy traffic and vacant lots are beautiful detailed facades, and a rich history of diversity and change.
No building better personifies the dynamic nature of Walker’s point than the Frederick Bahr Building, located at 801 S. Second Street. Built as a grocery store in 1887 by a German immigrant, the building demonstrates the rising material wealth and success of immigrant groups. In the early 1900’s, the Frederick Bahr building stood in the epicenter of Milwaukee’s so-called “Industrial Breeding Ground.” Many giants of Milwaukee manufacturing including Allen Bradley, Allis Chalmers, and A.O. Smith made a name for themselves in Walker’s point along the National Avenue corridor. Direct access to the river and an abundant source of loyal and proud immigrant laborers catapulted Walker’s point into the diverse manufacturing town it became.
In the 1980’s, an economic depression led to enormous losses and the collapse of hundreds of manufacturers in Milwaukee. Allen Bradley, which occupied the clock tower building visible from National Ave, shrank from 5,500 jobs in 1980 to just 300 in 2006. Though the community bears the marks of its decline in the empty lots and weathered buildings, new people have flooded in to fill the gaps: the LGBT community.
No building represents Walker’s Point’s significance to the gay community better than Bahr’s grocery store, now known as LaCage NiteClub. As Don Schwamb from the Milwaukee LGBT history project explained, LaCage has always set itself apart as exclusively a dance club, which offers a completely different experience from traditional bars in the area. Large glass windows on the front façade promote transparency, and communicate a feeling of openness, in a time when LGBT individuals feel comfortable being “out.”
Upon walking into the main dance floor of LaCage, you get a sense for the scale of the space inside: Four bars occupy each corner of the completely open floor plan, with tables, dance floors, and stages filling the space in-between. The ceiling is incredibly high, a remnant of the historic building’s former life as a grocery store in the 1890’s. Because of the large volume, the floor accommodates changes in elevation, which defines different spaces within the club. Additionally, large raised platforms surrounded by “cages” offer fun spaces to dance and party, making LaCage such a unique destination.
According to Kris, the owner of LaCage, the club has changed significantly over the years, both in terms of its patrons, and in terms of the architecture. Where LaCage once boasted to be the most popular gay dance club in Wisconsin, it now prides itself upon being simply Wisconsin’s most popular dance club. Straight patrons make up over half of the crowd on a busy night, and the LGBT crowd welcomes the new diversity. In fact, to accommodate the changing demographics and crowd sizes, LaCage has undergone large renovations, which were completed in 2010. Primarily, the second floor has been converted into a quieter, more relaxed lounge, with a large stage for performances. In fact, a back room has even been left open for a kitchen. Kris plans to offer fine dining in the near future. With such a dynamic atmosphere and unique architecture, clubs such as LaCage have been a driving force in expanding the LGBT community into the greater Milwaukee community. The result has been a night scene in Walker’s point, which blurs the line between “gay” and “straight”.
Equally important to the architecture are the people that inhabit the gay clubs and create an environment unique to Walker’s Point. Don and his colleagues for instance, have been active members of the LGBT community that worked to immerse gay culture into the “straight” bar atmosphere. The founded the MGGB, Milwaukee Guerrilla Gay Bar, which organized “occupations” of straight bars. On some occasions, over 200 gay people would show up at traditionally straight bars, overwhelming the bartenders and surprising the patrons! Events like this helped to encourage members of the LGBT community to feel comfortable being “out” in straight bars on their own, while in effect, promoting acceptance within the larger community.
The study of gay bars in Walker’s point expands beyond just one building—critical to the community is the aggregation of other gays bars which in turn, create ideal “night life” conditions. As Don explained, a gay bar’s success relies on proximity to other gay bars, which allow guests to bar hop. As a result, one has to barely step outside of clubs like LaCage before they see other familiar names, such as Fluid, Walker’s Pint, and Dix.
The instinct, upon visiting neighborhoods such as the gay district of Walker’s point, is to classify them as the “urban edge.” Having once been a center of commerce and industry, members of a marginalized group—the LGBT community—occupied National Avenue’s vacant buildings and called them home.
While this analysis may have applied years ago, today it could not be farther from the truth. With rapidly shifting public perceptions, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people find themselves less often at the edge of society, but rather immersed in it. The same applies for the spaces traditionally occupied by the LGBT community: One has to simply step into a club such a LaCage to see how the welcoming, inclusive atmosphere appeals to all people both gay and straight.
Tragically, with the mixing of the straight and the gay population in the bars of Milwaukee, gay bars may begin to lose their purpose. Don Schwamb has noticed steady declines in the number of gay bars in Milwaukee, and has predicted that there may no longer be a need for gay bars in the future. Today, LGBT people are so comfortable being “out,” that they frequent
straight bars without the fear of discrimination.
For now, the gay bars of Walker’s Point remain. While
their patrons may change, it is unlikely the atmosphere that
makes each club so unique will disappear. Walker’s point prides
itself on its diversity and inclusivity, and its primary social
gathering spaces—the bars—must contribute to this identity
in order for the neighborhood to thrive. So long as the people of
Walker’s Point, both gay and straight continue to drink, dance,
and socialize, the need for clubs and bars as spaces for mixing
and interaction will never change, regardless of the label.
successful, he will not say the architecture. Instead, he claims
owners of gay bars only look for open space which innately
informs the architecture. He spoke of the need for gay bars
in the 1980s and how crucial it was for gay people to remain
unseen when going about their night life. They needed to create a
secure environment for young gay people to relax and socialize.
In the time since, the need for this security has dissipated. In the
generational change there has come a blending of cultures. The
older generation may feel more comfortable at gay bars, but
others do not see the need. This begins to explain how the once
defined city edge began to blend with the urban fabric. Don then
mentioned the progression toward bars like the Hybrid on Brady
where straight and gay customers are equally welcome though
a majority are gay.
To create a more blended environment and make
straight people accustomed to the gay culture, Don founded
the Guerilla Gar Bar Foundation around 2008. Members would
choose one straight bar each month and bring large groups
to show up by surprise. He slowly saw a difference in the
crowd and eventually noticed that they would feel comfortable
enough to visit these bars on their own afterward. When
asked what makes LaCage so special, Don mentioned that it
was one of few dance clubs and certainly the oldest. He also
spoke of the many bachelorette parties held there; however,
perhaps the most influential element in its success was the
environment LaCage has created, both inside its dwellings and
the surrounding street.
Leaving the GreenLine at the intersection of 1st and National, one doesn’t get the sense that National Avenue was once a great industrial thoroughfare. Of course, the torrent of April rain did little to alleviate the negative impression: Cars fly by well over the speed limit and rain flushes the trash down to the sewer. Yet, hidden amongst the busy traffic and vacant lots are beautiful detailed facades, and a rich history of diversity and change.
No building better personifies the dynamic nature of Walker’s point than the Frederick Bahr Building, located at 801 S. Second Street. Built as a grocery store in 1887 by a German immigrant, the building demonstrates the rising material wealth and success of immigrant groups. In the early 1900’s, the Frederick Bahr building stood in the epicenter of Milwaukee’s so-called “Industrial Breeding Ground.” Many giants of Milwaukee manufacturing including Allen Bradley, Allis Chalmers, and A.O. Smith made a name for themselves in Walker’s point along the National Avenue corridor. Direct access to the river and an abundant source of loyal and proud immigrant laborers catapulted Walker’s point into the diverse manufacturing town it became.
In the 1980’s, an economic depression led to enormous losses and the collapse of hundreds of manufacturers in Milwaukee. Allen Bradley, which occupied the clock tower building visible from National Ave, shrank from 5,500 jobs in 1980 to just 300 in 2006. Though the community bears the marks of its decline in the empty lots and weathered buildings, new people have flooded in to fill the gaps: the LGBT community.
No building represents Walker’s Point’s significance to the gay community better than Bahr’s grocery store, now known as LaCage NiteClub. As Don Schwamb from the Milwaukee LGBT history project explained, LaCage has always set itself apart as exclusively a dance club, which offers a completely different experience from traditional bars in the area. Large glass windows on the front façade promote transparency, and communicate a feeling of openness, in a time when LGBT individuals feel comfortable being “out.”
Upon walking into the main dance floor of LaCage, you get a sense for the scale of the space inside: Four bars occupy each corner of the completely open floor plan, with tables, dance floors, and stages filling the space in-between. The ceiling is incredibly high, a remnant of the historic building’s former life as a grocery store in the 1890’s. Because of the large volume, the floor accommodates changes in elevation, which defines different spaces within the club. Additionally, large raised platforms surrounded by “cages” offer fun spaces to dance and party, making LaCage such a unique destination.
According to Kris, the owner of LaCage, the club has changed significantly over the years, both in terms of its patrons, and in terms of the architecture. Where LaCage once boasted to be the most popular gay dance club in Wisconsin, it now prides itself upon being simply Wisconsin’s most popular dance club. Straight patrons make up over half of the crowd on a busy night, and the LGBT crowd welcomes the new diversity. In fact, to accommodate the changing demographics and crowd sizes, LaCage has undergone large renovations, which were completed in 2010. Primarily, the second floor has been converted into a quieter, more relaxed lounge, with a large stage for performances. In fact, a back room has even been left open for a kitchen. Kris plans to offer fine dining in the near future. With such a dynamic atmosphere and unique architecture, clubs such as LaCage have been a driving force in expanding the LGBT community into the greater Milwaukee community. The result has been a night scene in Walker’s point, which blurs the line between “gay” and “straight”.
Equally important to the architecture are the people that inhabit the gay clubs and create an environment unique to Walker’s Point. Don and his colleagues for instance, have been active members of the LGBT community that worked to immerse gay culture into the “straight” bar atmosphere. The founded the MGGB, Milwaukee Guerrilla Gay Bar, which organized “occupations” of straight bars. On some occasions, over 200 gay people would show up at traditionally straight bars, overwhelming the bartenders and surprising the patrons! Events like this helped to encourage members of the LGBT community to feel comfortable being “out” in straight bars on their own, while in effect, promoting acceptance within the larger community.
The study of gay bars in Walker’s point expands beyond just one building—critical to the community is the aggregation of other gays bars which in turn, create ideal “night life” conditions. As Don explained, a gay bar’s success relies on proximity to other gay bars, which allow guests to bar hop. As a result, one has to barely step outside of clubs like LaCage before they see other familiar names, such as Fluid, Walker’s Pint, and Dix.
The instinct, upon visiting neighborhoods such as the gay district of Walker’s point, is to classify them as the “urban edge.” Having once been a center of commerce and industry, members of a marginalized group—the LGBT community—occupied National Avenue’s vacant buildings and called them home.
While this analysis may have applied years ago, today it could not be farther from the truth. With rapidly shifting public perceptions, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people find themselves less often at the edge of society, but rather immersed in it. The same applies for the spaces traditionally occupied by the LGBT community: One has to simply step into a club such a LaCage to see how the welcoming, inclusive atmosphere appeals to all people both gay and straight.
Tragically, with the mixing of the straight and the gay population in the bars of Milwaukee, gay bars may begin to lose their purpose. Don Schwamb has noticed steady declines in the number of gay bars in Milwaukee, and has predicted that there may no longer be a need for gay bars in the future. Today, LGBT people are so comfortable being “out,” that they frequent
straight bars without the fear of discrimination.
For now, the gay bars of Walker’s Point remain. While
their patrons may change, it is unlikely the atmosphere that
makes each club so unique will disappear. Walker’s point prides
itself on its diversity and inclusivity, and its primary social
gathering spaces—the bars—must contribute to this identity
in order for the neighborhood to thrive. So long as the people of
Walker’s Point, both gay and straight continue to drink, dance,
and socialize, the need for clubs and bars as spaces for mixing
and interaction will never change, regardless of the label.
Project 4
Leaving the GreenLine at the intersection of 1st and National, one doesn’t get the sense that National Avenue was once a great industrial thoroughfare. Of course, the torrent of April rain did little to alleviate the negative impression: Cars fly by well over the speed limit and rain flushes the trash down to the sewer. Yet, hidden amongst the busy traffic and vacant lots are beautiful detailed facades, and a rich history of diversity and change.
No building better personifies the dynamic nature of Walker’s point than the Frederick Bahr Building, located at 801 S. Second Street. Built as a grocery store in 1887 by a German immigrant, the building demonstrates the rising material wealth and success of immigrant groups. In the early 1900’s, the Frederick Bahr building stood in the epicenter of Milwaukee’s so-called “Industrial Breeding Ground.” Many giants of Milwaukee manufacturing including Allen Bradley, Allis Chalmers, and A.O. Smith made a name for themselves in Walker’s point along the National Avenue corridor. Direct access to the river and an abundant source of loyal and proud immigrant laborers catapulted Walker’s point into the diverse manufacturing town it became.[1]
In the 1980’s, an economic depression led to enormous losses and the collapse of hundreds of manufacturers in Milwaukee. Allen Bradley, which occupied the clock tower building visible from National Ave, shrank from 5,500 jobs in 1980 to just 300 in 2006.[2] Though the community bears the marks of its decline in the empty lots and weathered buildings, new people have flooded in to fill the gaps: the LGBT community.
The large influx of LGBT individuals in the 1980’s mirrored a larger trend known as the “great gay migration.” According to Amin Ghaziani, author of There Goes the Gayborhood. Gay and Lesbian men and women often flocked in groups to cities known as “gay magnets.” As Ghaziani explains, “Amenities matter in gay and lesbian location decisions…. Within a given city, there are correlations between the number of same-sex residences in a neighborhood and an older and higher-value housing stock.” Due to the surplus of housing and commercial floor space along National Avenue, Walker’s point likely experienced the same gay influx experienced in coastal cities such as Los Angeles, Sand Diego, and San Francisco.[3] Along with such a growth in the LGBT community came an explosion in spaces along National Avenue designated to the LGBT community, such as bars and clubs.
No building represents the significance of National Avenue to the gay community better than Frederick Bahr’s grocery store, now known as LaCage NiteClub. As Don Schwamb from the Milwaukee LGBT history project explained, LaCage has always set itself apart as exclusively a dance club, which offers a completely different experience from traditional bars in the area. Large glass windows on the front façade promote transparency, and communicate a feeling of openness, in a time when LGBT individuals feel comfortable being “out.”[4]
Upon walking into the main dance floor of LaCage, you get a sense for the scale of the space inside: Four bars occupy each corner of the completely open floor plan, with tables, dance floors, and stages filling the space in-between. The ceiling is incredibly high, a remnant of the historic building’s former life as a grocery store in the 1890’s. Because of the large volume, the floor accommodates changes in elevation, which defines different spaces within the club. Additionally, large raised platforms surrounded by “cages” offer fun spaces to dance and party, making LaCage such a unique destination.
According to Kris, the owner of LaCage, the club has changed significantly over the years, both in terms of its patrons, and in terms of the architecture. Where LaCage once boasted to be the most popular gay dance club in Wisconsin, it now prides itself upon being simply Wisconsin’s most popular dance club. Straight patrons make up over half of the crowd on a busy night, and the LGBT crowd welcomes the new diversity. In fact, to accommodate the changing demographics and crowd sizes, LaCage has undergone large renovations, which were completed in 2010. Primarily, the second floor has been converted into a quieter, more relaxed lounge, with a large stage for performances. In fact, a back room has even been left open for a kitchen. Kris plans to offer fine dining in the near future. With such a dynamic atmosphere and unique architecture, clubs such as LaCage have been a driving force in expanding the LGBT community into the greater Milwaukee community.[5] The result has been a night scene in Walker’s point, which blurs the line between “gay” and “straight”.
Equally important to the architecture are the people that inhabit the gay clubs and create an environment unique to Walker’s Point. Don and his colleagues for instance, have been active members of the LGBT community that worked to immerse gay culture into the “straight” bar atmosphere. The founded the MGGB, Milwaukee Guerrilla Gay Bar, which organized “occupations” of straight bars. On some occasions, over 200 gay people would show up at traditionally straight bars, overwhelming the bartenders and surprising the patrons! Events like this helped to encourage members of the LGBT community to feel comfortable being out in straight bars on their own, while in effect, promoting acceptance within the larger community.[6]
The study of gay bars in Walker’s point expands beyond just one building—critical to the community is the aggregation of other gays bars which in turn, create ideal night life conditions. As Don explained, a gay bar’s success relies on proximity to other gay bars, which allow guests to bar hop. As a result, one has to barely step outside of clubs like LaCage before they see other familiar names, such as Fluid, Walker’s Pint, and Dix.
The instinct, upon visiting neighborhoods such as the gay district of Walker’s point, is to classify them as the urban edge. Having once been a center of commerce and industry, members of a marginalized group—the LGBT community—occupied National Avenue’s vacant buildings and called them home.
While this analysis may have applied years ago, today it could not be farther from the truth. With rapidly shifting public perceptions, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people find themselves less often at the edge of society, but rather immersed in it. The same applies for the spaces traditionally occupied by the LGBT community: One has to simply step into a club such a LaCage to see how the welcoming, inclusive atmosphere appeals to all people both gay and straight.
Tragically, with the mixing of the straight and the gay population in the bars of Milwaukee, gay bars may begin to lose their purpose. Don Schwamb has recorded steady declines in the number of gay bars in Milwaukee, and notes that LGBT people are so comfortable being out, they frequent straight bars without the fear of discrimination.[7] For residents of LGBT neighborhoods, this poses a real threat. According to Amin Ghaziani, author of There Goes the Gayborhood, gay districts such as Walker’s point play an important role for the LGBT community. Primarily, they “allow gays and lesbians—who, unlike racial minorities, are often not physically identifiable—to find one another for friendship and fellowship, sex, dating, and love. Such individuals can create unique cultures, political perspectives, organizations and businesses, families, rituals, and styles of socialization in and around their neighborhood.” In addition, “they also provide a platform from which gays and lesbians can organize themselves as a voting bloc, if they seek to work within the system, or as a social movement, if they wish instead to rally against it.”[8]
As cultural attitudes towards the LGBT community rapidly change, new generations of gay and lesbian men and women may no longer feel the need for gay enclaves and safe spaces within the city. As Don Schwamb remarked, while younger gay men and women feel comfortable being out in both straight and gay bars, many gay individuals who grew up and socialized in gay bars in the 1970’s and 1980’s feel far more comfortable in traditionally gay bars.[9]
Whether or not rapidly changing gay districts such as National Avenue retain their value to the LGBT community, their value as new, exciting spaces for diverse interaction remains. Walker’s point prides itself on its diversity and inclusivity, and its primary social gathering spaces—the bars—must contribute to this identity in order for the neighborhood to thrive. So long as the people of Walker’s Point, both gay and straight continue to drink, dance, and socialize, the need for clubs and bars as spaces for mixing and interaction will never change, regardless of the label.
No building better personifies the dynamic nature of Walker’s point than the Frederick Bahr Building, located at 801 S. Second Street. Built as a grocery store in 1887 by a German immigrant, the building demonstrates the rising material wealth and success of immigrant groups. In the early 1900’s, the Frederick Bahr building stood in the epicenter of Milwaukee’s so-called “Industrial Breeding Ground.” Many giants of Milwaukee manufacturing including Allen Bradley, Allis Chalmers, and A.O. Smith made a name for themselves in Walker’s point along the National Avenue corridor. Direct access to the river and an abundant source of loyal and proud immigrant laborers catapulted Walker’s point into the diverse manufacturing town it became.[1]
In the 1980’s, an economic depression led to enormous losses and the collapse of hundreds of manufacturers in Milwaukee. Allen Bradley, which occupied the clock tower building visible from National Ave, shrank from 5,500 jobs in 1980 to just 300 in 2006.[2] Though the community bears the marks of its decline in the empty lots and weathered buildings, new people have flooded in to fill the gaps: the LGBT community.
The large influx of LGBT individuals in the 1980’s mirrored a larger trend known as the “great gay migration.” According to Amin Ghaziani, author of There Goes the Gayborhood. Gay and Lesbian men and women often flocked in groups to cities known as “gay magnets.” As Ghaziani explains, “Amenities matter in gay and lesbian location decisions…. Within a given city, there are correlations between the number of same-sex residences in a neighborhood and an older and higher-value housing stock.” Due to the surplus of housing and commercial floor space along National Avenue, Walker’s point likely experienced the same gay influx experienced in coastal cities such as Los Angeles, Sand Diego, and San Francisco.[3] Along with such a growth in the LGBT community came an explosion in spaces along National Avenue designated to the LGBT community, such as bars and clubs.
No building represents the significance of National Avenue to the gay community better than Frederick Bahr’s grocery store, now known as LaCage NiteClub. As Don Schwamb from the Milwaukee LGBT history project explained, LaCage has always set itself apart as exclusively a dance club, which offers a completely different experience from traditional bars in the area. Large glass windows on the front façade promote transparency, and communicate a feeling of openness, in a time when LGBT individuals feel comfortable being “out.”[4]
Upon walking into the main dance floor of LaCage, you get a sense for the scale of the space inside: Four bars occupy each corner of the completely open floor plan, with tables, dance floors, and stages filling the space in-between. The ceiling is incredibly high, a remnant of the historic building’s former life as a grocery store in the 1890’s. Because of the large volume, the floor accommodates changes in elevation, which defines different spaces within the club. Additionally, large raised platforms surrounded by “cages” offer fun spaces to dance and party, making LaCage such a unique destination.
According to Kris, the owner of LaCage, the club has changed significantly over the years, both in terms of its patrons, and in terms of the architecture. Where LaCage once boasted to be the most popular gay dance club in Wisconsin, it now prides itself upon being simply Wisconsin’s most popular dance club. Straight patrons make up over half of the crowd on a busy night, and the LGBT crowd welcomes the new diversity. In fact, to accommodate the changing demographics and crowd sizes, LaCage has undergone large renovations, which were completed in 2010. Primarily, the second floor has been converted into a quieter, more relaxed lounge, with a large stage for performances. In fact, a back room has even been left open for a kitchen. Kris plans to offer fine dining in the near future. With such a dynamic atmosphere and unique architecture, clubs such as LaCage have been a driving force in expanding the LGBT community into the greater Milwaukee community.[5] The result has been a night scene in Walker’s point, which blurs the line between “gay” and “straight”.
Equally important to the architecture are the people that inhabit the gay clubs and create an environment unique to Walker’s Point. Don and his colleagues for instance, have been active members of the LGBT community that worked to immerse gay culture into the “straight” bar atmosphere. The founded the MGGB, Milwaukee Guerrilla Gay Bar, which organized “occupations” of straight bars. On some occasions, over 200 gay people would show up at traditionally straight bars, overwhelming the bartenders and surprising the patrons! Events like this helped to encourage members of the LGBT community to feel comfortable being out in straight bars on their own, while in effect, promoting acceptance within the larger community.[6]
The study of gay bars in Walker’s point expands beyond just one building—critical to the community is the aggregation of other gays bars which in turn, create ideal night life conditions. As Don explained, a gay bar’s success relies on proximity to other gay bars, which allow guests to bar hop. As a result, one has to barely step outside of clubs like LaCage before they see other familiar names, such as Fluid, Walker’s Pint, and Dix.
The instinct, upon visiting neighborhoods such as the gay district of Walker’s point, is to classify them as the urban edge. Having once been a center of commerce and industry, members of a marginalized group—the LGBT community—occupied National Avenue’s vacant buildings and called them home.
While this analysis may have applied years ago, today it could not be farther from the truth. With rapidly shifting public perceptions, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people find themselves less often at the edge of society, but rather immersed in it. The same applies for the spaces traditionally occupied by the LGBT community: One has to simply step into a club such a LaCage to see how the welcoming, inclusive atmosphere appeals to all people both gay and straight.
Tragically, with the mixing of the straight and the gay population in the bars of Milwaukee, gay bars may begin to lose their purpose. Don Schwamb has recorded steady declines in the number of gay bars in Milwaukee, and notes that LGBT people are so comfortable being out, they frequent straight bars without the fear of discrimination.[7] For residents of LGBT neighborhoods, this poses a real threat. According to Amin Ghaziani, author of There Goes the Gayborhood, gay districts such as Walker’s point play an important role for the LGBT community. Primarily, they “allow gays and lesbians—who, unlike racial minorities, are often not physically identifiable—to find one another for friendship and fellowship, sex, dating, and love. Such individuals can create unique cultures, political perspectives, organizations and businesses, families, rituals, and styles of socialization in and around their neighborhood.” In addition, “they also provide a platform from which gays and lesbians can organize themselves as a voting bloc, if they seek to work within the system, or as a social movement, if they wish instead to rally against it.”[8]
As cultural attitudes towards the LGBT community rapidly change, new generations of gay and lesbian men and women may no longer feel the need for gay enclaves and safe spaces within the city. As Don Schwamb remarked, while younger gay men and women feel comfortable being out in both straight and gay bars, many gay individuals who grew up and socialized in gay bars in the 1970’s and 1980’s feel far more comfortable in traditionally gay bars.[9]
Whether or not rapidly changing gay districts such as National Avenue retain their value to the LGBT community, their value as new, exciting spaces for diverse interaction remains. Walker’s point prides itself on its diversity and inclusivity, and its primary social gathering spaces—the bars—must contribute to this identity in order for the neighborhood to thrive. So long as the people of Walker’s Point, both gay and straight continue to drink, dance, and socialize, the need for clubs and bars as spaces for mixing and interaction will never change, regardless of the label.