Downtown Milwaukee and its surrounding neighborhoods offer lots of different types of condo developments, from towering high-rises to converted warehouses to historic conversions. But how does a potential condo dweller determine the genre that fits his or her vision of urban living? With input from Nancy Meeks of Shorewest Realtors and Jean Stefaniak of The Stefaniak Group, we’ve put together a sampler of some of the city’s most sought-after areas.
 

Lakefront

Location: As far east as you can go downtown without getting wet.

Style: Luxury-plus.

Ideal For: Status-seeking Milwaukeeans; residents are a Who’s Who of the influential and very wealthy, including a number of sports figures.

Selling Points: The city’s best views of Lake Michigan and the iconic Calatrava; proximity to the beach, parks and museums. Myriad concierge services.

It Will Cost You: From $500,00 up to millions for luxury high-rise condos in the exclusive Kilbourn Tower or University Club Tower.
 

Third Ward

Location: South of downtown Milwaukee on the Milwaukee River.

Style: Loft-living with countless amenities.

Ideal For: Those who want it all right outside their front door. With its abundance of restaurants, bars, theaters, galleries and shops, the Historic Third Ward is one of Milwaukee’s busiest walking neighborhoods.

Pro or Con: The Third Ward is home to Summerfest and all of the ethnic festivals and happenings at Henry W. Meier Festival Park. You’ll either be excited to be in the thick of things or annoyed by the noise and congestion.

Price to Pay: A rare one-bedroom runs in the low 200s; two-bedroom condos average between $350,000 and $500,000; pricier addresses on the Milwaukee River run $800,000 to $1.3 million.

She Said It: "If a lakefront high-rise is a (pair of) Jimmy Choo shoes, the Third Ward is like the work boots of Milwaukee," Realtor Nancy Meeks says. "It’s a more fundamental Milwaukee feeling down in the Third Ward."
 

Walker’s Point/Fifth Ward

Location: Just south of the Third Ward in the eastern part of the Menomonee River Valley.

Ideal For: Urban pioneers who appreciate a value. If the exposed brick and concrete of the Third Ward’s converted warehouses aren’t gritty enough for you, the Fifth Ward is calling.

Selling Points: Across the street from the Third Ward and its many amenities.

Lookin’ for a Deal? A studio condo can be had for less than $100,000; a penthouse at The Point on the River will go for a cool million.

Bit ’O History: Walker’s Point namesake George H. Walker claimed the land south of the Milwaukee River and built a log house at the confluence of the Milwaukee and Menomonee rivers in 1834.
 

Brady Street

Location: East from Lake Michigan west to the Milwaukee River.

Ideal For: Those who seek a sense of community. "Brady Street IS Milwaukee," Realtor Jean Stefaniak says.

Selling Points: A great mix of shopping, restaurants and bars balanced with old-school establishments like Brady True Value Hardware, Glorioso’s Italian food store and Sciortino’s Bakery. Its eclectic mix of ethnicities and ages is another draw.

Bad Rap: "People mistakenly think it’s a wild area," Meeks says. "People who live in the Brady Street area love it."

What You’ll Pay: Between $200,000 and $300,000 for a two-bedroom condo.
 

Beerline

Location: On the Milwaukee River on Commerce Street between Pleasant Street and Humboldt Avenue.

Ideal For: Those who prefer a quieter, residential setting in an up-and-coming area.

Revitalization Plan: Located along what was once an important rail line during Milwaukee’s industrial revolution, the city in 1999 formally initiated a master plan for the former post-industrial brownfield.

Pro or Con: The knock on the area is that it doesn’t have a mix of residential, retail and restaurants. Others say its attractiveness is that there aren’t bars and restaurants (i.e., noise) right on top of you, but they are within walking distance via the Marsupial pedestrian bridge.

Architectural Attractions: The Milwaukee Riverwalk extends through the Beerline, "New urban" architecture by the likes of Vetter Denk and others gives the area a hip vibe.

Price Point: You can get a nice two-bedroom for $150,000 to $250,000. "It’s the best value in town right now," Meeks says.