For years, I’ve found myself recommending cool bars, shows, coffee shops, galleries, and restaurants to out-of-towners and friends who ask, “What should I do in Milwaukee this weekend?”

It finally hit me: that’s a newsletter. That’s a brand. That’s a way to help people feel more connected to the city.

Milwaukee gets a bad rap from outsiders — and even from people who live just a few miles away. But if you spend time in neighborhoods like Riverwest, Bay View, Walker’s Point, the East Side, or Downtown, you feel the creativity, the community, and the vibrancy that don’t show up in headlines.

This project is my way of celebrating that version of Milwaukee.

Milwaukee City Lights will highlight the best events, small businesses, local artists, music scenes, and places that give this city its spark. Not the high-society stuff. Not the “only if you know someone” circles. Just the real Milwaukee — welcoming, creative, sometimes weird, always interesting.

Thanks for being here at the start. This is going to be fun.