Bradford BeachGo to the beach on a warm, sunny day. What is the first thing that you see? People “having a good time,” explains the Tiki bar manager. They are playing volleyball, soaking up the sun, chatting with friends, having a beer, or watching their kids splash in the waves. But what is the story underneath this sandy place? There has to be some logic to the seemingly unorganized milieu of groups. Stay long enough, and you will find that the “beach” is really a complex landscape of many zones and myriad worlds that intersect in unique ways.
Before examining the complex world of the beach, we need to consider the services the beach offers and how beach-goers utilize them. From our observations, Bradford Beach offers four different services: basic amenities, refreshments, leisure, and health. The beach provides the basic services of cleanliness and protection. As a Milwaukee County park, the area is maintained for the public. This maintenance takes the form of sand grooming, algae removal, cleaning, and recycling and waste removal. There are public restrooms and showers to satisfy beach-goers’ comfort needs. In terms of protection, Milwaukee County has banned glass bottles from the beach in order to prevent broken glass from hiding in the sand. Should a beach-goer get injured, there is a first-aid station at the bath house. And not to ignore the classic sight: lifeguards watching over the water provide a safe environment for swimmers within designated swimming areas. The next service that the beach provides is refreshment. Food and drink are available at the bath house, the Tiki bars located on the sand, and the North Point Custard Stand directly south of the beach. Beach-goers patronize food and drink stands on the beach. Many people come to the beach for their lunch break, simply to eat a burger at North Point Custard or to have a drink at the Tiki bar. For the latter, the beach has a different meaning than it does for those who come for leisure. Many people come to Bradford Beach for the leisure it provides. Whether playing volleyball, sunning, socializing, swimming, or simply using the beach as a gathering space, Bradford Beach is a place of relaxation for its visitors. The bath house and Tiki bars are permitted to sell alcohol, which furthers the laid-back atmosphere. The beach also provides health and fitness opportunities. Many people go to the beach to play competitive volleyball. The bath house itself is used for exercise routines. The storage boxes outside the bath house are used to practice jumping, and the surrounding sand is used as a field to pull tires. The bath house is also used as a rest stop for the bikers who cycle on Lincoln Memorial Drive. |
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There are many different reasons why people come to Bradford Beach, and the reason why one comes may not be the reason why one stays at the beach. Though there are many different types of activities occurring at the same time on Bradford Beach, they are not separate; these activities are constantly coming in contact with each other.
Bradford Beach History
Residents who lived on the lake used to go to Bradford Beach to swim. But in the 1960s and 1970s, Bradford Beach became a less desirable destination due to the fights that would break out between beach-goers. The dirty beach, polluted water, and dead fish that washed up onshore were reasons why people stayed away from the beach. By the 1980s, Milwaukee County began trying to improve the conditions on Bradford Beach. Small additions, including a volleyball court, helped to bring more people to the beach.
The lake front is very important for the people of Milwaukee, so there were a number of proposals made for activities on Bradford Beach. Many worried about the intensity of development; residents who lived nearby were concerned about the potential for overcrowding at Bradford Beach and the lakefront. As a compromise, many of the changes and new buildings on Bradford Beach are non-permanent. These structures were designed so that they could be removed with no lasting damage to the beach or the lakefront.
Over the last few generations, there have been a number of developmental changes in Bradford Beach, which has resulted in a change in how the beach is used. What was once a beach used by local families has become a place for young people from all over the city to swim, exercise, eat, play, hang out, tan, and drink. The beach caters to a different community now than it once did. Even though the material culture on the beach looks temporary, it has actually made a permanent change to how Bradford Beach is used.
The lake front is very important for the people of Milwaukee, so there were a number of proposals made for activities on Bradford Beach. Many worried about the intensity of development; residents who lived nearby were concerned about the potential for overcrowding at Bradford Beach and the lakefront. As a compromise, many of the changes and new buildings on Bradford Beach are non-permanent. These structures were designed so that they could be removed with no lasting damage to the beach or the lakefront.
Over the last few generations, there have been a number of developmental changes in Bradford Beach, which has resulted in a change in how the beach is used. What was once a beach used by local families has become a place for young people from all over the city to swim, exercise, eat, play, hang out, tan, and drink. The beach caters to a different community now than it once did. Even though the material culture on the beach looks temporary, it has actually made a permanent change to how Bradford Beach is used.
"Ringo," (Mike White) the current king of Bradford Beach, remembers Dick Bacon, the well-known and loved former king of Bradford.
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- Barbara Elsner, interview by Niyati Naik, Milwaukee, June 17, 2013.
- Chris Bauer, interview by Jonathan Schaefer, Milwaukee, June 28, 2013.
- Michael Connor, interview by Niyati Naik, Milwaukee, June 23, 2013.
- "Miscellaneous Historic Photos," Historic Water Tower Neighborhood, 2013. http://hwtn.org/photo-gallery/historic-photos-gallery/.