Riverside Park Milwaukee

There was a time in the distant pass when I wouldn’t have written this review. Or one for Estabrook. Because these were just places I was told not to go. It wasn’t a place you could safely jog as a female, and honestly at the time, I felt that was very very true. (Especially since safety comes in numbers and there were just not a lot of joggers out there back in the day.)
Riverside was a series of meandering trails off the oak leaf trail (which I felt comfortable enough on.) But the trails leading into Riverside were dark, narrow, steep, unpaved and kind of ominous looking (I think that’s enough adjectives for the moment.)
But today, the whole area has changed. I turned and rode up into a wooded clearing on a paved path to find many people, in pairs, by themselves, on foot and bike exploring the area. Gravel trails went down into the woods, and some sort of clearing-​wetland– I don’t know what else to call it project is going on along the banks of the now visible river bank. The East Bank Trail (denoted by a turtle sculpture) marks a trail running along u guessed it, the east bank of the Milwaukee river.
If you head off down a gravel trail to the south, you’ll come to a clearing with a giant hill covered in wild flowers. Its still quiet enough that you can enjoy nature and that sort of thing.
Weird bit of history about this park… it was planned to be much most expansive when it was originally created. It was another creation from the guy who did Lake and Central park. His original idea was to somehow link Lake and Riverside park together (I think down Newberry?) This obviously never happened. That may explain why, although it is a pretty big space, something always seems to be «missing» here.
Still, a nice little bit of woods in the middle of the city. I’m a fan.

I used to get mad at the Oak Leaf Trail — praise be Her name — because there’s been so much construction that I couldn’t get on Her eastern riverbank manifestation from Locust. It wasn’t your fault, Oak Leaf. I’m sorry. It’s more of a Riverside Park thing.
Not that I’m mad at you, Riverside Park. You seem decent enough.
I mean, your coolness level is raised simply by your proximity to The Urban Ecology Center.
Speaking of, you can thank the UEC for picking up your long-​hanging slack with their adorable entrance to the Oak Leaf Trail; all praise to Her Trailness.
You’ve allowed that construction to carry-​on for quite long enough, however. Don’t you think? I like that you seem to have some big plans. It looks as though there will be a few solid trails flowing through you from different directions to connect with the Oak Leaf (grovel & mutter). But, crap you are taking your sweet ass time.
You’ve got a pretty cool looking playground for the little ones. You even have a few apparatuses that look like throwbacks to the «learn how to climb or pay the price» testing grounds I remember from the ‘80s & early ‘90s. We need good climbers. Who else will rescue the cats? Firemen are for fires & sexy calendars. A strong community should be able to wrangle its own cats.
I seldom pass through Riverside Park without seeing families playing or dudes tossing projectiles. It’s a happening place. I like it.
I’ll like it a lot more when they get the heavy machinery out of there and finish the dang trails, already.
If you are on Locust, and on the east side of the river, and want to hook-​up with The Almighty Trail, just scoot around the tennis courts at Riverside Park and hop on the trail just past The Urban Ecology Center. Otherwise, you’ll have to cross Locust Street bridge & zip through Gordon Park.
That place is pretty darn nice, as well.