Uniquely Milwaukee

Everyone needs it. An informal, neutral setting within a community that supports the individual. It encourages conversation. It embraces differences. It’s a park, a bar, a coffee shop, a hair salon, a library — any spot that welcomes diversity and, sometimes, action.It isn’t home.

It isn’t work. It’s a third place.

This isn’t a new concept. Sociologist Ray Oldenburg is credited with solidifying it in his 1989 book, The Great Good Place, and it has since evolved over the decades as our increased access to things like money, technology and travel – while great – have shifted our need and desire for a blended community.

“The idea that we spend so much time at home, then we leave our home and go to work, and then for most folks they leave work and go home, there's nothing necessarily wrong with that,” said Michael Carrier, urban historian and professor at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE). “In a lot of times that's almost done out of necessity because people may be working multiple jobs, they may have childcare issues. But, when your life is that bifurcated, you don't get the sociability that people need.”

Carrier does his own exploration of the topic in his book, The City Creative: The Rise of Placemaking in Urban America. On this episode of Uniquely Milwaukee, we dive into the significance of having places where people can just exist, including a new “third place” on the East Side called The Washroom.

At first, the activity of doing laundry may not seem social — until you give it more than a passing thought.“ I think a laundromat is a perfect place to make into a third space because you're getting folks from all different walks of life going to one space once a week,” The Washroom owner Kelli Johnson said. “That, within itself, is very powerful … building and creating community.”

Episode Host: Kim Shine

For more stories visit radiomilwaukee.org/ourstories. Uniquely Milwaukee is sponsored by the Milwaukee Public Library. 

We successfully made it through another Radio Milwaukee Spring Membership Drive! That’s 10 days of our listeners hearing us (and folks in the community) explain why supporting this station matters. Whether through sustaining memberships or one-time gives, everything helps keep us on the air and in the Cream City.

Radio Milwaukee is a nonprofit organization, and membership accounts for nearly a third of our annual revenue. As membership manager Maddy Riordan explains in this episode, members help sustain 88Nine and HYFIN, but also efforts like Grace Weber’s Music Lab, this very podcast and our Black Small Business Initiative.

Let’s not forget about those who donate their time. We asked one of our longtime volunteers, Rachel Bourbon, to talk about what attracted her to Radio Milwaukee 17 years ago and how the station has evolved in nearly two decades.

We also decided to have a little fun with this episode and lean on the fact that our organization is an award-winning media outlet. But that got us wondering: How many honors have we won since our 2007 launch? We’ll find out together as we take an “Award Tour” with HYFIN program director Element Everest-Blanks.

Episode Host: Kim Shine

For more stories visit radiomilwaukee.org/ourstories. Uniquely Milwaukee is sponsored by the Milwaukee Public Library. 

This week on Uniquely Milwaukee, Radio Milwaukee's intern, Amelie Stella Lichte, takes over to share her unique experience working at the Grohmann Museum.

On Uniquely Milwaukee, we wrap up Suicide Awareness Month and reflect on the complex emotions that surround loss, especially for those affected by suicide. In this final episode, we’re bringing back some of the voices you heard in Episode 1, mental health experts Emily Vander Velden and Jeremy Schumacher, unpacking strategies for coping with and balancing mourning and healing.

On this episode of Uniquely Milwaukee, we explore deeply personal stories that reveal the challenges and triumphs of navigating mental health. Featuring co-founders of Black Space, we discuss the detrimental effects of inadequate care and the importance of finding the right mental health provider. Together, they highlight the critical need for accessible, culturally competent mental health resources for Black and Brown communities.

The role of community and connection in suicide prevention by hearing from local organizations, support groups and individuals working to create safe spaces.

In this opening episode, we dive into the complexities of suicide. Experts in mental health, Emily Vander Velden and Jeremy Schumacher provide insights into the underlying issues that can lead to suicidal thoughts and behaviors. This episode will lay the foundation for a month of deep exploration, offering listeners a comprehensive understanding of suicide and why it remains a critical public health issue.

On this episode of Uniquely Milwaukee, we sit down with Amy Horst and Stephanie Rhodes to delve into The Great Milwaukee Block Party. We explore the spirit behind this vibrant event and discover how community organizers united to make it a reality.

On this episode of Uniquely Milwaukee, we sit down with program director Michelle Lyle to talk about the summer hydroponics program and spend a day with students conducting a fluid dynamics water balloon lab experiment.

Milwaukee's Drag Star: Interview with ‘Melee the Queen’ and the Legacy of Drag