The Milwaukee Public Market sign is a local landmark

Mary Spicuzza, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Updated ·1 min read

Few signs bring as much joy as the one that reads “MILWAUKEE PUBLIC MARKET.”

The large red neon sign hovers above the market’s west entrance, beckoning to passersby and serving as a de facto billboard for downtown and the Third Ward. It glows at night, and casts a shimmering reflection even on the rainiest of days. Get off that concrete freeway, it tells visitors. (Who among us hasn’t driven past the sign and wondered why they’re still on I-794 instead of walking through the public market, stopping by the lakefront, or visiting one of the city’s many festivals?)

58. The Milwaukee Public Market sign has basically become a local landmark. The Market sits at the corner of what was once known as Commission Row, once packed with Italian fruit and vegetable wholesalers. It's now has local vendors selling an impressive range of goods.
58. The Milwaukee Public Market sign has basically become a local landmark. The Market sits at the corner of what was once known as Commission Row, once packed with Italian fruit and vegetable wholesalers. It's now has local vendors selling an impressive range of goods.

The sign alone has basically become a local landmark. And the market itself, which opened in 2005, is a sleek space full of natural light and packed with local vendors selling an impressive range of goods – including cheese, spices, wine, fresh fish on ice, flowers, chocolate and Milwaukee merch.

The Milwaukee Public Market sits at the corner of what was once known as Commission Row, a stretch of Broadway that was once packed with Italian fruit and vegetable wholesalers – such as Jennaro Brothers, Machi Produce, Catalano Produce, Spicuzza Banana Co. and Palmisano Produce. Those companies have mostly moved or closed, but even with its modern vibe, the market manages to honor the Third Ward’s history of a gathering place where people can find good food.

And thanks to that sign, the market is impossible to miss.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: The Milwaukee Public Market sign is a local landmark