Burns Commons

Indulge me for a min while I talk Milwaukee history:
Once upon a time, maybe 10+ plus years back, the Park East freeway ran from the west exit of the East point parking lot to I-​43. Myself and many others got our coffee and were scooped up and whisked on to our morning commute by a huge double decker freeway that rose up over what is now the Aloft and that one lonely Ace hardware. (C’mon, MKE, its been over a decade.)
What even I didn’t know until recently was that for 20+ years before, from 1970 to 1990 the land from east point to the lake, between lyon and ogden was completely razed of homes/​buildings and sat vacant for 2 decades. (This is why if you walk down lyon st. one side is cute Victorian houses and the other side is all new apartments.) The plan was to continue the freeway right through the lower east side, to the lake where it would cut through veterans park and meet the hoan bridge & 794. (This may also explain the one oddly placed shell gas station at the end of farwell.)
All I can say to all this is how *^/@ed up would the lower east side, the lakefront, (& quite frankly, my home) be if this monstrous freeway had been constructed? Instead of the lagoon at veterans park and the stairs at ogden it would have been all concrete pillars and exhaust fumes.
So, in closing there’s nothing particularly special to me about this little park/​square/​green space. But its nice and I’m very glad history was written the way it was and this park is therefore actually able to exist.

I love my «park across the street». I’m not sure what crawled up Stephen’s pant leg, but this park is nice for taking my puppy out to do his business, sitting and people watching, and whatever else you like to do in a park. It is really like a little oasis on the busy eastside. AND, as Sam C points out, what a great history and tradition!

Named after the famous Scottish Poet Robert Burns, the 1.5 acre Burns Commons is situated on an interesting triangular plot. The original site (called «First Ward Triangle») was donated to the City of Milwaukee by a real estate developer named James H. Rogers in 1847, making it one of the oldest parks in the city. The city soon changed the name to Franklin Park, then in 1909 a statue of Burns’ likeness was donated by the very grateful Scottish immigrant James Anderson Bryden. It was renamed in 1994.
It contains two statues: «Cleopatra’s Wedge» by Beverly Pepper and a classical Robert Burns statue by William Grant Stevenson.
Nearby attractions: Terrific views of Lake Michigan, the Oak Leaf Bike Trail, and Milwaukee Art Museum/​War Memorial.
Nearby restaurants: the County Clare, The Knick, and Pasta Tree.
Stephen S. doesn’t know what he is talking about.

This confirms there is little to do in Milwaukee when this teeny-​tiny little park is reviewed (not to fault John D.)!
Nearby attractions: a Shell Station, an abortion provider and a nursing home! Yay!