Our David Tracy has departed Michigan, which sadly means that those of us out in the Midwest can no longer enjoy seeing our favorite rustman in a Walmart parking lot. Don’t worry, because the reader meetups will not end! Now, they’ll be on the other side of Lake Michigan.
A number of readers in the Chicago and Milwaukee areas have been asking for a reader meetup in this region. As luck would have it, I live equidistant from either city, so I will be hosting meetups in both cities and possibly even points in between. The launch of these little events will happen this weekend. Let’s meet up at the Milwaukee International Autoshow and the Harley-Davidson Museum! That’s February 25th.
Ideally, I’d love for us to meet someplace with nearby businesses like a Walmart or someplace to eat. However, since I’m not a resident of either city I welcome help in finding meeting locations. As of right now, here’s my idea for this particular meet:
- What: A meetup for Autopian readers.
- When: Saturday, February 25, 2023. 10:00 A.M.
- Where: American Family Field/Miller Park, Brewers 2 parking lot: 1 Brewers Way, Milwaukee, WI 53214
- Why: We’ll have a little car show, then you can go to the Milwaukee International Autoshow, which is a few minutes away. Or, if you like motorcycles, the Harley-Davidson Museum is also just a few minutes away.
When you arrive at the park, look for a black BMW 5-Series wagon with Vermont plates!
UPDATE!! Well, Uecker lot is snowed in, come to Brewers 2 lot around the circle!
I created a Facebook group for those of you living in Milwaukee and Chicago. Updates will go there and feel free to chat with each other. A number of you have noted that in the past, we often didn’t give you enough advance warning to make it the Detroit meets on time. So, I’m going to give you a week to find your way out here. (Update: Now it’s tomorrow!)
If you have a better idea for a meeting location, feel free to comment below or drop me a line at mercedes@theautopian.com. If the location changes, I’ll update it here and on the Facebook group. I can’t wait to meet you, lovely people!
Update: New location! Meeting at the baseball park should net better results.
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Nice to meet everyone that was there! Fun to see to people creating, enjoying and making this community great! (PW 06 MINI Cooper for the people that were there)
It was nice to meet you and the others, CrustyJoe!
Well Heck, I’m going to be in Madison that weekend with nothing to do. I guess I’ll head out to this event. I’ll bring whatever rental car I get from budget to display.
Sad that David has moved on, and the semi irregular meets in metro Detroit are no more. Glad to see my Jeep in this picture.
Mercedes, I’ve got a new driveshaft going in next week, a locker, and a regear as well. Anytime you want to venture back out to Holly Oaks, or head to trails in northern Michigan let me know and I’ll be there.
Woohoo, count me in! Hope you guys like 16-year-old Hyundais, cuz I’m bringin’ one.
Bring your steering wheel lock for that baby, it’s Milwaukee we’re talking about.
Very awesome! For those that don’t know… Miller Park seems like an appropriate location as many local autocross events are held there on non-baseball days.
Seeing that LA is one of the cities with a lot of Autopians, are there many in San Fran? If so, I have a suggestion for a meetup.
Pismo Beach has a show in June this year called the Classic. Pismo is about halfway between LA and San Fran and could be a great spot for a meetup. This is a wine region, lots of cool small towns close by to explore, and fun back roads to ride on.
Oh lord, I sound like a travel ad, sorry. But I hope it’ll be considered.
Count me in! I’ll bring a nice example of a 2012 Forrester base model if I can figure out what that weird rubbing noise is!
Actually, it’s pronounced “mill-e-wah-que” which is Algonquin for “the good land.”
Thanks Alice
I’m just glad somebody got it haha
Great idea…bad location to meet. Suggestion: meet in the Am Fam Field parking lot. It’s a couple of minutes up the freeway…tons of space…easy on and off…easy to get to the Auto Show or Harley from there. It’s open all year because of the restaurant, gift shop, and X Golf open in the stadium. There is a little league stadium in the parking lot (Helfaer Field)…meet by there.
You mean Miller Park?
Excellent! That’s the sort of suggestion that I’m looking for. If others agree, I can change the meet location to Miller Park.
Honestly, I’d host a meet in my town (Crystal Lake) but that would require people to drive two hours out of Chicago or Milwaukee. Ha.
Mercedes, I check for Illinois plates on every Smart I see here in Milwaukee just in case it might be you up for a visit. I also think the “baseball stadium” would be a good meetup place.
This is a good idea, I think that lot by the train station would charge us to park anyway. Miller Park (AmFam Field if you prefer) would be great.
Alright, I changed the address! I think we’ll have a better time at the baseball park. 🙂
If anyone in the DC area is every trying to meet up let me know. I feel like we have a handful of Autopians around these parts and could have a lot of fun.
I’m in! I’ll bring my in-progress 97 Honda Life!
You need to do a meet up in Minneapolis /St.Paul this summer, although probably not until July when the snow is mostly gone. I’ll buy you a Jucy Lucy at Matt’s bar.
I love Minneapolis/St Paul! I’d make the drive from the NW Chicago burbs for that.
“When: Saturday, February 25, 2023. 10:00 A.M.”
Thank you! Thank you for more than 12 hours of notice!
Where: Parking lot in Milwaukee – 701 W St Paul Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53233
(long depressed sigh)
I was planing on going to the Milwaukee Auto Show anyway!
I will try to get to the meeting place.
Regarding the meetup/little car show. February/winter in Wisconsin means salt. Salt is evil unless it is on popcorn or insert your favorite food here:_________. So don’t expect some of us to bring out anything we love, cause it stays in until there monsoons of May flush away any remaining road salt. Mercedes, perhaps the new park that Harley Davidson is building out of their campus parking lot would be better, especially since it will be summer – ish when it is done? PS, there is so much food here…
Just waiting for a Kansas city meet up!!
I’ll head to KC from Omaha for a meet up
I’ll bite.
How many readers are there from Milwaukee? I honestly don’t know much about it, but you never really hear anything about it.
That said I live in the woods on the east coast and don’t have much exposure to news from that area of the country.
Oh there are enough of us. I plan to drive from Madison.
I’m in Milwaukee. It’s like chicago but with less gun crime and better traffic. Milwaukee>Chi-raq every single time.
WHATDYA THINK, YOU’RE BETTER THAN ME!?
I’m in Chicago and visit Milwaukee at least once a month. I’m trying really hard to take the high road and not throw out all the flaws of Milwaukee because I’m getting older and trying to be more level-headed.
Your take is simplistic and misleading. Chicago has a population of ~2.7 million people; Milwaukee has a population of ~570,000. Chicago is 234.5 square miles; Milwaukee is 96.8 square miles. Despite being so close, they’re very different cities and they both have their benefits and drawbacks.
I love both places but you can’t make a true comparison.
But if you insist, we’ll fuckin’ fight about it next week. West Side Story style. I’m talkin’ finger-snaps and jazz hands.
Yeah, I do!
You brought up the smaller size and lower population of Milwaukee, both of which are the exact reasons Milwaukee is superior. Doesn’t take 2 hours to get from one side to the other, the traffic is infinitely better, the crime is way lower. Most of the crime in Milwaukee is committed by people who skipped warrants/arrests in Chicago.
Oh, and Illinois has tolls. I want to put up tolls right on the border of Wisco; 100% free unless you have Illinois plates, then it’ll be $20/vehicle. Go vacation in your cornfields and flatlands. 😛
Build that wall! At Russell road on the Il/WI border.
I left the greater Chicagoland area in the summer of ’95.
While I have visited several times since then, I have not been called a FIB for that same amount of time.
I’m just north of Milwaukee, and this statement is absolutely correct.
Milwaukee>Chicago
Our own data shows that the largest chunks of readers live in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. I don’t know about Milwaukee, but the two cities are close enough that I think meets in both cities should work. 🙂
Thanks for your reply, and the two others! Love seeing the reader spread!! I’ll have to try my best to venture into the big city if you all do an easy coast NYC type meet!
Huh. LA & Chicago I gathered from the comments over time. NYC, not so much(tho occasional parking frets are noticed).
Personally, I’d welcome an article from a resident talking about the travails of being an enthusiast in The Big Apple. Garage/wrenching space, potholed streets, threat of theft, lack of space for get togethers are problems I project: would like to hear actual experiences.
Chicago is only 1.5-2 hours away from Milwaukee.
I’m not far from Milwaukee! Elkhorn WI 🙂
Elkhorn! Oh man, I love riding up and down Route 12 and circling around Lake Geneva.
Yup I love it here. And we’re not far from the southern Kettle Moraine