Granville Station

There’s no such thing as living on the wrong side of the tracks in Granville Station — and there are lots of tracks here, so that’s saying something. Once part of the Town of Granville, this railroad-heavy neighborhood on Milwaukee’s Northwest Side is now an opportune area with several recent housing developments, plus access to a popular golf course and several public schools.

Much of Granville Station is verdant, undeveloped land, much of which flanks the railroad and the Little Menomonee River. However, hundreds of new homes have sprung up in the last half-century, housing a little under 1,000 people today. The earliest of these were the Highlands One and Highlands 2 condominium complexes in the western section of the neighborhood. While Highlands One features two- and three-bedroom units with up to 1,400 square feet and a community pool, Highlands 2’s more modest homes include up to two bedrooms and 900 square feet. Later housing additions include Fairway Place and River Ridge, with large Colonials and ramblers built in the early 2000s (with further development to come). Larger homes boast over 3,000 square feet and could cost up to the low $500,000s, while you might find a one-bedroom condo in Granville Station for as little as $60,000.

Granville Station has its own green space, Popuch Park, where residents can enjoy the recreational field, playground and basketball courts — all within walking distance of home for many residents. Meanwhile, golfers who like a nice view (and a good challenge) will love living next to the 18-hole Dretzka Park Golf Course and adjacent driving range. “It’s fairly scenic, but it’s a challenging golf course,” says Head Pro Dave Labinski. “It’s the second-longest course in Milwaukee County.” Dretzka also offers a 27-hole disc golf course that hosts frequent tournaments, a sand volleyball pit, access to the Oak Leaf Trail and a recently renovated clubhouse with a bar and grill. At the latter, you can wind down from your sport of choice with a hearty sandwich and a pint of locally brewed Leinenkugel’s.

Head to the industry-heavy northern section of Granville Station, and you’ll find several other local dives where you can drink up and explore various international cuisines. To the west, Irie Palace serves authentic Jamaican cuisine, including entrees like jerk chicken, oxtail, curry goat and genuine Jamaican sodas. Sheehan’s lies across the street and offers a classic Irish pub vibe, while those angling for a frozen margarita and enchiladas can hit El Tenampa Mexican Grill & Cantina. And in the northeast section, Thai Bangkok invites you to enjoy large helpings of flavorful noodles, spring rolls and curries within a relaxed setting.

Granville Station also enjoys convenient proximity to several Milwaukee Public Schools for all grade levels. Many younger residents can walk to Lowell P. Goodrich School, which accommodates kindergarten through fifth grade just south of the neighborhood. Less than 10 minutes southeast, Morse Middle School for the Gifted and Talented welcomes sixth through eighth graders to prepare for Advanced Placement high school classes through the pre-AP program in mathematics. Also minutes away, Vincent High School of Agricultural Sciences offers a unique agricultural program where students can interact one-on-one with animals, greenhouse specimens and landscape equipment.

Working residents can find professional opportunities aplenty in Granville Station, with industrial employers including WestRock, Midland Paper and Matheson. Just past Dretzka Park, you can quickly run errands at Sam’s Club, Woodman’s Food Market and Aldi. And Interstate 41 runs just a few minutes southwest, offering less than a 25-minute commute to downtown Milwaukee.

Written By

John Battiston

Photography Contributed By

Richard Ebbers

Video By

Michael McAdams