Right along the shore of Lake Michigan, Fernwood is a connected community inside Milwaukee’s Bay View area. It includes the northern part of Bay View Park with its sandy beach and access to the Oak Leaf Trail and sits beside the Bay View Community Center. It’s also less than 5 miles from Downtown Milwaukee.
Fernwood is primarily residential streets filled with tightly lined single-family houses and duplexes. Detached garages are accessible through short private driveways or alleyways behind houses. Bungalows, ranches and National-style homes are typical, with a few houses mimicking the Dutch Colonial style with gambrel roofs and curved eaves. Prices range between $210,000 for a two- to three-bedroom inland home and $470,000 for a four-bedroom home near the water or a newly renovated property. Lots come with large grass lawns that stretch down to even sidewalks and wide paved roads.
Students can attend Fernwood Elementary School, also known as Fernwood Montessori. The program educates students from kindergarten to eighth grade and is the only public school inside the neighborhood’s boundaries. Middle schoolers can attend Deer Creek Intermediate School, which partners with local organizations, like LimbForge, to provide hands-on STEM learning opportunities for students. Both schools have a score of C-plus on Niche. Bay View High School serves the area and has a C-minus rating on Niche. It is a "college bound" STEAM school that offers students college credit opportunities through AP and Project Lead the Way courses.
Fernwood’s parks include Ellen Park, with its tennis and basketball courts, and Morgan Triangle Park, a small green space with open fields and shade trees. However, the staple of Fernwood is that it touches the shores of Milwaukee Bay, which is part of the greater Lake Michigan. Along the shores is also the northern end of Bay View Park, a long stretch of nature with bike trails and lake access. Locals like to walk along the shoreline or dip their toes in the water in the summer months. Bay View Community Center is another place where the community comes together. While the center is not inside Fernwood, “it’s adjacent to the neighborhood. It’s so close that it’s walkable,” says Mike Mortell, executive director at Bay View Community Center. “It’s an important part of the neighborhood; a lot of families take part in the center’s programs. We have playgroups, social activities for older adults and run a food pantry for neighbors in need. We even do a lot of parent education and give parents opportunities to connect with other families.” Bay View Community Center has been serving Southeastern Wisconsin for over 40 years.
Landmark Restaurant is a local favorite serving classic American brunch, and Sprocket Café has a full coffee menu with deli sandwiches and bagels to go. Small Pie is another laidback café nearby serving flakey and freshly made hand pies alongside a variety of decadent baked goods. Around dinner time, locals will head to Francisco’s Bar and Grill. A time capsule of the 1980s, its menu specializes in cracker-thin-crust pizza and aged wine. Outpost Natural Foods is just 1 mile north when locals need to restock their pantry, or shoppers can swing by an open-air grocer right around the corner. Mortell says, “There’s a farmers’ market in South Shore Park that runs every Saturday from early summer into the end of October. It’s got over 40 vendors and does a lot of events.” South Shore Farmers’ Market has connected urban residents with regional farmers and food producers for over 25 years, giving locals access to various agricultural products, prepared foods, preserves and botanicals. The market also collaborates with non-profits serving the Bay View area and fills the market with music played by up-and-coming bands.
While sidewalks make the small neighborhood of Fernwood highly walkable, many residents own cars. Alternatively, the Milwaukee County Transit System bus service stops several times in Fernwood along South Kinnickinnic, also known as Wisconsin State Route 32, and Oklahoma Avenue. The closest airport to Fernwood is Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport a little over 5 miles away.
Shannon Combs
RE/MAX Lakeside-Central
(262) 333-0309
90 Total Sales
1 in Fernwood
$188,000 Price
Andrew Matias
Cherry Home Realty, LLC
(414) 928-7671
33 Total Sales
1 in Fernwood
$245,000 Price
Beth Jaworski
Shorewest Realtors, Inc.
(414) 348-4391
257 Total Sales
1 in Fernwood
$320,000 Price
Nancy Resto
Coldwell Banker Realty
(414) 710-9697
38 Total Sales
1 in Fernwood
$495,000 Price
Todd Weickardt
Keller Williams-MNS Wauwatosa
(414) 295-0752
53 Total Sales
1 in Fernwood
$390,000 Price
Darchell Rauter
Keller Williams Realty-Milwaukee Southwest
(262) 383-4899
18 Total Sales
1 in Fernwood
$475,000 Price
On average, homes in Fernwood, Saint Francis sell after 11 days on the market compared to the national average of 52 days. The median sale price for homes in Fernwood, Saint Francis over the last 12 months is $405,000, up 21% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
$1,700 per month
$1,550 per month
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