"Community-focused, education-focused and family-focused"
It’s been over 130 years since Milwaukee beer baron Frederick Pabst identified Whitefish Bay as an ideal spot for a summer resort. Today, 110 years after the resort closed, its appeal remains clear. Though immediately north of Milwaukee, this Lake Michigan-adjacent village — locally called “Bay” — allows residents and visitors to escape noisy city life through ample outdoor expanses and a tight-knit, old-fashioned community feel. Families are further drawn to its public school system, among the state’s best. “It’s community-focused, education-focused and family-focused,” says Whitefish Bay Public Library Director Nyama Reed, a 10-year North Shore resident. “People will walk from their house to the library and forget to bring their driver’s license. They walk up to Silver Spring Drive, the main business district, for coffee or grocery shopping. There are no buses for the schools. Every morning, the kids ride their bikes or walk, or their parents or grandparents walk them.”
Whitefish Bay's Silver Spring Dr. is the heart of activity.
Store fronts in Whitefish Bay ready to be explored.
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From beach days to baseball games
Whitefish Bay’s entire eastern border is Lake Michigan shoreline, punctuated by several community parks. “It’s a very outdoor community, even in the winter,” Reed says. The largest local green space, Klode Park, offers access to sandy, swim-friendly beaches within walking distance of many homes. It also features a playground, an ice-skating area during the winter and tennis courts taped for pickleball. Other lakeside parks include Big Bay Park, a forested stretch of county-run land with shady paths near the water. Meanwhile, a couple of inland parks offer recreation in Whitefish Bay. Craig Counsell Park is home to the popular Whitefish Bay Little League, which welcomes sluggers aged 6 to 14. Youngsters can also take swim lessons at Whitefish Bay High School’s indoor pool during the colder months. Indoor and outdoor recreation is also available at the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center. Part of the North Shore’s prominent Jewish community, the JCC offers fitness classes, workout spaces and community programs for all ages.
The Whitefish Bay high school team warming up before a game at Cahill Park.
A boardwalk at Atwater Park helps beachgoers pick out the perfect spot.
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Home to Wisconsin's No. 3 high school
“People very much move here for the schools,” Reed says. The Whitefish Bay School District serves the entire village and has an A-plus overall from Niche, which considers it Wisconsin’s No. 3 school district. Students in the northern section start at Richards Elementary, while those to the south attend Cumberland Elementary. Sixth through eighth graders go to Whitefish Bay Middle before progressing to Whitefish Bay High. Niche gives both elementary schools A grades overall and A-pluses to the middle and high schools. It also calls Whitefish Bay High the third-best public high school in Wisconsin, lauding its academics and teachers. Its roughly 970 attendees can enroll in over 20 Advanced Placement courses. Several private Catholic and Jewish schools offer faith-based education.
A large staircase leads to the entrance of Whitefish Bay High School.
Playground
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Prewar homes, midcentury townhouses and lakeside mansions
Whitefish Bay packs over 14,000 residents into just over 2 square miles. “The lots are a little smaller,” Reed says. “We’re a very dense and developed community already, so there’s no extra space to buy and build something.” Half the local homes were built before World War II, so Cape Cod, Tudor-style, Foursquare and Colonial Revival architecture are common. Some larger properties with sprawling, European-style mansions enjoy lakeside locations. A few multi-family housing developments appear in the village, including mid-20th-century townhouses. These start in the high $100,000s for two-bedroom, 800-square-foot units. Homes are worth about $650,000 on average, which could buy a three-bedroom 1940s Colonial Revival over 2,500 square feet. Prices peak at around $4.4 million for nine-bedroom lakeside mansions over 10,000 square feet on multiple acres.
Whitefish Bay homes along a boulevard in Whitefish Bay.
Large mansions are found on Whitefish Bay's eastern edge overlooking Lake Michigan.
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Shopping and dining on Silver Spring Drive
Silver Spring Drive serves as Whitefish Bay’s primary business district, a walkable stretch of retailers, service providers and hangout spots. Locally owned hotspots include The Bay, an indoor-outdoor American eatery serving elegantly plated sandwiches, salads, meats and more. A couple of blocks east, Moxie Food + Drink features a surf-and-turf menu with everything from salmon to steak. Locals can also hit Silver Spring to grab groceries at Sendik’s Food Market. Less than 1 mile southeast, Jack Pandl’s Whitefish Bay Inn is a German supper club that’s operated for over a century and is known for its Friday fish fries. Meanwhile, the Bayshore shopping area offers dozens of stores and eateries immediately west of the village.
Pick out a favorite at The Navy Knot in Whitefish Bay.
The Bay Restaurant serves great food and spirits in downtown Whitefish Bay.
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A quick commute to downtown Milwaukee
Despite its pedestrian-heavy nature, Whitefish Bay does feature several bus stops served by the Milwaukee County Transit System. Interstate 43 runs about ¼ mile west of the village, offering a 4-mile drive to central downtown Milwaukee.
Bus routes make travel from Whitefish Bay to Milwaukee easy.
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