In the years following the arrival of the French and the development of the fur trade industry, the native population rapidly declined.

Through the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, Milwaukee welcomed a succession of immigrant groups from Germany, Poland, Ireland and Mexico causing the population to rise exponentially.

In the 1950s, regional highway construction began which entailed the demolition of hundreds of structures in Downtown and thousands citywide.

Maier's successor John Norquist is largely credited for a change in urban planning policies which began an ongoing renaissance in Downtown.

East Town is the traditional core financial district while Westown has adopted a more transportation and cultural activity based profile.

The Third Ward and Lower East Side are primarily residential and retail districts adjacent to the Downtown core.

East Town is regarded as a more vibrant, densely populated area and one less severely impacted by the urban renewal efforts of the 1950s and 60s.

The neighborhood also contains the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist and Old St. Mary's Church which have survived from the early days of Milwaukee.

The area has become the center of Milwaukee nightlife featuring several trendy nightclubs, and outdoor upscale eateries.

In summer, East Town sponsors the Parisian festival Bastille Days and in winter the Holiday City of Lights.

The area has since recovered with the construction of thousands of new apartments in major projects like Ascent MKE, Yankee Hill and Juneau Village complexes.

[11] Once home to Irish, and then, Italian immigrants, the Historic Third Ward, located just south of downtown, is now an upper-class mixed-use neighborhood.

The Third Ward is noted for a large number of condominium and loft apartments, antique stores, boutiques and art galleries.

333 North Water is a 31-story residential high-rise located in the northwest portion of the neighborhood across the street from the Milwaukee Public Market.

Westown suffered heavily during Milwaukee's urban renewal period with hundreds of historic structures demolished in an attempt to revive the area.

Newaukee, a local social architecture firm has hosted popular street fairs during the summer months on Wisconsin Avenue since 2014.

Regano's Roman Coin, one of the original Pabst tied house taverns, is still located on Brady Street, though the vintaged beer signs outside read "Blatz".

Today, Lower East Side is filled with coffee houses, nightclubs, restaurants, vintage clothing, and thrift stores.

It plays a central component in Metropolitan Milwaukee's cultural space and is a major driver for the regional tourist economy.

Originally built in the 1960s, the interchange underwent a total rebuild between 2004 and 2008, and was officially opened on August 19, 2008, after what was at the time the largest construction project in state history.