Update: I have also added items on Studio 915 and Green Flag Racing. They are two more outstanding South Milwaukee downtown businesses, and they’re definitely worth a trip this holiday season. And don’t forget PJ’s Variety at 1234 Milwaukee!
You can get all of your Christmas shopping done without leaving South Milwaukee.
Sound crazy in this world of big boxes and shopping malls? It’s not. Here are some suggestions.
- Studio One Art Glass, 1333 Milwaukee Ave. I buy a stained glass item here every Christmas, and most of our first-floor windows now have one of these beautiful pieces. Owner Kim Kostuch makes many of the stained glass items on display at the store, and he does some first-class custom work. Learn more at the Studio One website.
- Parkway Floral, 1001 Milwaukee Ave. Our local florist has a wide variety of floral arrangements and gift items at the store and even more online.
- Donn Powers Jeweler, 2110 10th Ave. “Your hometown jeweler” delivers personal service you can’t get at a mall jeweler, and his variety is outstanding. There is something for every price point at Donn Powers. Check out their website here.
- FNF Skate Shop, 1203 Milwaukee Ave. Bet you didn’t know South Milwaukee is home to one of the area’s top up-and-coming skateboard stores. The shop has a wide range of skateboard gear, as well as 60 feet of “fingerboard ramps.” Not sure what that is? Check out the FNF website and watch the interesting welcome video.
- Green Flag Racing, 1218 Milwaukee Ave. Bet you didn’t know South Milwaukee is home to one of the nation’s top NASCAR product retailers. They have a strong online presence, as well as a really cool retail store downtown, with a variety of NASCAR gear (clothing, diecasts, signs, etc.). As a relatively new NASCAR fan — go Blue Deuce! — I shop here for me and my 7-year-old. You can get even more items on its website.
- Ace Hardware, 1009 Marquette Ave. I often choose to avoid the big box home improvement stores keep my dollars local, shopping the “helpful hardware place” for projects small and large. These guys are indeed helpful … and their selection isn’t bad either. You can get all the power tools and other manly gift items you need here without having to navigate the several football fields of Lowes, Home Depot or Menard’s.
- Caterpillar, 1970 10th Ave. Know or related to a Caterpillar employee? Just like the company colors? The Cat company store inside the Heritage Building has a wide variety of items, from clothing to toys to NASCAR racing gear.
- South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center, 901 15th Ave. Communities our size are not supposed to have PACs, especially as good as the one we have. But we do. So we should count our blessings … and take advantage of the strong lineup of performances offered year-round through the facility. Some of my favorites coming up? The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Pops Too! this Thursday, John Gurda’s “A Region Built on Water” presentation on Jan. 7, John Mueller’s Winter Dance Party on Jan. 21 and Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana on Feb. 4. And that’s just the start. Learn more on the PAC website, and be sure to stop by the box office to pick up tickets.
- Studio 915, 915 Milwaukee Ave. South Milwaukee’s newest art gallery and studio is absolutely worth a trip. Not only does it have some unique pieces at a variety of prices, it is also in a really cool storefront. Check out my previous post here and its website.
I’d also recommend gift certificates to some of our top local restaurants. Nona’s Café, Azteca, China Chef, Paisano’s, Papa Luigi’s II/Salvatore’s and Barbiere’s are among the first-class eateries that call South Milwaukee home. And if you’re looking to cater a holiday gathering, I’d suggest Emerald City’s Creative Catering at 1645 Rawson Ave. Their broasted chicken and fish are fantastic, and they have a wide variety of take-and-bake items available.
Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t put another plug in here for this Saturday’s South Milwaukee Christmas Market at Caterpillar, where you can “shop local” from among more than 40 vendors selling arts, crafts, organics, baked goods, prepared food and other items.
And, finally, I ask: What did I miss? And what’s your favorite locally sold Christmas gift? Post your comments below!
South Milwaukee Blog 
Erik, I think you covered pretty much all things South Milwaukee.
There is also a new art studio in the 900 block of Milwaukee Avenue (they will have a booth at the Christmas Market) this studio offers a really fun “Ladies Night out”. For $35 you and your girlfriends can spend a few hours at the studio, paint your own masterpiece, chat and have fun. You can also bring in your own libations and snacks. They want to work with local group to offer their studio as event space for wine/beer tastings, etc.
Wow — I can’t believe I left Studio 915 out. I’ve now added an item on them too. Thanks for the heads up. I also added an entry on Green Flag Racing — a store I shop at with some regularity for my 7-year-old.
What a great listing, Erik. Another way of supporting local endeavors: if South Milwaukeeans would like to support their beautiful Grant Park, they can either give the gift of a membership to one of the parks advocacy groups, or purchase a 2012 Parks Calendar that serves to benefit the work being advocated by the Friends of Grant Park (www.parkpeoplemke.org/parkpartners/friends_groups/grant). FOGP is hosting an informal seasonal gathering with light supper offerings and a cookie exchange at 6pm on Thursday, 12/8. It will be held in the beautifully decorated Golf Course Clubhouse.
Thanks for the list. Great job!
(Although the Cat employees I know are former Bucyrus employees and wouldn’t be all that thrilled with Cat stuff. Besides, buying that type of souvenir from them doesn’t really fall in the same class of helping local businesses as buying from the rest of your list.)
dont forget pjs variety store
Of course! Sorry, Tony. Tell us some of your Christmas gift options …
we offer gift certificates