First of all, I must state I'm not a Packers fan. I'm not a Vikings fan, either. Frankly, I'm not of a football fan for that matter. So my opinions come to you totally unbiased. :-)
There's a lot to be said for this city. Admittedly, you have to be a Packer fan to make this a place to take the wife and kids - but even for a non-Packer fan - the mystique of the Packers is so powerful and dominating in this community, that you anyone who comes through here undoubtedly leaves with a sense of respect and appreciation for what it means here.
I've been visiting Green Bay for about 4.5 years now, and have been in the city at least a dozen times. The first thing I notice about Green Bay as I'm driving around, is that there is virtually no skyline. GB is not a big city (pop. ~125,000): the skyline is dotted mostly with smokestacks from all the paper and manufacturing mills. Oh, and the skyline is dotted with the lights that tower over Lambeau Field (perhaps you've heard of the place?) :-) To me, this epitomizes the city quite nicely: the smokestacks symbolize a hard work ethic and the looming lights of Lambeau Field represent what unites this community.
I've been to Lambeau Field 5-6 times now (see basic pic I took above). The Packers are a customer of mine from work, so I've been in the team offices (gorgeous ) and down in the lower levels by the locker rooms in their data center. That's all I'll say for now. Suffice it to say, I've never been to a game there though despite several promises to take me to one. Oh well, I guess a true fan would enjoy it better, and - I'd rather not deal with the cold anyway...
Here are a few other facts and favorites from my times there:
*On my first visit to Green Bay I got pulled over by a motorcyle cop in late October. It was one of those speed traps that drop from 45 mph to 30 mph. He nailed me right away going about 10 mph over. He asked me where I was going, and I mentioned the name of my client I was going to visit (NOT the Packers) - and he let me go. Why he let me go, I didn't ask - but why should I???? Perhaps my client has more clout than I'm aware of.
*Green Bay seems to have more sports bars than any city 10x it's size. Just the Packers-themed bars alone could give most cities a run for their money. The people there are certainly sports crazy, that's for sure.
*Blink, and you'll miss downtown Green Bay. There's not a whole lot to that part of the town.
*I have two favorite restaurants to visit when in the Green Bay area. Pasquale's in De Pere has the best brautwurst and sausages you've ever had, and their ribs and chili are good too. The food is Chicago-style but way better than anything I've had in Chicago.
*My other favorite restaurant in Green Bay is the Hinterland Brewery. This is an upscale restaurant in downtown Green Bay that serves chef-inspired meat and fish at reasonable prices. I took some clients there, and the food and service were some of the best I've ever had anywhere.
1 comment:
We're studying Wisconsin next week, so perfect timing!
You know I'm gonna have lots to say about this post. I've only driven through the outskirts of Green Bay, so reading this was like hearing someone come back from heaven with a description for me. OK, OK, I realize Green Bay isn't even close to heaven (but please don't tell my fellow Wisconsinites that I said that!). ;) I'm pretty envious about you seeing the guts of Lambeau Field when I haven't even stepped foot on the premises. If you ever do get those tickets, you know someone who would to justice to them.
Oh, and you might not want to spread the word around that you think a restaurant in Green Bay is doing Chicago style better than Chicago--at least not if you plan to show your face around Chicago again. You not being much into football, I don't imagine you've heard of a certain rivalry between the two cities. :P
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