There’s a lot of history in the Greenbush Neighborhood. Once called "Madison's Ellis Island," the near-West Side neighborhood was once a melting pot of cultures known for its large populations of Italian, Jewish, Black, Albanian, and German immigrants.
In the 1960s, the city razed more than 233 residential buildings and 33 commercial and industrial structures in the neighborhood as part of an “urban renewal” plan. But ultimately, the move displaced more than 1,100 people.
Today, the neighborhood is experiencing a modern revival. It can be seen in the redevelopment of five public housing sites known as “the Triangle,” and the arrival of businesses that honor the neighborhood’s diverse roots.
To learn more about today’s Greenbush, we caught up with Samuel Brown, a neighborhood resident and the owner of Leopold’s Books Bar Caffe and Fabiola’s Spaghetti House and Deli. He’s also the board chair of Neighborhood House Community Center, which has served the community since 1916.
Here are his neighborhood recommendations, some answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Have a drink and grab a bite
Although technically just outside the Greenbush Neighborhood, Greenbush Bar in the basement of the Italian Workmen's Club is a neighborhood gem. Their super thin-crust pizza has a cult following, and they have always had one of the best bourbon selections in the city. Their basement space with its art deco bar, wood paneling, and Christmas lights feels cosmopolitan in a way few spaces in Madison feel.
The Mason Lounge offers an excellent selection of craft beer and cocktails in a delightfully eclectic and intimate space. The patio in the back, shielded from the sun by massive grape vines, might be one of Madison’s best hidden outdoor drinking spaces.
Cordial in the old Rustic Tavern space on Park Street serves delicious cocktails. It was wonderful to see the current owners breathe new life into an old Park Street institution.
It feels a little uncouth to include your own restaurants in a “Best Of” list but oh well. Leopold’s Books Bar Caffe: a combination bookstore with 5000 titles, cocktail bar and espresso bar, open morning to midnight seven days a week on Regent. Next door is our restaurant Fabiola’s which is our tribute to the traditional red sauce restaurants that once graced Madison’s historic Greenbush Neighborhood.
What to do and see
My favorite neighborhood activity is simply walking the neighborhood, especially its alleyways and sitting in Klief Park in the shadow of Saint James church. I adore all the life and activity that you can witness in the neighborhood, especially in the fall, when students are back, and the UW is in full swing; the neighborhood just percolates with activity.
On the southern border of Greenbush Neighborhood sits the Annie Stewart Fountain overlooking Lake Wingra. Although the fountain is in a state of seemingly permanent disrepair the view of Wingra and the arboretum is one of the best in Madison.
The Greenbush neighborhood is bordered roughly by West Washington, Park and Regent Streets. (City of Madison)
