Greater Green Bay, WI: Live Like a Local
Living in Greater Green Bay, WI, means you have access to plenty of things to do and see – it’s home to hiking and biking trails, water activities, a growing arts scene, superb dining options (the homemade Bavarian pretzels at Graystone Ale House are a must!), and more entertainment options than you can count.
When planning how to best spend your time in Greater Green Bay, WI – whether you are here for a weekend or just moved to the region – the wealth of options can seem a bit intimidating at times. To help get your exploration started, meet local Kelsey Lutzow, who grew up in the Greater Green Bay area, moved away for college and returned eight years ago. She is 30 years old, married, owns a pup, and works remotely for a nonprofit based in Portland, OR. Read ahead to find out what she loves about living in Greater Green Bay, WI, and how and where she chooses to spend her time.
Where is your favorite place to grab a morning coffee? And do you have a favorite coffee shop where you can work and have breakfast?
I love coffee, and I love breakfast. One of my favorite coffee shops is called Bhava Coffee. It’s usually where I’ll go to grab a quick cup of coffee because they have a drive-thru. If I want to work from a coffee shop or have a meeting there, I like Copper Rock, which is located inside of Copper State Brewing Co. The atmosphere is good, the people are great, and it’s centrally located downtown. I live near downtown Green Bay, WI, so it’s easy for me to get there.
Where is your favorite place to have brunch?
I love The Creamery Downtown, which is a very cool location right off CityDeck (a boardwalk along the Fox River). It’s a great place to be outside right on the river. Last time I was there, I got The Full Monte, which is French toast, ham, Swiss and cheddar cheeses, a sunny side up egg, jalapeño jam and goat cheese. It was so good!
What are some of your favorite activities to do on your day off?
We have a dog, so we like to go to different dog parks, but our favorite one is Brown County Dog Park. It has a pretty big wooded area with a path that makes a loop all the way around it, so you can walk around while your dog runs in the woods and explores. I’m also a big sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters, so I hang out with my little sister and find something kid-friendly to do. Depending on the day, we will go to a park, and we also like doing arts and crafts, so we go to Paintin’ Pottery, a hands-on arts studio, on the pier. You can paint pottery or a wooden sign, or they have mosaic and jewelry making. We just go there and get creative.
If it’s just me or me and some friends, we have so many cool breweries that have wonderful patios to hang out on and chill. My favorite is Badger State Brewing Co. Their outside is great, and when the weather is nice, they have food trucks outside. There’s a newer brewery I recently went to called Cocoon Brewing that has a very cool vibe. Both of those places have nonalcoholic options, as well, which is great.
Where are some of the best places in Greater Green Bay to exercise?
The best way for me to get active is walking or biking. I live right next to the East River Trail, which is fantastic, so my husband and I will bike that pretty frequently or bike downtown. I love living so close to that trail and just being able to explore Greater Green Bay, WI, and getting pretty far on foot or on bike.
What nightlife options are there for those who live in Greater Green Bay, WI?
We like to go to a Rockers baseball game – they’re always really fun. The Tarlton Theatre in Green Bay always has really cool events going on. They just launched “In The Yard,” an outdoor concert series, where they’ll have music and food trucks. Howard Commons in the Village of Howard is cool. They have a beer garden, and there’s live music there. We have a few museums – the Mulva Cultural Center in De Pere, WI, opened last year, and the building is beautiful. They’ve had some very cool exhibits come through, like the LEGO exhibit, which I’m pumped to see.
The other one that I find really unique is the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, which we’ve been to a few times. They have really cool events that I’ll volunteer at occasionally. At Christmastime, they have the Polar Express, and at Easter, they’ll have the Great Bunny Train.
Where are your favorite places to go for lunch? What about a special occasion dinner?
If I want a quick, casual lunch, I like Lox, Stock’n Bagel. For more of a sit-down lunch, I’ll go to Vintage Cantina. They have delicious tacos and the best margaritas. One of my favorite restaurants is called Cheese Cake Heaven. They have wonderful sandwiches and pastries. One of the reasons we go there is that they can accommodate my husband, who is gluten-free – that drives a lot of our restaurant choices.
We have so many good Mexican restaurants in Green Bay for a casual dinner, too. El Pastorcito is one of our favorites. For a celebratory dinner, we would probably go to the Iron Duck. The food is delicious, and they have a lot of gluten-free options, as well.
This article is sponsored by Your Move Green Bay and the Greater Green Bay Chamber.
