The Milwaukee skyline is somewhat ambiguous by land.

As the sun sets over the west horizon it’s almost impossible to take in the full breadth of the city, which hugs Lake Michigan’s eastern coast.

Luckily, in the spring of 2008 two of my best friends introduced me to the Milwaukee fishing pier.

The pier is accessible through the parking lot across the street from Alterra on the Lake at the intersection of Lafayette and Veteran’s Memorial Drive.  If you follow the driveway through the parking lot, past the yacht club, and around the curve to the left you will dead end into another small parking area and the entrance gate to the pier.

The pier is simple: concrete surrounded by breaking rocks jutting out into Lake Michigan.  If you follow the pier it curves east and south into the lake and around the back side of the marina full of sailboats.

As you approach the end of the pier, the view of the city of Milwaukee comes into full scope — you can see as far north as Cedarburg and as far south as Racine.  If you look carefully, as the sun sets over our central business district, you can count at least five lighthouses sprinkled along the coast.

This spot has been a personal staple in my Milwaukee experience, allowing both a view of the entire city and a wonderful spot to take in exactly what “Milwaukee” is for me.

If you have extra time before the evening gets too chilly, I suggest heading down to the lakefront and taking in our city for a few hours one evening.