Breathtaking Lake Michigan shorelines, glacial breweries, sleek and classic motorcycles, as well as handcrafted and specialized dairy products, are what embody the national lens of what the city of Milwaukee is. The city has rapidly climbed its way higher onto the golden list of being invited to and spoken about in rooms where the topic of business opportunity and hearing the community has become a whirlwind. As the spotlight is shining on the cream city in regards to booming entrepreneurship and a budding community, for some odd reason, we are often left out of the enthusiastic and pulsing conversations spewing around nightlife. However, two weeks ago, Milwaukee drastically catapulted into a laundry list of headlining conversations surrounding nightlife, from what it used to be to what it is now.

On Friday, May 15th, 2026, a beloved community landmark that was pioneering in the central attention of Milwaukee nightlife, adjoining bars, Duke’s On Water, and Varsity closed its doors and ignited the spark of the night one last time. Lively crowd interactions, highly anticipated DJ sessions, and $1 Holla Happy Hour daily specials are only the sweet beginning of why Duke’s On Water remained a hometown favorite and the foundation of Milwaukee nightlife, proudly planting its roots nationally in conversation with heavy hitters such as Houston and Chicago. For the last 22 years, not only have thousands of ice-cold drinks been served while thousands of energetic sports games have filled the screens of their TVs, but a family has been formed, and the entertainment needs in MKE have been consistently revived because of this pivotal dive bar. The picturesque establishment has provided a warm and welcoming energy to a variety of civilians who call Milwaukee home and those visiting to learn what MKE really is. This is why the community became completely shocked after learning the unfortunate news of Duke’s On Water & Varsity closing abruptly. No one understood the reason why.

With summer inching its way throughout the streets of Milwaukee, the closing of the city’s acclaimed gem threw a monkey wrench at 1000mph for not only its regular customers but also tourists. This has created roots of pure intrigue, disappointment, and confusion for those who called the adjoining bars home. Countless of confident hypotheses have been happily tossed into an imaginary hat labeled, “What Caused This Unexpected Close?” Violent uproars, safety concerns, financial troubles, and a tire of the business have been the most popular reasons quoted by local patrons and community members. Pinpointing the sadden closing of the bars that add their own personality to Water Street has been difficult for everyone from community leaders, die-hard patrons, and other businesses who consider themselves neighbors to both Duke’s On Water and Varsity. I soon learned that the reasoning behind navigating this tough road is because there was no isolated reason behind this tragic closing.

MILWAUKEE BARS, DUKE’S ON WATER AND VARSITY

“The area has becoming increasingly more violent and uncontrollable, with chaos unfolding weekly on Water Street. Another factor we had to look at is that the rent was getting too high for us to remain profitable. It just didn’t seem like a smart move to take on higher rent during these times.”

— -Duke's On Water Operating Team

As many people that were disappointed and upset throughout the city guessed, unexpected crime rates that are rapidly rising did play an immense role in the closing, but it was not the only reason. Increasing rent prices, changes in alcohol consumption and customer behavior, as well as neighboring businesses such as local food trucks being given an earlier curfew than the bars on Water Street raced through the minds of the operating management team of this nostalgic and familiar gem when deciding it was time for Duke’s On Water and Varsity’s departure. It may also come as a surprise that the COVID-19 Pandemic also weighed in heavy on the business; even if it did not appear to look like that from the outside looking in.

“The business took a major hit during the pandemic when it lost all of our longtime staff, and despite efforts to recover, it is now time to close the book on Duke’s.”

— Operating Management Team

Standing for the last twenty-two years has been not only a social bar for Cream City to enjoy; it’s been a place of community, peace, and safety. They made it easy for customers to find a connecting point to always be eager to come back and experience it’s ambiance that was not only true to the city of Milwaukee but also an immediate attention-grabber. For some of you the sports games were your connecting point while for others it was happy hour after work or a night out to escape reality. The reasonings behind this unfortunate loss in Milwaukee nightlife is low ranked when it comes to how MKE citizens are taking the news. Their focus is the untimely loss of such a familiar space of enjoying themselves socially while also having the freedom to be themselves entirely with no judgement and open arms.

“This, I would call it home base, cause I would come here at the end of my nights, and get one last drink at the end of the bars, and I feel like that’s what a lot of people came here to do. It’d always get packed right before close. And everybody would come here for one last drink. It’s gonna be missed for sure.”

— Regular Patron, Julian Paul

While it is true that employees are deeply saddened about the closing, Duke’s On Water and Varsity’s entire staff and crew just have one request. The action and brainpower being spent on the ending of the bars’ history should be transferred to more positive conversations. The focus should now be how do we make not only customers feel safe but business staff members as well. There should also be an area for growth when it comes to how to meet the rising entertainment needs throughout the district. Yes, a landmark in MKE nightlife history has come to its end but they want Milwaukee to keep being pivotal in the nightlife industry and continue making its mark throughout the nation. Comment down below your favorite memory at Duke’s On Water or Varsity.

Desriana Gilbert | Entertainment & Social Journalist for /CW

Good Morning /CW Fam. I have a question for you all. What’s the one thing everyone highly anticipates every year, no matter their age, gender, or state they reside in? Correct! You guessed it right: A vacation to another place they do not live in, specifically out of the country. Stem advocate, engineer, and CEO of ITA (International Travel Advisor), Mitchelle Lyle, is no exception to this unspoken and worldwide commonality. For millions around the world and even a few thousand right here in Milwaukee, traveling abroad is viewed as an escape, a chance to be a new person in a different environment where little to nobody knows you, or simply a chance to discover yourself in a unique way. A different story was written for the motivation and dying love Lyle has for destinations abroad. It goes beyond loving the surface-level perks of traveling, which has not only inspired her business but also Lyel’s personal life journey.

Her first taste of living abroad started with a leadership and empathy group Lyle was involved in throughout College. She traveled alongside nine other students and lived in Cape Town, South Africa for a month. The tech advocate and engineer’s journey throughout Cape Town was far from what anyone; including Lyle expected. She noticed several similarities between it’s history compared to America but also the interpersonal communication between its people, whether in churches singing the solace and soulful hymns she grew up on or young girls playing hand games on the sidewalk. This was the first place she learned the true difference between traveling and living abroad.

"Immersing yourself in a culture and what your significance is throughout that culture is the value of living abroad. It’s different than staying at a resort and chilling on beaches all day”-CEO, Mitchelle Lyle

Although living in South Africa was the spark that encouraged Lyle to living in three other abroad countries including France,Brazil, and Martinique, she quickly learned it’s not always a movie once you get off the plane and begin living in a completely different country. [Those 16 hour plus plane rides are also no fairytale] Some eye-opening challenges Mitchelle faced were sustainability, money management, but most importantly limited job opportunities. Since being 18 years old, the CEO knew her life was meant to be experienced beyond the borders. This is why the hardships and lessons she learned over the years did not discourage Lyle rather they became the foundation for one of her greatest ideas yet (with the help of a call from her best friend): launching her own business, ITA (International Travel Advisor).

ITA is designed for young professionals, digital nomads and retirees who are seeking to move abroad but don’t know where to start and need hands-on guidance to turn their dreams into reality! Granting a smooth transition but also setting up one for long-term success while living abroad is the company’s top priority. From supporting services such as visa assistance, job placement, and tax consulting, Lyle wants to emphasize this is not an extended vacation; this will become your new home so preparation, comprehension and honesty are key. Just as there will be key elements of the culture you move to; there will be things that are different or will take time adjusting. With the concierge service of ITA, their team provides a financial health review, 3-day itinerary tailored for you, travel logistics and identifying counties that best suit you!

“Yes, it may be fearful but I truly want to help others break free from traditional living and thinking. I want everyone to get a taste of and embrace the transformative power of global experiences” -CEO, Mitchelle Lyle

After launching this innovative and life-changing business in 2022, Lyle always had a roadmap to buildout an app for ITA. The unique vision and landscape never came into fruition until this past August at a NSBE conference (National Society of Black Engineers). It was the CEO herself who built the app while taking a workshop. She explained to me how exciting yet surprising it was how her vision came to life in a one day workshop after hiring professionals for years to get to the job done. This is when Mitchelle knew she had exactly what she needed to take her business to the next level. What better time than to launch her latest creation during this year’s Wisconsin Tech Month?

Introducing ITA ACE. It is a groundbreaking app that serves as a digital companion for the modern traveler. It provides a unique blend of personalized travel advice and powerful, intuitive planning tools, allowing users to obtain answers for nearly 70 countries from vaccines to visa. The app is designed to transform the way travelers discover, plan, and book their global adventures. ITA ACE offers a nomadic buffet of resources such as summaries of vaccines, experts of countries, budgeting and a direct chat line.

“As a digital nomad myself, it was a time and energy intensive task to find the info I needed. With my expertise in Systems Engineering, I created the app and platform to help people like me travel. We've combined our human expertise with seamless digital experience, giving users the power to plan their dream their dream trips from the palm of their hand. This app will separate the dreamers and the doers ” -CEO, MITCHELLE LYLE

Are you ready to become confident enough to take the leap into living abroad? Do you want access to resources such as language learning, job placement and financial health? There are a few ways to get the ball rolling:

Thursday October 9th, 2025 CEO of ITA app will be hosting a launch event right here at CopyWrite Magazine [2201 N Dr Martin Luther King Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin] from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Come enjoy mimosas, light pastries and a live experience of the app!
Test the ITA app yourself: Web App
Explore the ITA website: visit www.internationaltraveladvisor.com.
Follow ITA on all social media platforms @intltraveladvisor

Mitchelle is committed to helping others live their "yes" and realize the transformative power of international living, whether they are seeking personal growth, career advancement, or a renewed sense of purpose. Through International Travel Advisor, Mitchelle shares her expertise and passion, guiding her clients every step of the way toward a life of freedom and adventure.