The Martin Drive neighborhood is a 10-minute drive from downtown Milwaukee.
Come take a guided tour of the Harley-Davidson production plant located right next to Martin Dr.
West Vliet Street has restaurants, boutiques and galleries.
Most homes in the Martin Drive neighborhood were built before 1940.
Businesses and homes on Vliet Street West.

Area Guide

Martin Drive Milwaukee, WI

Streets with classic Milwaukee character

Bungalows • Historic • Residential

Martin Drive is a quiet residential pocket of Milwaukee where two American icons, Miller Brewing and Harley-Davidson's headquarters, sit beside tree-lined streets of 1920s Craftsman bungalows, Tudor Revivals, and low-rise apartment communities. Washington Park is right next to the neighborhood, just a short walk across Vliet Street, while Davidson Park sits within the southern borders. The residential streets have an easy-walking, low-traffic feel, giving neighbors time to stop and greet each other.

Rentals in Martin Drive lean toward well-maintained apartment communities with classic brick construction. Studio and one- and two-bedroom layouts are the most common options here. Milwaukee, incorporated in 1846, grew into a major port city at the meeting point of three rivers, and that deep-rooted history shapes the character of neighborhoods like this one.

Explore the Neighborhood

West Vliet Street has restaurants, boutiques and galleries.

Most homes in the Martin Drive neighborhood were built before 1940.

Businesses and homes on Vliet Street West.

Pete’s Pops is a popular summer destination for locals.

Milwaukee is home to Miller Brewing Company.

Birders in Washington Park meet up at the Urban Ecology Center.

Rent Trends

As of September 2026, the average apartment rent in Martin Drive is $620 for a studio, $733 for one bedroom, and $852 for two bedrooms. Apartment rent in Martin Drive has increased by 1.1% in the past year.

  • Studio

  • 432 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $620/month

    Average Rent

  • 1 BR

  • 746 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $733/month

    Average Rent

  • 2 BR

  • 900 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $852/month

    Average Rent

Learn More About Martin Drive

Getting Around

Fairly Walkable

Walkability

50 / 100

Some Public Transit

Transit

50 / 100

Exceptionally Drivable

Drivability

100 / 100

Moderately Bikeable

Bikeability

70 / 100

Daily Essentials

Supermarket Within a 10 Minute Walk

Groceries

80 / 100

Good Restaurant Variety Nearby

Restaurants

70 / 100

Good Café Variety Nearby

Cafes

60 / 100

Good Variety of Shops Nearby

Shopping

60 / 100

Recreation

Very Large Amount of Park Space Nearby

Parks

80 / 100

Good Wellness Amenity Variety Nearby

Wellness

60 / 100

Local Vibe

Vibrant Atmosphere at Times

Vibrancy

40 / 100

Great Nightlife Variety Nearby

Nightlife

80 / 100

Very Noisy

Quiet Score

20 / 100

Reviews of Martin Drive - Milwaukee, WI

Niche Reviews Niche logo
4.6 4 Reviews

Nearby Resident

6 years and 10 months ago•Niche Review

Good neighborhood, it´s pretty good for kids not too far into Milwaukee but not too close to Wauwatosa, somewhere in the middle. Park right across the street great for dogs and community garden. I wish they would fix up the community garden some more but its pretty good now.

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Points of Interest

Parks and Recreation

  • Urban Ecology Center-Washington Park
  • Urban Ecology Center--Menomonee Valley
  • Hank Aaron State Trail
  • Milwaukee Public Museum
  • The Pabst Theater

Airports

  • General Mitchell International

Top Apartments in Martin Drive

Living in Martin Drive

Restaurants

-

There are a few local businesses scattered on the edges of the neighborhood that provide dining out options close to home. Farther out, Fred's Frozen Custard and Grill, a Milwaukee staple since 1967, serves classic cheeseburgers and soft-serve. Dining options are mostly found along nearby corridors and in Wauwatosa, with seasonal frozen-pop stands adding a local treat in warmer months.

Transportation

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Wisconsin Avenue runs straight into downtown Milwaukee about three miles east, while Route 175 connects to Interstate 94 for wider regional access. MCTS buses stop along Vliet Street and North 35th Street, and the neighborhood's grid, sidewalks, and moderate bike lanes make driving, biking, or walking to errands straightforward.

Parks

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Davidson Park, known as The Hub, sits on the Harley-Davidson campus with a sunken amphitheater, walking trails, playgrounds, and over 120 native plant species. Washington Park borders to the north with a bandstand hosting summer concerts, a pool, splash pad, fishing pond, and sports courts, plus the Urban Ecology Center a few minutes away.

Shopping

-

Retail within Martin Drive is limited. Most residents head to shopping centers along Lisbon Avenue or drive into Wauwatosa for full-service grocery stores. Downtown Milwaukee, about three miles east, adds farmers markets and broader retail options.

Highlights

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Few Milwaukee neighborhoods pair proximity to major employment campuses and tree-lined streets the way Martin Drive does. Miller Brewing and Harley-Davidson's headquarters anchor the area's identity, while Washington Park's amenities and a quick three-mile commute to downtown round out the picture.

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Methodology

† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.

Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.

Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in September 2026.

Demographic information comes from Neustar and combines detailed address data with U.S. Census and American Community Survey statistics to produce reliable local estimates.