Mod Gen

A Third Ward garden shop & general store

Milwaukee sure is changing. Places that used to be favorites (favorite shops, favorite restaurants) have closed their doors at what feels like a moment's notice. The trade off, sometimes, is new spots to explore — new favorites in the making. That's how I feel about Mod Gen's new location in the Third Ward.

Mod Gen calls itself "a modern take on the classic general store." Now located in the thick of the Third Ward, previously in Shorewood, the shop has some of the most unique offerings I've seen in a Milwaukee boutique. While a lot of MKE and Wisconsin love overlaps at shops like Waxwing and Sparrow Collective (and it's awesome!), Mod Gen brings its own fresh vibe to Milwaukee's boutique scene.

For starters, gardening sits front and center. Yes, a shop in the proverbial concrete jungle, boasting a green thumb — and encouraging yours. A little research taught me that Mod Gen has been around for about 15 years, primarily as a garden store until 2014. That's when they made some changes: a general store with a twist.

Though I had lived within walking distance to Mod Gen's former Shorewood location for about two years, I'd never ventured in — a fail on my part. I have to say, especially since I'm a testament to it: I bet the Third Ward location is going to result in exponential buzz about Mod Gen's singular blend of nostalgia, contemporary, local products, and global goodies.

Like their website says: "It's about life’s simple pleasures; a well made bar of soap, a garden tool that fits your hand just right, or that classic ice cream scoop like the one your grandmother had." Now aren't you just itching to shop there?

*Friends, do you know of other local boutiques I should add to my Milwaukee-area bucket list? Tell me in the comments!