Autumn in the Suburbs

Growing up in the city of Milwaukee, I was pretty naïve about the suburbs. Did all the houses look the same? Did the people walk around in some kind of Stepford-like daze? 

Of course not, and since moving to Brookfield, I’ve found that not only are the suburbs diverse in architecture and culture, we celebrate the seasons in spectacular fashion. 

Here are a few of the things I love about living in the suburbs in Fall:

The smell of burning leaves. I’ve got my Internet flame-retardant suit on — I know some people vehemently oppose burning. But it’s legal to burn in the city of Brookfield, and the smell reminds me of lazy Fall country days visiting my grandmother when I was young. Added bonus — making Smores at the end of the day. (Tip from a friend — use chocolate frosting instead of chocolate bars — WOW that’s good!)

Night Time Trick or Treating. There’s really nothing quite like it. It’s fun. It’s creepy. Some teenagers dress in seriously scary costumes. And those little kids are cute as a button, appearing out of the shadows. You get colder (a LOT colder) as opposed to day-time treating, but the trade-off is worth it. 

Farmer’s Markets. When I was young, a farmer’s market was a road stand in the country, with actual farmers. Now we have suburban farmers markets galore. The Brookfield Farmers’ Market (http://www.brookfieldfarmersmarket.com/) goes strong to the end of October. Favorites this time of year: decorations (Autumn flowers, corn stalks), and the wide variety of apples.

Landscapes. Even (or maybe due in part to this summer’s drought), the tree leaves are beautiful this year. Driving past Wirth Park or down North Avenue (especially going west past Elmbrook Memorial Hospital) will give you awesome views. Ornamental grasses are in their glory, especially fountain grass and Maindengrass.

Outdoor activities. Walking down quiet neighborhoods, leaves crunching underfoot. Trying to figure out ways not to have hands freeze at a local sports event. (A recent football game at Brookfield East was packed — not enough can be said about the great advantage of sharing your neighbor’s warmth.) For someone who doesn’t care for winter, I cherish these days before the freezing weather stets in.

We’ve also got a variety of other activities very close by: corn mazes, apple orchards, actual farmer’s stands. All of these are testament to the fact that we celebrate Autumn in fine style — grab a mug of hot apple cider and enjoy.