A.V. Club's guide to enjoying Kenosha
The city known as "Kenowhere" is now somewhere
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If you need cheese, cheap blue jeans, or porn, you can't beat Kenosha, the last stop in Wisconsin before drivers descend into the deep and murky depths of Illinois. Seasoned travelers and nook-and-cranny inspectors that we are, Decider found there's a more to Wisconsin's fourth largest city—lovingly (we think) known as "Kenowhere" among those who grew up in the area—than the depressed remains of the American auto industry. In fact, this blooming bedroom community (bedroom to Chicago, that is) even has more to offer than the Mars Cheese Castle, the eye-catching cheddar mart situated along U.S. 94 that remains Kenosha’s most recognizable pseudo-landmark.
Let’s start with breakfast, shall we? You're missing out if you don't get yourself crammed into cozy Franks Diner (508 58th Street, 262-657-1017) bright and early for the most important meal of the day. An actual train-car diner in operation since 1926, Franks Diner has to be one of the last places on earth to serve Shit On A Shingle. (It’s not actually shit, though chipped beef on toast isn’t much better.) Not only is the food fantastic and plentiful—if you've got the stomach, get the full Garbage Plate, which comes with five eggs—the staff is sassy and the ambience a treat.
After breakfast, hop aboard Wisconsin's only electric streetcar system. Kenosha Transit Electric Streetcars run a small loop along the lake and around the downtown area, and hook up with the Chicago Metra. The cars are original, refurbished ’50s-era "Red Rocket" streetcars, and the ride costs a quarter, so even if you don't have anywhere to go, it's certainly worth a spin.
Next up, tour the Jelly Belly Center (10100 Jelly Belly Lane, 262-947-3800). The tour is part Willy Wonka and part Mr. Rogers, with free Jelly Bellies at the end. You ride a train through the center of the facility, watch videos about the making of a Jelly Belly—this isn't a factory, just a distribution center—and load up on everyone's favorite jelly bean. Hey, we'll trade you all our buttered popcorn-flavored beans for one of your, um, anything.
After loading up on sugar, head back downtown to Heim's Downtown Toy Store (5819 6th Avenue, 262-652-8697). One of the coolest toy stores in southeastern Wisconsin, you don't really need a kid to enjoy it. Housed in an old theater, Heim’s carries all kinds of hard-to-find European and old-school toys, from kaleidoscopes to Curious George jack-in-the-boxes. There’s even an ice cream shop next door, and, in winter, it offers soup from Franks Diner.
