Located on the fringes of Williamsburg and encompassing parts of Glendale, Grover Heights is bordered by the Milwaukee River to the north, Port Washington Avenue to the east, Capitol Drive to the south and I-43 to the west. Built on lots carved from swampland that fed into the river, Grover Heights’ homes were built between 1926 and 1930. Its occupants were primarily German until the 1960s. Its first African-American family moved into the area in 1961. Most residents move into the area and stay. Currently Grover Heights has a diverse population consisting of African-Americans, Caucasians, Latinos and Hispanics. Its area forms one of the primary borders of the 5 Points Neighborhood Association, Inc.
David Ramage sits at a bus stop on the east side of North Port Washington Road in Gover Heights. Ramage, whose long, white beard and hair tangle in his hat and coat, is a registered sex offender. Ramage was born down South but came to Milwaukee in 2000. “It’s … like they say: come on vacation, leave on probation,” he says. “I’ve just lost ten and a half years of my life in prison.”