NEW YORK -- We hear a lot about brain drain in Milwaukee, but sometimes we need to thank other towns for giving our prodigal sons and daughters valuable experience that they can bring home to put to good use in Milwaukee.

Although Andrew Steininger isn't coming home just yet, he lives in New York City and is learning how cities work in America's biggest city. His experience in the office of Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz will likely serve us all, because Steininger hopes someday to return home to Brew City.

We sat down with Steininger at New York's premier Packers bar -- Kettle of Fish on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village -- and asked him about the road to New York, what he's doing there and how it helps him see Milwaukee with fresh eyes.

OnMilwaukee.com (OMC): So, why don't you tell me about why you came to New York? Did you come out here for the job, or were you here before you got the job?

Andrew Steininger: It's kind of a roundabout story. I ended up in Connecticut taking ... it was a really weird named program called "Hoods in the Woods."

OMC: You came straight out of school?

AS: Yep, straight out of college.

OMC: Where did you go?

AS: University of Wisconsin -- Madison. So, I was in Madison, and I ended up in this program where we took kids, these really affluent kids from Connecticut schools, mixed with kids that were on like scholarships, and week took them on like rock climbing trips all over New England. So I was cruising' around New England for about three or four months, and we'd have about two days off every other weekend. So I'd come down here.

The first time I came down here, I ended up in Brooklyn right over on President and 7th Avenue, and I was just like, "this has got to be the most beautiful place in the world," so fell in love with that area. Then I ended up signing up with Americorps Vista, which is like a college recruiting thing for Americorps. Sort of like an internal Peace Corps, I guess.

OMC: The program that brought you to Connecticut ... how did you get that?

AS: That was something out of college when I didn't even know what I wanted to do.

OMC: And it was a job, a paid job.

AS: It was a paying job, thank God. The Americorps Vista one was interesting. It was probably mostly law firms that just hired me to recruit private attorneys to represent people who needed civil legal services.

OMC: Almost like a legal aid?

AS: Yeah. For civil cases, though, not criminal cases. So, that's what I ended up coming down here (to New York) for.

OMC: What did you study in school?

AS: Economics. BS in Economics, so I got recruited through their program and ended up out here. It's absolutely amazing -- all of Americorps. They keep you on salary, and I think they paid me $800 a month to live in New York.

OMC: How do you live in New York on $800 a month?

AS: Not easily. They send you to the food stamp office, they hook you up with a free Metro (transit) card - monthly Metro card, and you're supposed to live like the people that you're supposed to be serving.

OMC: It's code for ...

AS: Yeah, exactly, we're broke. So we ended up living in Bushwick and the Greenpoint area. That's where I ended up living for a year.

OMC: Not quite 7th and President.

AS: No! Still not 7th and President (in Park Slope). But through that program, I ended up -- I spent a year. it was a year-long program, and then after that I ended up at Volunteers of America, which is a homeless service providing agency. I ended up doing corporate fundraising, which was a trip. Then after that, I ended up at the Borough President's office.

OMC: Now how did you get in there?

AS: That's funny. I was volunteering on the side. I had my job at Volunteers of America, which was a nice paying, salaried job with benefits, everything, but then ended up at the Borough President's office. I was talking to them one day, because we usually donate toys to their toy drive.

OMC: So, you already knew them.

AS: Yeah, I'd already hand out toys to the kids at Christmas time. It's a, you know, photo op. So I was like, "hey listen, I'm a Brooklyn resident and I really want to help out, whatever you need." And she was like, "Well, we could use someone helping out on Friday mornings, at this constituent service department."

OMC: Taking complaints?

AS: Basically. I solve people's problems. I was writing technical manuals for them and more like "behind the scenes" work. After a year of doing that ... I was like, "I need to get out of here." So they were like, "Hey listen, we're hiring." So I ended up hooking up with Marty's (Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz) outfit.

OMC: What was your day like?

AS: It's a funky day. Basically, it's solving people's problems. People do have a lot to tell you all the time. It's amazing. Primarily, the stuff that I work on is transportation related. It's sort of my specialty.

But then, I also represent the borough through the Office of Emergency Management Citizen Core. The city has ... I guess they'd call it a FEMA or Homeland Security, but it's a city agency. They have what's called a Citizen Corps, which kind of like, I guess, disseminates information to various citizen groups like churches, mosques, schools, community groups, whatever. I'm part of that system of spreading awareness about terrorist attacks, floods, who knows what.

And then, secondly, I'm also doing work with an immigration rights collaborative effort with CUNY, so on Thursday we're staffing a place where people can come, no questions asked. Free immigration services. Everything you could possibly need.

OMC: So like, first papers (for citizenship).

AS: Papers, passport, whatever. Who knows what it could be. So, there are three jobs, basically. So, it's funky. It's cool, but it's kind of what Borough Hall's like, where everyone's doing 10 different things, and it's all amazing work. Plus my commute's only 10 minutes.

OMC: You just got promoted didn't you?

AS: My fancy new title (is) Capital Budget and Economic Development Associate. I spend approximately $50-100 million each year and sit on the boards of business improvement districts, work with the chambers of commerce and economic development corporations in New York City (and) Brooklyn.

OMC: Congratulations! Where are you living?

AS: Prospect Heights, now. I'm moving up in the world. I went Greenpoint Bushwick, South Slope, Greenwood Heights. North Crown Heights and now Prospect Heights.

OMC: Do you ever think about coming back to Milwaukee?

AS: You know, it's funny, because a guy I met here in this bar, his name is Nick Kovak. I took over his apartment. He was the editor for The Brooklyn Star, and he was here a long time. He's originally from Belleview and Downer. His house, you may actually have seen this, it's kind of a famous little story now. You know the development that's going on down on Downer Avenue?

OMC: Yeah. Is that the house that's next to the parking lot?

AS: You got it. With the oak tree, and the candy wagon? That's their place. So they're moving back, because he was inspired by local politics, or whatever, and he's always had his eye on the area, and he moved back. (Kovak is a candidate for Michael D'Amato's aldermanic seat).

So, he's back there and I think it's kind of... Because I'm living with a guy now from Milwaukee, too, and I think that we all have a similar thing... I think that one day we'll head back. And I would definitely move back.

OMC: So, you'll come back and run for mayor?

AS: That's the idea, yeah, right.

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2 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by Reader on March 10, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. (report)

Dan Steininger's son?

Posted by MPG3 on March 9, 2008 at 10:52 p.m. (report)

Sounds like a cool guy. However, it is funny that this guy mentions Nik Kovac and then rattles off a bunch of developments in the City that Ald. D'Amato had a lot to do with. I am not sure how clued into things he is. Did Nik tell him he the is anti-growth NIMBY candidate? If you are planning to return from New York to halt progress here like Mr. Kovac than please, do us all a favor, and stay in New York.