John Hutterer is one of those children; he has known the neighborhood all his life. He knows the neighborhood has a strong sense of place, even though its name may be debatable.

"My father always referred to this area as 'Piggsville,'" he said, "even though I've never seen a pig around here. The city put up neighborhood signs calling this area Valley Park; but most people call it The Valley, and have for years and years."

Hutterer also noted that while people in the neighborhood hold myriad jobs, blue- and white-collar, few, if any, work for Miller right up the street.

"People at Miller come from all over," he said, "I only knew one woman who worked there, and she happily walked to work every day."

One drawback of being in a valley adjacent to a river: flooding. While nothing new, strong summer storms in 1997 and '98 gave The Valley a one-two punch of devastating floods that finally spurred the long-awaited dredging and construction of a precast concrete retaining wall along the Menomonee River, providing protection well above flood stage, as well as an attractive western boundary for the area and doubling the size of the neighborhood's main park.

The new wall replaces an old flood control wall constructed during the WPA programs of the 1930s, and the dedication stones from the original project have been preserved. This was the first of two developments that gives The Valley a boost.

The other is a new transportation connection, almost complete. Already flanked by railroad, street grid, bus line and freeway, Valley Park is now right along the new expansion of the Hank Aaron State Trail, the new bike route that upon completion will extend from the Summerfest grounds on Lake Michigan to Prairie du Chien on the Mississippi River.

With the coming of the trail, its associated parkland and the new retention wall, the feeling of a new era is emerging in The Valley. More activities are cropping up right in the neighborhood with a new connection to the rest of Milwaukee; yet The Valley retains and preserves its individual character.

A stroll along the retaining wall and the new Hank Aaron State Trail path reveals a multitude of sights: Miller Brewing's grain tower and revolving sign, freeway superstructures, tree-covered hillsides and bluffs, railroads, the Menomonee River, two parks and, most recently, the elaborate iron latticework of Miller Park's roof. From a low point geographically, you have a high point aesthetically.

The neighborhood's official name in city records is Piggsville/Valley Park, and it is served by the Valley Park Civic Association.

Leaving the neighborhood in the early evening, the only sounds audible were kids playing basketball in an alley nearby and people watching a game from a house with open windows; below it all, the freeway traffic on I-94 provides a distant hum.

The serenity amidst its surroundings makes Piggsville one most unique areas of the city. You can pass through most Milwaukee neighborhoods; the Piggsville/Valley Park neighborhood is one you have to aim for.