Ever consider moving to Kenosha county to save $? (Chicago, Mark: hair salon, 2009)

[lakecountylifer]

I have friends who work at Abbott and Baxter who have moved to Kenosha and for the life of me I cant understand what they were thinking. I just don't get it....... Has anyone made the move to Kenosha or seriously considered it?

[Lookout Kid]

The only people I know personally that do that have one spouse who works in Chicago and one who works in Milwaukee. But I do know that a growing number of Kenoshans commute towards Chicago nowadays...

[Drover]

There are some solid school districts in Kenosha County if you get out of the city. Even if property taxes are a bit stiff up there, the amount of housing your money buys combined with the quality of schools in many districts does make it a fairly attractive option. In other words, it seems to be easier to strike a balance between cost of living, quality of life, and quality of schools than it does on the IL side of the border. Not to mention the commute is usually a snap when the Tri-State, Edens and/or the spur aren't torn up.

[ccjarider]

Relatives of mine moved there years ago and have never regretted it. They all work in IL and drive everyday.

I work in Mt. Prospect and there are 6 people here who carpool from WI everyday.

The biggest draw was housing stock availablity.

[snowlodg]

My husband and I moved to Pleasant Prairie (right next to Kenosha) 12 years ago even though he worked near Abbott. We got more house for less money and a quality built home. Even though it is June 2009 our housing pricing continue to stay very good unlike other parts of the country.
We love the RecPlex, Prime Outlet Mall, ability to be at Mitchell Airport and in the parking garage in 30 minutes (door to door). We have some great places to eat including one James Beard Award winner who owns a restaurant in Kenosha. We get to take advantage of everything Milwaukee and Chicago offer because we live between both cities. If you are moving here, I can recommend, doctors, dentist, Hair Salons, plumbers, electricians, tree trimmers, landscapers etc etc etc. We have three hospitals to boot. The Pleasant Prairie Police and Fire are great when you call, they come. Everyone at Village Hall are great to work with.
Did I mention my neighbor across the street works for Abbott? Did you know an Abbott Sr VP just built a hugh home here? Hmmmm, makes you wonder why.
Come see what you are missing, this is a great community and a great place to live

[jasmom87]

I grew up in Kenosha and still have family there. My BIL works for Abbott and they love it there, but would never send their children to Kenosha public schools. The grade schools have gone downhill fast, check the ratings given by the state. It's a nice city, but I am thrilled to be out and living in IL. My son goes to college there, and he still says there is not anything to do there and still referred to as Kenowhere. JMHO

[lakecountylifer]

Kenosha/Pleasant Prairie is nice if you enjoy a huge smoke stack and its huge vapor cloud as your predominant visual in your community. Pleasant Prairie has gotten rid of the two big porn shops on I-94 so that is a positive. It is strange though that Pleasant Prairie in fact, does have competing hospitals across the street from each other in the semi-cornfields on Route 50.

Also, I wouldn't brag about the Pleasant Prairie Police Dept. Didn't they botch (or at least cause a huge delay) in the Mark Jensen murder case?

[edsg25]

for an older, industrial city there are some really good things about Kenosha, including lots of harbor space downtown, vintage old homes along the lakefront, and a sense of community unusual for an old industrial town. Pleasant Prairie itself is there mainly as a Chicago suburb in the sense that the Wis-Ill state line is becoming about as meaningless as the Ind-Ill state line in Chicagoland. Kenosha County will become more and more "chicagoized" as time goes by, more connected to the metro area like Lake Co (IN) is now, although obviously in a far less industrial way.

I guess what I'm saying is that if you move to Kenosha County and miss what you perceive as Chicagoland, just wait. Chicagoland will be there soon enough. And even now, Kenosha is far more attached to Chicago than to Milwaukee. Go north a bit though, and you will find Racine leans the other way, towards Milwaukee, not Chicago.

[Irishtom29]

I considered a condo by the lakefront in Kenosha, it appears pleasant there and being retired I've no commute to consider. But I reconsidered.

[Drover]

Why?