Why do Wisconsin folks dislike us? (Chicago, Geneva: homes, rent, vacation)

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by mdz

Everyone needs to take those lists with a grain of salt. i still don't understand their methodology, especially since naperville was in the top 5 for last few years and magically now is out of the top 100.

Those articles are good just for debate purposes. Anyone who decides to pack up and leave based on a Money article is nuts. Now I imagine the WI board will be littered with posts "I'm thinking of moving to Middleton..."

One other good one--South Elgin was in the top 100 places to live in the country. South Elgin?

Middleton is a burb of Madison.

My thoughts exactly. Just strange, thats all. And youre right about the WI boards. Id imagine in a few days theyll have several Middleton inquiries.

As for SOuth Elgin, its a nice town that has grown considerably, but its no different (or better for that matter) than its Geneva and St. Charles neighbors.

[Scribbler]

I always feel like those lists are so random.

[Drover]

As for SOuth Elgin, its a nice town that has grown considerably, but its no different (or better for that matter) than its Geneva and St. Charles neighbors.

South Elgin is a LOT different than its Geneva and St. Charles neighbors. It doesn't have NEARLY the same charm, especially in the downtown area. The only way in which it is like STC and Geneva is the extent of new commercial and residential development along the Randall Road corridor. As for the core of S. Elgin, a good chunk of it is just plain trashy. They don't call South Elgin and Valley View "Little Alabama" for nothing. Call me classist, but in much of South Elgin there are too many mullets and not enough teeth for my tastes.

[Frank the Tank]

Just to make this clear, Naperville did NOT get knocked off the Money Top 100 list. They only looked at towns this year with populations under 50,000, which obviously excludes Naperville. I would have thought that Money would have made this a bit more clear in the text of their story since at first glance it's hard to understand why the top places in years past such as Naperville and Fort Collins would all of the sudden disappear completely.

MONEY Magazine: Best places to live 2007: FAQ

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Drover

South Elgin is a LOT different than its Geneva and St. Charles neighbors. It doesn't have NEARLY the same charm, especially in the downtown area. The only way in which it is like STC and Geneva is the extent of new commercial and residential development along the Randall Road corridor. As for the core of S. Elgin, a good chunk of it is just plain trashy. They don't call South Elgin and Valley View "Little Alabama" for nothing. Call me classist, but in much of South Elgin there are too many mullets and not enough teeth for my tastes.

Valley View is St. Charles, isnt it? Thats a little redneck haven down by the Fox. South Elgin is mostly new developments, some VERY nice homes. In fact, I cant tell South Elgin (along Randall at least) from St. Charles. True STC and Geneva are more charming, but if you look at the whole picture, South Elgin is very similar in many ways. If youre talking about Rt. 31 in South Elgin, thats a different story. In fact, that area reminds me of the old SW side of St. Charles. Randall Rd in South Elgin is a spitting image of St. Charles.

[Drover]

I am looking at the whole picture; you're looking at the Randall Road picture; and again, it is only along the Randall Road corridor that the two cities can be said to be remotely similar. Valley View is unincorporated; I believe it is technically part of St. Charles Township but not part of the City of St. Charles. Yes, it's that little redneck haven down by the Fox River, and that redneckness continues unabated right across the river to the South Elgin side.

[mdz]

Frank--thanks for the clarification, I did not notice that at all.

Ignore some of my post

[ILWIresident]

As an original resident of Illinois and now a Wisconsin college student, I have had many experiences of prejudice against the "F.I.B."'s as we are called. After doing research for a project, I have found many biased pieces of information, mostly written by Wisconsin residents (even a few from Michigan's Upper Peninsula).
I would love to clear some points up for residents of both states:
1) Illinois/Chicago residents do not make a mockery of Wisconsin's supposed inferiority. In fact, most people from IL do NOT feel that they nor the city of Chicago is superior to any state. Can't people just be proud of where they're from? We are all entitled to that freedom.
2) Polish, Irish, and Italian immigrants (which happen to be some of the most hot-headed of all people) and their generations of families have lived in Chicago for years. These particular people alone have attitudes which stem from their cultures. Immigrants work their asses off in unions for the lowliest of jobs in the early to mid 1900's and earned a living and great retirement money that has been inherited by future generations. Hence, why most people think Illinois residents are "rich, snobby, etc."
4) Sport rivalries can never be resolved, so I won't touch on that topic.
5) We ALL hate the tolls. Do you think the people of IL want to pay them either? Direct your hate to our past governors please.
6) We drive fast because our speed limits are higher on the highways, on main streets, etc. People want to get where they need to go, and fast. That's the culture of any highly populated city.
7) Vacationing in Wisconsin leads to a positive increase in the WI economy. We're giving you our money to have a good time, so take it and do what you want with it! Just let us into your damn waterparks, campgrounds, Door County, Miller Park, etc, without making a campaign or remark about it. Yes, we have lakes, rivers, etc. But take it as a compliment that we find the people of WI to be generally good-natured and near some great visiting areas, despite the nastiness and ignorance they show otherwise.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by ILWIresident

As an original resident of Illinois and now a Wisconsin college student, I have had many experiences of prejudice against the "F.I.B."'s as we are called. After doing research for a project, I have found many biased pieces of information, mostly written by Wisconsin residents (even a few from Michigan's Upper Peninsula).
I would love to clear some points up for residents of both states:
1) Illinois/Chicago residents do not make a mockery of Wisconsin's supposed inferiority. In fact, most people from IL do NOT feel that they nor the city of Chicago is superior to any state. Can't people just be proud of where they're from? We are all entitled to that freedom.
2) Polish, Irish, and Italian immigrants (which happen to be some of the most hot-headed of all people) and their generations of families have lived in Chicago for years. These particular people alone have attitudes which stem from their cultures. Immigrants work their asses off in unions for the lowliest of jobs in the early to mid 1900's and earned a living and great retirement money that has been inherited by future generations. Hence, why most people think Illinois residents are "rich, snobby, etc."
4) Sport rivalries can never be resolved, so I won't touch on that topic.
5) We ALL hate the tolls. Do you think the people of IL want to pay them either? Direct your hate to our past governors please.
6) We drive fast because our speed limits are higher on the highways, on main streets, etc. People want to get where they need to go, and fast. That's the culture of any highly populated city.
7) Vacationing in Wisconsin leads to a positive increase in the WI economy. We're giving you our money to have a good time, so take it and do what you want with it! Just let us into your damn waterparks, campgrounds, Door County, Miller Park, etc, without making a campaign or remark about it. Yes, we have lakes, rivers, etc. But take it as a compliment that we find the people of WI to be generally good-natured and near some great visiting areas, despite the nastiness and ignorance they show otherwise.

I think your observations/opinions are absolutely correct.

[pw72]

Funny stuff.

I can relate to midwesterners relating to each other in Vegas.

I'm currently a westerner, lived in Chicagoland, and have spent a lot of time in Wisconsin as well.

So to the original question, why do the two states hate each other? They really don't. It's mostly funning. Yes, Illinois drivers think Wisconsin drivers are idiots and and timid, and Wisconsin drivers think Illinois drivers are aggressive and rude. There is probably a little truth to both sides.

Milwaukee has always had an inferiority-complex with Chicago. But who wouldn't? Chicago is one of the premiere cities in the US. Milwaukee offers a lot too, like more affordable, easier to get around (when they get done with all the current construction!), and while both cities offer midwestern friendliness, Milwaukee probably wins that battle.

The northern and northwest suburbs of Chicago offer a little of both...kind of a happy medium!