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Old 07-18-2010, 03:10 PM
 
Location: Tampa, Florida
14 posts, read 34,335 times
Reputation: 10

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We are a family of 5 and we are looking to relocate in between Columbus,OH,or Milwaukee,WI. Can sombody or someone explain to me the diferences of the two cities? This would include ;schools,jobs,restaruants,crime rate,and most importantly which would be best to raise my family.

Thanks
Jimmy
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Old 07-18-2010, 03:43 PM
 
196 posts, read 470,380 times
Reputation: 59
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmy-2007 View Post
We are a family of 5 and we are looking to relocate in between Columbus,OH,or Milwaukee,WI. Can sombody or someone explain to me the diferences of the two cities? This would include ;schools,jobs,restaruants,crime rate,and most importantly which would be best to raise my family.

Thanks
Jimmy

This link on crime statistics and comparisons between all the states in the U.S. might be of help to you United States cities by crime rate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Old 07-18-2010, 04:00 PM
 
Location: Bay View, Milwaukee
2,567 posts, read 5,279,915 times
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I've lived in both and know both pretty well--both metros are large and diverse enough to suit your needs. But what, more specifically, are you looking for? Columbus' economy is somewhat stronger and more white-collar than Milwaukee's, but if you want a job in finance, health care, or manufacturing, you'll probably have better luck getting what you want in Milwaukee. If you're into engineering or public sector work such as government, you might have better luck in Columbus.

Both cities have reasonably vibrant downtown and downtown-fringe zones, both have pleasant and reasonably walkable inner-ring suburbs, and both have nice, car-dependent outer-ring suburbs with big houses. What interests you?

Both cities also have areas with impoverished people, working-class people, students, etc.... Demographically, the biggest difference lies in the racial/ethnic profile: the city of Milwaukee is more diverse than the city of Columbus. In Columbus, nearly two-thirds of the people are caucasian, and most of the rest are African-American. There are some Asians and Hispanics, but not many. The suburbs of Columbus are even less diverse.

In Milwaukee, over a third of the city is black, and there's a good presence of Hispanics, some Asians, etc. The suburbs are mostly caucasian, but I think they're still more diverse than Columbus's suburbs. The ethnic mix in Milwaukee metro is likewise more interesting: quite a few immigrants and descendants from Italy, Ireland, Germany, Russia, Southeast Asia, etc. Columbus has a little bit of this, but not much.

Columbus has a higher percentage of people with college degrees, thanks largely to the city's status as state capital and headquarters for OSU. This gives Columbus a certain edge in social dynamism. But interestingly, Milwaukee has more and better cultural institutions--museums, theaters, symphonies, opera, etc. This has a lot to do with the presence of "old money" in Milwaukee; with the exception of Upper Arlington and Bexley, Columbus is pretty much a "new money" kind of city.

Both cities are very cold in the winter, and Milwaukee probably gets lower temps and more snow. But man, some of the coldest moments I've ever lived through were in Columbus.

Columbus has some visually and geographically appealing features--the Scioto and Olentangy Rivers carve nicely into it, the downtown has some pretty skyscrapers, there are nice neighborhoods with Victorian houses, and places like Upper Arlington, Bexley, and Worthington have stately homes to admire. But I prefer Milwaukee's appearance and location: Lake Michigan and various rivers give the city a nice layout and spectacular views, the architecture downtown is historic and lovely, and there are some pretty city neighborhoods with Victorians, bungalows, and other handsome dwellings.

Overall, I prefer the suburbs of Milwaukee to those of Columbus. Milwaukee's suburbs have more personality--Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, Fox Point, River Hills, Cedarburg, Wauwatosa, Greendale, and others have very distinct and historic identities. In Columbus, again, it's Upper Arlington, Bexley, Worthington, and maybe a couple of others such as Grandview Heights. Most of the other suburbs in Columbus metro are pretty bland and non-descript.

Do you have any specific preferences with regard to suburbs? Employment? Civic temperament?
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Old 07-19-2010, 11:11 AM
 
507 posts, read 875,628 times
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As someone who also has lived in both places I'd say you could take quijotes post to the bank !
Spot on,very thoughtful.
If they were dogs Columbus would be a toy poodle, Milwaukee a lab-beagle mix.
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Old 07-19-2010, 11:13 AM
 
Location: Mequon, WI
8,275 posts, read 22,982,654 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BigCur View Post
As someone who also has lived in both places I'd say you could take quijotes post to the bank !
Spot on,very thoughtful.
If they were dogs Columbus would be a toy poodle, Milwaukee a lab-beagle mix.
Sorry but I need a car reference.
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Old 07-19-2010, 12:39 PM
 
507 posts, read 875,628 times
Reputation: 268
Quote:
Originally Posted by Milwaukee City View Post
Sorry but I need a car reference.
Columbus is a Toyota Camry, MKE a Ford Fusion.
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Old 07-19-2010, 01:18 PM
 
Location: Portland OR
2,645 posts, read 3,819,518 times
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How about a fruit reference?
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Old 07-19-2010, 01:27 PM
 
507 posts, read 875,628 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ccjarider View Post
How about a fruit reference?

No thanks-lol .

Actually the best one I can think of is Columbus is Jack Nicolaus, MKE a cross between Arnold Palmer and Lee Trevino.

I'm an old man(very) and have lived from coast to coast, north and south and a decade in Europe.Most importantly, I've been paying attention for 8 decades.

I honestly think Columbus is the most boring,vapid , white-bread place I've ever lived.
And this is NOT a put-down or smart-alec remark, but therein lies its appeal to many.
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Old 07-19-2010, 02:32 PM
 
507 posts, read 875,628 times
Reputation: 268
Getting back to OP's original Q, the schools in any suburb.outside of the south, are pretty much the same,this is a mass society where differences are a matter of socio-economic status much more than place.
As a historic matter though, Milwaukee sensibilities are Catholic in nature whilst Columbus is kind of a mega-church "born-again "place. Not that both things aren't present in both places and certainly one could live in any general american way in both places. But personaly thats how I would decide if I had a young family,economic factors being equal.
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Old 07-20-2010, 01:35 PM
 
34 posts, read 77,987 times
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I've lived in both and currently reside in Columbus. Both my wife and I are graphic designers. And for our field, it's not even comparable how much more stability and opportunity is here. A host of major fashion retailers and the food industry have their HQ here: Limited Brands, Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, Abercrombie & Fitch, Express, White Barn, Justice/Limited Too, Wendy's, White Castle, Donato's, Max & Erma's and the countless ad agencies and local companies that support them. It's also a hub for insurance and banking with Nationwide and JP Morgan Chase here along with the slew of governmental and educational positions.

We've found the economy here to outright trump any reason to move back to Milwaukee.
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