Symphony/crime stuff (Milwaukee, West Allis, Wauwatosa: high crime, home, safe area)

[Carolina_Belle92]

How safe do you feel in Milwaukee, crime-wise? Is the crime concentrated in any specific areas, or is the whole city a level playing field?

and on a completely unrelated note, how good is the symphony orchestra?

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by Carolina_Belle92

How safe do you feel in Milwaukee, crime-wise? Is the crime concentrated in any specific areas, or is the whole city a level playing field?

Overall, very safe.

Milwaukee the city itself is approximately 575,000 in population. However, the metro area is over 1.5 million people and isn't tremendously sprawled, so much of the suburban 1+ million or so "feels" like a true extension of Milwaukee in terms of a metro.

About 95% of Milwaukee's suburbs feel very safe. Even those that are right on the border such as Whitefish Bay, Shorewood, Wauwatosa, Brookfield, Menomonee Falls, West Allis, St. Francis, Bay View...these all are overall an extremely safe feeling and extremely safe areas.

Milwaukee - the city now - does overall have much violent crime and high crime stats in general, however, it very much overall is confined to pockets - the central city, the north/northwest sides, and the west sides are pretty mediocre-to-very-bad in terms of feelings of security.

However, Downtown, the East Side, and much of the south side feel very safe.

Factoring in the suburban areas, the entire Milwaukee area is overall a very safe feeling. Know the pockets to avoid - and do so - (like most big cities) and you'll feel very safe there.

Originally Posted by Carolina_Belle92

and on a completely unrelated note, how good is the symphony orchestra?

Actually, I think for a city its size, it is pretty darn good! I think you can say that alot for Milwaukee considering its sub-2 million population (for its size, good arts, good restaurants, good sports/entertainment variety, etc.).

[dkmisol]

Originally Posted by Carolina_Belle92

How safe do you feel in Milwaukee, crime-wise? Is the crime concentrated in any specific areas, or is the whole city a level playing field?

and on a completely unrelated note, how good is the symphony orchestra?

I'll echo EnjoyEP's response.... Crime seems bad, but it is mostly limited to several key areas. The areas to avoid would be alot of the North/NW-side, and parts of the south side...

Regarding the symphony... its very good. I saw them a few weeks ago at Cathedral Square (downtown).

Also... Milwaukee is home to the Bach Babes (a shameless plug... I know the harpsichordist ), an extraordinary Baroque group. I've gone to nearly every one of their concerts in the last four years, and they're a joy to listen to. By all means check them out Bach Babes (broken link)

[Intrigued]

Originally Posted by Carolina_Belle92

How safe do you feel in Milwaukee, crime-wise? Is the crime concentrated in any specific areas, or is the whole city a level playing field?

and on a completely unrelated note, how good is the symphony orchestra?

really.......safety is there such a thing in milwaukee, ever since i came here i've heard nothing but bad things on the news. There's crime all over Milwaukee, not just in any specific area that i can tell. From what i see, i do think that it is especially bad on the northside. Gang violence is one thing, but when kids are being shot it's ridiculous, if you're gonna hold a gun to shoot someone at LEAST learn to shoot. The community has really got to get involved, the community can stop all of the violence. People always screamin they ain't snitchin, but the first time someone they know or love gets shot, they on the news screamin talkin about "Somebody had to have seen something." I say don't wait until your family member gets shot to get involved. But that's only wishful thinking, I'm prepared to die just to so my child can see tomorrow. I just pray i never have to.

[deslok]

Everytime someone asks about Milwaukee, we get into the whole "the suburbs are safe" thing. I am considering a move, and would want to live downtown. ( near the lakefront) What is it like in that area?