5 Things You Like/Dislike About MKE Metro? (Milwaukee, Madison: low income, apartments)

[Fishtacos]

Originally Posted by dkmisol

(Both aren't in any particular order)
Five Things I Like:

1. The East Side/North Shore area
2. The Park System (which does very well for being so strapped for cash)
3. Rudy's Mexican Grill
4. It's close to Madison
5. It's close to Chicago

Five Things I Dislike:

1. Common Sentiment (Racist/Socialist/Xenophobic) - by no means true of everybody.
2. The Weather
3. The Crime (although limited to the really bad areas)
4. The Taxes
5. Lack of economy (a whole other thread)

Those are good, and common...but Rudy's? I am a Botana's person when in Milwaukee, 5th and National. Also, a new restaurant I recommend highly is La Merenda, 1st and National.(International cusine of all kinds)

[43north87west]

Likes

1) Great liveability factor, East Side (Lower/Upper), 3rd ward; downtown
2) Borderline "zero" traffic. You know traffic is not a problem in a metro area when people become irate at a 10 minute delay. Try Washington, DC. That makes Chicago traffic look good. I've lived in Chicago and DC also.
3) Restaurants, bars, arts and entertainment (festivals, concerts, Jazz in the Park) are not equaled anywhere that I have found. I categorize these the same because they fall under "having fun" (to me)
4) Ease of airport travel. Beats O'Hare, although options are less. In that case, 1 hr from Chicago-O'Hare airport. Simple.
5) Proximity to Lake Michigan and sporting activities

Dislikes

1) Weather leaves something to be desired much of the year
2) Tired of hearing about "racial tensions". This is very similar to many other northern cities and problems here seem to be dramatized compared to other northern cities.
3) Property taxes are high
4) Need more professional-type employers or businesses (driven out by high taxes and low incentives, usually)
5) Still has some roots from the old blue collar factory town/brewery era

[Fishtacos]

Originally Posted by 43north87west

Likes

1) Great liveability factor, East Side (Lower/Upper), 3rd ward; downtown
2) Borderline "zero" traffic. You know traffic is not a problem in a metro area when people become irate at a 10 minute delay. Try Washington, DC. That makes Chicago traffic look good. I've lived in Chicago and DC also.
3) Restaurants, bars, arts and entertainment (festivals, concerts, Jazz in the Park) are not equaled anywhere that I have found. I categorize these the same because they fall under "having fun" (to me)
4) Ease of airport travel. Beats O'Hare, although options are less. In that case, 1 hr from Chicago-O'Hare airport. Simple.
5) Proximity to Lake Michigan and sporting activities

Dislikes

1) Weather leaves something to be desired much of the year
2) Tired of hearing about "racial tensions". This is very similar to many other northern cities and problems here seem to be dramatized compared to other northern cities.
3) Property taxes are high
4) Need more professional-type employers or businesses (driven out by high taxes and low incentives, usually)
5) Still has some roots from the old blue collar factory town/brewery era

That's a very good list.

Very accurate.

Milwaukee overall is very under-rated, and imo does a poor job of marketing itself. With that said, would like to see more done with the lakefront as far as development and aesthetics.

The Menomonee Valley development will take a long time but will really help as well.

The past 5 years have been a huge improvement...that should have begun many years prior and at a much faster rate.

Would like to see a cleaner city in many more parts as well.

[thinboy]

+ easy city to drive in
+ Bars,Bars,Bars
+ city of beer, motobikes
+ alot good looking people
+ education
+ family




- weather, unless you're a fan of humid and snow
- some parts the people very stick up ( their crap dont stink) and while others they just act dumb
- very segregated
- wants to be like chicago
- bad memories here already (personal)
- Not enough jobs in cetian areas
- Crime in certain areas
- to many wannabe thugs
- not very friendly unless your a local during childhood ( for some reason, Wisconsin folks dont like others who arent from their state, but will torerate ones in surrounding state, if your kid is from the east, south or west, wait until they are grown before coming here)

[Cocopuff]

I was born and raised in the area (Mequon schools K through 12; UWM and Shorewood until age 21). Things certainly changed...not for the better. Eventually moved. Most of my friends don't live there anymore either...they're in Chicago or Minneapolis now.

Good things about Brew City
1. Summerfest and ethnic festivals
2. Lake Michigan
3. Close to Chicago
4. Relatively cheap to live in compared to other cities
5. Numerous, clean parks

Bad things about Brew City
1. Racial tension/segregation
2. Increasing violent crime
3. Rude, ignorant mentality
4. Awful weather
5. Brain drain/poor economy

[UpeoWaMacho]

Love:
Zoo
Domes (Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory)
Natural History Museum
Summerfest
Ethnic festivals
The Beer!!!

Hate:
Anti-gun mentality
Weather can get tiresome
Needs a bit of sandblasting downtown

Sorry...I've run out....

[brewtown12]

Originally Posted by Cocopuff

I was born and raised in the area (Mequon schools K through 12; UWM and Shorewood until age 21). Things certainly changed...not for the better. Eventually moved. Most of my friends don't live there anymore either...they're in Chicago or Minneapolis now.

Good things about Brew City
1. Summerfest and ethnic festivals
2. Lake Michigan
3. Close to Chicago
4. Relatively cheap to live in compared to other cities
5. Numerous, clean parks

Bad things about Brew City
1. Racial tension/segregation
2. Increasing violent crime
3. Rude, ignorant mentality
4. Awful weather
5. Brain drain/poor economy

Milwaukee's violent crime rate is actually decreasing from the early ninties when it had yearly homicide totals upward of 160.I dont know where the ''increasing'' sentiment comes from.

[eastsiders]

-MPS
-Police Dept.
-Taxes.
-Racism.
-Alcohol abuse (WI dirty little secret)

+Milwaukee Sailing Center
+Milwaukee Zoo
+Sanfords
+Irish Fest
+University School

All in all, I think Milwaukee is great for Chicagoland's retiring boomers, college students looking for an urban campus and single people from small towns looking for a great starter city. I don't think Milwaukee is great for families or those looking for a broad array of opportunies.

[Milwaukee Ronnie]

The Good:

The warmth and friendliness of the people.
A first rate cultural scene.
The mix of many different ethnicities and cultures.
A good number of standout schools, including in the city.
Great restaurants, parks, lots of things to do.
Strong neighborhood identities.
Easy to navigate.
Down to earth, not full of itself, never pretentious.
The proximity to Chicago and all that that city has to offer.

The Bad:

Insularity and ignorance among many segments of society.
The bubble mindset -- I know folks on the south side who never leave the south side, for instance.
Too many people with no understanding of the importance of education.
The many, many schools in the city that are simply not doing the job.
A once-great transit system that has fallen on hard times.
A risk-adverse culture.

[Bleachednblonde]

LIKES:

1) Night-life is a lot of fun. It's always 5 o'clock somewhere in the city. You can go out any night of the week and have a good time if you know where to look

2) Traffic. I can get from the lake front, back to my parents place in New Berlin in about 12 minutes.

3) The Lakefront. Yea it smells sometimes, and I sure as hell wouldn't go in the water. However it's very lively down by the lake and always a lot of fun in the summer

4) When you need the big city feel, Chicago is a stones throw away

5) Downtown is youthful. You have 3 major universities (Marquette, UWM and MSOE.) So if you're a college student, you'll find plenty of like minded people


DISLIKES

1) While it's a great college town, it's not such a great "young professional" town. It seems a lot of people go to college here then move out.

2) Winters. The town pretty much closes up shop in winter, and who can blame em!

3) Bad publicity. Between the racial tensions and the crime Milwaukee gets a bad name. What people don't understand is that crime is concentrated to certain parts of town.

4) Too many people seem to have severe aesthetic deficiencies. If you put on a solid 20 lbs over the winter and haven’t seen the sun since last September, I prefer you not wear a tube top and a miniskirt out.

5) An over abundance of rednecks. If they're serving miller light at a function... there is more than likely some guy in a NASCAR shirt who's had a few too many and wants to fight you for some unknown reason.