Down-to-Earth or Snooty? (Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay: to buy, elementary school, universities)

[northnut]

It's just not the east side. I'm an east side girl but I thought I'd give Bayview a chance. Too many families, had to use my car too much, the Walgreen's a block away closes early & the people that worked there just irritated me, lol. I don't know, little things I didn't like about it. Just gave me the wrong vibe so I finally moved.

[CowsAndBeer]

I feel the same way about Riverwest - I like it (and go to the neighborhood often), but would never, ever want to live there for many different reasons. I love Bayview.

[northnut]

Originally Posted by CowsAndBeer

I feel the same way about Riverwest - I like it (and go to the neighborhood often), but would never, ever want to live there for many different reasons. I love Bayview.

Well, to each their own, eh?

[Devitron5000]

Originally Posted by CowsAndBeer

I'm no expert (I'm not originally from Milwaukee), but Franklin isn't on the shore, so wouldn't southside be apropos?

A lot of what's considered the northshore and southshore isn't actually on the shore. It's really just a way of distinguishing the areas that aren't part of the city from those that are. I always assumed it was because South Milwaukee and East Milwaukee (as Shorewood was once known) were distinct from Milwaukee's southside and eastside.

[Devitron5000]

Originally Posted by northnut

It's just not the east side. I'm an east side girl but I thought I'd give Bayview a chance. Too many families, had to use my car too much, the Walgreen's a block away closes early & the people that worked there just irritated me, lol. I don't know, little things I didn't like about it. Just gave me the wrong vibe so I finally moved.

Originally Posted by CowsAndBeer

I feel the same way about Riverwest - I like it (and go to the neighborhood often), but would never, ever want to live there for many different reasons. I love Bayview.

FWIW, the only thing I don't like about Bay View is that it's full of transients who seem like they don't want to admit they live in Milwaukee, and list their address as "Bay View, WI." Granted, the history buff in me knows some of it is simply the legacy of Bay View remaining its own community for quite some time after Milwaukee was incorporated, making it sort of like our Brooklyn (in more ways than one).

That said, I could easily see myself living in Bay View under the right circumstances. Although one of the things I like most about Riverwest is the mix of city natives and transplants... it seems like there's not too many other parts of the city that don't skew heavily one way or the other.

[Fuscia]

What about Cudahy? On the shore, and you can smell Patrick Cudahy hams being smoked. Smells like bacon. I'm kinda teasing of course.

[mcd595]

Originally Posted by goodbyesnow

Well, when we lived in Milwaukee and my kid went to school in Mequon, she confirmed that many of the kids were snooty and treated her as an unprivileged low-life. She went to school there from elementary till junior year of high school and didnt tell me until then how miserable she was. I sent her there because of the schools' reps, but pulled her before her senior year due to her unhappiness. I have known a handful of people in Mequon-some friendly, down to Earth,some not so much. I'd never live there.

Now I spent a lot of time in Elm Grove. I knew people who lived there and my youngest went to preschool there and we celebrated the 4th there for years with friends at the parks. I LOVE it there and considered moving there. The homes are older, yards smaller, it's more "neighborhood" and less subdivision-like, but I like that feel. Shopping in Brookfield at the mall and all the big stores is close, and the people are friendlier, in my opinion.

We ended up moving out of state for warmer weather, but Elm Grove was a top contender when we lived in Milwaukee.

Thank you for this honest account. I appreciate your insight.

For those of you who felt that I was just trying to stir up a debate, I apologize. It wasn't my intention to create a heated argument. I really just want information about these areas so that I can find a place where my family and I will feel comfortable living. Somebody asked why I cared about schools when stating that budget is no issue since I could send my children to private schools under those circumstances. I am a public school teacher and believe in the benefits of public education. Although we have a comfortable lifestyle, we are still conscious of expenses and aren't able to allocate thousands of dollars a year toward three private school tuitions.

I know that there can be small groups of people in any community with an attitude of superiority. I just fear that we will choose a town where the norm is "keeping up with the Jones." We have lived in two very different suburbs on the east coast, one where people were very focused on the brand of clothing they and their young children wore, the cars they drove, the summer camp their children attended, etc. and the other suburb where people focused on spending time with their kids, playing sports, hosting BBQ's, attending book club meetings, throwing block parties, etc. So, we are looking for a community where the overall attitude is family-centered and fun for all ages and although people live comfortably, they don't flaunt their socio-economic status and value that over all other things.

Mequon, Elm Grove, Brookfield and Whitefish Bay have all been on our list of possibilities and we are just trying to figure out which is most like the down-to-earth place we are leaving behind now. It is difficult since we have to relocate and hit the ground running. We don't have time to experience the area firsthand before making our decision.

Again, sorry to create controversy, it was not my intention.

[Milwaukee City]

It all really depends on what subdivision or neighborhood you end up in, in each city. You can find down to earth and snooty in each one of those areas. The cities as a whole are not snooty. Now if you move to The Stonefields of Mequon you might run into snooty or keeping up with the Jones. Or if you moved to Greenview Dr in Mequon I am willing to bet with all the 1950's ranch homes you won't run into snooty people.

[whisper2000]

Originally Posted by Devitron5000

...the history buff in me knows some of it is simply the legacy of Bay View remaining its own community for quite some time after Milwaukee was incorporated...

Milwaukee became a city in 1846.

Bayview existed as an independent city from 1879 until 1886. That's a total of 7 years as something separate and unique. "Bayview" has been a part of Milwaukee since 1886... that's 127 years as MILWAUKEE.

Now Granville, on the north side of town, was its own town from 1840 until the mid-1950s. That's a total of about 115 years as something separate and unique. Now, much of Granville is the city of Milwaukee (for about 58 years). And I doubt anyone there signs their return address as Granville, WI. Although it seems they certainly have the legacy to do so!

Thus, the proclaimed self-importance of Bayview's unique identity is, all things considered, ahistorical. It does sell real estate though!

[Empidonax]

Originally Posted by whisper2000

Milwaukee became a city in 1846.

Bayview existed as an independent city from 1879 until 1886. That's a total of 7 years as something separate and unique. "Bayview" has been a part of Milwaukee since 1886... that's 127 years as MILWAUKEE.

Now Granville, on the north side of town, was its own town from 1840 until the mid-1950s. That's a total of about 115 years as something separate and unique. Now, much of Granville is the city of Milwaukee (for about 58 years). And I doubt anyone there signs their return address as Granville, WI. Although it seems they certainly have the legacy to do so!

Thus, the proclaimed self-importance of Bayview's unique identity is, all things considered, ahistorical. It does sell real estate though!

Bay View's sense of identity may be ahistorical in the sense you describe, but geographical factors--such as its relative isolation from the rest of Milwaukee, the multigenerational close-knit (and densely packed) community living there, and the historical importance of KK as a commercial roadway for the area--have helped maintain a sense of unique identity for Bay View. It may have been in Milwaukee as such, but like much of the near south side, was never fully integrated into the central affairs of the Milwaukee north of the Menomonee Valley.

Granville, on the other hand, in spite of its verifiable identity as a historical community (though unincorporated, I believe), changed a lot more from generation to generation (it was on the pathway of sprawl for post-immigrant families leaving Milwaukee's urban core), didn't really develop a historical retail hub or strip to tie the community together, and is so geographically contiguous with other parts of the metro that both Milwaukee and Brown Deer lay claim to it.