Milwaukee - Where to live? Bay View? (Green Bay, Wauwatosa: real estate, apartment)

[Vegabern]

After months of this process being strung out, we finally got word yesterday that we will, in fact, be moving to Milwaukee

I've had the pleasure to visit 3 times in the past few months and I couldn't be happier about our upcoming move.

The basics:
Family of 4 - daughters in first and second grade
Hubby has a job downtown
We have a boat and will spend a lot of time on the lake
Want to be close to amenities. Restaurants, shops, parks, schools, etc.
Budget, we'd like to stay under $250k because we like to travel and play but would spend up to $350+ for the right house
We want a smaller house 1,100-1,500 sq ft is plenty
I'd like a house with character
The girls play hockey so we'll want that available nearby

Now, I've heard a lot of talk about Bay View. It seems like the trendy new spot. Sounds great but the schools are making me nervous. We hope to make this our last move until the kids graduate so I'm looking at high schools too. How easy is it to get them into a better hs through school choice? Are there many non-religious, good private schools? I'd really prefer public but what can you do? How bad is Bay View High School? Do you see it improving with the renewed interest in Bay View?

Thanks for your help, future neighbors.

[Empidonax]

Bay View is one of the nicer neighborhoods within City of Milwaukee limits. My husband and I live in BV and mostly enjoy it, but we don't have kids, so don't need to worry about that dimension of things. Bay View HS has improved somewhat in quality, atmosphere, etc., over the past few years, as it recently reinvented itself as a "STEAM" (Science, Tech, Engineering, Arts, Math) school with a renewed interest in attracting neighborhood kids. BVHS still has a way to go, though, but at least it seems to be moving in the right direction.

I don't know how difficult or easy it is for kids to get into the better city publics (Reagan, Rufus King, the language immersion schools), but it may be worth contacting people at those schools to find out about admissions. There are various private, parochial, and charter schools around, so perhaps that could be an option. Thomas More High School in St. Francis seems to be a well-regarded option. You may want to search out the Bay View Town Hall page on Facebook and make an inquiry there; you'll probably get a lot of responses to the question about schools.

Bay View certainly has (and is close to) a lot of amenities, and there is a marina at the shore nearby, so you would likely be set in that area. Most of the houses are on the small side, but there are some good deals. Many houses don't have garages (parking may be on a slab, in a driveway, or on the street), but I would recommend trying to get at least a one-car garage: there have been car break-ins and such, especially in the warmer months.

Bay View is a mostly urban and urbanized area with some sections that have a suburban feel. I live a block west of Humboldt Park in a neighborhood that's kind of like a little island: the neighbors are very vigilant and friendly, and it's generally pretty quiet (for city living).

In my opinion, the best areas to live in BV include the sections east of Kinnickinnic (KK); the Fernwood area south of Oklahoma Ave.; the 2 streets just east of Humboldt Park (closer to Okla Ave.); the area bordered by Okla Ave, Clement, Howell, and the train tracks; and Gauer Circle. It seems to me that these sections are the most stable, have interesting houses, and are most likely to have houses with garages. With $250K to work with, you should be able to get something really good.

Bay View is kind of "trendy" these days, but that has led to some discussions about gentrification and the area's "traditional way of life." There are a few people hostile to newcomers, but most residents are very welcoming. Most of the residents are from the area originally, and quite a few have roots that go back one or more generations. The area's residents are traditionally and primarily blue collar, service industry, and pink collar workers. There are also some white-collar professionals and managers in BV, though they tend to be concentrated in certain sections (esp. east of KK). There are some fairly well-off people in BV, and there are some low-income and even a few homeless people, too. Most are middle/lower-middle income. There are a lot of young adults (including some "gentrifying" condo/apt dwelling professionals as well as anti-gentrifying artists and bohemians) as well as families and single retirees. Most residents are Caucasian, but there are some Hispanics, too. Not many Asians, native Americans, and Blacks, but they're around. There aren't too many international folks in BV, but there are a few. Bay View has become popular with the LGBT community, and is sometimes referred to as "Gay View." There are at least 5 LGBT households on my block.

Bay View is a mix of the trendy/modern and traditional. The area is home to Groppi's (an upscale neighborhood Italian-style market), Outpost (a well-heeled natural foods store), and the summertime South Shore Farmers Market (where you'll see lots of double-wide baby strollers and well-groomed dogs on leashes). But it is also home to Pic-n-Save (a standard grocery store where lots of people wear camo and Green Bay Packers gear), Piggly Wiggly (the same, but more of a Hispanic and Polish clientele), and Target. Not all customers of these places live in BV, but the overall profile points to BV's mixed identity.

[Vegabern]

Thanks so much for the info, Empidonax.

BV seems like a great community but the school situation makes me nervous. We're in Michigan now and even though we have school choice we've never had to deal with it. We're in a rural area so there isn't much competition anyway.

I can't wait to get back to city living.

I've never heard the term pink collar before. I had to look it up.

I just found out a friend of mine has family in BV and they love it. She told me it was THE BEST trick or treating neighborhood.

[Empidonax]

Originally Posted by Vegabern

Thanks so much for the info, Empidonax.

BV seems like a great community but the school situation makes me nervous. We're in Michigan now and even though we have school choice we've never had to deal with it. We're in a rural area so there isn't much competition anyway.

I'm glad the info helps. Fortunately, when it comes to the school situation, there are quite a few options. As long as you educate yourself on what the options are (best magnet schools, charters, private schools, etc.), you'll be fine. The elementary and middle schools in BV are good, btw.

I can't wait to get back to city living.

I've never heard the term pink collar before. I had to look it up.

I just found out a friend of mine has family in BV and they love it. She told me it was THE BEST trick or treating neighborhood.

This is true! Quite a few houses put on major Halloween displays. Kids from other neighborhoods come to BV for trick-or-treat, so the atmosphere becomes quite fun and festive. Just be sure to have plenty of "treats" on hand--our first year we ran out after an hour or so, and we had to go back to the store for more. A lot of the kids wear very inventive costumes, too.

[pifhluk]

I think you would be better suited in Shorewood or Wauwatosa. Good Schools, homes with character, garages, short commute to downtown/marina. Lots of amenities.

[djf_mke]

I agree with this user, I would look into Shorewood or Wauwatosa. Beautiful homes/neighborhood, and the schools have a very good reputation. Shorewood is also very close to McKinley Marina. However, Wauwatosa has more options in your price range, and is still a great option with many amenities similar to living in the city.

Originally Posted by pifhluk

I think you would be better suited in Shorewood or Wauwatosa. Good Schools, homes with character, garages, short commute to downtown/marina. Lots of amenities.

[BAYVIEWTIFUL]

I wonder if you ended up moving here?
If not, I would agree that you check into Shorewood and Wauwautosa. My boyfriend and I have been here 10 years and love it. We are both 30 year old doctorate holders that have no kids (and have no intentions of having them). Honestly, this it's not much of a child-friendly neighborhood. Many of my friends have left the area when they started families. This is a dense area with a big night life and small yards. They also were concerned with the schools. I don't know too many people with kids in this neighborhood, but at least 3 of the ones I do know, did homeschooling. There are private schools, but I don't know how good they are. I do know that the Lutheran school was trying to expand a few years ago, but the neighborhood voted that the building they wanted to acquire (a closed school) go to housing for teachers (which is actually a really cool thing). The library has a nice kids' area, but that's kind of the only thing on the main road specifically for kids. I agree with the first post about this being a trending area. A bunch of high density housing has just opened up and more are being built. You know, they also mentioned Fernwood. That would be a good neighborhood. And Tippecanoe. Both are right on the edge of this neighborhood and have been stable and full of families for years. They're also seeing revitalization, but with less of the Bay View "trendiness".
This neighborhood is one of the safer ones, but my apartment (in the heart of Bay View by the main park) was broken into, 7 car windows were smashed just outside of my building in one night, wheels and hubcaps are stolen, a woman walking her dog was attacked in the daylight, etc... A few years ago, it seemed like crime was decreasing, but it feels like it's gone up since the Department of Corrections opened.
Bay View is a cool mix, great food a night out, not sure it's good for a family with kids (unless your kids are dogs).

[Vegabern]

pifhluk and djf_mke were right! We landed in Shorewood (more than willing to pay the higher prices). We (he, I didn't do any real estate hunting) actually did look in Tosa and it was nice and all but just felt a little disconnected from downtown. We LOVE Shorewood! The amenities are great and everything is walkable. Our kids love their new school and have been making friends easily. The easy access to downtown is fantastic. Hubby rides the bus every day and I am into work downtown in about 15 mins without ever having to take the highway.


Sorry for the late response. We actually moved in Mid Nov so I was a little distracted and never even saw some of these posts. Thanks everyone for the help!

[adr3naline]

That's awesome. Congrats on the successful move.

[pifhluk]

Congrats and welcome!