milwaukee (Wauwatosa: rentals, high crime, school)

[jds]

i currently live in cedar rapids iowa... i go to school there and im planning on attending the university of wisconsin milwaukee.... for a criminal justice degree... i want to move to the big city for the experience and get an education at the same time i would be moving along or with maybe a friend i was wondering if the place is inviting to meet people and friends and how is the nite life and traffic and anything else ishould know would help thanks for the info....!

[DaBears]

if it is still there go to metropolis...loved to go there on weekends....otherwise good sports bar is Major Goolsby's,brew city bbq john hawks pub (not sure if the last 2 are still there but)....kinda hard to say if it would be inviting or not but give it a try....go to summerfest if you stay during the summer....

[GreggB]

The East side of Milwaukee is trendy, up and comming. This is just north of the downtown near the lake. Lots of nice pubs, eateries, interesting rentals, etc. Brady st., Water st. come to mind. The north shore suburbs are nice too. Wauwatosa is nice. The old third ward (just south of downtown and near the lake) is another nicely developing area. The rest of Milwaukee however is not like it used to be. I grew up there in the late 50s and 60s. Sadly Milwaukee has joined the ranks of high crime cities. There are some areas that I would not even drive through at night. Be aware of this. Traffic in general is not terribly bad. As far as square mileage is concerned, Milwaukee isnt really that big. There still are older narrow streets that can be slow going at some times. Freeways can be slow at times too, but nothing like Chicago. What is nice is the 2 hour Amtrak service from downtown Milwaukee to downtown Chicago. Like 7 trains a day. Lake drive from downtown to the north suburbs is nice in the summer. Lot of activities including Summerfest. Milwaukee is trying to "re-invent" itself, if you will. Sadly, like so many other large cities, folks fled to the burbs, and the cities heart and soul died. Now some people are realizing the hollowness of these burbs and are returning to the city centers. Good luck to ya!!!