Brookfield Wauwatosa comparison

[thrashee]

Originally Posted by Olive2Bgeeky

Oh my...it sounds like you never turn right or left off of Bluemound Road! Brookfield is very pretty and the neighborhoods are well-kept and quiet. Wauwatosa is nice, yes, but I'll take Brookfield, their taxes, and their school system anyday. Stop judging Brookfield on it's business area. The suburb stretches far beyond Bluemound Road.

Haha, I did, in fact, turn off Bluemound every now and then True, I admit that there are several neighborhoods that are quite nice, but I stand by my original point: Brookfield at heart is nothing more than a strip mall. Brookfield isn't that large to begin with, so besides the strip mall and some nice neighborhoods, what else is there, exactly?

[Olive2Bgeeky]

Originally Posted by thrashee

Haha, I did, in fact, turn off Bluemound every now and then True, I admit that there are several neighborhoods that are quite nice, but I stand by my original point: Brookfield at heart is nothing more than a strip mall. Brookfield isn't that large to begin with, so besides the strip mall and some nice neighborhoods, what else is there, exactly?

Okay... I'm not going to argue that Brookfield is more than a strip mall. Living there for 45 years tells me otherwise. But tell me, why would anyone 'head over' to Wauwatosa besides the Medical Complex? (There you got Brookfield beat) Basically, the only reason I ever go to Wauwatosa is for shopping...kind of like Brookfield.

[almost3am]

Originally Posted by thrashee

Brookfield isn't that large to begin with, so besides the strip mall and some nice neighborhoods, what else is there, exactly?

I don't live in Brookfield, but have lived close on and off for many many years, and think it is a nice area to raise a family (along with New Berlin, Sussex, Pewaukee, etc.), but I thought I would mention a few things we stop in Brookfield for or like about it (besides visiting friends):

-The schools are good in Brookfield, and the surrounding cities (i.e. New Berlin, Pewaukee, Sussex)
-The area is very safe
-As you know, shopping (Brookfield Square & the rest of Bluemound, Towne Center on Capitol)
-Restaurants (we stop at Original Pancake House, Mr B's on Capitol, a few chains on Bluemound)
-Wilson Center for the Arts
-Eble Park
-Milwaukee Ballet School (Towne Center)
-Fox Brook Park

[thrashee]

Hehe, I didn't mean to offend anyone living in Brookfield. Yes, it has nice neighborhoods. And I'm not married nor do I have children, so I honestly can't comment on the school system or similar things.

I was only replying to the question of culture. Again, in my mind, there is no culture in Brookfield. Shopping is not culture, nice neighborhoods is not culture, nice restaurants is not culture (unless you want to count Monsoon as great culture...is Monsoon still open? I can't remember the last time I was there if it was.)

I'm not saying there is anything WRONG with Brookfield, I'm just saying it's about as vanilla as it comes. So yes, if you're looking for an upper class, fairly homogeneous neighborhood that is great to raise a family in, Brookfield is probably an excellent choice. If you're looking for culture, head closer to Milwaukee.

[#Littledog]

I think it boils down to "different strokes for different folks". Both are nice communities, one just needs to decide if he or she wants more of an urban atmosphere vs. a suburban atmosphere. To compare the two communities, you're really comparing apples to oranges. I think things get more complex once you have to consider the needs of an entire family because then you need to make decisions such as schools, green space, safety, property taxes vs just culture alone. Tosa definitely has more culture, nicer architecture, better access to downtown, but Brookfield beats out Tosa in some other areas such as better public schools (based on scores from greatschools.com), more "bang for your buck" in terms of yard size and green space due to lower property taxes, and less crime (based on police reports form both communities). One needs to prioritize what they want for themselves and their family. For me, personally, Tosa still beats out Brookfield, but I can understand why so many people want to move to Brookfield.

[littlestudio]

fwiw, after taking a trip to look at houses and evaluate potential business locations, we have settled on moving to Whitefish Bay. Thank you very much to all who participated in this thread.

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by littlestudio

fwiw, after taking a trip to look at houses and evaluate potential business locations, we have settled on moving to Whitefish Bay. Thank you very much to all who participated in this thread.

Well, that sure the heck is a different choice than either 'Tosa or Brookfield!!!

Just giving you a hard time...I actually like all three communities, but WFB is beautiful. Congrats on your decision...outside of the chilly springs, I am sure you'll love it in The Bay!!!

[#Littledog]

Wow, we must be on the same wavelength!!!! We just started looking at houses in WFB and are now considering a move there instead of Tosa. You will love WFB. It is beautiful by the lake. I don't think you'll regret your decision. Congrats.

[Milwaukee City]

I really think this thread is golf balls and bowling balls when comparing the two.
Urban suburb -v- classic suburban suburb. IE: Cicero -v- Northbrook for my ILL folks.