Mequon, Germantown, Menomonee, Waukesha, New Berlin, etc. Which Suburb... (Milwaukee: crime, big house)

[JMadison]

Which of the suburbs surrounding MKE is considered "best".

OK, that's a subjective term. I mean it in the generally accepted senses of "best homes, best shopping, lowest crime, easiest commute to MKE" and so forth. (I'll be honest, though it will probably draw some "snobbery" comments... which areas are considered highest "class"? Which areas are perhaps more rural and would allow one to live on a nice patch of ground without an Association?)

As an aside, how's the commute from farther out spots like Hartland and Oconomowoc?

In all honesty I'm partial to either master planned or rural residential, but not neccesarilly agricultural rural.

So if anyone can rub my nose in it, so to speak, LOL! (Quick scan of Zillow shows similar property valuations all the way around except near the water where it seems to go up some, naturally.)

[Milwaukee City]

Mequon, it's upscale, upper class and has a very easy commute on I43 South along with the Ozaukee County Express. Cheapest taxes are found in OZ County but not in Mequon, try Port or Saukville or Plymouth for cheap taxes.

[43north87west]

Originally Posted by JMadison

Which of the suburbs surrounding MKE is considered "best".

OK, that's a subjective term. I mean it in the generally accepted senses of "best homes, best shopping, lowest crime, easiest commute to MKE" and so forth. (I'll be honest, though it will probably draw some "snobbery" comments... which areas are considered highest "class"? Which areas are perhaps more rural and would allow one to live on a nice patch of ground without an Association?)

As an aside, how's the commute from farther out spots like Hartland and Oconomowoc?

In all honesty I'm partial to either master planned or rural residential, but not neccesarilly agricultural rural.

So if anyone can rub my nose in it, so to speak, LOL! (Quick scan of Zillow shows similar property valuations all the way around except near the water where it seems to go up some, naturally.)

Without going into a mile long analysis, the North Shore has more class than Waukesha County suburbs, perhaps allowing an exception for Chenequa. You can spend as much on a house in the Lake Country as you can in River Hills, so if you are merely looking for where to spend the most money, there are a bunch of options for you in both areas. In terms of class, the NS people have the edge on suburbs in other counties. (Someone is going to throw rotten tomatoes at me for saying this, and of course exceptions exist.)

From the sounds of what you are looking for, River Hills would fit you quite well, and so would Mequon. Bayside and Fox Point "may" have offerings to suit you, probably more toward Lake Michigan, where lots and homes are bigger. Lot sizes in Bayside and Fox Point would be smaller than River Hills (and some areas of Mequon), but "small" is relative. There are some beautiful properties. I would not consider anything in FP or Bayside to approach rural residential; they are suburban residential. River Hills has huge lot sizes (most properties) and is extremely private.

Any of the above areas is as close to 0% crime as you can get. What tiny crime there is, is usually in or immediately around commercial properties. River Hills has no commercial property that I'm aware of, although one or two may exist. Fox Point and Bayside have commercial properties on a few corners. Mequon has tons of commercial, along corridors.

The only problem I see that might steer you from River Hills, is that it borders communities that have some black population, which appears to be a concern for you if I read your other question correctly. That said, River Hills has gone nowhere but up, for the last 30 years that I've known it, so I highly doubt that can or will change anytime in the remaining span of my life.

Mequon would still have a rather easy commute to downtown.

Now, moving further into the country, if you don't mind a longer commute (45min to an hour), you could check out the Holy Hill area in Washington County. The communities would be Erin, Monches, Merton, and that area. It's beautiful, very hilly, has many large and very beautiful properties, but is a bit more laid back than the Lake Country. It's rural residential with horse properties and the occasional farm. If I was looking for a commute < 1 hour, a chunk of land > 5 acres, with a nice house and scenic surroundings, I'd go for this area.

Since we've gone to Washington County, I can also say that some of the northern areas of Ozaukee County (north of Saukville, and the lakeshore areas of Grafton) are also rural residential with some beautiful properties. Again, it's more of a country atmosphere, a bit more laid back, etc.

Finally, don't get the impression that the Lake Country isn't nice. It's very nice. I'd live there, and according to those who know me well, I was born a snob, I didn't become one along the way. I call areas as I see them. Because I am almost always right about people, I am almost always right about communities. I'm not bragging, just saying what I know to be one of my strongest points, proven many times over in business, as well as my social life. FWIW.

[JMadison]

Hi 43north87west, Milwaukee City,
Thanks for the info. Much appreciated. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea that the Milwaukee area isn't a smaller Detroit, East St. Louis, etc. All the numbers I see give me that impression and of course the attendant apprehensions.

[almost3am]

Originally Posted by JMadison

Which of the suburbs surrounding MKE is considered "best".

OK, that's a subjective term. I mean it in the generally accepted senses of "best homes, best shopping, lowest crime, easiest commute to MKE" and so forth. (I'll be honest, though it will probably draw some "snobbery" comments... which areas are considered highest "class"? Which areas are perhaps more rural and would allow one to live on a nice patch of ground without an Association?)

As an aside, how's the commute from farther out spots like Hartland and Oconomowoc?

In all honesty I'm partial to either master planned or rural residential, but not neccesarilly agricultural rural.

So if anyone can rub my nose in it, so to speak, LOL! (Quick scan of Zillow shows similar property valuations all the way around except near the water where it seems to go up some, naturally.)

I can only really tell you about the burbs out in Waukesha, as I grew up in New Berlin, lived in Waukesha, and now live in Sussex (with many years out of the area and state). Out this way, Elm Grove & Brookfield are considered money spots. Elm Grove with older homes and Brookfield still having a little bit of new development going on (BIG houses). New Berlin, which is a nice, still developing community, sits more in Brookfield's shadow in terms of $$, but I don't believe there is any inferiority complex---just different (I really like NB). Pewaukee has some nice neighborhoods and is a mix of older development near Pewaukee Lake to new development near 164 & Capitol Dr. In Sussex, we seem to draft off of every one else's commercial development (5 minutes to Brookfield & Pewaukee), but have lower property taxes. Although, there is a bunch of new commercial development going on near 164 & Silver Spring (retail, YMCA, banks, etc.) and lots of residential development. All of these cities have great schools.

I personally wouldn't live in Oconomowoc or Hartland due to the distance, but these are really nice areas that are developing...but, that is just me.

[84svoracer]

mequon is the most upscale with the best commuting, new berlin is also pretty nice but the the traffic on 94 is much worse than on 43. Menonomonee Falls and especially germantown are "agricultural rural"

A commute from oconomowac or hartland would definately be way too much for the average person, at least in my opinion.

I would also agree thta mequon would be the best because it is the most upscale and close to the city, although parts of it can be fairly rural.

[code10t]

Mequon is a terrific city and has lots of rural areas (far fewer people than Waukesha County). Quite upscale, too. It's a relatively easy commute to downtown Milwaukee. The main disadvantage is that it's a bit of a commute to Waukesha County (except NW/Menomonee Falls) if you work out there.

I guess I would look in "Lake Country" in Waukesha County otherwise. I don't know the communities out there as well, but I would probably start looking in the west end of Brookfield and also Waukesha, Pewaukee.

[andrw313]

You basically described Mequon. And yes, it blends master planned subdivisions on 1/2-3 acre lots with more rural homes. In other words, you can find it all there from what you describe. It is certainly one of the "classiest" suburbs in terms of wealth and status if that's what you are looking for. The population is made of mostly of professionals and the school district is terrific. Here I am about to reveal my bias but do take my comments seriously... From my house in Mequon it is 15 minutes to downtown with no traffic. So now that you know that I am a huge proponent of the city I live in read on...There are some great homes in Mequon and you can spend basically whatever you want... from 250k in some of the older, smaller areas (or Thiensville, a 1 mile village surrounded by Mequon) on up to 3m+. There are three golf country clubs within the city limits and also one public course. The Milwaukee River flows through town and overall it is very nice.

As for the commute from "Lake Country," it isn't terrible, especially if you come from a bigger city than Milwaukee, but it is more like 30 minutes as opposed to 15. Also bear in mind, you will be driving East in the morning and West in the evening (i.e. the sun is always in your eyes!!!). Most of my relatives live out in lake country (Chenequa, Merton, Delafield) and this is their biggest gripe. You really can't go wrong as there are plenty of "elite" areas out there too.

[claudelle]

I agree with what everyone has said about Mequon. The only negative is shopping. The immediate area does not have that much to offer. The West side, beginning with Mayfair Mall and heading west, has much more in the way of shopping malls, free-standing stores, little shopping centers, etc. There is basically little to offer in Ozaukee County, which quickly gets rural once you are north of Cedarburg, and when you move away from Lake Michigan.

Ozaukee County still has many productive farms unlike Waukesha County, which has let development run rampant. Most of the open acreage is now subdivisions. Water is going to become a much bigger problem in Waukesha County in the next twenty years, but I digress!

The nice thing about the whole area is that nothing is THAT far away compared to other cities of our population, and if you are a really serious shopper, you can always head south to the northern suburbs of Chicago, or into the city.

[south-to-west]

Originally Posted by 43north87west

The only problem I see that might steer you from River Hills, is that it borders communities that have some black population, which appears to be a concern for you if I read your other question correctly.

I don't think the OP said anything about not wanting to live next to black folks. Anyways my blackass was raised in Mequon and I have a lot of black friends from high school that were raised in Mequon. We're everywhere. Can't get away from us. Sorry. I promise that we don't bite tho.

That being said, Mequon would be an excellent fit for the OP. There are conventional master-planned subdivisions as well as a lot of large-lot homes. Some areas of Mequon are very suburban and others are rather rural--basically in the midst of horse country. The commute to Downtown Milwaukee is easy and the school district is one of the best--if not the best--in the state.

A cool thing I remember about growing up there is that you have a small town atmosphere where within 15 minutes you can be in the downtown of a major city. I shouldn't forget to mention that out of all the suburbs the OP mentioned in his/her post, Mequon is the only one on Lake Michigan.