Conflicting opinions, Kenosha ghetto, or decent? (Milwaukee, Racine: employment, neighborhoods, buy)

[RenoViking]

I'll start off by saying we are a middle aged couple (mid to late 40's) My wife is handicapped, and wheelchair bound, and we have an 11 year old that needs a little bit of special ed help in school. We have been looking all over the state to relocate to (sick of Reno, and the desert). Just a few of the places we have been looking into has been Eau Claire, Rice lake, and Janesville. One that has been grabbing out attention lately has been Kenosha/Racine area. I have been seeing mixed opinions about the area, anywhere between "Don't go there, it's a ghetto" to "Kenosha is my favorite town ever". Can someone HONESTLY tell me about Kenosha, or the surrounding area, and what handicapped accessibility is like there? Schools, activities, how easy is it to meet people, taxes, etc.

[AguaDulce]

Originally Posted by RenoViking

I'll start off by saying we are a middle aged couple (mid to late 40's) My wife is handicapped, and wheelchair bound, and we have an 11 year old that needs a little bit of special ed help in school. We have been looking all over the state to relocate to (sick of Reno, and the desert). Just a few of the places we have been looking into has been Eau Claire, Rice lake, and Janesville. One that has been grabbing out attention lately has been Kenosha/Racine area. I have been seeing mixed opinions about the area, anywhere between "Don't go there, it's a ghetto" to "Kenosha is my favorite town ever". Can someone HONESTLY tell me about Kenosha, or the surrounding area, and what handicapped accessibility is like there? Schools, activities, how easy is it to meet people, taxes, etc.

Conflicting opinions, Kenosha ghetto, or decent?

What do you not like about Reno?

Where are you from originally?

What do you mean by "ghetto?"

Crime?

You can compare Reno stats to Kenosha here:

www.neighborhoodscout.com

Here is a link for info on special education in Kenosha:

http://www.kusd.edu/departments/spec...dent-support-0

Racial makeup?

As of 2010, the racial makeup of the Kenosha was 77.1% White, 10.0% African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 6.8% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.3% of the population.

In Reno it was 74.2% White, 2.9% African American, 1.3% Native American, 6.3% Asian, 0.7% Pacific Islander, 10.5% some other race, and 4.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 24.3% of the population. Non-Hispanic Whites were 62.5% of the population in 2010 down from 88.5% in 1980.

Asking people for anecdotal evidence is not productive. Good luck.

[RenoViking]

I wasn't asking for comparisons to Reno. The reasons why we want to move are beyond what people are around us here. I grew up here, and after living in the Pacific Northwest, high desert climate is not for us, and we must move. The reason why I was asking (and not asking for comparisons, it would be stupid to do so asking for someone that lived there, to compare living here), every search I have done for "pros and cons" is a conflict of opinions, as to either Kenosha is a ghetto (their words, not mine), or it's a great town that streets are paved with gold that unicorns walk down, drink from lake Michigan, and fart rainbows. I'm just asking from residence of Kenosha, what their honest opinion, and point of views are about living there. Not what the makeup of the town is by race, gender, etc, but is it family friendly, good healthcare, how are the schools? Are there fun things to do around there? Sorry, but this is a big move (obviously going 5 states away) so I would like to try to get as much of a feel for the area as I can before we move, just so we aren't going into this completely blind.

P.S.
We know it snows.

[AguaDulce]

Originally Posted by RenoViking

I wasn't asking for comparisons to Reno. The reasons why we want to move are beyond what people are around us here. I grew up here, and after living in the Pacific Northwest, high desert climate is not for us, and we must move. The reason why I was asking (and not asking for comparisons, it would be stupid to do so asking for someone that lived there, to compare living here), every search I have done for "pros and cons" is a conflict of opinions, as to either Kenosha is a ghetto (their words, not mine), or it's a great town that streets are paved with gold that unicorns walk down, drink from lake Michigan, and fart rainbows. I'm just asking from residence of Kenosha, what their honest opinion, and point of views are about living there. Not what the makeup of the town is by race, gender, etc, but is it family friendly, good healthcare, how are the schools? Are there fun things to do around there? Sorry, but this is a big move (obviously going 5 states away) so I would like to try to get as much of a feel for the area as I can before we move, just so we aren't going into this completely blind.

P.S.
We know it snows.

It sounds like you aren't planning on visiting before deciding to move.

You should. Spend a 4-day weekend there in mid-January.

[RenoViking]

Originally Posted by AguaDulce

It sounds like you aren't planning on visiting before deciding to move.

You should. Spend a 4-day weekend there in mid-January.

I really wish we could take a week or more to explore, unfortunately my wifes health prevents us doing such outings. Her health is one of the reasons why we really need to move from here. I swear one doctor was trying to kill her by prescribing things that she would hit 5 out of the 6 *do not take if...* warnings. Anyways we have been able to research a few things on this end, healthcare and schools being our main focus (as the public school system here ranks 49th in the nation). The healthcare system seems better, and the schools are definitely a lot better ranked.

[Milwaukee City]

It's a lot better than Racine, Kenosha has some nice areas and a lot of older blue collar neighborhoods. Nothing really ghetto but some run down areas. However outside of city proper you have some nice areas especially south of the city and Pleasant Prairie. I would avoid Racine schools. I wouldn't mind living in the Kenosha area, don't let people misconceptions steer you wrong.

[AguaDulce]

Why Wisconsin?

Why Kenosha?

Do you have family or friends that live there?

Were you offered a job there?

You would seriously pick up and move your whole family halfway across the country without ever having visited?

I'm not attacking you. Please understand that I am just trying to understand your reasoning.

[AguaDulce]

Originally Posted by RenoViking

I really wish we could take a week or more to explore, unfortunately my wifes health prevents us doing such outings. Her health is one of the reasons why we really need to move from here.

Could you explore it by yourself? It would be better than not visiting at all.

[RenoViking]

Originally Posted by AguaDulce

Why Wisconsin?

Why Kenosha?

Do you have family or friends that live there?

Were you offered a job there?

You would seriously pick up and move your whole family halfway across the country without ever having visited?

I'm not attacking you. Please understand that I am just trying to understand your reasoning.

We actually started looking around everywhere, and Wisconsin just seemed to have a little of everything we were looking for. Between the housing prices, better healthcare, schools, and landscape (compared to sagebrush and desert, and at least an hour drive to any decent lake). We have been looking at other towns, and cities, but for some reason Kenosha caught our eye, and thats about the best way I can describe that.

No family in the area, and a few friends have either lived in the area, or are close. No job to go to, but hopefully I can change that. I will probably start actively looking when we get closer to our move date. As of right now, I'm my wifes caregiver, and not getting any assistance to do so, and there is a waiting list to get someone to take care of her while I go back to work. From what I have been able to figure out, there are programs there that can help us out, without too much of a wait, unlike here.

So, honestly, we see very positive things to happen in our lives if we make this move.

[Ragnar]

If you choose Kenosha, you'll have access to both Milwaukee and the northern Chicago suburbs for employment opportunities if you don't find something in the immediate area. Housing prices in Kenosha seem pretty reasonable considering its location. However, if you decide to eventually buy a home, property taxes are very high in WI.

There are a lot of folks in Kenosha with well-established social circles, so not sure how fast you'll be able to break-in to find the friends/support you need, but the same could be said for many places, I suppose.

In addition to snowy/icy, WI winters can be cloudy and dark. As somebody coming from a more sunny high desert environment, don't underestimate the extended periods of winter gloom you'll experience in WI. For some its no big deal, but for others it weighs on them like a sack of bricks.