Seeking Advice For People Possibly Relocating To MKE Area (Milwaukee: middle-class, transplants)

[MSUSpartanGrad]

My employer may be looking to move me and my family to the Milwaukee area sometime within the next 12-18 months. I simply want to get some honest and reasonably unfiltered perspectives from both Wisconsin natives and transplants regarding what life is like in the southeast and central Wisconsin area is like - particularly the western and northern suburbs of Milwaukee. So here it goes:

1) I grew up in Michigan, so I know a lot about rust belt cities that - deserved or not - have tarnished reputations. Is there anyone that is willing to make a cogent comparison between life in SE Michigan (Metro Detroit) and SE Wisconsin (Metro Milwaukee) without having the discussion devolve into a war of stereotypes and cliches? My initial thought is that MI and WI are both upper-midwest states with a lot of solid, family-oriented mostly working-class & middle-class people who live through cold, dreary winters and summers that are generally either too hot or not hot enough. We love our our sports teams - even the Lions - but we have our share of social, academic and cultural activities for those who care to participate. Every region is more complex than just these things I have mentioned, but I just want to get a feel for MKE at-large. I'm thinking maybe the city of Milwaukee itself is a little Pittsburgh (sports enthusiasts), with a dash of Cleveland (industrial city on a lake), a dose of Detroit (urban/ethnic makeup) and maybe a hint of Louisville (slightly country - maybe a little country music and NASCAR here and there).

2) At this point in my life, my wife and I prefer living in suburban communities. Given that point, we would not be looking for a strictly bedroom community of McMansion or cookie cutter subdivisions near a Wal-Mart and a Culvers that some developer just plopped down in the middle of some farmland within the last 5-10 years. We would like to live in an outlying city that has perhaps a culture and history of its own - its own small downtown and shopping district, locally-owned restaurants (not just national chains), bike trails, park districts, etc. Based on my initial investigation, it appears that Delafield may fit that bill. Are there any other cities/towns other than Delafield that fit the bill (Oconomowoc, Waukesha, Wauwatosa, Brookfield, and Mequon are also on our radar - the best school district may be the tie-breaker). Just a side note - we like upper middle class communities, but not so much the old money, overly aristocratic or clique-ish communities. If you know anything about the Detroit area, it would be the equivalent of saying that we prefer a community like Northville, Rochester or Farmington Hills over the Grosse Pointes, Franklin or Birmingham - a vibrant, active area with a lot of professionals in their 30's & 40's with kids is preferred over areas where the retired business magnates, TV personalities, arts patrons and professional sports athletes live.

3) I am curious about why (at least in my view) single-family homes and the accompanying property taxes are so high (relatively speaking) in the Milwaukee area? A 4 BR/3 BTH home brick home less than 15 years old seems to run anywhere from $600K - $800K the communities on our radar. While we could afford that, homes with similar specifications in metro Detroit suburbs (every bit as nice as these MKE suburbs) would cost approx. $250K - $400K in this housing market. Was there no downward adjustment in the MKE housing market over the past 18-24 months like the rest of the midwest? Please don't tell me these homes were $1 Million two years ago. Does proximity to the Chicago market have some kind of spillover effect into MKE? Is the market intentionally priced high to keep Chicago urbanites from flooding over the state line for cheaper housing? (perhaps a far-fetched theory, but...) Is land scarce? Wisconsin is a pretty large state land-wise so I would think not. For the life of me I can't figure out why MKE area homes are so much higher than other comparable places like Metro Detroit, Indianapolis, Louisville, Cleveland, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Nashville - even Atlanta and Dallas have better home prices (for the same size/spec home) than MKE. What gives? Also, what do the high property taxes pay for? I am seeing $15K-$18K/year in taxes on some of these homes - even $7K-$8K/year on modest homes. Maybe excellent schools? Roads with no potholes? I must say I was shocked at the cost of housing in the Metro MKE suburbs. Are there a lot of bank-owned homes and foreclosure inventory now?

4) Lastly, what is the overall political climate of the MKE area and Wisconsin at-large? Politics is not my be-all and end-all by any means. But quite frankly, I was shocked to see that the State of Wisconsin voted so heavily for Obama. I have spent some time in Milwaukee, Green Bay and even The Dells/Baraboo on vacation and overall, I pegged Wisconsin as a very conservative state. Then I found out that Wisconsin has two (2) Democratic US Senators (Kohl & Feingold). After I saw that, I figured I must have the people of Wisconsin all wrong. I kinda figured Wisconsin was Palin country (cold-weather state, guns, hunting, elk burgers, family values) etc. Anyone care to breakdown for me what must be a very eclectic and complex Wisconsin electorate? Is it simply a matter of population distribution (i.e. the liberals in Milwaukee, Madison, the college towns and the unionized plant towns are so large in number that it negates the conservatives voting in the rest of the states outlying regions), or does Wisconsin have a lot of split-ticket, independent voters who don't tend to affiliate themselves along party lines?

I know, way too long..... I didn't start with a thesis in mind. But if anyone cares to share their view on one or more of the areas I mentioned, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

[43north87west]

Originally Posted by MSUSpartanGrad

"I simply want to get some honest and reasonably unfiltered perspectives ...without having the discussion devolve into a war of stereotypes and cliches...

Did you say stereotypes and cliches?

Originally Posted by MSUSpartanGrad

mostly working-class
a little country music and NASCAR
McMansion or cookie cutter subdivisions
old money
overly aristocratic
clique-ish
keep Chicago urbanites from flooding over the state line
I pegged Wisconsin as a very conservative state
Palin country
cold-weather state, guns, hunting, elk burgers, family values
unionized plant towns

[MSUSpartanGrad]

I guess my post ended up being the cliche I was trying to avoid, eh? Oh well..... I should have stopped typing while I was ahead. Writing "stream of consciousness" can get you in trouble. At any rate, I won't be moving to Milwaukee - I am headed to Phoenix AZ instead... just found out today. Feel free to disregard this post. Good luck to those who live and love in Milwaukee. Cheers......

[BrewCityMama]

MSUSpartanGrad - it's too bad you won't be moving to Milwaukee. As a person who grew up in the Detroit Area (Birmingham/Royal Oak area) and has been in Milwaukee since college, you would have loved it. I was "getting" what you were saying in your post, and Milwaukee's northern suburbs would (most likely) have been a GREAT fit for you. The north shore especially (Fox Point/Whitefish Bay/Mequon/Bayside).

Ahh, too bad. Good luck in Arizona, though.

[krustpie]

Well, for anyone else with the same question about relocating to MKE, I grew up in the suburb of Greendale. I would move there again if I moved back to WI. Greendale is at the southern end of MKE, gorgeous greenery, kind people, quite a history involving Eleanor Roosevelt, and no cookie cutter homes. The "village" on Main Street is picturesque. It is overseen by Mr. Reiman of Reiman Publications, also located in Greendale (Taste of Home Magazine and more), who takes care that the landscaping is second to none in the summer and that the shops are in tip top condition all year round. The parks are great and lots of famillies around. There is a mall on the outskirt of Greendale, and it's close to the freeway. The school system is excellent. Nice community and community events.

My only complaint about Greendale is there can be a sense of snobbery from one end of town. But overall, great place to live. Secondly I would vote for Delafield, but maybe even moreso a feeling of snobbery there.

[AlNino]

Milwaukee is Detroit Light. The city has declined since the 70's but not as much as Detroit.

[Milwaukee City]

Originally Posted by AlNino

Milwaukee is Detroit Light. The city has declined since the 70's but not as much as Detroit.

Do you have to find every thread on Milwaukee and bash it without providing an adult argument? something tells me we have a troll on our hands.

[Milwaukee City]

Originally Posted by AlNino

Milwaukee is Detroit Light. The city has declined since the 70's but not as much as Detroit.

Not only do you come off as a person with a chip but calling Milwaukee Detroit light is a joke and not even close to being accurate in any sort of argument.

[Twoaday]

@ALNino Clearly the city has rebounded starting in the 90s, does it have a ways to go, are there problems sure, but it turned a corner in the 90s and early 2000s.

[Badger]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

Do you have to find every thread on Milwaukee and bash it without providing an adult argument? something tells me we have a troll on our hands.

do you have to call everybody who disagrees with you a troll?

how is that ''adult-like'' ? more like: somebody in this world doesn't like milwaukee....



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