Milwaukee is not a suburb of Chicago (Kenosha, Racine: for sale, buying)

[chicagojoe23]

Hello cheeseheads. I recently saw a post by somebody on your forum who claimed that Milwaukee is considered a part of the Chicago MSA. The Office of Management and Budget does not list Milwaukee or even Racine, but does list Kenosha WI.

This makes more sense, since when I drive up to Milwaukee there is like 50 or more miles of cow pasture separating Illinois and Milwaukee, with the occasional gas station, cheese shop, and fireworks stand.

I don't see Milwaukee as ever becoming part of Chicago anymore than I see Philly as part of New York City. Both sets of cities are about same milage apart with metros that do not quite touch. Also, just different cultures and different identities. I don't think most people here in Chicago even realize that Milwaukee exists. I guess what I'm saying is don't hold your breath.

[Milwaukee City]

I don't see Milwaukee as ever becoming part of Chicago

Well I wouldn't say never! it's obviously growing towards each other.

Milwaukee is not a suburb and it's not Milwaukee people trying to say it as a thing of pride or trying
to be a part of something they are not. The origin of the comment actually comes from people from
Chicago as a way of ripping on Milwaukee. Obviously people in Milwaukee don't want to be considered
a part of Chicago, they want to be a stand alone city. I listen to a lot of Chicago radio and TV and I have also heard my Chicago friends all say "Milwaukee isn't just Chicago's most northern suburb?" or "Milwaukee, it's just a suburb of Chicago".

It's actually the other way around, you never hear people in Milwaukee trying to be a suburb of Chicago. It's a way for Chicago people to minimize Milwaukee.

[dcisive]

I dunno, but for me whenever I crossed the State line there was NO question I was leaving Illinois behind. There is a distinct difference in the culture and general aire between the two. I don't see Milwaukee ever becoming just an extension of anything in Illinois. They are connected by a road, and there is somewhat of an economic dynamic there, but that to me is where it ends, and to me that's a good thing

[chicagojoe23]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

Well I wouldn't say never! it's obviously growing towards each other.

Milwaukee is not a suburb and it's not Milwaukee people trying to say it as a thing of pride or trying
to be a part of something they are not. The origin of the comment actually comes from people from
Chicago as a way of ripping on Milwaukee. Obviously people in Milwaukee don't want to be considered
a part of Chicago, they want to be a stand alone city. I listen to a lot of Chicago radio and TV and I have also heard my Chicago friends all say "Milwaukee isn't just Chicago's most northern suburb?" or "Milwaukee, it's just a suburb of Chicago".

It's actually the other way around, you never hear people in Milwaukee trying to be a suburb of Chicago. It's a way for Chicago people to minimize Milwaukee.

Really?
Why would we try to minimize or degrade Milwaukee when hordes of people from our own city and suburbs are moving there for work, school, financial reasons, less congestion etc??? That joke doesn't make much sense. My retort to that one would be: what's wrong with Chicago?


I guess I don't see how that is considered a rip on Milwaukee, without being a rip on Chicago too. That just means that Chicago is still losing population like it has done since the 1960s. I got out of there myself, but I still live in Illinois. Does it also mean that those people heading north are being priced out of Chicago metro and into places like Kenosa and deeper into Indiana? You bet. Are they just sick of the congestion and cost of living here? uh huh. But Milwaukee has an entirely different vibe than Chicago. Different TV market, different culture, different philosophies, different traditions. At least from my experience with clients and people I meet around your town.

[ImaloneJill]

I live about 20 minutes from the Indiana border. I have never thought of Gary as a suburb of Illinois. I think Indiana is Indiana and Illinois is Illinois, etc.
I love Indiana, with it's beautiful dunes and state parks, but it doesn't resemble Chicago, either.
Living further south of Chicago, it would never cross my mind to think of any part of Wis. being considered a suburb of Chicago.

[frankenberry]

My names Jason from McHenry Illinois. I love the Packers and hope they kill the Vikequeens this weekend! To the point; I find that alot of people from Lake County will purposely take a job in Wisconsin just so they don't have to put up with heavytraffic and hassles of heading toward Chicago. Granted the pay usually isn't as good. As far as Milwaukee being a suburb I think that it's definately not. The two metro areas have been touching along Lake Michigan for almost 100 years and they are still like the Hatfields and McCoys. Like oil and water.
MSA for Milwaukee will probably never be included in with Chicago. There are too many factors such as 'social ties' that determine the MSA. I also agree with the guy before me that if someone says Milwaukee is becoming a big suburb of Chicago, well then how come Chicago and Illinois are losing population to them?

[frankenberry]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

Well I wouldn't say never! it's obviously growing towards each other.

Where are they growing toward each other? Are you talking about Kenosha County? I think the Metra train from Chicago has always been connected to Kenosha. It took 100 years for people from Illinois to figure this out though haha.

[Rogee]

Sorry, but nobody really thinks that Milwaukee is a Chicago suburb.

The only time you'll hear someone say that is when someone from Chicago is trying to downplay Milwaukee's significance.

[Milwaukee City]

Originally Posted by frankenberry

Where are they growing toward each other?

I'm sure you have seen the expansion of I94 from the Mitchell Interchange all the way down to the state line which is also a joint venture with the state of IL. As they expanded their freeways to 4 lanes each way so have we. Point being they wouldn't be doing this if there was no development between the state line and Milwaukee. I don't know about you but Kenosha county is basically all filled up along the freeway and Racine county has a lot of new development from Caledonia down to Kenosha county line. If you notice developers have been buying up properties and marketing them for sale all along the corridor. It's not the I95 corridor but it's not I94 to madison either it is developing fast.

[coreymcgovern12]

If Chicago and Milwaukee are growing toward one another, at this rate they will join in the year 3055.
Milwaukee is not a suburb. It's like the 20th biggest city in America and I think it's bigger than Washington D.C and Portland. Chicagoland is advancing more west, southwest if anywhere and still has plenty of northern suburbs with empty subdivisions in a down market, and tons of forclosures. If people are moving to Wisconsin (or Kenosha whatever) to live, my guess is they don't like Illinois for some reason. Make them admit that tollways suck and then they can have full access to our goodies here 'cross the cheddar curtain.