Greendale - Share Thoughts! (Milwaukee, Wauwatosa: middle-class, houses, job transfer)

[EnjoyEP]

Hi all -

My wife and I just bought a Greendale Original (home) in the village of Greendale upon relocating up here. We are super excited. It appears to have just great history, safety, community-focus, greenery/river, quiet suburb but yet literally a .5 mile to the hustle and bustle of retail/restaurants on S. 76th Street and a mile from the same on S. 108th Street with awesome freeway access and close proximity to Downtown Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, the Northshore, Brookfield, etc.

There is a uniqueness and a charm to the village that we never even knew existed (I don't think in 26+ years previously of living here I ever had even stepped foot in Greendale). It seems almost like a more middle-class Cedarburg...but much closer to or in the city metro core.

My question - what am I overlooking? Can it really be as great as I think? Not that we'll change our minds, just looking for people's experiences with the village of Greendale.

I guess one big con is the very high property taxes, however, they aren't that much higher than Wauwatosa, etc., and the services seem to be great. The houses aren't huge, but what they lack in size they make up for in history, workmanship, and character.

Here are some neat links on Greendale:

Discover Greendale, Wisconsin!

www.greendale.org

Any thoughts - pro or con - would be great and welcomed!

[Huckleberry Dumbell]

If you can afford Milwaukee County property taxes, Greendale is an excellent place to live. You can't do better.

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by Huckleberry Dumbell

If you can afford Milwaukee County property taxes, Greendale is an excellent place to live. You can't do better.

Wow, that is great! Makes me even more excited.

The property taxes are indeed a killer...just terrible...but we are getting a great price on the house due to a very motivated seller (job transfer), so I am rationalizing it that we're getting a huge break there, so that softens the property tax blow.

Has anyone on here lived in Greendale? Spent time visiting there? Thoughts, comments, etc.? I wonder why it isn't talked about that much...it is almost like a "hidden" area...at least I have rarely even heard much about it until we saw it ourselves with our realtor.

[ekg56]

As I said before my Aunt has lived there for over 50 years. She lives on Dorchester Lane. I think Greendale is very nice. The parks are beautiful. I haven't been to her house in a few years but I know she is very happy there. She raised 2 sons there too. I am sure you will love it.
I know Reimann Publications are there, they do magazines like Country, Cooking for 2 etc. I want to go and visit the restaurant and shop they have.

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by ekg56

As I said before my Aunt has lived there for over 50 years. She lives on Dorchester Lane. I think Greendale is very nice. The parks are beautiful. I haven't been to her house in a few years but I know she is very happy there. She raised 2 sons there too. I am sure you will love it.
I know Reimann Publications are there, they do magazines like Country, Cooking for 2 etc. I want to go and visit the restaurant and shop they have.

I think Reiman from Reiman Pubs was the guy that essentially bought the village's business district to save it and preserve it as it is? I have heard just like you are saying - tons of great things about R.P.s!!

[Mae Wazka]

Are taxes that bad in Greendale? I'm planning to move to the MKE area, and I thought property taxes couldn't be as bad as they are in Cook County, Illinois. How bad are Greendale taxes??

[Mae Wazka]

How bad are the property taxes. I'm trying to get away from the Cook County, IL taxes-- that's why I want to move to the Milwaukee area.

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by Mae Wazka

Are taxes that bad in Greendale? I'm planning to move to the MKE area, and I thought property taxes couldn't be as bad as they are in Cook County, Illinois. How bad are Greendale taxes??

I own a 1580 square foot house and they are in the mid-$4000s...that is pretty bad in my book. However, at least in Greendale my services are fairly good, unlike many communities in Milwaukee County that still have the high property taxes.