Appleton and Oshkosh Questions (Wausau, Neenah: for rent, low crime, hotels)

[cdc1211]

In the process of looking at different cities to relocate to, Appleton and Oshkosh keep coming up, due to their low cost for rent, low crime rates, and being the size I am looking for. In general, it seems that most will say that Appleton is better. I was in Appleton in 2005 for a day, but did not scope it out as a place to move at that time. I have some questions and would like to know which might be better for my situation.

I have an eye condition that restricts me from driving. I am used to walking a lot using public transit, and taking cabs when necessary. I am used to cold cimates, including Fargo, ND. I can only work part time, and most would consider the places I work to be for high school or college students (retail, restaurants, hotels) I am by no means weathy, but between my Social Security check and part time work, I can support myself.

So here are some questions:

Appleton has several neighboring smaller cities, like Kimberly, Little Chute, and Menasha. This makes the city look spread out and bigger. Are those basically residential areas? If you live in Appleton, is everything you need basically in Appleton, or will you find yourself having to go to those other places too?

Oshkosh appears to be more compact and maybe easier for someone to get around if they don't drive. Any thoughts?

I have heard Appleton described as "white collar" or been told there is a higher standard of living there. Given my limited income, will I feel out of place even though I can afford to live there. Is there a big gap between the haves and have nots?

Oshkosh has a college of 13,000 students. Does Oshkosh feel like a true college town, like say Iowa City or Bloomington, Indiana. Does everything revolve around the college, or is Oshkosh a real "city" with a university? I am 32, and while I enjoy college sports, do not want a city that solely revolves around the college.

Jobs - Obviously, jobs are not in abudance almost anywhere, especially the kind that most people need to pay the bills. I may be able to transfer with my current employer, but if not, would need to find another part time job once I arrive. Based on the numbers, it looks like things may be starting to improve in both cities, as unemployment is down to about 6% in both, compare to 8-9% before. How hard do you think it would be to land a low-paying part time job, and would I have better luck in one city over the other?

One thing I dislike about where I live now, is that it is too fast paced, and everyone's so busy and always in a hurry. Stores are packed and overcrowded on the weekends. I would prefer a slightly more relaxed, not so uptight city. Would one be better than the other for that?

Does one city seem more friendly then the other?

I am not looking for the prettiest city, or even the one with the most to do. I just want to feel comfortable and be able to live a simple life.

Please share your thoughts and opinions.

[Mooseton3]

Originally Posted by cdc1211

In the process of looking at different cities to relocate to, Appleton and Oshkosh keep coming up, due to their low cost for rent, low crime rates, and being the size I am looking for. In general, it seems that most will say that Appleton is better. I was in Appleton in 2005 for a day, but did not scope it out as a place to move at that time. I have some questions and would like to know which might be better for my situation.

I have an eye condition that restricts me from driving. I am used to walking a lot using public transit, and taking cabs when necessary. I am used to cold cimates, including Fargo, ND. I can only work part time, and most would consider the places I work to be for high school or college students (retail, restaurants, hotels) I am by no means weathy, but between my Social Security check and part time work, I can support myself.

So here are some questions:

Appleton has several neighboring smaller cities, like Kimberly, Little Chute, and Menasha. This makes the city look spread out and bigger. Are those basically residential areas? If you live in Appleton, is everything you need basically in Appleton, or will you find yourself having to go to those other places too?

Oshkosh appears to be more compact and maybe easier for someone to get around if they don't drive. Any thoughts?

I have heard Appleton described as "white collar" or been told there is a higher standard of living there. Given my limited income, will I feel out of place even though I can afford to live there. Is there a big gap between the haves and have nots?

Oshkosh has a college of 13,000 students. Does Oshkosh feel like a true college town, like say Iowa City or Bloomington, Indiana. Does everything revolve around the college, or is Oshkosh a real "city" with a university? I am 32, and while I enjoy college sports, do not want a city that solely revolves around the college.

Jobs - Obviously, jobs are not in abudance almost anywhere, especially the kind that most people need to pay the bills. I may be able to transfer with my current employer, but if not, would need to find another part time job once I arrive. Based on the numbers, it looks like things may be starting to improve in both cities, as unemployment is down to about 6% in both, compare to 8-9% before. How hard do you think it would be to land a low-paying part time job, and would I have better luck in one city over the other?

One thing I dislike about where I live now, is that it is too fast paced, and everyone's so busy and always in a hurry. Stores are packed and overcrowded on the weekends. I would prefer a slightly more relaxed, not so uptight city. Would one be better than the other for that?

Does one city seem more friendly then the other?

I am not looking for the prettiest city, or even the one with the most to do. I just want to feel comfortable and be able to live a simple life.

Please share your thoughts and opinions.

I am a former Appleton resident and can say that yes Appleton is more white collar and Oshkosh is more blue collar. Appleton does have plenty of blue collar work though. Based on your job history, I would say Oshkosh is more up your alley for the job situation. But it's not like you wouldn't be able to find a job in Appleton either. I don't think it would be difficult to find a low paying part time job in either city. I think Appleton is a more relaxed city compared to Oshkosh. Oshkosh's demographic is a bit younger.

I don't know about Oshkosh's transit system, other than that they have a lot of one way streets that can give headaches if you don't know your way around; that wouldn't be a problem for you as you don't drive though. Appleton's Valley Transit is sufficient for getting you around and reasonably priced last I checked. It connects to the other communities you spoke of. And I would say they are primarily residential communities as well.

In my experience, Oshkosh is definitely a college town. But that doesn't mean that EVERYTHING there has to do with the college. There are plenty of folks that live there and don't have anything associated the college. They both have their advantages and disadvantages. I'd flip a coin on it. Good Luck on your decision.

[AVG_Joe]

I would certainly pick Appleton. Lived there for 3 years myself and would move back to the area in a heart beat.

Oshkosh is fine but doesn't have much to offer in my opinion. You will have to drive to different cities for certain stores if you live in Oshkosh. Appleton is kind of a big little city, everything you need but none of the big city issues.

[Travellin]

I lived in Oshkosh for a year.
I'm a business and home owner where I live here in Wausau.
Oshkosh is absolutely the very worst place I have ever l8ved and, I've lived in Chicago, L.A., Mpls and San Francisco.
Unless you are from a family that has lived for generations in Oshkosh, it's a closed community.
Now, I'm a friendly guy who talks with strangers, etc.
I don't even go back for a visit.

On the other hand, Appleton is a very nice place.
It offers everything a city needs to make life rewarding and interesting.

[umpunk]

My wife and I are facing a similar situation to yours. We recently accepted jobs at the university (UWO), and had to pick where to live. Before I get into my thoughts, let me answer your questions:

1 - Appleton has several neighboring smaller cities, like Kimberly, Little Chute, and Menasha. This makes the city look spread out and bigger. Are those basically residential areas? If you live in Appleton, is everything you need basically in Appleton, or will you find yourself having to go to those other places too?

You are right, there are several smaller towns in the area to live. In fact, my wife and I chose to live in Neenah (a town between Appleton and Oshkosh). Although these are very nice towns, and I would highly recommend checking them out, you will have everything you need in Appleton - the mall, plenty of restaurants, downtown, public transportation, etc...

2 - Oshkosh appears to be more compact and maybe easier for someone to get around if they don't drive. Any thoughts?

Don't really know, but my guess would be Appleton would offer you the best bet at public transportation. I wouldn't call Appleton "compact" though. I would do a little research to see which areas offer buses.

3 - I have heard Appleton described as "white collar" or been told there is a higher standard of living there. Given my limited income, will I feel out of place even though I can afford to live there. Is there a big gap between the haves and have nots?

Nothing like you would find in a major city. The area itself has a unique history - from paper mills to, the famous, Oshkosh B'gosh clothing line. There are certain areas which have more money (e.g., Dotty Island, west side of Oshkosh), but Appleton is a bigger sized city and I'm sure there are several areas were you would feel right at home.

4 - Oshkosh has a college of 13,000 students. Does Oshkosh feel like a true college town, like say Iowa City or Bloomington, Indiana. Does everything revolve around the college, or is Oshkosh a real "city" with a university? I am 32, and while I enjoy college sports, do not want a city that solely revolves around the college.

I grew up 30-45 minutes outside of the University of Iowa and no, ABSOLUTELY NOT, is Oshkosh anything at all like Iowa City. The college is big, but feels more like a community college (i.e., it's there, but the city doesn't revolve around it). The reason is the college mainly draws from the Fox Valley area, so many of the kids simply commute for the classes. Don't get me wrong, there are college hang-outs but the vibe is that of a Midwestern city that happens to have a college in it.

5 - Jobs - Obviously, jobs are not in abudance almost anywhere, especially the kind that most people need to pay the bills. I may be able to transfer with my current employer, but if not, would need to find another part time job once I arrive. Based on the numbers, it looks like things may be starting to improve in both cities, as unemployment is down to about 6% in both, compare to 8-9% before. How hard do you think it would be to land a low-paying part time job, and would I have better luck in one city over the other?

Can't help you here - no idea what type of job you are looking for nor do I know much about the job market in the area. I can tell you there are plenty of options in the area though. Since you don't drive, this would probably be the key factor for me - find the job first, and then worry about housing.

6 - One thing I dislike about where I live now, is that it is too fast paced, and everyone's so busy and always in a hurry. Stores are packed and overcrowded on the weekends. I would prefer a slightly more relaxed, not so uptight city. Would one be better than the other for that?

Depending on your point of view, the area is either a very large "small" town or a very small "big" city. The lifestyle is a little more urban than you would find in a small town in Nebraska, but it's not Chicago or New York by any stretch of the imagination. Appleton definitely has more of a city flavor to it - the mall and major shopping, along with most of the better restaurants are there.

7 - Does one city seem more friendly then the other?

It's freaking Wisconsin, not sure there are many "mean" cities anywhere in the state.

What you might want to do is simply get in contact with a Realtor and have them show you around the various areas.