relocation from San Diego to Appleton (Green Bay, Oshkosh: amusement park, homes, neighborhoods)

[Kathleen01]

Hello!
My hubby may take a job in neenah and we are coming out to check out the neighborhoods nearby in a couple weeks. We hear Appleton is a great area. I am looking for a neighborhood with good schools, mature trees, and homes with charm. Any suggestions, or just general advice is greatly appreciated!

[Drover]

Be sure to keep your distance from the paper mills. (Let me guess, your husband was offered a job by a paper company?). You do not want to be downwind from one of those things.

[ccjarider]

Actually coming from SD, I bet your husband was offered a job at Plexus.

Neenah is nicest town in the Fox River Valley. Schools are very good (High taxes to pay for them but that 's an overall WI fixture anyway).
Visit frequently. I consider Neenah to be Wisconsin's "pleasantville."


One thing in most of WI (as many people have stated on this site already)
WI is not a big transplant state. Chances are ,unlike CA, most of your neighbors will be from the area. Nothing wrong with it, just understand it.

Menasha has nice spots but can't compare to Neenah. Stay away from Oshkosh.
Kaukauna is where the big stink comes from. (Drover's papermill comment)

good luck with move.

[Kathleen01]

Thanks for the advice! My husband is interviewing with Kimberly-Clark. I don't know much about it. He's a risk manager.

Would it be a problem if the transplant family were all die-hard Buckeye fans (Ohio State)? Go big ten, right?

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Kathleen01

Thanks for the advice! My husband is interviewing with Kimberly-Clark. I don't know much about it. He's a risk manager.

Would it be a problem if the transplant family were all die-hard Buckeye fans (Ohio State)? Go big ten, right?

Sure enough, Kimberly Clark is a paper company.

The entire rest of the Big Ten hates the Buckeyes, so expect to be ribbed anywhere in the upper Midwest from western Minnesota to eastern Indiana. (Nebraska is new to the conference so anti-Buckeye animus hasn't set in yet, but they'll catch on soon enough.)

Oshkosh sure does get a bad rap around here. Haven't been there for a few years but it didn't seem to awful to me last time I was. What am I missing?

[Kchomps]

Originally Posted by ccjarider

Actually coming from SD, I bet your husband was offered a job at Plexus.

Plexus is always on the lookout for people, but appleton/fox valley is economically great, so many places are there to work.

Combined locks is supposedly another good area, but one can smell the paper mills if the wind is right.

One thing in most of WI (as many people have stated on this site already) WI is not a big transplant state. Chances are ,unlike CA, most of your neighbors will be from the area. Nothing wrong with it, just understand it.

If ya ask me, that's one of the nice things about it. It doesn't have the ups and downs of most other places where people flock to, then leave later and go 'back home'.

[Ragnar]

I haven't spent much time in Appleton itself, but from my observation drivers are THE WORST on Hwy 41 near Appleton. I've rarely felt unsafe on the highway anywhere in the country - except Hwy 41 near Appleton. Chicago comes close, but at least there is some predictabiliy to their aggression on the road. Hwy 41 is just people doing stupid stuff amounting to random chaos. Wherever you choose to live in the area, please do not commit to driving on Hwy 41 regularly. You will regret it, especially in the winter months. It's nothing like driving in San Diego.

[ranger17]

Originally Posted by Kathleen01

Thanks for the advice! My husband is interviewing with Kimberly-Clark. I don't know much about it. He's a risk manager.

Would it be a problem if the transplant family were all die-hard Buckeye fans (Ohio State)? Go big ten, right?

as stated it's UW (and Packer ) country, so wearing colors for one of the rivals will get you some ribbing allright lol.

There can be many things to see and do from the fox valley area up to Green Bay and beyond. I'd say one of the biggest changes you'll see, aside from the obvious change of scenery, will be the weather. Nothing like what you have in San Diego; in WI you will have all 4 distinct seasons. Some years can be more trying then others, it's just in how you can adjust and adapt.
Depending on how long your visit will be, i'd suggest if you have the time to not only look at various 'hoods but check out some things you'd do if you lived there. Check out the lake, depending on how old your kids are perhaps a run up to Bay Beach (near Green bay) which is a nice little amusement park which happens to be near a wildlife sanctuary/park. And that time of year can be great for hanging around outdoors.
Good luck!

[ranger17]

Originally Posted by Ragnar

I haven't spent much time in Appleton itself, but from my observation drivers are THE WORST on Hwy 41 near Appleton. I've rarely felt unsafe on the highway anywhere in the country - except Hwy 41 near Appleton. Chicago comes close, but at least there is some predictabiliy to their aggression on the road. Hwy 41 is just people doing stupid stuff amounting to random chaos. Wherever you choose to live in the area, please do not commit to driving on Hwy 41 regularly. You will regret it, especially in the winter months. It's nothing like driving in San Diego.

seems i remember many bad issues over the years on 41 in winter, though not sure if that was a product of poor driving or more likely white-outs with crosswinds blowing the snow right across the pavement. But you are correct that stretch can be nasty