Racine (Milwaukee, Janesville, Beloit: crime, houses, neighborhoods)

[Milwaukee Ronnie]

There are a number of Wisconsin towns that always seem to get the brunt of people's hatred in these parts. I've never been to Janesville or Beloit so I cannot speak to those. But I have been to Racine. And, I think, especially in recent years, Racine is not totally deserving of its reputation as one of Wisconsin's hellholes.

Racine has a lovely downtown set right along the Lake Michigan shoreline. A nice mix of shops, restaurants, things to do, all set in a nice mix of historic architecture. Racine has a smart little art museum that recently underwent a major renovation/expansion. It houses a respectable collection that wisely delves deep into a few key areas rather than trying to have a representative sample of all art types.

Racine has several architectural treasures, most notably the FLW-designed Johnson Wax headquarters. It has a number of major employers such as J-Wax, Johnson Bank, Case, and the Johnson Foundation.

Racine has a lovely urban park running right down the middle of the town, bisecting it north and south.

Racine has nice, compact neighborhoods of affordable homes, some within walking distance of the Lake Michigan shoreline. It has one of Wisconsin's nicest beaches, North Point Beach, and a little zoo as well.

So, please, before you rip Racine to shreds because of "what you heard" or how it might have looked one night on the wrong side of town 15 years ago, visit this Wisconsin city of 90,000 and see for yourself.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee Ronnie

There are a number of Wisconsin towns that always seem to get the brunt of people's hatred in these parts. I've never been to Janesville or Beloit so I cannot speak to those. But I have been to Racine. And, I think, especially in recent years, Racine is not totally deserving of its reputation as one of Wisconsin's hellholes.

Racine has a lovely downtown set right along the Lake Michigan shoreline. A nice mix of shops, restaurants, things to do, all set in a nice mix of historic architecture. Racine has a smart little art museum that recently underwent a major renovation/expansion. It houses a respectable collection that wisely delves deep into a few key areas rather than trying to have a representative sample of all art types.

Racine has several architectural treasures, most notably the FLW-designed Johnson Wax headquarters. It has a number of major employers such as J-Wax, Johnson Bank, Case, and the Johnson Foundation.

Racine has a lovely urban park running right down the middle of the town, bisecting it north and south.

Racine has nice, compact neighborhoods of affordable homes, some within walking distance of the Lake Michigan shoreline. It has one of Wisconsin's nicest beaches, North Point Beach, and a little zoo as well.

So, please, before you rip Racine to shreds because of "what you heard" or how it might have looked one night on the wrong side of town 15 years ago, visit this Wisconsin city of 90,000 and see for yourself.

Racine has less than 80,000 people in the city, but I get your point. I know Racine isn't the worst and from what you describe, it sounds nice, but I have never been there myself.

[homeagn]

Ronnie, you made some good points. I do agree Racine is nice to visit. But I think your opinion would be different if you actually live there. I was a 4yr resident.

For residents, the quality of the schools, the local economy, and crime loom larger than for visitors. And Racine scores poorly on all those counts.

It's true there are some nice neighborhoods in the city proper, especially the north and west sides. But their niceness is tempered by the adjacent bad neighborhoods. And I mean literally down the street and around the corner.

Lots of people love to live in Racine. More power to them, I am happy for them. It's all a matter of perspective. If you move to Racine from an area that was more affluent then of course you will hate it there, as Racine is small city with big city problems. But if you move from a big city, Racine will seem quaint.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by homeagn

Ronnie, you made some good points. I do agree Racine is nice to visit. But I think your opinion would be different if you actually live there. I was a 4yr resident.

For residents, the quality of the schools, the local economy, and crime loom larger than for visitors. And Racine scores poorly on all those counts.

It's true there are some nice neighborhoods in the city proper, especially the north and west sides. But their niceness is tempered by the adjacent bad neighborhoods. And I mean literally down the street and around the corner.

Lots of people love to live in Racine. More power to them, I am happy for them. It's all a matter of perspective. If you move to Racine from an area that was more affluent then of course you will hate it there, as Racine is small city with big city problems. But if you move from a big city, Racine will seem quaint.

How would it sound for someone who once lived near Atlanta, a truly violent city?

[EX-Racinian]

well, I can only speak for myself,,

I have lived here for about 36 years, and cannot stand it anymore.. I am looking to relocate when my job changes..

it was once nice to live here but due to economic and social changes, it has become a hell hole at best..

the school system here, RUSD is a joke. taxes are high, and the only employer in this town seems to be Addecco Temp services...

I would not recommend anyone to move here. And it's a shame becasue it's where my family is.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by EX-Racinian

well, I can only speak for myself,,

I have lived here for about 36 years, and cannot stand it anymore.. I am looking to relocate when my job changes..

it was once nice to live here but due to economic and social changes, it has become a hell hole at best..

the school system here, RUSD is a joke. taxes are high, and the only employer in this town seems to be Addecco Temp services...

I would not recommend anyone to move here. And it's a shame becasue it's where my family is.

SC Johnson employes people. As for Racine United School District, I don't know much about that other than it might be bad for Wisconsin standards. It might be tops if it were in places like GA or Mississippi.