Considering moving to WI-how would you sell your favorite town/city? (Milwaukee: sale, apartment complexes)

[Ragnar]

I'd certainly recommend the Madison/Middleton area first. It's not too big and not too small. There's plenty to do here and easy to get out into nature in every direction, especially up Hwy 12 toward Baraboo. Plus you should be able to find a suitable place to live without much need for a highway commute. Why set yourself up for highway driving in the winter time, or at all? Milwaukee and Chicago are not too far away if you need them. Michigan and Minneapolis a bit further but even doable over a weekend.

If your job location would be Middleton, you could also consider living in the smaller town of Cross Plains, a few miles west of Middleton along Hwy 14, although you're friend's job opportunities would be much more limited from there and she'd be forced to commute in. However, she may not live with you forever and could find her own place closer to her job when the time comes.

4WD is a good idea for the winters but not entirely necessary. A heavier front-wheel drive vehicle with appropriate tires and safety features (anti-lock breaks, traction control, etc.) usually does just fine too. It doesn't snow here every day, thankfully. However, if you also want to get off the beaten path loaded up with nature gear, 4WD cannot be beat.

Sounds like you have the right attitude and resources to make the move. I think you'll really like WI. It's similar enough to MI and IL to be familiar, but it's still very different, in a good way.

[Katlakat]

Project Wisconsin or Bust is down to 6 weeks and counting! Still deciding which town to hold up in until we find a home. I've read your posts to the team here, and we can't decide...

TBC
Kat

[Katlakat]

Quick question: is there public transportation? Here we have the Dart rail commuter train in Dallas, the Dart buses run even into the surrounding suburbs of the metroplex.

Does Milwaukee have their transportation that doesn't leave the city, and Madison probably doesn't have public transpotration either right?

I guess I"m asking, does any public transportation like a train run between Madison and Milwaukee?

[Milwaukee City]

Originally Posted by Katlakat

Quick question: is there public transportation? Here we have the Dart rail commuter train in Dallas, the Dart buses run even into the surrounding suburbs of the metroplex.

Does Milwaukee have their transportation that doesn't leave the city, and Madison probably doesn't have public transportation either right?

I guess I"m asking, does any public transportation like a train run between Madison and Milwaukee?

Milwaukee and Madison have their own transportation systems. Milwaukee has MCTS a bus system that runs buses and commuter buses in Milwaukee and Waukesha County and Waukesha(Milwaukee's largest western suburb) has it's own buses that operate in the city of Waukesha. Milwaukee has the Hiawatha Train Line which is commuter train line from downtown Milwaukee to downtown Chicago with stops at the Milwaukee airport, Sturtevant and Glenview, IL then Union station downtown Chicago.

Milwaukee also other bus services that run express buses from downtown Milwaukee out to the suburbs and park and ride lots in between. Such as riteway, coach USA and Wisconsin coach lines and ozaukee express. Bus service runs between Milwaukee and Madison is the Badgerbus and mega bus. Along with that Wisconsin Coach lines tuns airport expresses from Milwaukee to O'Hare and Midway in Chicago, I don't know if Madison buses have Chicago airport services.

[Ragnar]

Madison has it's own city bus services, but not sure how they will compare with TX. The bus routes can generally get you around the city of Madison as well as some Middleton and Verona locations. If you live in a surrounding community like Cross Plains, Oregon, Sun Prairie, etc., you may be out of luck with bus service. There are regular buses avilable from Madison to the Milwaukee and Chicago airports for ~$40 roundtrip. In addition to the Badger Bus and Mega Bus mentioned above, check out VanGalder Bus for Chicago airport service from Madison.

[Katlakat]

Awesome, adding this info to our list. We're still undecided about where to land just yet. We are leaning toward Middleton/Madison area and giving ourselves a time table to find a job. We want to give ourselves plenty of time to change areas before winter sets in if we need to move elsewhere-it will depend on BF and I and were we are placed with our agency.

We have friends in Baraboo, and we thought being closer to them for our first venture in WI might be a good bet. The jobs on my agency board are split between Madison and Milwaukee, Milwaukee having more jobs of course-but anything can change.

[SmittyXCWRU]

Madison does have its own bus system and it's pretty good for most of the city. It also does go to Middleton and a couple of other suburbs, but I wouldn't really advise living in Middleton and expecting to take the bus exclusively or anything like that; service is good enough at rush hour on weekdays but otherwise sparse outside the central part of the city.

[susancruzs]

You're getting great advice and bravo for you folks! I'd say either Milwaukee or Madison would be a good fit. I'm partial to Lake Michigan so that would sway my choice!

I moved from NE Ill. in 2007 (retired) and have no regrets whatsoever. I moved to a smaller area (on purpose) so I knew what I was getting! I've always lived in a big area (one suburb after another) but I do enjoy life here very much. Quiet, peaceful and I can put my garbage out after dark without being afraid.

I have friends currently in Texas (Arlington), half here, half there and they cannot wait until he retires (soon). They went through the same process I did when deciding on where to live and ended up in Two Rivers. They have lived in Texas 30+ years and do not like it. Their son was in Milwaukee, since moved to the east coast and other kids are scattered. When they were visiting their kids who were located in the midwest (Chgo/Milw), they decided they wanted to be in 4 seasons. He is from the east coast and her requirement was "big water", not just a lake you can see across!

I know I haven't helped much on the info front, but thought I'd say I made the move and I love it (I have no family here, I'm not married, did it cold turkey not knowing a soul)! My sister is 3 hrs. away in the Upper Peninsula. She left Illinois 10 yrs. ago., wanted to be away from crowds. Me, I need civilization!!! My Texas friends didn't know anyone here either, just decided this was the place and in a year they will be here permanently.

Good luck and I hope all goes very well!

[slamont61]

Here's one of my favorite places. It's Lake Mills and it's off of 94 in between Milwaukee and Madison. What a beautiful little town. You have to see it to appreciate just how pleasant it is.

http://www.facebook.com/LakeMillsChamber

Lake Mills Area Chamber of Commerce | Business, Community, Recreation, and Tourism in Beautiful Lake Mills, Wisconsin

[Katlakat]

Originally Posted by susancruzs

I know I haven't helped much on the info front, but thought I'd say I made the move and I love it (I have no family here, I'm not married, did it cold turkey not knowing a soul)! My sister is 3 hrs. away in the Upper Peninsula. She left Illinois 10 yrs. ago., wanted to be away from crowds. Me, I need civilization!!! My Texas friends didn't know anyone here either, just decided this was the place and in a year they will be here permanently.

Good luck and I hope all goes very well!

You helped more than you know. By telling me that you have no family there, you have let me know that being alone in a place like that won't kill me

I'm not from Texas, my family and friends are. I often wondered if I always struggled down here because of that? I have tried to hang my hat here several times throughout my life an it's never quite worked out. Of course, I manage to move back to the same area each time, but that's where my family is.

I don't really LOVE the ice and snow-But, I know how to manage it like I do the heat and summers here. See, people get out and go to restaurants and live in the summer like it isn't 110 degrees. I keep my butt in the air conditioning but I feel like it's a waste of my summer. Mainly because I don't go out and "make up for it" in the wintertime- I never could figure out how to balance myself here. As a born yankee, I had it worked out for a healthy balance.

Dallas has its perks, its really not a shabby place to live-I just never could enjoy nature down here. That includes my wacky family also. I don't like being so close to them. They don't pop over a lot, in fact, they ignore me more when I'm living in the state, but I don't like being "expected" to show up for stuff just because I'm local.

We're still trying to figure out where in Wisconsin to actually settle in-it's still up in the air.