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Hi guys. My husband, myself, my best friend (who is recently a widow-by recently I mean 3 years next month) have decided to pool our funds together and move up north to Wisconsin.
It took us 3 months to get to this point-deciding where we might enjoy living.
1. Hubby works from home in I.T. support and can live anywhere. His boss is really amazing.
2. I'm a recent grad with a masters degree. I currently work for a temporary agency that has 4 offices in Wisconsin with current job listings I qualify for.
3. BF is a veterinary technician and office manager, and will also be working with me at the temp agency until she finds a job/place on her own.
4. we'll be shacking up together for a while so we'll need at least a 2 bedroom that allows pets (not impossible, but finding it challenging.)
5. we are all 35-38 years of age, no kids, and a steady income that comes with us. Just the pet thing-our pets are 10-15 years old and require special care.
Basically, I'm surfing this forum to find out what the culture is like up there. I have family from Wisconsin who still travel there once a year on vacation to the Green Bay area. Hubby is from Michigan and can't wait to head your way. I can barely keep him contained. We're currently in Texas (for the 4th time) helping our grieving friend sell her house and get packed. She came home one day and said "I've got to get the H*LL out of here and fast." She's never lived anywhere except Texas and knows the culture shock and winters are going to be a change for her, but that's exactly what she is hoping for...something to jump start her broken heart.
Her only condition to this move was a place with 4 seasons. That's it.
So...I just happen to be from New England, and have never been happier anywhere in America I've lived except in 4 season territory. I'll have to tell you, just being back in Texas this last year-my allergies have gotten so severe, I'm currently on my 4th sinus infection.
Anyway...that's the scoop. We're heading your way, told our WI friends to expect us come April at the latest, and now we're at the stage where we're narrowing down the place.
The offices of the agency we work for is located in Appleton, Milwaukee, Middleton, and Waukesha. We have friends in Baraboo. That's all we have so far-if I had to guess based on the research I've done to date (which isn't very much) I'd guess Middleton area. It fits our budget price wise for apartments I've seen-but I'd like to find a place that has something for us to do.
We enjoy museums, art fairs, cafes, movies, historic places, sight seeing, hiking, trailing, and BF is an avid fisherwoman. What places would you suggest?
I've also made a condition to hubby that I have to have an AWD or 4X4 for winter commutes. We did a 4 year stint in N.H. and I was tired of getting stuck in the snowbanks LOL I think we're going to buy it here and take it with us. I don't see much fitting in my little mustang LOL
We enjoy museums, art fairs, cafes, movies, historic places, sight seeing, hiking, trailing, and BF is an avid fisherwoman. What places would you suggest?
Based upon your husbands locations and the things you like I say 1. Milwaukee Area or 2. Madison Area.
Milwaukee being the biggest city in the state will have the most options for things in which you like. Milwaukee area consist of 7 counties totaling 2.1M and a 10 county media market totaling 2,312,000. In Milwaukee you have The Milwaukee Art Museum, The Milwaukee Public Museum, The Harley Museum and a bunch others but I here is a link: OnMilwaukee.com Travel & Visitors Guide: Guide to Milwaukee museums.
Milwaukee has a thriving and fast and up and coming art scene anchored by the Lakefront Festival of the Arts. Lakefront Festival of Arts. Milwaukee and it's suburbs have more cafes than you can shake a stick at. A lot of movie theaters and small independent movie theaters which host The Milwaukee International Film Festival. Milwaukee has kept a lot of it's old buildings and host an annual Doors Open event which allows access to historic buildings and places that are normally off limits. Hiking and trails are found in the Kettle Moraine State Forests just west and north west of the city, Milwaukee also has a ton of bike trails and a great lakefront running, biking and walking.
Milwaukee's location is a huge plus, an 1.5 hour train ride and you're in downtown Chicago, also living next to the Lake you have great lake views like ocean views without the threat of a hurricane. In Milwaukee you have what is called The Lake Effect which is the temp of the water in LK Michigan affecting the weather temps in Milwaukee. In Summer when it can be 90 in Madison it can be as low as 70 in Milwaukee and in winter where the lake temp stays around 33-40 the reverse happens. It can be 20 degrees in Madison and be 40 in Milwaukee, 20 degrees change is the extreme but it happens a lot but most of the time it's 10-15 degrees warmer in Winter in Milwaukee and 10-15 degrees cooler in the summer. If you live right next to the lake say within a mile it can be 65 and 80 degrees in Waukesha, a couple of summer ago it rarely got above 75 degrees during the whole summer, it was a cool summer so when you are by the lake it's always cooler by the lake.
Milwaukee has everything you need but some people prefer a slower pace or a smaller community in which to live but you can find that in a lot of MKE suburbs. Milwaukee has cute historic towns like Cedarburg and Wauwatosa and typical sprawling suburbs like Germantown and everything in between. Being close to the lake and Chicago is a huge plus and having a major airport as well. There is Pro sports and a great arts scene here in Milwaukee that you just cannot find in other cities in the state and all types of living all within the 7 county area of Washington, Ozaukee, Waukesha, Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha and Walworth Counties.
Milwaukee is known as the city of festivals, in the summer there is a number of church festivals, neighborhood festivals, ethnic festivals and of course the worlds largest music festival Summerfest, street parties and other park events like Jazz in the Park, River Rhythms on the Milwaukee River basically if you cannot find something to do in Milwaukee during the summer usually means you haven't went outside yet. We have long hard winters so when summer comes you see people trying to spend as much time outside as possible. Milwaukee has a great number of ethnic restaurants and deli's and more bars and clubs than you could ever visit.
I will offer my opinion as well. I have lived in New England as well (NH) and now live in Madison. Either Milwaukee or Madison will work well for you. The nice thing about Wisconsin is that the great outdoors are always a short drive away from the larger cities.
Waukesha is located in the western suburbs of Milwaukee but is also known as lake country. More single family homes and less rentals, although town houses, condos, and condexes are now becoming increasingly common in the more developed suburban parts of Waukesha county. Appleton is not too far from Green Bay, and the two cities will be close enough to likely merge down the road.
I will recommend Middleton, although it can be a bit pricy. It has easy access to everything in Madison, Downtown, University, shops, restuarants, etc. Most people from the eastern states and East Coast find Madison to be a very comfortable place that is not terribly different from where they came from which is often a good thing. Culture: people from the Midwest tend to be more reserved, similar to New Englanders. Making friends is a slow process here, but if you get involved in activities and get outdoors during the colder months that improves the outlook of many people.
"Hubby is from Michigan and can't wait to head your way. I can barely keep him contained. We're currently in Texas (for the 4th time) helping our grieving friend sell her house and get packed."
Ya, if he likes the outdoors he will enjoy northern Wisconsin very much. Enough lakes to keep occupied for years and a culture very similar to the UP of Michigan and the northern Lower Michigan.
"So...I just happen to be from New England, and have never been happier anywhere in America I've lived except in 4 season territory. I'll have to tell you, just being back in Texas this last year-my allergies have gotten so severe, I'm currently on my 4th sinus infection."
Basically, central and southern Wisconsin have a climate that is nearly identical to northern New England, although it might be a few degrees colder. It is less wooded with fewer pine trees and more dairy farms, though.
"I've also made a condition to hubby that I have to have an AWD or 4X4 for winter commutes. We did a 4 year stint in N.H. and I was tired of getting stuck in the snowbanks LOL I think we're going to buy it here and take it with us. I don't see much fitting in my little mustang LOL"
I have great trust in my Subaru for winter driving. I wouldn't drive anything else in the winter in the Snowbelt and northern tier states.
Based upon your husbands locations and the things you like I say 1. Milwaukee Area or 2. Madison Area.
Milwaukee being the biggest city in the state will have the most options for things in which you like. Milwaukee area consist of 7 counties totaling 2.1M and a 10 county media market totaling 2,312,000. In Milwaukee you have The Milwaukee Art Museum, The Milwaukee Public Museum, The Harley Museum and a bunch others but I here is a link: OnMilwaukee.com Travel & Visitors Guide: Guide to Milwaukee museums.
Milwaukee has a thriving and fast and up and coming art scene anchored by the Lakefront Festival of the Arts. Lakefront Festival of Arts. Milwaukee and it's suburbs have more cafes than you can shake a stick at. A lot of movie theaters and small independent movie theaters which host The Milwaukee International Film Festival. Milwaukee has kept a lot of it's old buildings and host an annual Doors Open event which allows access to historic buildings and places that are normally off limits. Hiking and trails are found in the Kettle Moraine State Forests just west and north west of the city, Milwaukee also has a ton of bike trails and a great lakefront running, biking and walking.
Milwaukee's location is a huge plus, an 1.5 hour train ride and you're in downtown Chicago, also living next to the Lake you have great lake views like ocean views without the threat of a hurricane. In Milwaukee you have what is called The Lake Effect which is the temp of the water in LK Michigan affecting the weather temps in Milwaukee. In Summer when it can be 90 in Madison it can be as low as 70 in Milwaukee and in winter where the lake temp stays around 33-40 the reverse happens. It can be 20 degrees in Madison and be 40 in Milwaukee, 20 degrees change is the extreme but it happens a lot but most of the time it's 10-15 degrees warmer in Winter in Milwaukee and 10-15 degrees cooler in the summer. If you live right next to the lake say within a mile it can be 65 and 80 degrees in Waukesha, a couple of summer ago it rarely got above 75 degrees during the whole summer, it was a cool summer so when you are by the lake it's always cooler by the lake.
Milwaukee has everything you need but some people prefer a slower pace or a smaller community in which to live but you can find that in a lot of MKE suburbs. Milwaukee has cute historic towns like Cedarburg and Wauwatosa and typical sprawling suburbs like Germantown and everything in between. Being close to the lake and Chicago is a huge plus and having a major airport as well. There is Pro sports and a great arts scene here in Milwaukee that you just cannot find in other cities in the state and all types of living all within the 7 county area of Washington, Ozaukee, Waukesha, Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha and Walworth Counties.
Milwaukee is known as the city of festivals, in the summer there is a number of church festivals, neighborhood festivals, ethnic festivals and of course the worlds largest music festival Summerfest, street parties and other park events like Jazz in the Park, River Rhythms on the Milwaukee River basically if you cannot find something to do in Milwaukee during the summer usually means you haven't went outside yet. We have long hard winters so when summer comes you see people trying to spend as much time outside as possible. Milwaukee has a great number of ethnic restaurants and deli's and more bars and clubs than you could ever visit.
Hope this helps, I could go on forever!
OMG! Thank you so much for taking the time! One thing I know about CDF is people get so tired of repeating the same info for new comers over and over again-and they have us sift through threads to read it-which I understand completely. But I wanted a fresh, today's opinion too. You know...if the economy has you down up there, is your attitude still the same as it was when you posted "this place is great" in 2007? that sort of thing.
Wow. This sounds amazing! I'm going to put it on the pin board map.
Hubby and I did the small town thing for 4 years in N.H. and hubby is from a small town. I'm a city girl, I grew up right outside Boston. We will probably end up in a suburb close to a city and worry about the small towns once we get used to living in a whole new state. I need to print out your post for our "WI OR BUST wall...brb..
I will offer my opinion as well. I have lived in New England as well (NH) and now live in Madison. Either Milwaukee or Madison will work well for you. The nice thing about Wisconsin is that the great outdoors are always a short drive away from the larger cities.
Waukesha is located in the western suburbs of Milwaukee but is also known as lake country. More single family homes and less rentals, although town houses, condos, and condexes are now becoming increasingly common in the more developed suburban parts of Waukesha county. Appleton is not too far from Green Bay, and the two cities will be close enough to likely merge down the road.
I will recommend Middleton, although it can be a bit pricy. It has easy access to everything in Madison, Downtown, University, shops, restuarants, etc. Most people from the eastern states and East Coast find Madison to be a very comfortable place that is not terribly different from where they came from which is often a good thing. Culture: people from the Midwest tend to be more reserved, similar to New Englanders. Making friends is a slow process here, but if you get involved in activities and get outdoors during the colder months that improves the outlook of many people.
"Hubby is from Michigan and can't wait to head your way. I can barely keep him contained. We're currently in Texas (for the 4th time) helping our grieving friend sell her house and get packed."
Ya, if he likes the outdoors he will enjoy northern Wisconsin very much. Enough lakes to keep occupied for years and a culture very similar to the UP of Michigan and the northern Lower Michigan.
"So...I just happen to be from New England, and have never been happier anywhere in America I've lived except in 4 season territory. I'll have to tell you, just being back in Texas this last year-my allergies have gotten so severe, I'm currently on my 4th sinus infection."
Basically, central and southern Wisconsin have a climate that is nearly identical to northern New England, although it might be a few degrees colder. It is less wooded with fewer pine trees and more dairy farms, though.
"I've also made a condition to hubby that I have to have an AWD or 4X4 for winter commutes. We did a 4 year stint in N.H. and I was tired of getting stuck in the snowbanks LOL I think we're going to buy it here and take it with us. I don't see much fitting in my little mustang LOL"
I have great trust in my Subaru for winter driving. I wouldn't drive anything else in the winter in the Snowbelt and northern tier states.
I've seen you around the N.H. boards I think, your name sounds oh so familiar
I had been back in N.H. for 4 years and didn't make one single friend.
We're not sports fans at all, and the Madison/Milwaukee boards all say that football is a huge convo draw to connecting up there. Hubby and BF are the "quietly walk in the woods, contemplate nature, and meditate" sort, and I'm the "I'M SO GOING INTO THE GRUMPY TROLL BAR! THAT LOOKS SO COOL! DO THEY SING KARAOKE HERE?" sort. LOL
The rentals part is always the stressful one for us. BF is trying to short sell her house, but most likely it will be a voluntary foreclosure. Her husband made the income to build it, and he didn't leave her any life insurance to take care of anything-he died suddenly and unexpectedly. Now the bank won't refinance on her small salary and she can't take the stress of any of it anymore.
We came down to help her pay the rent and bills, which we did, but she doesn't want any of it anymore.
Problem is, we have way too many pets when you put us all together. It's hard to find rentals that allow for pets.
We need to find a central place to shoot for until BF and I find placement jobs-my friend in Baraboo sent me a list of towns we can consider-I think honestly, it's going to come down to desperation after staying in a hotel for XYZ days taking the first rental that will work with us, then finding a job and commuting from there.
One of the things I noticed, where are the homes with pellet stoves? woodstoves? fireplaces even? In N.H. we had an ice storm that knocked out our power for 4 days.
we froze. We were in a rental that didn't have anything except gas heat. In a climate with snow, how can there be no back up for heat? And I couldn't believe how many rental houses in N.H. didn't have a garage to park your car in. That surely is a must for ice and snow!
Madison, Baraboo and the Dells are great places to visit but you need to be looking at the Milwaukee area. Between Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties there is plenty of different choices in neighborhoods to work and live in. Much to see and choose from. Milwaukee is a great small big town. << That make sense? Seriously there isn't much in the way of traffic, plenty of natural resources and culture. Not so far from Chicago should you desire that craziness.
As always there is some wonderful information here. I'll tell you a bit about myself so you understand where I come from. I grew up in the Portage/Pardeeville Area (Columbia County) then moved to Baraboo (Sauk County) in 2010 where I lived for 2 years. There wasn't a huge difference between Portage and Baraboo, however Baraboo had a more hometown feel to it with it's vibrant downtown and you can't forget about Devils Lake State Park.
Now fast forward to living in Baraboo for 2 years and I decided that I'd like to live in Middleton well first it was anywhere in the Madison area. After months and months of searching I found a place to call home. I now live in Middleton and love it here, I'm 15 minutes away from St. Mary's Hospital, U.W. Hospital, close to movie theaters and I can walk to Cheeseburger in Paradise and Claddagh Irish Pub from my apartment. As GS stated Middleton is a bit more expensive, however I feel that it's worth the extra $ to live here. Now if I had to choose the Milwaukee area I'd definitely take the advice of MC and look at the suburbs.
If I had to move back to Baraboo I would, I've been getting up there pretty often lately as I've been making wedding plans. Honestly if I had to move back to the Portage area I'd live outside of town, I can't stand how the city council is so against business.
I've seen you around the N.H. boards I think, your name sounds oh so familiar
I had been back in N.H. for 4 years and didn't make one single friend.
We're not sports fans at all, and the Madison/Milwaukee boards all say that football is a huge convo draw to connecting up there. Hubby and BF are the "quietly walk in the woods, contemplate nature, and meditate" sort, and I'm the "I'M SO GOING INTO THE GRUMPY TROLL BAR! THAT LOOKS SO COOL! DO THEY SING KARAOKE HERE?" sort. LOL
The rentals part is always the stressful one for us. BF is trying to short sell her house, but most likely it will be a voluntary foreclosure. Her husband made the income to build it, and he didn't leave her any life insurance to take care of anything-he died suddenly and unexpectedly. Now the bank won't refinance on her small salary and she can't take the stress of any of it anymore.
We came down to help her pay the rent and bills, which we did, but she doesn't want any of it anymore.
Problem is, we have way too many pets when you put us all together. It's hard to find rentals that allow for pets.
We need to find a central place to shoot for until BF and I find placement jobs-my friend in Baraboo sent me a list of towns we can consider-I think honestly, it's going to come down to desperation after staying in a hotel for XYZ days taking the first rental that will work with us, then finding a job and commuting from there.
One of the things I noticed, where are the homes with pellet stoves? woodstoves? fireplaces even? In N.H. we had an ice storm that knocked out our power for 4 days.
we froze. We were in a rental that didn't have anything except gas heat. In a climate with snow, how can there be no back up for heat? And I couldn't believe how many rental houses in N.H. didn't have a garage to park your car in. That surely is a must for ice and snow!
Absolutely agree that Wisconsonites need to look more into alternate heat sources as they still lower costs quite a bit. The Midwest is a bit different because they have cyclical changes in the price of natural gas since gas is the primary heating fuel in many areas with rural areas having propane. Just when natural gas prices spiked a number of years ago they crashed and prices are now low due to much greater supply.
Baraboo and the Wisconsin Dells are nice centrally located places that aren't too far of a drive to Madison.
I think I remember your posts on the NH forum as well. Didn't you live up in the Lakes Region over in the Belmont or Gilmanton area?
As always there is some wonderful information here. I'll tell you a bit about myself so you understand where I come from. I grew up in the Portage/Pardeeville Area (Columbia County) then moved to Baraboo (Sauk County) in 2010 where I lived for 2 years. There wasn't a huge difference between Portage and Baraboo, however Baraboo had a more hometown feel to it with it's vibrant downtown and you can't forget about Devils Lake State Park.
Now fast forward to living in Baraboo for 2 years and I decided that I'd like to live in Middleton well first it was anywhere in the Madison area. After months and months of searching I found a place to call home. I now live in Middleton and love it here, I'm 15 minutes away from St. Mary's Hospital, U.W. Hospital, close to movie theaters and I can walk to Cheeseburger in Paradise and Claddagh Irish Pub from my apartment. As GS stated Middleton is a bit more expensive, however I feel that it's worth the extra $ to live here. Now if I had to choose the Milwaukee area I'd definitely take the advice of MC and look at the suburbs.
If I had to move back to Baraboo I would, I've been getting up there pretty often lately as I've been making wedding plans. Honestly if I had to move back to the Portage area I'd live outside of town, I can't stand how the city council is so against business.
A great positive ranking for Madison came out recently:
Absolutely agree that Wisconsonites need to look more into alternate heat sources as they still lower costs quite a bit. The Midwest is a bit different because they have cyclical changes in the price of natural gas since gas is the primary heating fuel in many areas with rural areas having propane. Just when natural gas prices spiked a number of years ago they crashed and prices are now low due to much greater supply.
Baraboo and the Wisconsin Dells are nice centrally located places that aren't too far of a drive to Madison.
I think I remember your posts on the NH forum as well. Didn't you live up in the Lakes Region over in the Belmont or Gilmanton area?
I did, for four years!! I finished my BA and went on to get my MA degrees while I was up there. Before I could start looking for a job, we moved back to Texas for a host of reasons-but hubby was able to get his boss to make him a telecommute employee. He still works for N.H.
We're trying WI to be closer to Chicago (friends and in laws are there) and Michigan (in-laws) without having to live in Michigan (been there) or Illinois (done that). We want to try a new place. This time, we're bringing our friend who is 3 years a widow now and in desperate need of a change.
Boy is she about to get one. She's only seen snow ONCE.
*evil grin*
I figure I can sit here and look for jobs, waiting for August heat of 112 degrees, or I can sit up there, waiting for jobs, in -11 freezing cold. LOL jobs are scarce everywhere.
I am forever the restless gypsy....
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