Appleton and the surrounding area Vs Green Bay and it's surrounding areas (Manitowoc: apartments, amusement park)

[ariley32]

My husband and I are still excited to move to Wi in a few years. I've spent the last few months researching different areas and now are looking into these two areas. Appleton seems a little big for us, but the small cities within the vicinity look nice, but that's on paper. I would like others opinions of the little towns around there. The good and bad. That also goes for Green Bay and it's surrounding areas. I would like outdoor activities winter ones are just fine too. A community that is involved and that has community activities throughout the year. A good family friendly town and communities are also something I am looking for.

Thanks for all your input.

[jessxwrites89]

I don't live in WI right now, but I plan on moving there once I get the money and experience (still a Pennsylvania resident)... however, I am looking to move to Green Bay. I might be biased because I'm a HUGE Packers fan and I'm everything Green Bay, but I really liked Green Bay. I've never been to Appleton, but I've been to Green Bay a few times. Green Bay has the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary, the NEW Zoo, historical places, Lambeau Field, the Botanical Society and a lot of other things to do. I found it to be very quiet (which I love) and the people are REALLY nice in Green Bay. Very welcoming. Also, there is a lot to do outdoors and there is an amusement park near the wildlife sanctuary. I'm 25, so I don't have kids, but I thought they had plenty of kids/family things to do.

Of course, someone that is a resident already might be able to give you more insight on Appleton. I just loved Green Bay and hopefully will call it my home in the next year/year and a half.

[bay2bay]

To add to what Jesswrites89 above...

Appleton area has more upscale shopping. Main shopping area is in Grand Chute centered around the Fox River Mall. Recently, Green Bay area has attracted a couple big box stores that normally would have located in Appleton first -- Costco and Cabellas. Most shopping in Green Bay area centered around Bay Park Square in Ashwaubenon.

Fox Cities PAC in downtown Appleton attracts all the big touring Broadway musicals. Weidner Center on the UWGB campus used to but had difficulties competing with the Fox Cities PAC for various reasons and until recently had stopped trying to bring those type of productions to their venue. Green Bay also has the Meyer Theatre downtown which brings in lots of one offs and has a theater group that uses it to stage their home spun shows. There is also the Green Bay Community Playhouse which has it's own theater and produces a few shows a year. Resch Center brings in some concerts as well, mostly country though. And of course there are the Oneida operated casinos.

Minor League baseball in Appleton with the Timber Rattlers. NFL football in Green Bay with the Packers. Green Bay also has a USHL hokey team, the Gamblers and a Nothwoods League baseball team, the Bullfrogs.

Lawrence University in downtown Appleton is an excellent small college, has an enrollment of 1,500 students. In Menasha if two year UW-Fox Cities extension with enrollment of around 1,600 students. In Green Bay there is UWGB with around 6,600 students and the school competes athletically as a NCAA division one mid-major. In neighboring De Pere is St. Norbert College with an enrollment of 2,100 students.

Recreation wise Green Bay area has many trails, Fox River Trail and East River Trail along with trails at the Brown County Reforestation Camp and Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve. I'm sure there are trails in Appleton area as well, just don't know what they'd be... someone from that area can supply that info

Appleton area tends to be slightly more affluent than Green Bay area with the Green Bay area being slightly more ethnically diverse. Both areas were built upon the paper industry along the Fox River which flows northward from the Appleton area at Lake Winnebago to the the Green Bay. Last 20-30 years both communities have been slowly diversifying away from that.

It's only about 30 miles from downtown Green Bay to downtown Appleton with only about a ten mile break between the two meto areas with Kaukauna on the north of the Appleton area and De Pere on the south of the Green Bay area. If you want to live center between the two you could look at Wrightstown.

[ariley32]

Thank you very much for the replies! All of your insight is so very helpful! My husband is retiring from the military in a few years so we want to finally settle down. We currently live over seas and by the time we head back to the US we want to know where to land! By that time our son will be in 9 grade. We want a quiet small town or a small town vibe, yet a town that has somethings too. My husband is a huge Packers fan, which is why Green Bay seems great. I just didn't want to move to a city just because of a sporting team.(even though I love the packers too) It seems like there are so many other things to do in Green Bay and the vicinity. Where we move ultimately depends on where we can get a job.
Also,
There are jobs for him in the Two Rivers area. What are Manitowoc, Two River, and Kewaunee like?
Thanks again!

[twotoneshoes]

The suburbs of Green Bay will give you a type of small town vibe, but not sure what there is to do. I guess it all depends on what interests you. Depending on the type of person, many residents either head "up north" for the weekend to enjoy the north woods, or plan a trip to Chicago or Minneapolis to enjoy a larger city. One suggestion is that you subscribe to either the Post Crescent paper or Green Bay Press Gazette to see what's going on in both areas and the types of jobs that are available. As mentioned above, Wrightstown is a small town centrally located between GB and Appleton. From what I remember, Manitowoc didn't have much too offer.

[ariley32]

Thanks,
What's north of Green Bay? We would rather live north of there if we can. Are there any good small towns north of Green Bay? We don't mind driving into the city, if it's not too far. Yea we are looking for a small town kind of life. We like all kinds of things, community events/festivals, sports and outdoor activities, and just little community things I guess. Maybe a cute downtown area too. I also would like an area with trees and woods, maybe hills if that's possible.

Thanks again for all the help.

[nickerman]

I live in Appleton but go to Green Bay frequently so I can give some information on their differences. Appleton people are more reserved for some reason than Green Bay people. I found people in Green Bay connect easier with one another and are more outgoing. But as far as the outlay of the cities I would put Appleton way ahead of Green Bay.

[cheese plate]

Green Bay and Appleton, ultimately, are very similar cities. There may be more shopping in Appleton, but it's of the national chain variety, which for me doesn't add any appeal. GB is a bit closer (I mean, the 2 cities are only a half hour away) to better nature and has better parks/trails within the metro. Appleton is a bit less run down.

North of GB you may want to try Suamico/Little Suamico. Howard isn't bad but is mostly an extention of West Side GB. Pulaski serves as its own small town and is less of a bedroom community than the other towns I mentioned. Oconto/Oconto Falls are pretty far away from GB and probably off the radar.

[ariley32]

Wow all the info is so helpful and I appreciate it so much. It is very difficult to size up a state and city just by the internet alone. We live in Japan right now, so visiting WI a few times to get a feel of it, is not possible.
As we all know there are better and worse neighborhoods in every town. What are Green Bay's like? I'd like a nice quiet, tree lined street kind of place. Maybe nice older homes with character in a middle class neighborhood.

Once again all of the info is greatly appreciated!

[jessxwrites89]

Ariley, whenever I visited Green Bay... I thought it was relatively quiet except for Packers game days of course. It's like your typical suburban town. They have nice ranch homes too. I would say the homes are from WWII era. I haven't been inside and when I look at apartments from online, the apartments look nice too.