Specific questions about Oshkosh area (Milwaukee, Madison: apartment complexes, for rent, how much)

[happimedium]

Hello,

I'm considering a position at the university in Oshkosh; I've found this forum very helpful for general information about the area. I have a few specific questions that some of you might be able to answer:

*What are rents like in that area, say for a 1 or 2BR apartment or house with a small yard? We have two small dogs -- is it hard to find places that accept pets? (I realize the answers may differ for Oshkosh, Appleton, Neenah, etc.)

*I realize Oshkosh isn't Madison (!) and there are conservative political leanings in the area, but are there liberal people to be found? How friendly or hostile is the area to gay/lesbian couples? I did see listings for a few LGBT organizations, so that's a good sign ...

*How bad are the winters, really, in terms of snow and temperatures? Do you have below-freezing windchills like Minneapolis does?

*As relates to question 2, I'm suspecting I would want to spend weekends in Madison from time to time. How long is the drive, and is it passable in winter?

Many thanks in advance!

[yo vanilla]

the twin cities are probably a bit colder and windier than it is here. in the area you can find apartments from $500 to say $850 / month. the drive from oshkosh to madison is about 1.5 hours, and the only time it'd ever be unpassable is right in the middle of a big storm. but whatever you do, do not drive through the town of rosendale. ever.

[GSXR]

I graduated from UW Oshkosh with a degree in Psychology and Religious Studies. I absolutely loved the University. Had 2 professors who were Harvard graduates and one from Yale. A very strong teaching core, at least in those two departments for sure. I believe it is the 3rd largest UW-system school, behind Madison and Milwaukee. A nice campus with some brand new buildings (a new Union and new parking garage as of late) and a couple more projects and big renovations to come.

Like Vanilla said, apartments/houses/duplexes for rent range from about $600-$900/mo. If you avoid the apartment complexes, you should have an easier time finding something that allows dogs.

My favorite restaurant, the Granary, has unfortunately closed, so I cannot suggest it as a place to eat. Dammit.

Based on my experience there, it is a pretty liberal city compared to much of the rest of WI, which tends to have more conservative leanings. Most of the "larger" (ie. large in WI terms) cities that are University system cities tend to be more open to religious/cultural/sexual/social variation on the whole. It's difficult to attach a school of thought to a city, really, but as you can probably gather, you will find more diversity and openness to differences the closer you get to a campus (in general...).

Weather isn't much different to that of Minnesota. Typically we get more snow in the northern half of WI than the southern half, but this year Madison, Milwaukee, and Eau Claire & LaCrosse (all southern half) have been hammered with snow. The interstates and major highways tend to have at least one passable lane even during big snowfalls. 4-wheel drive is not a necessity if you have a front wheel drive car that isn't feather-light. Everyone is different, but it isn't too hard to traverse around in winter. No need to stock up on batteries, candles and Ramen noodles or anything like that. Roads tend to be very flat, and we have no mountains, so you're not needing to be a Rally Racer to navigate your way through our winters.

It does get cold though, and with wind chills added in, we do hit the negative double digits quite often in the dead of winter. The past couple weeks in Madison (which is an hour and a half drive, as Vanilla said) it has been in the high teens and twenties during the day. The past couple days we have seen daytime temps in the 30's, but it won't last into the weekend.

There is AT LEAST one church in Oshkosh that is very very welcoming to LGBT's. I remember the flyers around campus, and our Theology Department Chair talking about it, but I can't remember the name. And speaking of the head of the Theology/Religious Studies Dept., you would most likely love to hear him lecture (he does public speaking engagements on campus and has also spoken for the local LGBT org on camp). Here is a link to his info:

http://www.uwosh.edu/religious/william.htm (broken link)

I had him for 3 courses, and went to a few of his speaking engagements open to the public, and he works hard to dispell peoples' beliefs that certain Bible passages truly admonish homosexuality (he believes otherwise, and his take on it is incredibly eye-opening).

Anyway, hope this helps. I may have gotten carried away since it's Friday, I'm at work, it's getting close to lunch, and I am bored.

[happimedium]

GSXR -- Very helpful response, thank you! I did come across a website for a Unitarian Church in Appleton so that's a possibility (I'm not very religious but might seek out someplace for community.)

Are there areas of Oshkosh that are good to live in but fairly close to the U? (It seems Appleton has more entertainment but as you can see I'm a little wary of the winter commute. Heh.)

Also good to hear your positive impressions of the university. I might post more questions for you if I decide to move there!

p.s. Vanilla -- What's wrong with Rosendale?

[GSXR]

Originally Posted by happimedium

GSXR -- Very helpful response, thank you! I did come across a website for a Unitarian Church in Appleton so that's a possibility (I'm not very religious but might seek out someplace for community.)

Nor am I. I just used it as an example of the city having some progressive attitudes, even in such institutions as their churches.

Originally Posted by happimedium

Are there areas of Oshkosh that are good to live in but fairly close to the U? (It seems Appleton has more entertainment but as you can see I'm a little wary of the winter commute. Heh.)

Also good to hear your positive impressions of the university. I might post more questions for you if I decide to move there!

p.s. Vanilla -- What's wrong with Rosendale?

I lived on the west side of Highway 41, off Omro Road. I rented. The city is not overly large or overwhelming in any way, so anywhere you lived you wouldn't really be more than a 20 minute drive to campus. I commuted from Beaver Dam for a year and I could get to Oshkosh, find a parking spot, and get into class within an hour of leaving Beaver Dam (and it is 45 miles away). So, anywhere in the city would be fine. It just depends on whether you want to be close to campus and interspersed with party-happy college kids, live closer to Lake Winnebago and spend a bit more time and rent money to find something, or live a few miles from campus where it might be quieter.

Appleton has the big shopping mall, more restaurants, and clubs, but it's only a 20-30 minute sprint on Highway 41 to get there, so regardless of which city you lived, it wouldn't take long to get to the other one. It takes me that long to get from my townhouse in Madison (in the city of Madison) to my workplace downtown, so it's all relative.

Rosendale is a very small town on Highway 26 that you might enter on a drive to and/or from Madison. The cop is notorious for issuing speeding tickets for even 4 mph over the speed limit. He is a peach.

I live in Madison and my office is downtown, but I am a UW Oshkosh employee. I travel there for meetings on occasion. I pass through Rosendale every time and I make sure I am down to 25 mph before I hit the cemetary, and I wait until I am past the 55 mph speed limit sign before I speed back up.

[yo vanilla]

rosendale has an infamy of handing out speeding tickets. there is one cop and he'll nail you to the wall and leave you hang. actually the town made national news because of this lol.

the winter commute isn't that bad. the highways are usually cleared off very fast. there's only once or twice a year that it seems you get caught in a really nasty storm on your commute. but generally commuting sucks to begin with.

there's not really any good restaraunts in oshkosh. couple of good mexican places like los compadres on the frontage road and la hacienda on jackson st. the roxy is a good supper club. otherwise its pretty much fast food (and i include applebee's etc as fast food). so if you're looking for fine dining in oshkosh dont get your hopes up

[NicePolishBoy]

How good is Oshkosh? It probably depends on where you have lived before. If you come from a place with a great college town or large university, Oshkosh is a disappointment. It is not a college town, and many natives are hostile to the university, students and non-native employees. If you are coming from high-cost areas with long commutes, Oshkosh can be an improvement.

Some of the bad:

There is a lot more to do in Appleton, but your travel route is 41, which does get congested. This wouldn't be a problem in some places, but the drivers here are the least skilled in any place I have lived. Also, there is a big problem with drunk drivers.

Quality of food is poor. The restaurants are awful. The grocery stores' produce is really bad.

There is little diversity. Racism is quite common but on a subtle level. While Oshkosh might be more liberal than some other Wisconsin cities, it is conservative.

Some of the good:

While there is much less to do in Oshkosh, nothing is that far away.

The health practitioners are very good.

The tradespeople, auto repair shops, etc have been some of the most honest ones I've ever dealt with.

In regards to the university, the benefits are great but the salaries keep falling behind. Students are good at getting their work done but there aren't many students working at a high level. It might sound petty, but the faculty ID's say "staff," and this is representative of an intentional and historic effort to weaken the power of the faculty on campus.

[wismikk]

WEre originally from Chicago. We moved up here about 2 1/2 yrs ago and were liking the slower less complicated pace. People are easier to talk to if youre out going like I am. Being born and breed in Chitown it was harder to get to know people. Although up here I'm finding it just as hard to find true friends.
Restaurants are kinda lacking but I've found a few gems. Jansens on Bowen about 3 blocks north of the river has great dinners, but I've heard that its lost some of its touch since the original owners retired a few years ago. Also Fin and Feather in Winneconne is one of our favorites. Two things that I miss are good deep dish pizza and a really good breakfast spot with a rich cup of coffee.
Being a bike messenger from Chicago, I've just about seen it all. People up here seem genuine and kind but I think the older generations are a little slower to come around if things arent typical. For the younger generations, it depends on how much they've been out in the world.

[jessikat]

Its a crap place to live. I had to get out of Oshkosh after a few years. It was hell.

[swall2]

I have meet quit a few openly gay and lesbians in Oshkosh, heck we even have a gay bar here that I know of. I have not seen people being against either.