Need Friendly Town that's Racially Tolerant (Milwaukee, Madison: neighborhood, public schools, gated)

[WeLuvItHere]

True about Madison, but remember if you have kids, Madison has one of the worst schools in the state. It's a fact.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by WeLuvItHere

True about Madison, but remember if you have kids, Madison has one of the worst schools in the state. It's a fact.

If one of Madison's dozens of schools is "one of the worst schools in the state" than it is an anomaly, not a reflection of the quality of Madison schools in general. In fact one of the true draws of Madison, and one of the reasons why Madison Proper's population continues to grow, is the quality of the public schools that defies the erstwhile maxim that urban school districts are somehow required to suck.

One of the quickest anecdotes to judge the quality of a city's public schools is how extensive the private/parochial school network is. The worse the schools, the more private/parochial schools there are to accommodate parents who want to get their kids out of the public school system. Madison's public-to-private high school enrollment is 10 to 1. Since Madison's two major private high school are religious institutions, one can figure that many if not most of their students attend for religious and/or ideological reasons rather than in protest of the quality of education in the public school system.

Also consider:

• The Madison School District has a AAA bond rating;
• Expansion Management Magazine, which provides information to would-be job relocators, ranks the Madison school district among the top 1% in the country;
• In 2002 Ladies Home Journal ranked the Madison school district #3 in the country based on survey responses from mothers of students;
• Madison School District has six times the average number of National Merit semi-finalists for U.S. school districts of comparable size;
• College-bound students from the Madison School District score 20% higher than the national average on the SAT and 10% higher than the Wisconsin state average on the ACT.

WeLuvItHere's carefully-worded implication that Madison schools suck is way off the mark. This is not the Milwaukee or Chicago school district we're dealing with here. In fact, the quality of the schools is what seals the deal for many folks who ultimately decide to relocate to Madison.

[mrkool]

Originally Posted by cmb53208

If I were you I would avoid Ozaukee County and some of the southern suburbs of Milwaukee-many in these areas have racial attitudes straight out of 1950's Alabama

Right, and those "attitudes" have absolutely nothing to do with very bad black behavior in the Milwaukee and Racine areas.

[notthere]

I lived outside the Wausau Wi area for about 2yrs. Wausau is not racially tolerant! I drove a coach to one of the casinos in the state out of Wausau and surrounding areas. I had people yelling directly at other riders of Asian ethnicity (I could assume they were Hmong) because they "sat" were they were not welcome to sit (according to the racist anyway). I have lived in Wisconsin most of my life. I've lived all over the state. Everywhere rural is racist. (Or is it just coincidence that the only ethnic people you see are farm workers) I have found the urban areas to be better, but definitely not good! Stay away from Green Bay. I've found the worst unlying racism there. Of course... is it surprising really... when we have a country still battling racism. In light of the recent lawsuit before the supreme court (Kentucky and Seattle WA.) , and a president who said, (when speaking about said lawsuits) "Desegregation is fine, as long as it is "racially neutral". ???!!! Oh, and one more thing. I'm white, so..yep, I know what they REALLY say.

[LML]

I would add my support to the suggestion that you consider Madison. I agree completely with Drover's summation of the school system here. In addition, most neighborhoods in Madison have at least some diversity. Probably more so in the newer subdivisions. I live in a very nice west side subdivision and enjoy as neighbors people of every color and shade imaginable. And I have never heard or seen any hint of racism. The church I attend has one pastor that is white and another pastor that is black and attendees to the church are of a widely diverse racial background. Madison may have its faults....what city doesn't....but I will say it is the most welcoming of diversity of any place I've ever lived.

[Bonnie Blue]

May I suggest Brookfield? Milwaukee is the city to the east. Brookfield has a widely diverse population, mainly because the city is mostly professional. Plenty of people from India, Japan, China, Egypt and other Asian countries. Blacks are well accepted. Taxes are low, property values are high, city and county goverment are excellent, schools are top-notch, city recreation program is AAA. Shopping is first-rate.

If Brookfield is too close to Milwaukee for you, I suggest Hartland, about 20 or so miles to the west. Very convenient to Milwaukee because of the freeway system. We lived in Hartland before retiring to N.C., which is originally my home although I lived in Wisconsin for about 20 years. Loved it except for winters. Hartland is a family-oriented village with good schools and a safe place to raise children. My children did well in Hartland-Arrowhead schools. Wide variety of churches. The area is countrified, but not redneck. I'm sure you'd like it.

Good luck in finding the perfect place.

[Drover]

Races in Brookfield:

• White Non-Hispanic (93.3%)
• Asian Indian (1.4%)
• Hispanic (1.2%)
• Chinese (1.0%)
• Black (0.8%)
• Two or more races (0.8%)

Brookfield may be a nice place. It may even be a welcoming place. But "widely diverse," it's not.

[gwencita]

I have to agree with Madison. I'm white and my husband is latin from Central America. We both have advanced degrees and are professionals (me only part-time these days due to our son), and we both felt most comfortable in Madison. I think you'll have an easier time living in that area. We currently live in the Green Bay area which is seeing an increase in minorities, but also an increase in tensions as well. I wouldn't say many people are necessarily prejudiced, just some are somewhat ignorant in respect to other ethnic groups. When the whole immigration thing started up in the past year, we've felt a bit of chill from some people. Nothing blatant, but people can be very sly with their discrimination (restaurant table by the bathroom, looks and stares, grabbing of their purse, being followed in a store). People can be nice to your face, but watchout for the knife that follows. I've experienced this as I kept my German maiden name and not everyone knows my hubby is latin; so I've heard some pretty disgusting things (and wonderful things too!) come out of some people who I thought were decent human beings (and not just in the GB area).

Another area to check out is the Appleton area. Its smaller and a bit more affordable than Madison (albeit not by a lot). The area is reasonably progressive with a growing minority population (many of them with advanced degrees and professional careers). We often go there for dining or shopping. Most public school districts in WI are decent especially when you compare them to other states. Just do your research online.

Any questions, feel free to ask. g---

[NoLove4MO]

The sad fact about most places anywhere north of Milwaukee is that there really isn't much diversity. It seems that most people further up north are descendents of the people who actually settled the area. I don't think it's really an issue of racism or lack of tolerance. But if you're not from WI, you have very little incentive to seek to move there. The winters alone drive most outsiders to look elsewhere. The Appleton-Neenah-Oshkosh area might be a good choice. It's relatively diverse and offers quick access to Green Bay (40 miles), as well as Milwaukee (about 80 miles). Oshkosh has UW Oshkosh which brings a little more diversity to the area. The quality of life is quite good, and you can escape away to a larger city like Milwaukee or Chicago when you need a break from the slow life.

[GreggB]

I would suggest La Crosse or Madison. Both are beautifull areas, with friendly people. I would also suggest to avoid the Fox River Valley (especially Appleton). Very conservative attitudes, rude people, horrendous driving practices, poor roads and an inept city government that bungles every project they atttempt (at taxpayers expense). Appleton is basicallly a small hick town that has "tried" to act like a big city for dozens of years. A few wealthy individuals there call all the shots. Everyone else just pays their high taxes each year and follow the rules of the "Police State" that has been quietly imposed upon them.