Appleton/Neenah -> Country vs In Town (New London, Kimberly: apartment, to rent)

[veetzvino]

After living in a handful of different states, and thinking we were moving to yet another new state, we've decided to move back to Wisconsin, where my wife and I are both from. We will be moving to the Fox Cities. I have a little experience over there, but it was 10 years ago. Now we have two young kids, so there are many different priorities. I've done a lot of digging and I've narrowed down my initial search areas to the Appleton North, Neenah, and maybe Hortonville school districts. I wouldn't say I've ruled out Kimberly and to be honest, I would say nothing has been ruled out completely. I know we will need to drive around and feel the whole area out four ourselves. I'm just focusing my early search in the areas I mentioned.

I'd love to hear any information and opinion on the school districts in the area and even ones I didn't mention. Our budget is pretty open at this time. Commute would be to just west of Appleton/Neenah. We'd like to keep that around 20 min or less. We are also trying to figure out setting, country vs neighborhood/in town. Please let me know of anything we should be thinking about when considering that debate, specific to the area.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. Excited to be back in WI!

[CtrlEsc]

All the school districts you mentioned are great. Each school has their charms.

I did the same search four years ago. I chose Neenah, so I might be a bit biased. If you are commuting to the west side, I would recommend living in Neenah or Appleton.

What drew me to Neenah was the size of the school. They offer AP classes at the high school and there is an abundance of activities from which the kids can choose. The neighborhoods here have that 1970's feel where you can let your kids wander and play.

Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of your choices. It all depends on how far you want to run for a gallon of milk or those 2x4s for that project you are working on vs how much yard or how many trees you want. There are so many options here in housing.

[veetzvino]

Yep, that's the debate, how long are we ok with driving for the dreaded, forgotten ingredient, for a dish we are making. Or, do we want the kids running around the neighborhood vs the countryside. Obviously nobody will have the answer for us, we need to figure that out. I just like to gather as much info about school districts and neighborhoods as I can to help me in that process. My hope is I'll have fewer "I wish I would have thought about that before moving to this area," once we get choose a spot.

[CtrlEsc]

When I am considering a new place I want to know "What's the dirt?" What do the locals know that may not be readily apparent.
There are places where I have lived in the past that I really wish someone would have given me the heads up.
For example:
1) The apartment I decided to rent was where the successful drug dealers lived and there would be nightly raids and helicopters. It looked like a nice place with nice cars in the lot.
2) The town had turned a former EPA super site into a new neighborhood.
3) The home was built on land that used to be the site of a large pond and when it rains the basement would fill up.
(Note, these were not in the Fox Cities.)

For Neenah, I would say:
The smell of the paper plants or foundry when the wind blows a certain direction. This is only one or two days a month.
The taste of the tap water. It seems like it gets progressively more skunky then there is a day or two of really chlorinated taste. I would recommend a carbon filter.

For the area:
I41 can be very dangerous in the winter and can bog down at rush hour.
US10 bridge has been under construction since I moved here.
Energy prices are about 4x more than the last place I lived.
It's not always easy to tell which gas has ethanol added.

I would love someone to chime in about the other towns or things I have missed. It's not hate; just information about what to look for.

[veetzvino]

Thanks for the dirt. Yes that's the stuff I'd love to know more about. The paper mills and the smell that comes from them is one thing I was curious about. I thought that someone had told me that certain areas were worse. I also thought I heard someone say that certain areas near the lake were better to avoid because of bug hatches. Maybe I'm making that up. What about the countryside area west of Neenah. Anyone have any thoughts on that area? Included in that I'm curious if anyone has any information for me on Hortonville School District. I don't have very much info on that.

[Mandy2]

I grew up in the Fox Valley. I never drove more than 10 minutes to get anywhere. Almost anywhere you live, the commute to the grocery store won't be more than that.

Neenah has excellent schools. It has a great sense of community, beautiful parks, and tons of town pride. And for any shopping, Appleton is just minutes away.

[rt23wv]

Originally Posted by CtrlEsc

When I am considering a new place I want to know "What's the dirt?" What do the locals know that may not be readily apparent.
There are places where I have lived in the past that I really wish someone would have given me the heads up.
For example:
1) The apartment I decided to rent was where the successful drug dealers lived and there would be nightly raids and helicopters. It looked like a nice place with nice cars in the lot.
2) The town had turned a former EPA super site into a new neighborhood.
3) The home was built on land that used to be the site of a large pond and when it rains the basement would fill up.
(Note, these were not in the Fox Cities.)

For Neenah, I would say:
The smell of the paper plants or foundry when the wind blows a certain direction. This is only one or two days a month.
The taste of the tap water. It seems like it gets progressively more skunky then there is a day or two of really chlorinated taste. I would recommend a carbon filter.

For the area:
I41 can be very dangerous in the winter and can bog down at rush hour.
US10 bridge has been under construction since I moved here.
Energy prices are about 4x more than the last place I lived.
It's not always easy to tell which gas has ethanol added.

I would love someone to chime in about the other towns or things I have missed. It's not hate; just information about what to look for.

I am also thinking of moving to the Appleton area for retirement, but am very concerned with the paper mills, I have Lupus and they really affect me. What do you know of or think about New London area as a town to live in? I only need a Walmart close by and then drive into Appleton for fun and more shopping once in awhile.
Thanks!

[hankejp]

Another thing to consider is in the country the roads won't get plowed as quickly as they will in the city. So during bad snowstorms you need to plan accordingly.