If your thinking about moving to WI (Madison, Kenosha: high school, tax)

[radraja]

The poster at the bottom of page two may have been harsh, but some of the points are legit. He/she was actually right about the alcohol thing...WI was ranked the #1 state in the country for alcohol consumption. In the many years I lived there, I do remember most of my neighbors being very heavy drinkers. And it is a common joke amongst young people that "we start drinking at age 12 in WI".

And the roads can be pretty bad. Property taxes are relatively high.

Some legit points...just expressed in a harsh manner.

[gallon]

Originally Posted by wanderlusting

Hmm, I'm not sure about that. I don't eat fish because I don't like it, especially raw fish. I take fish oil capsules and that's about the extent of my fish intake.

What? No walleye? The best fresh water fish on the continent?

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by berries

look, I am bitter about what has happened to my state over the last 40 years. We have become a "tourist" state, which is an unsustainable economy........It is not the way to live. You need to have real jobs that make stuff...not just serving someone a burger and renting them a room so they can feel that they are outdoorsy. This is what we have done to our state and it is a disservice no matter how you justify it

I thought it was my understanding that northern Wisconsin has always had more of a "tourist based economy" compared with any other part of the state. I do understand that "urban money" has become more and more common in areas of Vilas and Oneida counties as people from Chicago and Milwaukee areas buy up lake properties. I think a good portion of the these properties are ridiculously overpriced in my opinion, but the "city slickers" can definitely afford the cabin in the woods. As I scan the demographics I also see that the northwoods in WI is becoming a fairly big retirement area. Many younger people must move to urban areas like many other areas of the country.

[susancruzs]

Berries, I hope you feel better and maybe you should try another state but not before you cheer up first! :-)

If people are always talking about us transplants, kind of sad that they can't find a more interesting topic!

One thing I've noticed here, as a major coffee drinker, I can get a better cup of coffee no matter where I go!

[escapetacoma]

Originally Posted by susancruzs

One thing I've noticed here, as a major coffee drinker, I can get a better cup of coffee no matter where I go!

True. One of the things that I disliked about the Seattle area - above and beyond the weather - was the coffee. Everyone out there raves about Starbucks, Tulleys and SBC but the coffee all tastes burnt to me. It's also nice to be able to get a cup for less than $2.

[painter_jed]

Yes, I'm harsh on WI 'cause I got totally burned on a relocate. Someone mentioned living in the hood (which I don't); I live in a decent house in what SHOULD be a great neighborhood (1 block from the lake in Allendale).
WI is just so different from where I grew up (rural MD), I feel like I moved to a foreign country...
as far as "berries" goes - I'm definately not the latte-drinking pansy tourist you might think I sound like, and WI does have some great, inexpensive coffee joints (I'll take a $1.50 Dunkin' Donuts coffee over anything Starbucks has on the menu).
Sorry, if I sounded too harsh; I did mean to mix some humor in it, maybe it didn't come out right - but then, I'm a paint salesman, not a comedian

By and large, the people in WI (and MN, and MI) are great, it's the lack of good infrastructure and the high taxes with little to show for it that bugs me.

Also, the Packer / deer season thing. I was serious about that. I tried to visit some accounts in northern WI, and was told by 3 different places that they were closed that week because it was the first week of deer season and they didn't have enough non-hunter employees to bother keeping the lights and heat on...

[ali&ajsmom]

Look like I said in a previous post wisconsin is not for everyone and not all areas of wisconsin have outlandish taxes. I live in a town with about 16,000 people in it we have 20 acres a nice house and some out buildings and we pay less than $2500. on our taxes and in town we paid about $2200. dollars. My in-laws pay about $4800. where they live in wisconsin so your taxes are different where you live.

A previous poster has said that they visited the are a few times before they moved to wisconsin and I think that was the best thing that they could have done and now they are very happy. wisconsin does have a lot of very nice cities with alot of things to do you just need to go out and join in on the activities in your area. I have also learned alot by reading some of the post from the new wisconsinites. they give us old wisconsinites a breath of fresh air and new ideas.

[wanderlusting]

Originally Posted by gallon

What? No walleye? The best fresh water fish on the continent?

Nope. If I'm asked, I'll go fishing though, and if I catch one I'll either give it to somebody else or release it.

[wanderlusting]

Originally Posted by berries

look, I am bitter about what has happened to my state over the last 40 years. We have become a "tourist" state, which is an unsustainable economy........It is not the way to live. You need to have real jobs that make stuff...not just serving someone a burger and renting them a room so they can feel that they are outdoorsy. This is what we have done to our state and it is a disservice no matter how you justify it

Right on, not sure I agree it's already this way but this is the way we're heading.

[Alt Dach]

I'm from NY,a UW-Madison alum and have lived in WI for 30 + years.
Must like it, I'm still here.
IMHO the biggest mistake people make about the Upper Midwest in general
is to mistake the general high level of civility for friendly.

Folks here are polite but friendly they are not.
Belive it or not its easier to make friends in NYC than say,Green Bay.
Reason being people there are from all over and are looking for
friends and people here are not.
Of course if you're young,rich and good-looking.......