Being Black in Wisconsin (Appleton)......... (Milwaukee, Madison: fit in, houses, neighborhoods)

[ComputerBlue]

Hello I was considering one of my destination cities to be Appleton. I'm a single 30 year old black professional in the IT field and I was wondering if I could fit in that type of city. I hear alot of negativity about milwaukee and how segregated it is. And hear alot about racial tension. I'm originally from Orlando, Florida and now reside in Dallas, Texas and I'm trying to find a decent city or town up north where it's not so hot most of the 12 months of the year. But Appleton caught my eye and it seems it has alot of computer jobs and a thriving economy. At the same time I don't want to be close to major urban sprawl just want to have a peaceful existence lol. Does the same racial tension reside up there? And are there bad neighborhoods I need to avoid? And are there neighborhoods where I can leave my keys in the ignition over night? lol

[gallon]

Hey blue,

Be sure to page back through the threads here. There is a lot of material on Appleton. A lot of it is personal opinion of course, but I am sure you will be able to synthesize a picture if you read enough.

good luck

[CaptainAwesome]

There isn't near the racial tension in Appleton as there is Milwaukee. But there isn't near the diversity either. Appleton is home to a lot of multinational companies so it does get a slice of people from everywhere. It's safe. I can't even think of a bad neighborhood. Schools are good. It's quiet. I was only there for about a year, but I liked it.

[yo vanilla]

There aren't any "bad" neighborhoods, in the sense that you wouldn't want to leave your car unattended or anything, but there are a few run-down areas. But even those aren't so bad.

I've noticed more black people have come to Appleton over the last 2-3 years, and there's been a fairly large Hmong population her for a while too, so the diversity is growing. Of course still no where near Milwaukee, for instance. It's still probably 80 or 90% white, so you don't get certain areas of town that are only black families, or asian families, etc. I live near downtown; my neighborhood is probably an exception but next door to me is a hispanic woman with a half-black son, the next two houses are hispanic families, and a black family rents the one on the corner. Then a few blocks away there are a few asian families and one or two other black families.
Oh, and every time I go to City Park I see a diverse crowd, including one or two interracial couples.

But honestly, anyone who's respectable and nice should be well recieved around here, at least from what I have seen. It is a safe place, we've been getting alot of great restaurants downtown lately, and there's plenty to do considering it's not a big city.

Another great WI option is Madison, have you looked into that as well?

[parrtea]

New to this. Just read your post. Wanted to tell you this is a great place to live. Mostly white community, but racial tension is not obvious. My son is bi-racial, and we have never had any issues. Green Bay and Oshkosh have more diversity, but I prefer the Appleton area. If you want a community close to Appleton that you can leave your keys in the car and not worry "as much anyway", try Kimberly, WI.

[radraja]

Appleton isn't very diverse. I rarely ever see black people when I go there. There are some, but not many. For the most part, it's your stereotypical whitebread Leave It To Beaver kind of town.

I wouldn't say that there's racial tension, though. Most of the racial tension in the state is in Milwaukee. Appleton is pretty tame.

[SoFarSoGood]

Computer - Appleton does have (IMO) a reputation for being a more cosmopolitan "little city" than some others. Like others have said, the racial diversity is lacking, but they seem more open than other communities. Good ethnic food options, multinational businesses, etc. The Fox Valley does have a lot of options for the type of experience you want to have. Rural feel? Downtown historic feel? Small town? White-collar suburban? You can find it within a comfy drive from Appleton.

File this under "for what it's worth" - as most people say, Appleton isn't very diverse. And people around here notice people and things that are different from what they know. Some people are racist, but that's everywhere. Most are good, friendly people once they get to know you. Don't confuse people's hesitation with racism - most probably don't want to bother you!

Hmmm, kinda meandering post. Anyways, hope you come to Appleton, hope you enjoy it!

[Tim-mac]

I cannot speak for Appleton, but what I can say is that in a smaller town that we lived in for 3 years ( Manitowoc) which I'm sure would be the same. If you don't make it an issue no one else will. Good luck to you. We are planning a move back and hopefully will end up in Appleton.

[gallon]

Is the original poster following this thread?

[shannonM]

Originally Posted by gallon

is the original poster following this thread?

lol