relocating to appleton.......please help (Green Bay, Oshkosh: low crime, house, job market)

[shannonM]

hi i'm relocating to Appleton from California. I was wondering if anyone can tell me what areas are good to buy in. and what areas i should avoid.

[amax41]

Appleton is NOTHING like CA. WAY WAY WAY different. night and day.

with that said stay out of kaukauna...other than that central appleton near downtown is actually the most cool. Also when you get there - if you care for Greek food.... Apollon on Wisconsin Ave across from the library. Absolutely awesome... you request Russ as your waiter he is exceptional...and Stavaros is the owner.

[CrimsonJosh]

There really is no bad part of Appleton. Kaukauna just smells bad. Darboy is growing fast, as is Appleton's northside. Get a piece of land there and you should be sitting pretty.

[gypsychic]

My sister has lived in Appleton many years - it's a very nice town, I didn't see any bad parts. I agree about Kaukauna - smelly place.

[ggaetti]

What are you looking for specifically? What are important things you consider when choosing where to buy/rent?

[GreggB]

Just be aware of one important difference in regards to Appleton vs Calif. Appleton is an EXTREMELY CONSERVATIVE community. There is little racial diversity. Outsiders may always be welcome, but not always accepted. In addition city government is weak at best and in the past 10 years or so have really bungled some big projects at taxpayers expense. Water rates for example just took a 28% hike. Taxes are high. I have affairs in both Appleton and Las Vegas Nevada and the water rates in Las Vegas are about 60% less than Appleton's. And Vegas is in the middle of a DESERT!!! Plus side-low crime, reasonable home prices and rents, decent schools. Two distinct weather seasons--Winter and July.

[shannonM]

thank you for your replies i am thinking Appleton cause it's either there or Manitowoc and i thought there would be alot more to do there. I know there won't be as much to do as in CA but really the only thing i'll miss about here is the beach and i don't get there that often anymore anyway. thanks again

[soldn2slavery]

We live in Kaukauna. The smell is from the paper mills. Honestly, where we live, we get a whiff maybe 4 -5 times a year. One reason most people think it smells bad all the time is because they drive by on Hwy. 41 where the smell seems to drift. I've smelled worse things in De Pere and Green Bay.

Kaukauna is the second fastest growing city in Wisconsin, so it can't be all that bad. A couple of benefits to living in this area: 1) You can get more house for your dollar; 2) You are within 20 minutes of Green Bay, Neenah/Menasha, and Appleton, so you have a larger job market available to you. Heck, it's only 45 minutes to Oshkosh.

I wouldn't discount Manitowoc. It's a beautiful town on the lake shore. I'm not sure what employment is like there, though.

[GreggB]

Have you considered La Crosse. Far and away the nicest city in the state!!

[ggaetti]

Shannon, is there anything specific you are looking to be near in Appleton? Are you looking to buy a house in a new sub-division or an established area? Do you want a neighborhood that is real "city living" or to you prefer to be more rural? There are not very many areas of Appleton that would be undesirable except for a few small clusters.