Sheboygan Area: What do you love and not love? (Milwaukee: waterpark, high crime)

[jessysunshine]

Hello! I posted this same question regarding Madison on the Madison forum because we are looking at a few different towns in determining where to settle down and raise our family when we move back to Wisconsin next year. My husband and I are in our early 30's and we have a three year old daughter.

One of the towns we are considering is Sheboygan or a surrounding area. I have been scouring the threads and see a lot of negativity about Sheboygan. It seems people have a lot of good to say about Kohler, though. I would like to hear from people: What do you love about Sheboygan and the surrounding area and what do you not love about it? We visited Kohler-Andrae a week and a half ago when we were back in Wisconsin for my sister's wedding, and we fell in love with the beach there. Wow, so beautiful and warm. We thought we would like to live near to there, and plus it's not far from family -- or Road America, which my husband is excited about. Unfortunately, we were so tight on time that we seriously did not even have time to drive six more miles north to actually see the town of Sheboygan.

Sheboygan seems to be in a lot of "Best Places" lists. What makes it that way?

Thank you for your input. I am looking forward to seeing what you all have to say about the area.

Jessica

[Alt Dach]

Not to big,not to small-within easy range of Milw. -even Chi,without high prices or high crime.A stable community,I've read it has the highest % of residents born there
of any place in the US. A easy"old shoe" kind of a place,nothing spectacular but easy to love.Like a 50 yr marriage.

[tanman777]

Jessica, I live 40 min. west of there in the city of Fond du Lac. Things I like about Sheboygan is that it is right on Lake Michigan and is half way between Green Bay and Milwaukee. Also they have a lot of department stores such as Target so you don't have to travel far to go to your favorite store. Although there are some things I don't like about Sheboygan. I often go to Aeropostale and those kind of stores but if you live in Sheboygan you have to travel to Fond du Lac to get to those kinds of stores. Lastly the city of Sheboygan has gangs which i personaly wouldn't want my kids living in a city with many gangs. I hope you move up to Wisconsin thoe.
-Tanner

[jessysunshine]

So how bad is the gang problem? And if there is a gang problem, why is Sheboygan consistently listed as a best place to live and raise a family? I'm confused.

[Alt Dach]

Mostly Hmong refugees squabbling among themself-people blow it out of proportion its not LA.

[quijote]

Yeah, the gang thing doesn't possess the whole city, just certain neighborhoods. Most of Sheboygan is very residential and pleasant--I love the "old shoe" and "50-year marriage" descriptors--perfect!

Sheboygan is very middle class (for example, in south Sheboygan) and working class (for example, parts of north Sheboygan). The high proportion of native-born Sheboyganites there might make it a little tough to enter into certain social circles, but the people are generally friendly, and perseverance will probably pay off.

In spite of its humble residential profile, industrial roots, and proximity to more upscale Kohler, Sheboygan does have some shades of sophistication. The downtown area is very walkable and feels kind of like a small-town Main Street. There are some classic burger and brat joints all over the city, but also some really good fine dining (Stefano's, etc.). The museum is a real treasure--mostly folk art and contemporary arts and crafts, but they're really amazing. The lakeside area is really lovely, and there are some stately homes over that way and down the lakefront. For standard retail options (Target and such), there are many chain stores close to I-43. Of course, Kohler has an upscale grocery store, more fine dining, etc.

Still, Sheboygan is a fairly humble place. There are some good, quirky restaurants, but diners and Chinese buffets draw a lot of people. The schools are fine--not great, not horrible. There are some institutions of higher learning, but they don't have a very prominent role in town. I know a couple of people who live in Sheboygan and they love it. I would probably miss the amenities of a larger city, but if that's not such a big deal to you, then you might just want to live there.

[jessysunshine]

Thank you, everyone, for your thoughtful and thorough input on Sheboygan. This has helped me a lot in giving me a more well-rounded understanding of the town. Blessings...

[Indi9]

Sheboygan sounds lovely. It even showed up high on a computer-generated list of cities I would love. But are the people there welcoming of people of color? I will be moving to Madison in the near future and am also scouting around for good vacation/getaway spots. Please be honest about the racial climate. I grew up all over the U.S. and have traveled abroad and to the Caribbean, so I love being around people of diverse backgrounds. But it doesn't make sense to deliberately travel to a place where you are not welcome--on vacation, no less. Yikes... Thanks.

[jenlen]

Hi Jessica,
I have lived in Sheboygan for the past 8 years, my husband was born here. I must say, when I first moved here, I didn't like it. I was from a slightly larger city with much more shopping (something Sheboygan greatly lacked at the time, but has improved on since). In fact, I agreed to move here with the promise of moving back to my hometown.

8 years later and I don't plan on ever leaving! To address some of the things brought up by posters that don't live here...gangs are not a problem any moreso than in any other American city!!! Yes, they are here, but you rarely here of anything. Crime is very low. Kohler is thought to be more upperclass; however, that "upscale grocery store" mentioned is a Piggly Wiggly that is in a more quaint building than most.....hardly upscale! There are all spectrums of the financial ladder in Sheboygan, you can find homes for close to $1,000,000 and also find some for $65,000.

We have a 10 year old son and I must say, the schools are one reason we will never leave! We have been very impressed with the education he has received thus far! He is in many advanced classes and they really emphasize reading programs. There are many great summer programs for kids, a couple of different camps, and a vast array of sporting opportunities.

Sheboygan has long been referred to as the "third coast". The lake is a wonderful asset if you like the water. We have the largest fresh water surfing in the country. The pier area is building up, there is a large waterpark resort there, but it doesn't have that tourist-y feel. Sheboygan has a ton of great local restaurants (many downtown), but yes, there are three Chinese Buffets (there is a demographic here that insists on getting their moneys worth). Another great thing about Sheboygan that I love, is that it is centrally located between Milwaukee, Green Bay, and Appleton..only about 1 to 1 1/4 hour to each of them.

All in all, we love Sheboygan, friendly people (even for "outsiders" like me), great schools, many outside activites, and a growing retail sector.

Hope this helps!


Indi9 - Sheboygan has a high number of Hmongs and Mexicans; however, the past few years we have seen a growing number of colored people moving to the area. Perhaps they are moving up from Milwaukee to escape some of the crime? The city as a whole seems to be indifferent to this. Even though the numbers are growing, they are still very much a minority. With this being said, Sheboygan is a very friendly city and I think you will find it very welcoming!

[jessysunshine]

Wow, Jenlen. Thank you so much for such a glowing personal real-life testimony to life in Sheboygan. You addressed a lot of what we were wondering. It's wonderful to hear you love it so much. I am hoping we end us there or somewhere very near. We would love to be near to the lake -- it's almost like the ocean which we love!