leaving wisconsin survey (Milwaukee, Madison, Superior: car registration, home, schools)

[famlife]

i personally am leaving wisconsin. i've lived here for 8 years, and i cannot stand the winters anymore. also, the "northwoods" seclusion is getting to me. i considered just moving to Milwaukee, that maybe being in civilization would be enough to get me through, but then realized.. if i can move all the way to MKE, i could actually move anywhere.. so why not? i'm looking for a better climate, within a sizable city. it's looking like the southwest is the place for me.

Wisconsin was a good incubator for me and my family for awhile, but we are ready to go and experience more than trees, snow, lakes, and everything that trees, snow, and lakes have to offer.

but the northwoods is great if you like trees, snow and lakes.

[steelboss]

Wisconsin has been a wonderful place to live. Ive been here all my life, raised a family, took the good with the bad. sure winters are tough, but I recall a few years ago when i actually played golf on christmas day!!! so thats not a huge factor. Politics here are just like they are everywhere else. sure, theres a few pockets of bad areas, what state doent have them?? the main reason for me leaving is simple economics. Wisconsin is a tax happy, spend whatever we can for the good of somebody state. assistance to employers from the state is non existant, and they are over regulating and mandating so much so that companies have a hard time doing buisness. over the last 2 years, just the milwaukee area alone has seen long standing companies move leaving 1000's of workers left with little to contemplate other than survival. Yet, all that being said, if i could find a job here that would be comparable to what left, id stay in a heartbeat. been hitting it hard for 3 months now and its just not going to happen here, so its with a sad sense that away i go.

[BacktoNE]

We moved here 28 months ago from Maine, mostly to experience a different part of the country. We will be putting our house on the market in March and leaving as soon as it sells to go back home.

Winters are not an issue because we are accustomed to harsh winter weather. Our objections are based on the alcohol mentality; rude,unfriendly, and insular people; a horrendous State government (we thought Maine was bad but doesn't come close to this); and just the overall ambience of the State. Plus there is the obvious lack of ocean which is our favorite place to spend our free time.

We won't be sorry to see WI in our rearview mirror.

[bucky7680]

Wisconsin is a wonderful place to be FROM. Growing up there I learned that even if there was 12" of snow I still needed to go to work.That kind of work ethic has come in handy through the years. I left 30 yrs ago because I get depressed if I don't see the sun every day. The only things I still miss are the people. I've traveled throughout the country, finally ending up in Southern California. I've found my climate and my fortune here but I have'nt found people like in Wisconsin here. A previous poster said he left because he couldn't have a meaningfull conversation. I find it to be the opposite. My wife who is from SoCal thinks it's wiered when we go back to Wisconsin for a visit and I start talking to someone in the grocery line like we've know each other for a long time. If it were not for the weather and the property taxes I would move back.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by UW Badgers

We miss "up north"(say that here and get quite the stare).

I wonder why they give you a stare Are Iowans that insular that they have never traveled much to the northwoods of WI or MN? The northwoods is my absolute favorite place to visit

[DaBears]

Originally Posted by bucky7680

A previous poster said he left because he couldn't have a meaningfull conversation. I find it to be the opposite. ...I start talking to someone in the grocery line like we've know each other for a long time. .

I have to second that bucky...i've done the same thing...have just started talking to people i dont know...that is how i met most of my friends in fla and nc

[susancruzs]

One of the reasons I like Two Rivers so much is because of the friendly people. A friend was here this week (from Illinois) and she couldn't get over how everyone we saw spoke to us or at least said good morning or hello.

We took a walk and several people we passed wanted to stop and talk, she said did you know those people? I said, nope, that is just the way it is. She absolutely loved that I'm blocks from the lake. May not be the ocean but it sure is wonderful to live close to water.

[jessysunshine]

Originally Posted by susancruzs

She absolutely loved that I'm blocks from the lake. May not be the ocean but it sure is wonderful to live close to water.

That's how we want to live...blocks from Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan is like the ocean in that you can't see the other side and the water laps up on the beach. We fell in love with Kohler-Andrae State Park's beach, and we can't wait to see the other beaches along the Lake.

[UW Badgers]

Originally Posted by Plains10

I wonder why they give you a stare Are Iowans that insular that they have never traveled much to the northwoods of WI or MN? The northwoods is my absolute favorite place to visit

The people we know haven't been much outside their neighborhood, let alone Cedar Rapids. People here don't do much of anything. My husband and I try to find anything other then sitting at home on the weekends.

My husband had meetings in Appleton last January. His 2nd shift manager had to go as well. He had gone to Appleton once before, but it was for one day, never went driving around. So after dinner one night we took him around Appleton. Drove through downtown, went past the mall and such. He was amazed at downtown Appleton and couldn't believe the mall. We have 2 crap malls here, one half vacant and the other takes all of 5 minutes to walk. He loved it. That should tell you a little about the city of Cedar Rapids. If he thought Appleton was something, I can only imagine what he would think of Milwaukee and all the surrounding suburbs. I also know he would LOVE the northwoods.

Some say they wouldn't want to live anywhere else then CR. That right there tells ya they haven't left the city..LOL I can't even describe this city and now after the flood, it's a thousand times worse.

A few people that work for my husband asked if we were from Canada based on our accent. The lady I work for says that when my parents are here visiting she laughs because my accent comes out very much when talking with them. One nurse when my husband was at the doctor new instantly we were from Wisconsin because of our accent. You don't realize your accent until you move and listen to a Milwaukee radio station on line and here how we all talk.

And yes, the northwoods is the best!

[gortamor]

I want to leave very badly and have only been here since June. In general, the people seem very insular - do not wish to know 'outsiders' and have no interest in politics or the world around them. All they discuss is sports and family.