leaving wisconsin survey (Milwaukee, Hudson: sales, condo, high crime)

[BacktoNE]

Originally Posted by 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.

If I remember correctly, you are heading in the same direction we are. Maybe we should hook up and share a moving van If you can wait 'til next Spring/early Summer that is.

[Lookout Kid]

I grew up in Wisconsin and have lived in Madison, a Madison suburb, a small town, Madison again for college, and Milwaukee for grad school and a little time after--in that order. Oh, and I did an internship in Madison for one of my Milwaukee summers.

Why did I leave? Well, I traveled a lot, lived for a short periods in Paris and New York, and realized I was truly a city person in spite of my upbringing. I loved large cities, and was happiest in them. Also, my profession (architecture) and the profession of my wife (advertising) just don't exist at a high level in Milwaukee and Madison. And I really don't believe the Milwaukee economy will be strong enough in the long term to support the cadre of architects that already live there.

Now that I have a family, I can see advantages to living in Wisconsin. There are things about Milwaukee and Madison I still find quite appealing. But moving back would be a huge professional compromise, and a lifestyle compromise as well. I love the hustle and bustle of Chicago, the energy, the restaurants, the shopping, the culture, the architecture, the history, etc. I doubt that I will ever leave. The only place that could get me away is New York City or a foreign metropolis like London or Paris, but I prefer to be within driving distance of my family (most are still in Wisconsin).

[ccjarider]

Left WI for Chicago due to job change.

Do not miss the income taxes.

Do miss the good roads and in some very weird ways the 'cheesehead" lifestyle things such as: Monday morning discussions regarding badger/packer results, the deer hunting genre, the beer tents and festivals.

THis summer we were at the Arlington Heights 4th of July festival and at 10:00 pm, we were practically only ones in beer tent. THAT is something you don't see in WI.

Miss having a fishing hole close by. All in all it actually was a good place for us but it took leaving to know that. Still close and we have lot's of family/friends there - no big deal.

[gortamor]

Originally Posted by BacktoNE

If I remember correctly, you are heading in the same direction we are. Maybe we should hook up and share a moving van If you can wait 'til next Spring/early Summer that is.

Well, it will all depend on when, and if, I can get a job back in New England!

[KateDaum]

Just read in the Milwaukee Journal today that WI is in the top 5 for niceness. A 6 year study based out of Cambridge.
There is also a stress belt from Maine to Louiisiana that the people are more neurotic out east.
Having lived out east an now in WI I agree. People here are so much more friendly.
Hubby has been busy moving lots of people from the east to the midwest. They are all loving it too!

[Badger]

Originally Posted by KateDaum

Just read in the Milwaukee Journal today that WI is in the top 5 for niceness. A 6 year study based out of Cambridge.
There is also a stress belt from Maine to Louiisiana that the people are more neurotic out east.
Having lived out east an now in WI I agree. People here are so much more friendly.
Hubby has been busy moving lots of people from the east to the midwest. They are all loving it too!

friendly to your face, but as soon as your back is turned look out! Typical Midwest.

and why does everyone tailgate you? you can be doing 10 over in the right lane of a 3 lane hi-way and you still get tailgated.

[KateDaum]

I'll take Lake Superior over the ocean any day. And we have found so many things to do in the state. We are always busy and the people in our little town have been so friendly. We lived out east and it was horrible. We were taxed to death. Car registration, property taxes, were so much higher. And the schools weren't that good.

But I believe you get what you want out of life. If you moan and complain and don't embrace where you live you will be miserable. The people out east were closed minded and unfriendly to outsiders but we still went to all their festivals. Didn't care if they stared at us and wouldn't talk. We made our own fun.

My husband is a relocation expert. He has had people leaving the east coast all the time. I am talking 10 or more families a month. They hate the high taxes and cost of living.

I worked in an ER out east. And if you think people don't drink out there you are blind. It was horrid on a Friday night. Kids coming in, drinking and driving in their teens. Long,cold eastern winters with nothing to do but drink. It was a problem our area was looking into. The schools were tring to crack down but it was a losing battle. Parents looked the other way. Or thought it was OK, because it was beer and not drugs. My kids hated living there because that is all the kids did. Drink and party. We don't find that here. They ice skate, have bonfires. My kids love that drinking isn't a ritual on the weekends here.

[KateDaum]

Originally Posted by Badger

friendly to your face, but as soon as your back is turned look out! Typical Midwest.

and why does everyone tailgate you? you can be doing 10 over in the right lane of a 3 lane hi-way and you still get tailgated.

We haven't run into that in the almost year we have been here. People have gone out of there way to invite us to their cottages, out on their boats. To Packer and Brewer games. But maybe we are just nice people and they don't feel the need to stab us in the back.
Tailgating? Not up north. But try driving along the ocean in the summer. People turn out in front of you. Crawl up your bumper. I said if you can learn to drive out there you can drive anywhere.

[yeah!]

Originally Posted by Badger

friendly to your face, but as soon as your back is turned look out! Typical Midwest.

I completly agree with that. I noticed two types of people in WI: normal folks who mind their business and live and let live, and on the other hand there are these types with "holier than thou" attitude, who always stick their nose in someone elses business and trying to be bossy. I can't stand thyse type of people because they are for the most part backstabbers, complainers, hypocrates that tend to make big deal out of every little thing. Unfortunately second type seem to prevail in WI. I don't know if this is typical everywhere or just in WI though.

P.S. I can totaly understand people who love it here because they were born here and it's their home. And home is always good no matter how bad it actualy might be.

[escapetacoma]

Originally Posted by Badger

friendly to your face, but as soon as your back is turned look out! Typical Midwest.

We haven't noticed anything like that in the year+ that we've been here. Not that we'd always know if someone was talking behind our backs but you generally get a feeling for that sort of thing and we haven't gotten it here.

and why does everyone tailgate you? you can be doing 10 over in the right lane of a 3 lane hi-way and you still get tailgated.

Agreed!! For the most part I haven't found Wisconsin drivers to be bad at all - the one exception is that I've never been tailgated this badly anywhere other than Southern California. Just strange. It's not unusual to see 5 or 6 cars on the freeway without the space to fit a motorcycle between any two of them.