Wausau for Outsiders (Milwaukee, Appleton, Manitowoc: home, neighborhoods, theater)

[ahoffelt]

My husband is looking at a job in Wausau and I am trying to research the area a little bit before we visit. Most posters say that Wausau is a nice community, but that it is very difficult to meet people and to become part of the social scene. Have you found this to be true? If so, do you think that it is different from other communities where you've lived? We are originally from the east side of South Dakota, but are interested in Wisconsin for the outdoor activities and scenery as well as reasonable proximity to our families in South Dakota. Any information that you can share would be much appreciated.

[crazyme4878]

My sister recently moved to Merrill, about 20 minutes north of Wausau (has lived there about a year and a half). She seems to like it alot and my niece has made a lot of friends. They really love the park, the library, and being close to some natural areas.

[berries]

you used Wausau and social scene in the same paragraph. Come on.. I know your from south dakota but there is not much of a social scene in wausau.. For that you need to go to madison or milwaukee or minneapolis, but wausau is a nice town, but if you like balls and alot of cultural events you will need a good deer rifle and a cooler of beer,,,,cuz that is our social scene.

GOod luck. If you like south dakota I think you will like wausau..but new york or la it is not!!!

[tet tea]

We live just south of Wausau. Moved here over a year ago. Like Berries said, there's not much of a social scene. There's quite a lot to do if you like the outdoors, but then again you're only a short drive away from some of the bigger cities. Some people say that "outsiders" tend to have a hard time fitting in but I personally think that all depends on the "outsider"

[hankejp]

Originally Posted by tet tea

We live just south of Wausau. Moved here over a year ago. Like Berries said, there's not much of a social scene. There's quite a lot to do if you like the outdoors, but then again you're only a short drive away from some of the bigger cities. Some people say that "outsiders" tend to have a hard time fitting in but I personally think that all depends on the "outsider"

I agree Tea tea. People won't be knocking on your door trying to make friends, neighbors maybe, but not other people. Wausau is a nice area. As far as the social scene, it all depends on what your idea of a social scene is. The nice part is, as tea tea stated is that your a few hours from the major cites in all directions.

[ekg56]

We have lived in Kronenwetter for 21 years, so we are just south of Wausau. We really like it. I have never had a hard time finding friends. We are active in our church and when our kids were younger we met a lot of people that way.
We enjoy going to concerts at the Grand theatre. We are never bored living here.
I had family in Brookings SD and think Wausau is similar to that.

[ahoffelt]

Thanks for all of your input. We will be going to check it out the week before Thanksgiving and that should give us more insight about whether or not it will be a reasonable option for us. Deer rifle and cooler of beer isn't exactly what I'm looking for in terms of a social scene (I was kind of hoping for an alternative to South Dakota), so that is good information for me to have beforehand! Thanks!

[berries]

Originally Posted by ahoffelt

Thanks for all of your input. We will be going to check it out the week before Thanksgiving and that should give us more insight about whether or not it will be a reasonable option for us. Deer rifle and cooler of beer isn't exactly what I'm looking for in terms of a social scene (I was kind of hoping for an alternative to South Dakota), so that is good information for me to have beforehand! Thanks!

hey I was just bein honest with you. It is on the fringe of the northwoods of wisconsin; wausau is a heck of a nice town. just want you to know what you are in for. and I am not saying that is a bad thing. just tellin ya. Up here we love what we are....kinda like eatin moosemeat!!!

[susancruzs]

Berries, you are a hoot! Your posts make me smile (in a good way)! I'm not in the northwoods but Two Rivers is different than NE Illinois alot! Fortunately my mom was from the UP and I've always spent alot of time in northern Wisconsin and Michigan.

If I had never been in Wisconsin at all or outside of a metropolitan area, I'm not sure I'd be happy as my mind set would be different. I don't have a need to go to restaurants that prices start at 25.00 and everything is ala carte. There are plays, concerts and changing exhibits at the Rahr-West Museum in Manitowoc. It isn't Chicago but at this stage of my life I don't need major culture in my life.

[NowInWI]

I think you'll like Wausau - it's a beautiful city with Rib Mountain and the lake. They've been doing some major construction on the highways, but that should all be coming to an end before toooo long. The end result will be worth it.

Wausau's downtown area is as charming as it gets. There are some very unique shops and restaurants, as well as the mall, the Grand Theater, etc. The outdoor square downtown is a family oriented venue that hosts (during the summer) live music, movies, a farmer's market, arts events, and during the winter there is ice skating available. In the summer, families bring their blankets or chairs, food, and just enjoy an evening in the beautiful outdoors.

For a city its size, Wausau is a very arts oriented community. The Grand Theater has year around theater productions from Broadway, live concerts, etc. The Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum has permanent exhibits and exhibits that travel here from all over the world. Google the museum, and then hit Images to see how beautiful it is. Also, there is a Festival of the Arts every September that brings in artists from all over the country. Go to Welcome Home to Wausau Wisconsin and Artsblock - Home to check some of these things out.

The suburbs around Wausau have grown a lot in the recent years - especially Weston. You can Google Village of Weston, and once you've brought that site up, click on Neighborhoods, Lifestyle/Parks, etc. to get an idea of that area in case you're looking to move to a suburb. There are other great suburbs as well, with a lot of beautiful neighborhoods.

Shopping is decent for a city the size of Wausau - the mall has some options, and Rib Mountain has some popular nationwide shopping venues. Also, in Wausau you're halfway between the Twin Cities and Milwaukee (which is very close to Chicago) if you can't find what you want. Appleton is only 1.5 hours away, and they have WONDERFUL shopping there.

Granite Peak is probably the biggest WI destination for skiing. If you take a trip up Rib Mountain and climb the tower, you can see for many miles. It's beautiful, but you missed all the colorful trees this year. During ski season, there are cars from many different states in the parking lot (Illinois most frequent, after Wisconsin).

I think you'll be pleased with what you find in Wausau.