Thinking of moving to Green Bay (Milwaukee, Madison: appointed, college, camping)

[avsfanatic]

I currently live in Littleton Colorado, which is just oustside of Denver. I have live here my whole life. I sill enjoy it, but I want a change of scenery in my life. I have always wanted to live in Wisconsin as I heard good things about the whole state. I have done a little research, but wanted some advice from people that have lived there.

I was thinking about Green Bay or somewhere up north. I heard that the nothern part of Wisconsin has the most to offer as far as outdoor activities are concerned.

Any help would be much appreciated.

[geekduo]

The northern part of the state is definitely more rural and has national forests. If you want more varied terrain, than consider the western side of the state. The bluffs are quite beautiful. Throughout the state you will find numerous campgrounds and state parks. There is also a great trail bike trail system that is almost continuous across the whole state. Downhill skiing is available, but of course it is nothing like what you're used to. Cross country skiing is big here, as well as snowmobiling, camping, fishing, hiking, etc. It's not hard to find a campsite that is remote and entirely removed from other people. Wisconsin has over 15,000 lakes as well.
You can get information on the state park system here.
State Parks and Recreation - WDNR

The biggest difference, other than terrain is going to be the weather. It gets much colder here in the winters. But, on the other hand, it is also green and lush from spring until the leaves turn color in the fall. For outdoor recreation, it's a great state to be in.

[gbrulz]

I have lived in Green Bay for the past 11 years and I'm trying to leave! It's a great place to raise a family, but it totally lacks things to do and the nightlife is a joke. If you want to experience WI for the outdoor activities, I would suggest the Northern part. Lots of lakes for fishing, ski and snowmobile trails in the winter and the main ski hills are also near the WI/MI border.

Scenic wise, Lake Superior is the most beautiful. But the bluffs along the MN border are breathtaking as well.

Oh and be prepared to deal with 5 months of winter. That is the main reason why I want out of here. Winters are too long. We have leaves on the trees from May to October, the rest of the year is brown, cold and snowy. I've had enough !!

[hankejp]

Not to be mean, but your username is a little ironic.

[yo vanilla]

i prefer appleton over green bay for a number of reasons. green bay is kind of an older, run down town, imo, and it has alot more off the riff-raff demographic. but i pick madison over the two of them. you can search my user name for more things i've posted about appleton, and also do some research on madison. men's health picked it as the #1 city for men to live in this year, too.

and not that i'm completely an outdoors type, but i also like the southern half of the state in that regard. the north has alot of forest and lakes, which is great i suppose if you like to hunt and fish. but the southern half has the glacial formations, which offer alot of hiking, rock climbing (devils lake by madison is awesome) and the like. it's not the rocky mountains here, lol (i've been to the top of one or two myself ) but it is said to be the best record of glacial formations on the continent.

[jjacobeclark]

I agree with yo vanilla on this one. Coming from Denver, Madison will probably feel more familiar to you as there seems to be more of an emphasis on healthy eating and being physically active compared to other parts of the state. Cycling is huge in Madison; Trek is headquartered just outside of town in Waterloo. The Dells, The Baraboo Ranges, and Devil's Lake State Park are all awesome places to visit and very close to Madison. Don't expect things like rock climbing or snowboarding to be on par with what you're used to in Colorado. Wisconsin does offer great hiking, rafting, and kayaking. Living in Wisconsin opens up a whole new world of water sports to you like jet skiing, water skiing, sailing, fishing (regular and fly), tubing, kite surfing, wake boarding, wind surfing, and swimming (obviously).

As far as Green Bay is concerned, I wouldn't recommend it. Green Bay is very ghetto, it's our Pueblo. It should be avoided along with Racine and Beloit. Appleton, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Stevens Point, Oshkosh, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, DePere, and Wausau are all much nicer small cities than Green Bay.

[thrashee]

I recently moved to Denver, but I spent three years in Milwaukee.

Here's my take for you: True, the northern areas are gorgeous and you'll certainly have more greenery, but remember, it's the midwest--which means very flat farm land. Outside of Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin towns are tiny. As another poster stated, Green Bay is ghetto. I was sorely disappointed the first time I visited...it's an extremely blue collar town with absolutely no downtown action whatsoever. I can't fathom why anyone would want to move there...don't think because of the Packers that the town is hopping, because it's not...at all.

Madison was ok if you like the college scene, and Milwaukee was ok as well, but I don't think it has a single leg up on Denver. There is the lake, which can be pretty, but the beach there is disgusting and the water is dirty. As others have stated, make sure you like winter. A lot. One of the things I love about Denver is the sunshine, even during the winter, so be prepared to kiss that goodbye. Wisconsin winters are brutally cold and you can go many, many days without seeing the sun whatsoever. The other thing is that winters seem to last forever. It's not uncommon to have wicked cold days well into April or even May.

[MediaDoggie]

Some of the other posters have said it well. Green Bay is different in many ways than other cities anywhere.
Living near Madison you would have more local culture and easy access to the Western and Northern parts of the state for your ambitious outdoor activities.
I may also suggest the far Western part of the state near Hudson. That will give you quick access to the North and you'd have an easy drive to Mpls-St Paul for shopping and culture if that's what you are looking for.
Keep in mind Green Bay does not have a department store any better than Penney's. (G.B. residents, if this is now incorrect please update us). You would have to drive to Appleton just for a Macy's. The particular shoppers in Green Bay have to drive to Milwaukee.
If you like hard core drinking and football watching in bars than Green Bay would be good for you.

[aakoch]

I am also considering moving to Green Bay. I did a quick MapQuest of Green Bay to Appleton and it says it's about 30 minute commute. Does that sound right? Is it a reasonable commute to work in Green Bay and live in (closer to) Appleton?

[Aylalou]

Green Bay is not a pretty place to be. Madison or Door County are very nice. Even Appleton is much nicer than Green Bay.