We're moving! Wanna chat? (Madison, Racine: mortgage, good schools, university)

[homeagn]

Hi all,

Just wanted to chat about my family's upcoming relo to the great state of Wisconsin.

Actually it's more like a re-relo. We lived in Racine for 4 years, but we didn't like it for an assortment of reasons...then 2 years ago we moved to the Chicago suburbs to be closer to my family, but we don't like it here for another assortment of reasons.

We've been investigating a return to WI for some time now, and LO! DH just scored a job in Marshfield. Woo-hoo!

I gotta laugh, cuz DH is not a healthcare professional, and I am, but he's the one who got a job at Marshfield Clinic! I'm still looking for a job for me.

I also gotta say, although we're excited, we're scared out of our gourds. We'll be closer to DH's family, which we've never been, and we don't know how that'll go. Ever see Everybody Loves Raymond? Marie, Raymond's mom, channels my MIL. Eeek!

We'll also be suuuuuper far from Chicago, where my mom will probably go into grandchild withdrawal. Anybody know how long it takes to get from the northern Chicago 'burbs to Marshfield? Hopefully I can say to my mom that it's "about 4 1/2 hours."

Also, we've never lived in such a rural area. We like the idea of a slower pace, more nature, more quiet, more room to breathe, less traffic and congestion. We like the idea of a cheaper mortgage (even with the higher property taxes) and a short commute to work. We like the idea of sending our daughter to good schools without worrying about crime.

BUT we're a little nervous about being far from everything we're used to having close by. Like "good" shopping. I heard Madison is 2 1/2 hours away? How far is Point? We don't even know where we'll be able to get our cars serviced (a Honda and a BMW).

Oh yeah, and I really hate mosquitoes! I'm going to be swimming in OFF this summer, I just know it!

Words of wisdom, anyone? Thanks!

[Hntr]

Chicago is 4 hours from Marshfield and Stevenspoint is about 30 miles from Marshfield.

As far as BMW dealer there is one in Appleton and one in Madison, probably Madison would be nearest to you, but unless you have to take your BMW or Honda in for a recall I sure any good service shop in Eau Claire, Wausau or Stevens Point would be able to take care of all your needs for both cars.

And I doubt if mosquitos will be any worse in Marshfield than they are in the Chicago suburbs.

Welcome to Wisconsin, I'm sure you will love it.

[susancruzs]

Loved reading your post, I'm sure you'll get some helpful responses! Welcome to Wisconsin!

I moved from NE Illinois to Wisconsin in 2007 and its worked out fine for me. I live on the east side of the state though so I can't help you with the Marshfield area. I think it will be nice for you to be centrally located to take advantage of all the state has to offer.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by homeagn

We'll also be suuuuuper far from Chicago, where my mom will probably go into grandchild withdrawal. Anybody know how long it takes to get from the northern Chicago 'burbs to Marshfield? Hopefully I can say to my mom that it's "about 4 1/2 hours."

"About 4 1/2 hours" isn't too far off the mark. It's probably closer to 4. It's a doable weekend trip, probably more doable on a 3-day weekend.

I've been to Marshfield a couple of times, and I have to say, the best thing going for it is its proximity to the Northwoods. There's nothing wrong with Marshield itself -- it's not grimy or crime-ridden or run-down or anything. But there isn't a whole lot going on in Marshfield itself, and it's not convenient to anything substantially bigger either, unless you count Stevens Point, which I really don't. But at least SP has a university that can offer some cultural events and the like if you need something like that in a pinch. SP probably has more shopping and dining options but you'll be able to get all the basics in Marshfield. In any case, it will definitely be an adjustment, so I hope you've had most of your metropolitan itches scratched by now.

There's a nice combined restaurant and brewpub downtown. The restaurant is upstairs and it's called Parkin Place. The brewpub is downstairs and it's called The Blue Heron. The Blue Heron also has its own menu (the place gets JAM-PACKED on Friday evenings for fish fry), but Parkin Place's menu is a bit more up-market.

Blue Heron BrewPub - Parkin Place
Blue Heron BrewPub (Marshfield, WI)

There's a Honda dealer in both Stevens Point and Wasau. Marshfield is equidistant from both (about half-hour drive). Closest BMW dealer is in Appleton, about a 90-minute drive away.

[ccjarider]

Originally Posted by Hntr

Chicago is 4 hours from Marshfield and Stevenspoint is about 30 miles from Marshfield.

As far as BMW dealer there is one in Appleton and one in Madison, probably Madison would be nearest to you, but unless you have to take your BMW or Honda in for a recall I sure any good service shop in Eau Claire, Wausau or Stevens Point would be able to take care of all your needs for both cars.

And I doubt if mosquitos will be any worse in Marshfield than they are in the Chicago suburbs.

Welcome to Wisconsin, I'm sure you will love it.

Hntr - Gotta diasagree with you on the mosquito comment. Lived all over Wi for 46 yrs years, now live in Il.

Some years in WI were worse than others, but they can be unbelievably bad in wet years. Some years we could not use yard and camping was BS. Here in Arlington Hts, it is great! Town does a little spraying I think but for whatever reason, we can sit out on a warm, calm evening and maybe swat 2-3 as opposed to 2 or 3 THOUSAND back in WI.

There are things we miss, but that ain't one of them!

[Hntr]

LOL, yeah I wouldn't miss the mosquito either.

I live about fifty miles from Marshfield, some years the mosquitos are bad, some years they are not. Like you said depending on the amount of rain we get. I assume it would be like that everywhere, but if they spray for them in town I'm sure that would make a great difference. We haven't had a bad mosquito year here in several years.

[susancruzs]

Not even last summer, after all the rain and flooding in the Spring?? Mosquitoes were really bad, I'm hoping this year will be better. Of course, I didn't see any spraying either.

[homeagn]

susancruzs, good to hear from you! I remember reading your posts about making the IL to WI move. We thought we might end up on your side of the state too--Sheboygan--but it just didn't work out with jobs and family. Maybe someday.

Mosquitoes! Even here in the NW 'burbs of Chicago, they supposedly spray but I still get good 'n' chewed every summer. The in-laws live in WI Rapids, and I know that every time we visit them I get eaten alive. Especially in August. They don't touch DH, natch. I must have lotsa skeeter pheromones about me! Incidentally, MIL thinks she can make it to Marshfield from Rapids in 20 minutes on a good day. I think she's nuts. At least, I hope she's nuts, I don't want her that close!

Thanks for the brewpub links Drover. Smoke-free, woohoo! I had heard that Marshfield has a smoking ban. DH and I were saying that we'd miss IL's statewide smoking ban, and so we're pretty glad that it exists in Marshfield too--though we guess it's probably not so popular an idea with a lot of other folks. It sure isn't down here anyway.

I also heard that there's a brewpub with the Central Waters beer? DH's favorite, out of Junction City.

[Hntr]

LOL, I asked my wife if we've had bad mosquito years here lately. She said just because they don't bite me doesn't mean they're not around. If I remember correctly they were worse at the lake than they were by our house.

[ekg56]

We are about 30 minutes from Marshfield. It is a nice area.
I am originally from the north side of Chicago. We can make it down in just under 4 hours. We take 10-41 and then Waukegan Rd instead of the toll road and we are in Rogers Park in just under 4 hours. We like to drive and think nothing of going down for a day visit.
We often drive down just for the day. And my siblings drive up here from Chicago just for the day. They come up for Thanksgiving Day and we usually drive down for Christmas Day. So I would say a weekend is fine. I am going down this weekend for our annual grade school's St Paddy's Day party.