Fond du Lac (Richmond, Forest, Brownsville: elementary school, college, subdivision)

[Fenderchick13]

Originally Posted by BacktoNE

I have to agree with original poster about not only FDL but the entire area. We've lived here 6 months and can't wait to get the heck out of here next year. It's true, the only social activity is drinking and smoking, and lets not forget the all important hunting.

If you are not native to WI, you are not welcome here. There is no getting around it.

Perhaps IHateFDL would like to share a moving van with us next Spring when we escape? We'd be happy for some friendly company.

I have to say something about the important hunting. It IS important. Deer eat crops, and run into the road causing accidents. Here in Fond du Lac deer are grossly over populated.

[JenRae70]

I moved to Wisconsin in 1980, and lived there for 24 years. I was NEVER accepted, nor was anyone I knew who moved there from elsewhere. I recently moved to another state, and LOVE it. Everyone is so warm and welcoming. People in Wisconsin, especially Fond du Lac, Neenah and Howard are especially cold and don't like to accept people they don't know.

It usually has something to do with the fact that you aren't their "DRINKING BUDDY". After I moved away, I realized how culturally dysfunctional it was to live in there all those years, and feel so bad for the people who appear to be "proud of their drinking culture" and are totally clueless what the rest of the country thinks of them. It's sad and embarassing, especially when you still have family there.

Drinking is not a part of the culture everywhere, and it's not socially acceptable in many parts of the county (most parts, actually). No wonder the rate of alcoholism, domestic violence, mental illness and alcohol related accidents is so high there. Wake up!

[JenRae70]

What sane community boast drinking and getting drunk at their church picnics. I mentioned something about picnics at my Newcomer's group at our new church (Catholic), and they looked at me like I had horns sticking out of my head.

There were people in the group from all different parts of the country who had just moved here, and no one ever heard of that. They all thought I was crazy, and I have never been so embarassed in my life.

In most parts of the county, women bring a dish to pass at the Church picnic, and it's a fun, family outing with good, entertainment (christian music), cotton candy, popcorn, children's games and softball games!

Have Wisconsites ever stopped to wonder what other people around the country think of them? I never did when I lived there. I SURE DO NOW!

[GreggB]

Wisconsin as a whole, is indeed a very dysfunctional state. From the acceptance of drunk driving, to the tax and spend philosiphies of it's cities, to the obesity of it's general population, to the lack of racial diversity in most of it's cities. La Crosse is as close to a "decent" city in that state, as you will get. Milwaukee, once a beautifull and proud city is now a crime ridden, dangerous place. The Fox Valley is an area of closed paper mills and conservative attitudes. Green Bay is a dieing city with increasing crime. Racine and Kenosha could float off into lake Michigan--No big loss there. Superior, Fond Du Lac, Janesville and Beloit are long dead and buried. Madison is fine--that is if you are a college professor or a rich white politician. The Wisconsin motto is "Forward". Ain't that a good one!!!!!!!!!!!

[sir rockwell]

I moved to FDL eight years ago...kicking and screaming, I might add. I did not know a single person here. I have found the people to be very nice. I believe that respect is received when it is given first. I have found that the taxes are high, but that is a state of Wisconsin issue, and not a FDL issue. I do not think the cost of living is high. In fact it is quite reasonable. I do not drink the water...the nice people in FDL told me not to. So, I called the Culligan man. As someone who is a social worker in a prison, I can tell you that sex offenders are EVERYWHERE...not centrally located in FDL. Also, if you are wondering why trick or treating is not at night, please research Gerald Turner. Part of moving to a new city is learning its history...if you knew this piece of the history, you would understand why the people of FDL are sensitive about trick or treating not being at night, and perhaps you could be compassionate and respectful to them about that. I have found that life, no matter where you live, is what you put into it. There are issues everywhere...a utopian society does not exist.

[ahanix1989]

I just had to add my own couple points (I've lived in Fond du Lac my entire life).

Yes, people biking do get hit by cars, but it's not solely the driver's fault. Kid comes between two parked cars into the road -- that was the kid's fault for ignoring obvious safety rules. When it snows here, the roads are hazardous, and if you're on a bike, it's unlikely that a car will be able to safely stop for you.

Yes, people here can be bad drivers -- same as EVERYWHERE ELSE. Half of the bad driving isn't hazardous, just annoying, like 80 year old people driving down the parking lane, or hovering down the middle of both the lanes in a four-lane road.

Feeling excluded? Depends on your attitude, also. If you cruise in with a New York attitude, it's gonna be obvious you're not from here.

Drinking? Welcome to Wisconsin. Local breweries will cause that.

Since we are all individuals here, it is very possible you just met the bad ones. Stop by Ma & Pa's sometime, and you'll see the friendly side of the city.

Ihatefonddulac -- get your son an old beater car when he gets his license, and then you won't have to worry about driving him to school. Or, just let him bike! As long as he is safe, he'll be fine. The kids who bike through red lights are the ones getting hit. Yes, the water is bad here. Little hard to fix that. If you're so worried about it, just get bottled water like anyone else. Me, I think I can handle a little radium.

Here's some safety facts on the driving. Sensor fails on the traffic lights right by the high school, so Scott is "Blinking Yellow", Luco/National is "Blinking Red", causing a HUGE line to form. What do people do? People on Scott start treating the intersection as a four-way stop. No police caused this, no volunteers directed traffic. People just naturally saw that there was a problem with the signals, and took it upon themselves to help, by forcing the intersection as a four-way stop. Same with power failures. If everyone sees the lights fail, they start using every intersection as a four-way stop. I'd love to see that happen in, say, Boston.


Have fun. This is the only city I know where it's big enough to have plenty of resources for shopping/hanging out, yet small enough that you can get across town in under 15 minutes.

[ahanix1989]

Oh, and to whoever posted about how there's little racial diversity: We can't help that. What do you want us to do? Call up Arkansas and say "Hey! We need more black people!", then call up Texas, and request more Mexicans? We can't force diversity, the minorities have to move here.

[JenRae70]

For the person who said if you come into the area with a New York attitude, you will be treated the same. Sorry to say I came from Marquette, Michigan, along the shores of Lake Superior in a remote area. I was as far from a New York attitude as you can get.

I went to Green Bay to attend UWGB,and my whole family followed and we all stayed. Nobody really was ever nice in more than 20 years. A handful of friends, and aquaintenances at church. I took it personally until I moved away and found out the world wasn't like that, quite the contrary, actually.

One area where exclusivity if practiced the most is in high school sports. Because my husband and I didn't grow up in the area, and weren't high school alumni, and weren't best friends with all parents and coaches who DID go to school together, no one gave us the time of day, and us along with other new members of the community watched our own children shunned and cut from sporting teams, despite their athletic ability.

So sad.

[JenRae70]

Then came the challenge of trying to fit in in the Fox Valley area, and Fond du Lac. With no kids in school, absolutely no way of meeting people, even those that exclude you. Unless you go and sit in the bars. But have you ever tried to sit in a bar full of strangers who are excluding you too? Try talking to someone who's had 10-15 drinks (or more). Half of the time they would rather hit you than talk to you. Sorry, there was nothing appealing there any more.

[GreggB]

Originally Posted by JenRae70

For the person who said if you come into the area with a New York attitude, you will be treated the same. Sorry to say I came from Marquette, Michigan, along the shores of Lake Superior in a remote area. I was as far from a New York attitude as you can get.

I went to Green Bay to attend UWGB,and my whole family followed and we all stayed. Nobody really was ever nice in more than 20 years. A handful of friends, and aquaintenances at church. I took it personally until I moved away and found out the world wasn't like that, quite the contrary, actually.

One area where exclusivity if practiced the most is in high school sports. Because my husband and I didn't grow up in the area, and weren't high school alumni, and weren't best friends with all parents and coaches who DID go to school together, no one gave us the time of day, and us along with other new members of the community watched our own children shunned and cut from sporting teams, despite their athletic ability.

So sad.

I hear what you say. By the way, I have some friends in Marquette--what a friendly place. COLD weather,but nice people. I have lived in the following places: Appleton Wisconsin, Redondo Beach California (L.A. area), Newport Richey Florida (Tampa area), Rapid City South Dakota, Henderson Nevada (Las Vegas area), Milwauke Wisconsin, San Antonio and Witchita Falls Texas. The friendliest area by far was Rapid City South Dakota. On the other end of the spectrum is Appleton Wisconsin. A conservative place, with arrogant attitudes, minimal diversity, wastefull spending of taxpayers dollars and a culture that centers mainly on the consumption of alcohol and intoxication. Gotta be one of the few places on the planet where even church functions revolve around drinking. I suppose the lousy weather there for most of the year affects people in a negative manner. Appleton does boast of a low crime rate-I guess one is more likely to freeze to death there than being shot. Milwaukee was a nice town 30 years ago or so. Still are pockets of shall we say civilization there but a large portion of the city is pretty nasty. The great magician Harry Houdini hailed from Appleton Wisconsin. Getting out of there was indeed his "Greatest Escape".