Green Bay vs Sturgeon Bay - where to live (Washington: lease, home)

[mytongueisred]

To anyone that can help and give some advice. I'm a single guy - 31 and am moving to Wisconsin in July. I have to work in Sturgeon Bay - and although I heard its a blast in the summer - the winters are sure hell... so I was thinking about living in Green Bay and commuting. Although many people in the forum say its an armpit - its really my only alternative choice since I can't do a commute farther than Green Bay. So If anyone has any suggestions on where in Green Bay to live or if I should just live in Sturgeon Bay.

I currently live in DC and previously lived in NYC - which is why I'm edging towards GB since its as close to a city I can get....but where in GB. Downtown - is that where its active...nightlife...cool people?

again - thanks for any help.

[nanannie]

My husband is from Sturgeon Bay and we had a home outside there for 18 years. You are right about summers, but its a happening place in Fall as well as when there is a decent snow in winter and the snowmobiles are set free.
I dont think it would be worth the commute to live in Green Bay if you are looking for 'cool people' or active nite life, you will not find what you experienced in those cities you left,expect a very different type city. I cant even begin to imagine moving from NYC or DC to GB or SB. What a switch. We never really got into GB for nite life, they have a plethora of bars/restaraunts in Door County anyway. Loved the boating community as well. Having to drive thru often bad weather for a long stretch would be torture after awhile. I hope someone your age can comment about the nite life of Green Bay and if it would be worth the commute, I vote no.

[gossi1]

Even though small, SB would be a cool place. We went up there once in mid Jan for four days-whoa! We had a hard time finding a place to eat, but being locals probably would have been different. GB IS an armpit-yech. It will be what you make it; you can always get into the "city" if you need to.

[Geechie North]

Lived in Door Co for many years.

Despite Hwy 42-57 being upgraded to 4 lanes (which means the accidents now happen at far deadlier speeds), a daily commute from Sturgeon Bay- anywhere in Door County with the possible exception of Union Twnshp in the far SW- to Green Bay would be the ultimate b**ch, esp. in winter/spring.

[Drover]

There was a fairly lengthy discussion about this here a while ago, this might give you some info and help point you in the right direction: http://www.city-data.com/forum/wisco...-sturgeon.html

Unfortunately, I think you might find the nightlife in GB to be a bit of a letdown, to put it mildly.

[EnjoyEP]

Good God man....

Are you SURE that this is what you want to do???! You are currently living in The District...after a run in NYC...and now you are looking at S. Bay!!????

Now, I personally wouldn't be a huge fan of living in The D(C) or NYC, however, I wouldn't also be a huge fan of living in S. Bay (or GB for that matter). The former would be much too big for my ideal tastes, the latter much, much, MUCH too small (and cold). However, given the hypothetical choices between *having* to pick one of the two, I would surely do DC over SB or GB.

This isn't to try to talk you down about SB. It is what it is. And for folks that like a quiet, serene, very isolated, quite and safe small town, SB would foot the bill. Remember, GB isn't terribly large either - similar in size to Springfield, Missouri (with an NFL team). Both towns are extremely cold / chilly towns, with very short growing seasons and very long winters...in these towns, you're going to see green leaves on trees for 4.5 months or 5 months max. Lots of cold, gray, wind for a long stretch of the year.

Don't get me wrong...both towns offer a very safe element, good schools, a quiet, rural element with many friendly and kind folk. Heck, throw in the Packers (which most towns of this size obviously don't come close to), and things aren't all bad.

I just hope you recognize and realize the utter and stark (absolutely 180 / night-and-day) difference you will be getting from DC (or NYC). From DC, you are going from a massive, ultra-cosmopolitan (for whatever that's worth) huge metroplex with tons of cutting-edge entertainment or recreation options (and relatively mild weather) to a very small town with quite few entertainment options (largely just due to the size).

Again, don't forget that DC's winters are a couple of months shorter than SB's, and the smmers

[Owensmomma]

Wow, you're in for quite a change, going from DC to Sturgeon Bay!

In 2007, our daughter moved from Chicago to Green Bay shortly before we moved from Chicago's far NW suburbs to Sturgeon Bay. She only lasted a year; we're still here.

She left Chicago for GB hoping it would be more affordable, and it certainly was. She made more money in GB and paid much less rent. But she missed the Chicago nightlife, the concerts, the museums, even the trains (she has a car, but that can be a handicap in Chicago).

She had an especially difficult time with the different culture in GB. For example, the young people she met and worked with were amazed that at the ripe old age of 25, she still had no children. Most of her peers in GB had two or three kids by their mid-20s, whether or not they'd been married. She said when meeting someone new, inevitably the first question they'd ask her was, "How many kids do you have?" She didn't know anyone near her age in Chicago who had children.

She also felt that the young people she knew in GB had lived very sheltered lives because they knew little of what was going on outside of WI and didn't really seem to care (unless it had something to do with the Packers). She was accustomed to more politically and culturally aware peers in Chicago.

When her one-year lease in GB was up, she quit her job and moved back to Chicago (late last summer). She's having a harder time financially in Chicago, but still says it was worth moving back. She looks at her year in GB as a learning experience that made her love Chicago even more than she did before.

Meanwhile, we're wrapping up our second full year in Sturgeon Bay. We love the beauty of the area, the lack of traffic, and the pace of small town life. But we've haven't found the locals to be real open to newcomers, so it's been pretty hard to get a social life going. We do love snow and cold weather, but when you don't know many people, it really does seem like a LONG winter.

There's an active arts scene here, and you might enjoy that if you don't mind a mix of ages. If I were you and had to choose between living in GB and SB, I'd definitely go for SB. It's nicer here, and trekking between SB and GB all winter would be an awful commute. Also, if you have any appreciation at all for nature and/or outdoor sports, this is a beautiful place, tucked between the bay and Lake Michigan.

Best wishes to you whatever you decide!

[mytongueisred]

thanks to all those who replied. to answer the question - I am moving to SB due to work (coast guard). As of now I'm leaning towards living in GB (for sanity) and so the change although drastic will not be totally 180. I was wondering where is a good place in GB to live where I could experience as best as possible the young crowd, active, fun, nightlife. any help greatly appreciated. Near Lambeau? or near Washington Commons? any other spots. I don't know much about the neighborhoods. Where does the young crowd (20's - 30's) hang out...live? thanks for all your help.

[Drover]

I'm sorry to say this, but I think you'll find the change will be pretty close to 180. I'm a city boy myself as you can tell by my "location" field, but I think even I would pick SB over GB if I had to choose. At least you get the scenery and charm of a resort town. With apologies to those who live there and enjoy it, GB is the worst of both worlds for an urbanite: little resemblance to a more substantial city, and little scenery & charm either.

[bobeweele]

I would Chose Green Bay if i were you, i could not imagine living in SB all winter, there is nothing to do. A very good place to live in green bay would be downtown, that is where all of the nightlife and young crowd would go. i lived in green bay and i loved it everyone is nice and it was so much fun.