moving from LA to mke to be closer..... (Milwaukee, Franklin: real estate, apartment complexes)

[ladyt8878]

My husbands kids live in WI with there mother, my husband and i have decided to move there so that he could be closer to his kids who are 11 and 9, I just wanted to know how soon should we start looking at jobs, and homes, we don't plan to move until late September, or October because we are expecting a new baby due at the end of august. I would also like to know about the south side of Milwaukee because that is were kids go to school there, is it safe i also have a 6 month old baby who i would like for him to grow up in a safe area something different from LA how much is the rent over there in that area?

[Milwaukee City]

It depends on where on the south side? the near south side like around 16th and Lapham or down by 27th & College. Plus Milwaukee's neighborhoods change real quick. One minute you are in a rough area two minutes later you are in a good area and probably won't have much problems at all but this all depends on where.

[Devitron5000]

Pretty much anywhere on the southside is relatively safe. But if you're coming from LA, you'd probably enjoy Bay View and Walker's Point more than the areas further to the south and west. I don't know about anyone else, but when I'm on the "far southside" it feels like I'm upstate... and not in a good way. Not much to do there but fish fries and chain restaurants and a lot of the people have "old time" mentalities if you know what I mean.

[Milwaukee City]

Originally Posted by Devitron5000

I don't know about anyone else, but when I'm on the "far southside" it feels like I'm upstate... and not in a good way. Not much to do there but fish fries and chain restaurants and a lot of the people have "old time" mentalities if you know what I mean.

Yeah it's just you BTW: I don't get this feeling when on the far south side but that's for another thread.

[northbound74]

It probably depends on your line of work, but I'd start looking for jobs ASAP.
Housing will be considerably cheaper than LA going on what I understand of LA.
Nice 2 bedrooms can be had anywhere from 700-1500 a month. Places on the water will be higher.

I'm new here myself, but I've figured out that when people say 'southside', it could mean several different things. You should be able to find something you like and meets your needs.
I like the city quite a bit, but most of my experience so far is with the some of the southern suburbs.
Oak Creek and Franklin are big, square-shaped towns whose squares aren't filled in yet. Very sporadic and spread out. Not much of a community feel to either one. I have heard those school districts are supposed to be pretty good.

Greendale, at least the older part, is one of the more unique places I've seen. Old houses, duplexes and four-plexes built back in the 1930's as part of Roosevelt's New Deal. The guy who designed them was from New England, so they have that sort of look. The funny part is they built them backwards meaning they face away from the street and the front part looks out onto open fields in many cases. Overall, it looks like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting. There is a newer part, meaning anything from the 50's on, and it is still very nice. Real estate seems a bit pricey for what you get, but I read somewhere that the school district is considered one of the best in the area. The whole village is very well kept, with walking trails and playgrounds everywhere and a nice little downtown area.
Rent in Greendale is actually average to below average. I think It's because a lot of the apartment complexes are older. There is some new construction, but not a whole lot.