Kenosha area? (Milwaukee, Pleasant Prairie, Bristol: insurance, crime, buying a house)

[seeweedog]

Can someone please give me advise on the Kenosha area? I saw a past post that stated it was not a good area, but it seems to be going through a revitalization.

I need to be close to both Milwaukee and Chicago because i have a special needs child. She will start school in a few years so the school system is a consideration as well. Our father-in-law lives in Antioch, Ill so Kenosha is only 30 min. from there.

I've had mixed input and would really like to understand better if that would not be a good spot or not. If not, what would be recommended? I also need a place where I can easily get my daughter to the water/beach/park areas for stimulation.

[montyc]

It looks to me like Pleasant Prairie would be a better fit for your needs. Kenosha is currenty going through a revitalization but just because you revitalize your home by putting a fresh coat of paint on, doesn't make it a good home. The area is still plagued with crime and the school district is not much better. To be in a smaller town like Pleasant Prairie would allow the school district to better concentrate on your child's needs. Also, the town is closer to I-94 which makes commuting much easier.

This is only my two cents on it. Good luck!

Monty

[lovemaine]

I agree that Pleasant Prairie would be a good choice. Another option may be Bristol, another small town about 10 minutes from Pleasant Prairie. Also close to I-94 and the schools are supposed to be good.

[seeweedog]

Thanks so much for your responses. Are either one of these locations near the water?

Thanks!

[rrah]

Some of my family lived in the same area. As it happens my special needs nephew was born there and lived there until about age 3. The services he received were excellent under the age of 3. Home visits from therapists, a case worker that did her job, no hassles with his insurance or SSI, etc. My sister's family lived just over the Wisconsin border north of Antioch. (Mom and Dad lived in Lake Villa) You didn't specifically ask about this, but I thought it might ease your mind about a move. All I know about Kenosha is that there are/was 2 outlet malls there.

[seeweedog]

Thanks so much again. Clarification...was your nephew in Kenosha or Illinois? Thanks!

[Carole T]

I just came across your post today. If you are still looking for information on the Kenosha area as a possible spot to relocate, I think you'd be quite happy here. I read the previous posts, suggesting Pleasant Prairie that would be fine, as we have a man made lake and park area called Lake Andrea that is just beautiful. In Pleasant Prairie you are still in the kenosha unified school district which is great many choices and options including 2 great charter schools for elementry level and 2 choice high schools besides the two main public high schools. We have a special needs child who is now in high school we did the private catholic school choice for elementry but he is adjusting well in public high school and does get great support that we did not have in the private school. Bristol was mentioned as a possible choice but they are not in the kenosha unified school district they have their own small district not as many choices for you there. The city of Kenosha is on Lake Michigan and there is alot of open beaches and lakefront museums and the like. The down town is really becoming an awesome destination. I've lived here most of my life and it's amazing what has happened here in the past 10 yrs. Be choosey about what area of town you look in for housing as we do have some areas that are not the best but for the most part there is a wide variety of neighborhoods. Its a great location between Chicago and Milwaukee and many folks live here because of our great schools and the housing market and work in the "big" city.
Hope this helps, we are probably going to have to move due to my husbands job transfer and I have been looking at other parts of Wisconsin as well as Michigan and I tell you I'm spoiled with the great choices we have here, other areas are not as progressive and diverse.
Good luck!

[sorensja]

kenosha is an awesome place to live. Its quiet, even if the people look ghetto someplaces it is a safe place to live. I am 20 and wouldn't be afraid to walk anywhere at anytime in the town, regardless of what other people say on this fourm. I am a young college student from kenosha going to school elsewhere in wisconsin and i lived my whole life in the city. It is a great place, great schools. I didn't get a grade-a education there, but I feel that I got a good enough start on education to get me started in college. The district is very diverse, especially at the high school level, i went to 1 school where there was rich and poor, black and white and hispanic. Sometimes that is more important than what you can get out of a book, and in antioch or some other white person suburb you cant get that experience. Kenosha is a very good place and the educational system prepares you for the real world.

[Sonnenwende]

Nevermind. Answered my own question.

[regularguy]

I am 16 years of age, I have lived in Kenosha my entire life and I can honestly tell you that if your looking at the city of Kenosha (not the county) it is NOT what you are looking for. Granted, there are some preferable parts (whitecaps, horizons, pleasant prairie, and the lakeside area) but white caps will run you close to 200 Gs and horizons is most likely something similar, pleasant prairie ranges and the lakefront area is expensive. As for the commute kenosha is right about in the middle between Milwaukee and Chicago, there is a great train system running to Chicago and is a cheap way of traveling (this is coming from 1 parent being a school teacher and the other working at sears). Kenosha is a town of about 100,000 people and has a rich italian culture and we have a lot of good restaurants and a delightful italian grocery store and deli (Tenuta's). There is a drive in theater which is nifty, and an outlet mall. Although that's about the only good things about Kenosha. The largest current problem is the education reform is you have children starting school and you aren't willing to put out a few thousand a year at Armatige academy DO NOT COME TO KENOSHA or really anywhere in Wisconsin. In the coming year class sizes are expected to be between 30 and 35 kids. many teachers have been laid off and the new teachers are not as well trained. The downtown area is DEAD there are a few restaurants and a kid's toy store and a LOT of empty building and stores. A new gang has come into town in the past year and vandalism has gone up (luckily kenosha's police force is proactive as opposed to racine or waukegan who are reactive). People do get killed here as in any other city, robberies occur and the ghettos have gotten worse. Kenosha ghettos are small, but there are about 3 one in downtown and stretching towards the church of mt. carmel another by 60th street and close to McKinley school which just closed this year, and the final in the lincoln park area if you are considering buying a house stay away from the lincoln park area. Forest park is where I live and it's not bad but the largely hispanic ghetto by 60th is expanding and is starting to intrude into this area I expect my house to be in the ghetto within a hundred years. Crime isn't terrible but we do have the influence of the Milwaukee and Chicago gangs, not to mention we are roughly 30 minutes from rockford which made neighborhoodscout's list of 100 most dangerous cities in america. Finally Kenosha is INCREDIBLY boring we have no real mall or tourism and it has a large elderly population who are always complaining and ruining good things for example we used to have a decent parade which has dwindled and now due to complaints the firetrucks and police cars aren't even allowed to put their sirens on when they are in the parade. The kenosha news (the local newspaper) is useless it is biased and an awful source of info. I DO NOT recommend Kenosha WI, if your dead set on the are I would recommend Lindinhurst IL, it's about 20 minutes away. It's a predominately white neighborhood but my friend is black and lives there, it's close to Gurnee which houses six flags and a great mall and still close to Chicago and Milwuakee. Hope this helps