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Old 03-19-2012, 06:46 AM
 
1 posts, read 4,122 times
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We are moving to the Milwaukee area and are looking to buy a house. It seems to be a lot cheaper than renting right now. Everyone keeps recommending Brookfield or the "north shore" areas (Whitefish Bay, Fox Point, Glendale etc.) we have small children so schools are important. After looking at property taxes are practically half in Brookfield! $3,800 a year vs. $7,000 a year is a big difference. Are there any advantages to living in the north shore vs. Brookfield? Which would you recommend for families?
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Old 03-19-2012, 01:51 PM
 
Location: La Jolla, CA
7,284 posts, read 16,678,248 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Coastiewife88 View Post
We are moving to the Milwaukee area and are looking to buy a house. It seems to be a lot cheaper than renting right now. Everyone keeps recommending Brookfield or the "north shore" areas (Whitefish Bay, Fox Point, Glendale etc.) we have small children so schools are important. After looking at property taxes are practically half in Brookfield! $3,800 a year vs. $7,000 a year is a big difference. Are there any advantages to living in the north shore vs. Brookfield? Which would you recommend for families?
That is correct, taxes in Waukesha County are a lot less expensive.

The North Shore is usually considered the premier residential destination in the Milwaukee area, although it may be defined as haughty by some. Great schools, safe area, on the shore of Lake Michigan. It's also close to the city if your work is in the city.

Both Brookfield and the North Shore are good areas for families. Brookfield offers more square feet or yard size per dollar, and less taxes, relatively speaking. Amenities within a few minutes from the house are ample in both. The lake is a big plus with the North Shore, if you like it. But living next to the lake, even if you are very well off, is almost financially impossible. It's that expensive.

I have lived in Brookfield and Fox Point. I can tell you that, should your worst problem with your relocation, be choosing between the North Shore or Brookfield, then you really don't have many problems.
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Old 03-20-2012, 08:48 AM
 
Location: Albuquerque, NM
662 posts, read 1,450,563 times
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Do politics matter to you at all? Waukesha county is super Republican while the North Shore tends to be a bit more liberal, but not granola at all. I'm not talking Berkeley or anything.
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Old 03-20-2012, 01:17 PM
 
Location: La Jolla, CA
7,284 posts, read 16,678,248 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nonexpat View Post
Do politics matter to you at all? Waukesha county is super Republican while the North Shore tends to be a bit more liberal, but not granola at all. I'm not talking Berkeley or anything.
I concur.
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Old 03-20-2012, 09:39 PM
 
6 posts, read 43,886 times
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Default My Take on the North Shore

First of all, ironically, I do have a house for sale in Glendale. If interested, let me know. But that's not the purpose of my writing. My family is being transferred to the Tampa area. Won't miss the winters, but I'm sure I will miss some things about Wisconsin. I've lived in the North Shore for 10 years and I really like it - alot. There's so much right here. If I didn't work in Milwaukee, I probably would not need to venture that far. I'm located in between two large parks, walking distance to Bayshore Mall, which is GREAT, a short distance to Lake Michigan, my gym is right up the street, and I43 is right there if I want to travel downtown -which is maybe 7 minutes, depending on traffic - or wherever. It's just really convenient all around. The area is very diverse in many ways. Just about every color, religion, political ideology, and so on. On my street alone, you will see Republican signs on one side and a Democrat sign on the other. That being said, there are other areas that are not as diverse in many ways. Shorewood is VERY liberal - very "granola" which is not my thing. I lived there for awhile and people are the types who would not cut thier grass or use a weed killer because of the environment. Ugh. I ran from there. Then you have other areas that are more Repulican and white, such as areas closer to the lake, River Hills (very expensive), Bayside, parts of Fox Point and Whitefish Bay. Glendale has a bit of everything. So, it depends on what you are looking for. I can tell you that the lots in Whitefish Bay are TINY. My lot in Glendale is THREE of their lots and my takes are less. My first choice when I moved in the area was Whitefish Bay, but I could not live with how small the lots were. Shorewood is even worse. There are areas where you can get a nice size lot and nice home, it just depends on budget. Keep in mind that the taxes are HORRIBLE. Many people need to buy smaller, cheaper homes so they can afford the TAXES, not the house! But, that being said, I would not live anywhere else than the North Shore if I moved to the Milwaukee area again. Brookfield just feels like a big suburb with nothing that interesting about it. It seemed really "man-made" to me, as if everything is fake. You need to drive everywhere you go. It's rather far from the lake, downtown, the east side, Summerfest grounds, the museums and so on. And if traffic is bad, then forget it. The lake for me is a huge draw. Just knowing I can walk or ride my bike a few minutes and be on the lake is fantastic, and it just seems like a different "feel" being that close. I just can't say enough about how much I like the area. The winters, well, it's the same here or Brookfield! But hands-down, I would choose the North Shore - closest to the lake you can afford!
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Old 03-21-2012, 04:47 PM
 
114 posts, read 325,815 times
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Traffic in Milwaukee isn't at the level of the northeast, LA, Chicago, etc, but it is bad enough that I would at least make your job location(s) one of the deciding factors in this search. If working downtown, coming in from the North Shore is MUCH easier than from Brookfield, even if the various North Shore communities only look a little closer to downtown on the map. Traffic on I-94 and surrounding roads west of Milwaukee sucks.

Brookfield is modern suburbia, for better or worse (auto-centric, bigger lots). The North Shore is old suburbia (more walkable, smaller lots).
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Old 03-23-2012, 08:24 AM
 
Location: Albuquerque, NM
662 posts, read 1,450,563 times
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If I were to move to Milwaukee, I'd choose the North Shore. That being said, my sister lived near the lake and hated it. She felt like she didn't have a summer. She moved a titch further inland for the warmer summer temps.
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Old 03-23-2012, 05:27 PM
 
Location: Milwaukee, WI
63 posts, read 204,972 times
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Neither are cheap, but the North Shore is expensive.
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Old 03-29-2012, 10:44 AM
 
Location: Inland Levy County, FL
8,806 posts, read 6,108,411 times
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How big is your family? I have heard (and seen, on the MLS) that there are very few homes in Shorewood (didn't look at the other North Shore suburbs as they are WAY out of our price range) with two full baths. That is a deal killer for me. Also, the garages are often single stall, mostly detached and in the rear of the property, which seems so dumb b/c then have you to walk in the snow to get to your car and shovel a long driveway to get out. It really makes no sense. LOL The lots are indeed small for the majority of Shorewood and WFB and some of Glendale, depending on which area you're talking. Fox Point and Bayside are very expensive, it seems to get more expensive as you move north and/or east. You're looking at at least $200k for a small home in Shorewood, even now.

I like how walkable the NSS are, though, and lots of Mom and Pop type places. Political attitude seems to get more conservative as the affluence increases (see above). I personally really like Brookfield as I'm used to a sprawling suburbia, with chain stores and a mall, ranch style homes. I am also conservative and that area is moreso than the NSS, generally speaking. Both have interstate access.
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Old 03-30-2012, 10:53 AM
 
458 posts, read 1,248,718 times
Reputation: 306
I think it depends on what is more important to you and the situation you are in. Keep in mind there's a lot of variety between the north shore suburbs. Shorewood, Glendale, WFB, Mequon, Fox Point, etc all have unique qualities to them.

Is the difference in property taxes a huge hit on your family's income?
Do you like being in close proximity to downtown or does that not matter?
Where do you commute to for work?
Is lot size important to you?
How big of a house are you looking for?
Does the year the house was built in matter at all to you?

I know north shore schools are good but I am not familiar with Brookfield schools.

Personally the first thing I would look at is the commute times. Long commutes have a large negative impact on family life. If you worked downtown or close to it I would look at Mequon, WFB, Glendale, or Fox Point and chose one of those based on the other factors. If you work towards the west then I would pick Brookfield.
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