Possible Move to Milwaukee, WI from Cleveland, OH (Columbus, Oakland: credit card, neighborhoods)

[Jeynna1990]

Hello!

I've traveled throughout the U.S. and I'm now in the interview process for a job in Milwaukee (moving from Cleveland, OH (Northeast)). I'm also considering opportunities in Portland, OR and Phoenix, AZ.

I'd like to know the pros and cons about living in Milwaukee. What do you like about living there? Is it hip? How's the art, culture, and music scene? I just read about Sobelman’s in "These Are the 21 Best College Burgers in America." https://www.yahoo.com/food/these-are...114209524.html Anyone been there?

Even though Milwaukee is located in the Midwest, I'm curious to know if there's any difference between living there and Cleveland, OH.

Thanks for your feedback!

[svicious22]

Milwaukee is not hip. It doesn't give a sh*t about such things. In some ways it's Cleveland's twin so if you are looking for a drastic change your other options are probably better.

[brrabbit]

I think Milwaukee is a little bit more liberal than Ohio, but not too far away. I haven't been to Ohio though, only had friends visiting me from it.

[Jeynna1990]

Thanks for your feedback! I read another thread and someone stated that Milwaukee's only 90 minutes from Chicago by car, or you can take a train. I guess that's a pro.

Columbus, OH isn't too bad because it's the capital and location of Ohio State University. The area has a different vibe than Northeast Ohio. I would say that NEO has almost a 'defeated' attitude. It's as if the people have been so beaten up that they can't or won't pick themselves up. It's business as usual -- same old, same old. But that's my opinion.

[Empidonax]

Originally Posted by Jeynna1990

Hello!

I've traveled throughout the U.S. and I'm now in the interview process for a job in Milwaukee (moving from Cleveland, OH (Northeast)). I'm also considering opportunities in Portland, OR and Phoenix, AZ.

I'd like to know the pros and cons about living in Milwaukee. What do you like about living there? Is it hip? How's the art, culture, and music scene? I just read about Sobelman’s in "These Are the 21 Best College Burgers in America." https://www.yahoo.com/food/these-are...114209524.html Anyone been there?

Even though Milwaukee is located in the Midwest, I'm curious to know if there's any difference between living there and Cleveland, OH.

Thanks for your feedback!

The art, music, and culture scene in Milwaukee is quite vibrant. There's lots of standard stuff here--repertory theater, symphony, fine arts quartet, musical theater, opera, big and small museums, and so on. There's also an experimental side to the arts, with alternative theater, live music at clubs, underground music scene, etc.

Cleveland has a more prestigious and storied symphony, and none of the Milwaukee museums can beat the Cleveland Museum of Art, but Milwaukee's theater scene is probably more interesting, and I think the music scene is overall more varied than in Cleveland.

Milwaukee is on the national Broadway show circuit, but we're only 90 minutes from Chicago if you need more variety in that area. Chicago also has amazing theater, music, etc., though it's much more expensive. Tickets at the Steppenwolf in Chicago cost a small fortune, as do tix at the Lyric Opera. But these are international-caliber venues, so choose wisely and enjoy.

Milwaukee has a very good restaurant/food scene that is still under the national radar. There are strong local food traditions (beer, sausage, burgers, pizza, custard, fish fry, Serbian food, German food, corned beef, hoppel poppel, Mexican street food, etc.) found at long-standing eateries. For burgers, Sobelman's is just a start-- my favorite is the Nite Owl, a vintage joint on Milwaukee's south side. There are lots of places like this in town.

Milwaukee also has a significant upscale and experimental food scene, with lots of small plates here and farm-to-table there. Some places have garnered national attention, like Sanford and Ardent, but other places are just great restaurants that would be three times more expensive and difficult to get into if they were in Chicago or NYC. I know Cleveland has good restaurants and eateries, too, as well as a couple of historic markets and a couple of celebrity chefs, but I think Milwaukee has the edge on the food scene.

Milwaukee has much in common with Cleveland and other rust belt cities in that they are considered "flyover country," but there's nonetheless a strong arts and culture scene. Visitors to Milwaukee are often surprised that Milwaukee has so much going on-- much more than motorcycles, beer, and bratwurst.

This under-the-radar thing has led to some interesting culture in Milwaukee. It is not "hip" in the way that highly publicized places like Seattle, Portland, Oakland, Austin, etc. are "hip," but it does have an interesting, dynamic, and youthful "hip" culture in many neighborhoods that can be compared favorably to what the Austins of the country had before they caught on and became trendy. Many rust belt cities are like this--they have their own authentic and energetic cultural/countercultural scenes that somewhat, but not completely, parallel what you see in more famous places. This means that the more "hip" parts of town are still relatively affordable, and you only have to pay $5 (and not $9) for a loaf of artisanal rosemary-kalamata bread, and you don't have to use your credit card to pay for a glass of local, craft beer at a bar.

[Jeynna1990]

Thanks for your review! Music, art, and culture and are important to me. Celebrity chefs don't impress me. But great food and atmosphere does. Speaking of which... Does Milwaukee have food trucks? We have a few in Cleveland, some even drive out to the suburbs for special events. I appreciate creative cuisines that food truck owners/chefs prepare. It's different.

[Empidonax]

Yes, there are lots of food trucks. Here are a few links that may help (I don't know how updated they are):

Milwaukee Food Truck Central - Guide to area food trucks
Best Food Truck in the Milwaukee area - A-List on WISN.com
https://www.facebook.com/MkeFoodTrucks

This link probably takes you to info about the more experimental food trucks in town. There are also food trucks in parts of the city, like the southside, that offer Mexican/Latino cuisine (not just tacos and such, but also things like pupusas), but may not be on this list.

[cheese plate]

It's a lot like Cleveland in most ways. It's a similar "type" of city. So yeah, there are tons of differences when you break it down, but for most who don't live in the Midwest, they'd group the two together, because it really does makes sense to do so.

[adr3naline]

Originally Posted by svicious22

Milwaukee is not hip. It doesn't give a sh*t about such things.

Says the Chicagoan? Shoo, fly.


OP, Milwaukee is large. No matter what you're looking for you'll find it. Maybe not in the abundance of a Top-10 metro, but you'll find it. Food trucks frequently gather off Water St. downtown. For music we have Summerfest. Hipsters roam many streets, most prominently the Lower East Side and Riverwest. I agree that Cleveland and Milwaukee are similar, so take that for what it's worth and extrapolate.

[cheese plate]

I think you'll find most people that folks consider "hipsters" (which doesn't really exist, but I'll play along) in Riverwest and Bayview. East Side occasionally, mostly spillover. Half the people in my area of Bayview are or were in bands, and you find the same in Riverwest. Riverwest skews younger and more "street" or whatever, but there's lots of movement between those neighborhoods.

There's plenty to do in Milwaukee. It's a large metro.