Moving to Milwaukee from Europe (Wauwatosa, Brookfield: to rent, good credit, house)

[Henrietta Bogyay]

Dear All,
this summer we are moving from Europe to Milwaukee because of work. Working area will be in West Milwaukee (W. Grant St.) We have 3 children, 14, 13 and 6 y. o. . Because of kids first comes a very strong MS and HS program.
Due to an active sportlife parks, running tracks, biking trails are important as well. Right now girls (14 y.o. and 13 y.o. ) are involved into running with hurdles and Basketball our son plays soccer. How I've seen, basketball can't be any problem but does anyone know anything about running and soccer ?
We'd prefer to rent a house with 4/5 bedrooms and a smaller yard. I made some research and found out that Whitefish Bay,Wauwatosa,Elm Grove, Fox Point and Shorewood were mostly recommended.
I would really appreciate any help !

[adr3naline]

Originally Posted by Henrietta Bogyay

Due to an active sportlife parks, running tracks, biking trails are important as well. Right now girls (14 y.o. and 13 y.o. ) are involved into running with hurdles and Basketball our son plays soccer. How I've seen, basketball can't be any problem but does anyone know anything about running and soccer ?

Your son will not have a problem finding a team to play with. Check out Uihlein Soccer Park. His school is also likely to have a team or connection to a multi-school team.

Originally Posted by Henrietta Bogyay

We'd prefer to rent a house with 4/5 bedrooms and a smaller yard. I made some research and found out that Whitefish Bay,Wauwatosa,Elm Grove, Fox Point and Shorewood were mostly recommended.
I would really appreciate any help !

All good areas with decent schools. It really comes down to if you can afford them. What's your budget? Renting a 4/5 bedroom home is going to be a tough find (especially in Elm Grove), and home prices start around $400k. Around UW-Milwaukee there are many homes that fit that 4/5 criteria but the majority will be beat-up from college tenants, and/or multi-family dwellings. If that doesn't bother you, the UW-Milwaukee area is very nice.

[brrabbit]

Originally Posted by Henrietta Bogyay

Dear All,
this summer we are moving from Europe to Milwaukee because of work. Working area will be in West Milwaukee (W. Grant St.) We have 3 children, 14, 13 and 6 y. o. . Because of kids first comes a very strong MS and HS program.
Due to an active sportlife parks, running tracks, biking trails are important as well. Right now girls (14 y.o. and 13 y.o. ) are involved into running with hurdles and Basketball our son plays soccer. How I've seen, basketball can't be any problem but does anyone know anything about running and soccer ?
We'd prefer to rent a house with 4/5 bedrooms and a smaller yard. I made some research and found out that Whitefish Bay,Wauwatosa,Elm Grove, Fox Point and Shorewood were mostly recommended.
I would really appreciate any help !

Your list of neighbourhoods is fine. I'd think of adding Brookfield to it though and maybe Hales Corner and Franklin (not the best, but reasonably OK schools).

If you can stomach longer commute, then maybe Bay Side (they share school system with Fox Point), Mequon, Cedarburg, River Hills, Menomonee Falls.

Rent of a house with 4-5 BR will be somewhere in the range of 2-3K, I believe. It might be cheaper to buy a house though (if you can get good credit in US and have at least 5% for downpayment).


Parks are everywhere in Milwaukee County, and bike trail goes North to South and East to West. So, you will most likely find some area for exercise anywhere.

[44Lilacs]

I wish you luck in your big move. You said you are moving from Europe? Which country if you don't mind me asking? Are you used to living in a big city, small city, more rural area? And what do you wish to have in a neighborhood you choose to live? You mentioned parks and sporting things, but anything else? This will help us guide you better. Neighborhoods are quite different in what they have to offer and different people enjoy different things. I personally feel a need to be closer to the lakefront and being able to walk to good restaurants, independently owned shops, theater, etc. while many of my friends prefer suburban living. The good thing about Milwaukee is that except during rush hour traffic, it is a fairly quick drive from one side of town to another.

Your children should not have any trouble finding teams to play on or get involved in. You will find many soccer opportunities as well as basketball - both through schools they may attend, but also through local recreation centers/classes.

Milwaukee County has a huge system of public parks and trails, but some are safer than others and this is something to be aware of when you are running, biking, hiking, etc. The lakefront along Lake Michigan is also a beautiful area to bike or run both north and south of the city. You can go quite a long distance on the trails. Further west of the city, you can get to state forests within a reasonable drive.

Having children, you'll want to make sure you choose to live in an area with a good school district and with enough money to support the sports activities they love. How far west on Grant Street will the job be? This might make a difference in guiding you towards an area to live, though again, nothing is too, too terribly far. But, of course, it also depends on what you are used to.

[Henrietta Bogyay]

Hi and thx for your reply

We are moving from Kiev / Ukraine. WE've been leaving here for 10 years. (Originally we are from Hungary). Like this we are used to live in a big city with a heavy traffic etc.
What we wish to have in a neighborhood: firstly comes school We really like to be close to the center but still in green area - parks, biking trails. Because of girls' age it's good if there is movie theater, theater, shopping mall and some places where they can hang out with friends and you mustn't be afraid if they come home alone in the evenings - in Kiev I'm the one who must pick them up after different activities... . How you've mentioned, we need the safer area I personally feel the same like you, closer to the lakefront, some good restaurants plus grocery and open market - if there is any (sorry, I've never been in the USA, no imagination what to expect ), gym and friendly neighbors
The working place is not far away from Jackson Park.

Could you give me please some advises regarding schools? I would prefer elementary, MS and HS not far from each other. In Kiev we have everything on the same place just in 2 different buildings. And it is very convenient.

Thank you very much for your help !

[brrabbit]

1) USA is not like Ukraine (or Europe) in general. Much less public transportation, more cars.
2) Milwaukee is quite European, because of German/Polish influence, so you may actually like it.
3) There are lots of parks and trails in Milwaukee, don't even think about it, anywhere you'll end up - you'll have a park within a driving distance.

4) I think East Side of Milwaukee is much more "European" than West side or suburbs. I know I recommended Brookfield before and it's a nice place, but it's classic American suburb. Nothing within walking distance, you will have to drive a car even to your local grocery store. So, I think you'd love Shorewood/ Whitefish Bay more, but they're quite inconvenient in terms of commute to the West Milwaukee, there will be heavy traffic on I43 South and I94 West in the morning hours. So, maybe you should check Wauwatosa? People living there seems to like it...

[cfbs2691]

Shorewood

[Henrietta Bogyay]

Thx!!! I really appreciate any suggestion!

[BrewCityGuy]

Welcome! I hope you enjoy the great city of Milwaukee. My wife is originally from Europe and she has adapted quite well, after a bit of culture shock at first, which is to be expected. Milwaukee is a growing but manageable city if that makes sense. There are lots of festivals, great restaurants, bars, sports, museums, concerts and activities throughout the Spring, Summer and Fall. We have met other couple and families with kids from a variety of countries that live in Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, Fox Point, Mequon and Bayside areas. These communities are no more than 10-15 minutes from the city center. They are all very safe, friendly, lots of park, have access to Lake Michigan and great school districts. For the money and relative short commute time, I would personally suggest Shorewood or Whitefish Bay. Enjoy Milwaukee again and hope you have safe travels!

[BrewCityGuy]

To further clarify the point about Shorewood, it has a brand new two story Metro Market grocery store, next to another small grocery store called Sendiks and further down the road a Russian grocery store. There is a soccer pub called Three Lions Pub, wine bar, great coffee shop called Colectivo, restaurants all within walking distance. Bayshore Mall is only five minutes away from Shorewood and the highschool, middle school are within a couple minutes of each other. The proximity to Atwater beach and Lake Michigan is fantastic. There is a beautiful park called Lake Park, a fine dining french restaurant that overlooks Bradford Beach. Bradford Beach is very popular beach to play volleyball, sports and take in sun during the warmer months. All of this, plus I would estimate a 15 minute drive to Jackson Park, 20 minutes top. Milwaukee is very convenient for driving and getting around. If you are looking to rent or buy a home, I suggest searching on zillow, keller williams, shorewest relators, etc. Again, best wishes!