Advice about Milwaukee (West Allis, Wauwatosa, Whitefish Bay: real estate, apartment, condos)

[monjorgan]

I have been accepted to work on my Ph.D at Marquette. My wife and I currently live in Alabama, and know very little about the Milwaukee area. From what I have read, it sounds like living in the suburbs is ideal. My main concern is that I want to be fairly close to the University while at the same time living in a safe area. A job for my wife (who teaches high school geometry) and nice but affordable housing are my main concerns. Does anyone have any advice for places to look? thanks so much

JM

[mikki]

Many new condo developments have been built in the downtown Milwaukee area durign the last 10 or so years. The Third Ward area is very nice. Otherwise Wauwatosa is a close suburb, but I would stick with the western edge of town.

[D-res]

live on the east side neighborhood. its a five minute drive from downtown, ten minute drive from marquette. it's full of college students, young professionals and people who have been living there all their lives. From the houses full of college kids around UWM to the mansions on lake drive, the east side is ideal. I honestly wouldnt live anywhere else. Theres bars, clubs, restaurants and all the amenities you'd need. And yes, its safe.

[EnjoyEP]

Here are my thoughts, monjorgan -

Marquette is in a very urban part of Milwaukee...just a hare west of Downtown Milwaukee.

In general, for the most part (and surely there are some exceptions), you wouldn't want to live in areas directly around Marquette - it isn't necessarily a horrible area by any means, however, it does have some issues with crime potential (especially panhandlers, nuisances, etc.), or, just more typical undergraduate college housing - eg: lots of booze and partying. The area gets somewhat of an unwarranted bad rap by some - it isn't awful by any means (and is somewhat what you imagine it would be in an area with a major University in a large urban area, aka it isn't a "college town") - however, while not too bad, I wouldn't choose to live there now (I am 30 and married).

Some areas you might consider:
a) Wauwatosa - This is a suburb of Milwaukee that is pretty nice and semi-affordable. It is probably 10 minutes (by car) west of Marquette. (The geographic boundaries are somewhat confusing with Wauwatosa...in many areas, it seems to be just essentially part of Milwaukee - not outside of it; however, in general, it is nicer than Milwaukee). Look at areas perhaps from 68th Street to Mayfair Road (north/south running streets) - around Bluemound, Wisconsin, or North (east/west running streets).

b) Downtown - In actual Downtown Milwaukee, it is pretty nice now. They have many new condos, etc. However, the issue here for you would be pricing - it is expensive.

c) The East Side - Echoing what others above here have mentioned. The East Side is very nice, a bit more hip, young, alternative (Wauwatosa is conservative politically in general, while the East Side is liberal politically in general)...look for areas around Downer, Oakland Ave., etc. Another issue with this area could be affordability, it can be pricey, but bargains can be found. This is close to MU, although is a bit more loud and party-oriented than a place like Wauwatosa. You are right near Lake Michigan here.

d) The North Shore - This is on the East Side area of Milwaukee, but just a bit more north of it. Extremely nice communities. Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, Fox Point, Glendale, etc. All of these communities are extremely safe, very nice, and very close to MU commute-wise. They are also all right near Lake Michigan.

In these areas, affordability is like this: Very expensive - Whitefish Bay and Fox Point. Fairly expensive - Shorewood. Fairly reasonably priced (for WI) - Glendale.
*If I move back to the greater Milwaukee area, I would ideally love to live in this part of Metro Milwaukee - it is very nice. I would love a place like WFB or Shorewood, but it is expensive, so would probably opt for Glendale. A huge, newly remodled, beautiful outdoor mall is located in Glendale.

e) St. Francis - this is an east shore suburb that is south of Milwaukee - still very close to MU. An extremly nice community, generally it used to be considered ultra-expensive, but I am viewing real estate in the area, and am shocked at how (relatively) affordable some homes are selling for in this area. Very safe, right on the Lake, very nice.

f) Parts of Milwaukee a little bit north-east of approximately 60th and Vilet. I have a brother-in-law attending Marquette grad school who lives with his wife in an apartment in this area...I had rarely been in this area, but there are some relatively nice, quiet, safe neighborhoods in this vicinity. The area is older and you won't find "wow"-like houses (which may be a good thing), however, it seems quiet, affordable, and is close to MU.

Hope some of this helps! Welcome to Milwaukee.

[monjorgan]

Thanks so much for the very helpful and thorough advice. I really needed your tips in order to help me know even where to begin looking around. It sounds like there are a number of very good options. It's good to know that there are plenty of areas that are nice, safe, and affordable. Thanks so much for taking the time!

JM

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by monjorgan

Thanks so much for the very helpful and thorough advice. I really needed your tips in order to help me know even where to begin looking around. It sounds like there are a number of very good options. It's good to know that there are plenty of areas that are nice, safe, and affordable. Thanks so much for taking the time!

JM

No problem whatsoever, I lived in Milwaukee for much of my life until the last 3+ years. Frankly, I am beginning to miss it quite a bit - it really is a nice area overall, if you find the right parts; you'll enjoy the diverse entertainment options. (Another area you could consider - I know I listed too many as it is - would be parts of West Allis, which is about 10 or 15 minutes west of Marquette - and in general, a little south of Wauwatosa. You can find much very affordable living here, and the communities generally are fairly nice; it is pretty safe. But this would be, for me at least, a place for "cost-effective" living - eg: inexpensive. While many neighborhoods here are quiet and nice, West Allis is a bit too blue collar (not that there is anything at all wrong with that) and bar-oriented for my tastes...I do though have friends who live there and enjoy it.

***One word of caution - I see you are from Alabama. I moved from Milwaukee, WI to Albuquerque, New Mexico 3+ years ago, and one of the reasons being that I needed a break from the extremely long, cold, gray winters. That will probably be your hardest adjustment, I would guess, coming from Alabama - get SEVERAL LAYERS of warm, thick clothing!! And in addition to periods of harsh cold in the winter, they grayness can be very tough - in places like AL and NM, even when it gets chilly out, it is generally sunny; not so in WI (last year they had a stretch of 25-days that were sunless, althoguh that is not the norm).

Milwaukee's weather is a slightly colder version of Chicago's. And in March and April when the rest of the nation is warmed up, the upper Midwest, including Milwaukee, can still be chilly and cloudy.

But if you can brave it through the winters, the late springs, summers, and falls are very pleasant there in general, and more mild than Alabama - you'll enjoy that.

Have a blast relocating to Milwaukee...Marquette is a great school (as I am sure you know)...if you need any other MKE-oriented info, do not hesitate to check in here!

[monjorgan]

Hey man, thanks again for the info. I have heard of West Allis and Wauwatosa, and both sound like options. Saftefy, affordability, and a reasonable commute to MU are my main concerns. It sounds like they are close to Marquette, and in the suburbs I'm sure my wife can find a good teaching job at a decent school.
The winters I'm sure are cold. I'm actually not originally from Alabama, but my wife is, and she'll be the one to really have to adjust. I was born in Oregon but lived for about 13 combined years in Michigan and then Indiana, so I know all too well what the Midwest is like in the winter! So I'm pretty much an anomaly down here in the sunny south. I'll definitely miss the warm temperatures, but not the summers. The heat and humidity are unbearable. However, the yearly sunshine is great!

Again, thanks for the time and thought you put into your posts. I just may be tapping into your expertise again in the future.

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by monjorgan

Hey man, thanks again for the info. I have heard of West Allis and Wauwatosa, and both sound like options. Saftefy, affordability, and a reasonable commute to MU are my main concerns. It sounds like they are close to Marquette, and in the suburbs I'm sure my wife can find a good teaching job at a decent school.
The winters I'm sure are cold. I'm actually not originally from Alabama, but my wife is, and she'll be the one to really have to adjust. I was born in Oregon but lived for about 13 combined years in Michigan and then Indiana, so I know all too well what the Midwest is like in the winter! So I'm pretty much an anomaly down here in the sunny south. I'll definitely miss the warm temperatures, but not the summers. The heat and humidity are unbearable. However, the yearly sunshine is great!

Again, thanks for the time and thought you put into your posts. I just may be tapping into your expertise again in the future.

No problem whatsoever, monjorgan -

I am happy if I could be of a bit of assistance to your move, and as you can tell...despite the "cons", I am pretty enthusiastic about my old hometown (maybe too enthusiastic?). I am excited when anyone is considering or planning to make the greater area their home!

I have heard from folks that lived in Michigan and Indiana - as a final word of weather caution - that Wisconsin was even a step up (or down, depending upon how you look at it) winter-wise from even those areas! Ouch. However, I would say yes, WI winters are at least very comparable to Michigan or Indiana (typically maybe a bit less snow than MI but colder).

I spoke to some friends from Milwaukee yesterday, and they noted a brutally cold stretch is rolling in starting Friday - the coldest up there in a decade or so! From www.weather.com, here is the forecast for Milwaukee coming up:

Fri, Feb 2
17 ° F / 6 ° F
Few Snow Showers

Sat, Feb 3
10 ° F / -5 ° F
Flurries

Sun, Feb 4
5 ° F / -2 ° F
Flurries

Mon, Feb 5
8 ° F / -3 ° F
Partly Cloudy / Wind

Tue, Feb 6
13 ° F / 2 ° F
Partly Cloudy

Wed, Feb 7
16 ° F / 7 ° F
Partly Cloudy

Thu, Feb 8
21 ° F / 16 ° F
Few Snow Showers

So tell your wife to be ready for anything!! (My wife is originally from a tropical clime but ended up living in Milwaukee for 9 years - it was hard for her, but she adjusted). But since you won't be moved within the next week, you at least will miss this "fun"...

But indeed, by all means, check back in with me if you need any future thoughts...I really enjoy the area and am always happy to lend as much assistance as possible!

[DaBears]

i had lived on the mil/tosa border & it was nice...actually was across from froedert but....sister went to marquette while commuting from new berlin...that was atleast 20 minutes on a good day.....

[mrkool]

I think West Allis has everything you're looking for, especially the affordability part, unlike some of the other places mentioned. East side of West Allis (E of 84th St) is a bit older and cheaper than west side (W of 84th). You'll find you can get to Marquette quite quickly. Fairly safe too. If it wasn't, I wouldn't live here.