Big Move from Greensboro, NC to Milwaukee, WI...HELP! (Waukesha: apartments, rentals)
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Hello, I am a 22 year old female that just graduated college and accepted a position in Milwaukee. I am looking for a safe, quiet apartment/ condo preferably not downtown maybe even in another close town/suburb not too far from Milwaukee. I have never been to Milwaukee but I do plan on visiting to view a couple places in the middle of June before I move permanently. Do anyone know of any such places or even any other cities to look in?
DONT DO IT!!!!! i moved from there & wouldnt go back for anything (mainly due to the crappy weather)....try the froedert hopsital area...i lived across the street from there...loved it!!! considering I moved 10 years ago I had a 2bedroom with garage space for $475...otherwise 'tosa might be another place to try
By 'tosa, DaBears means the town of Wauwatosa. Anyway, depending on what kind of commute you'd consider, there are many choices in the Milwaukee area. WI has a lot of lovely areas. Winters can get pretty long, but it really made me appreciate the warmer weather in the spring. I would get in touch with some local realtors and also check craigslist for rentals. Good luck!
Hi
When I was your age, I used to rent in Bay View, which is technically Milwaukee. It is on the South Shore next to the marina (not the downtown one, this is at the very end of Oklahoma Ave). As a former Milwaukee Public Schools teacher, I was forced to live in the city, and this is a teacher/city worker pocket. If you drive around that general area, and head south, you'll be able to tell which pockets are nicer than others.
I very much enjoyed renting there, because I was only 2 blocks from the lakefront. There is a paved trail there, and I found it very quaint. It's not a hot-spot, but it is relatively safe, and you can find nice churches there (I loved the preaching at Oak Creek Assembly of God!...on that note, call that church and see if anyone has a rental?)..
If not, head out to Oack Creek, or just about any suburb. Cudahy is chep but stay away from it...unless you can find a cute pocket (that's on the lake too, but....well, you'll see ifyou drive by)
If you need any direction or someone to help you narrow down towns, you can PM me....I hate to see you get stuck somewhere nasty.
Hello, I am a 22 year old female that just graduated college and accepted a position in Milwaukee. I am looking for a safe, quiet apartment/ condo preferably not downtown maybe even in another close town/suburb not too far from Milwaukee. I have never been to Milwaukee but I do plan on visiting to view a couple places in the middle of June before I move permanently. Do anyone know of any such places or even any other cities to look in?
Hi! - I am a 30 y.o. male who resided in Milwaukee my whole life until 3.5 years ago and am eagerly trying to relocate myself and my family back (from Albuquerque, NM) so I think I can relate to your situation at least somewhat.
First off, being from the south, be warned that the winters will be a major culture shock to you. From November until the middle of April...it can be a challenge. Winters are lonnnnggg and springs are short / near non-existant. Falls are nice but go by quickly. Winters are cold, gray, and long...the grayness and short days in winter may be your hardest adjustment, along with the more talked about snow, sub-freezing temps, etc.
Having said that, if you can be braced and prepared for winter, the springs, summers, and falls are very nice compared to the south. You'll love the summers especially compared to NC's I believe...they are humid, but much, much cooler than NC's. And remember that 9+ million people live in Chicago metro (an hour south of Milwaukee) and 1.5+ million people live in Milwaukee...so you won't be "alone" in adjusting to the weather and there are plenty of things to see and do even in the cold months.
As for neighborhoods, if you are not going to reside in Downtown Milwaukee, I would only suggest the East Side of Milwaukee if you want to be in Milwaukee itself; it is a really neat, hip, urban, fairly safe area of Milwaukee...near to Downtown and the beautiful lake shore (and the amazingly pricey but beautiful Lake Dr.). I would - in my opinion - stay farther east in the Oakland Ave., Prospect, Farwell, Downer areas, etc., rather than the Riverwest area (which some folks like and is improving readily but still is sketchier for crime). Would be a great alternative if you wanted near Downtown but not Downtown. Here is info:
Otherwise, beautiful east side suburbs (just minutes north of Milwaukee's east side) are: Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, and Glendale. West side suburbs in parts that are only 10-to-20 minutes from Downtown also desirable would be Wauwatosa or Brookfield. St. Francis is a nice south suburb very near downtown that is right on the lake. The Bay View area would be worth looking at too.
Frankly, the only parts of the city of Milwaukee itself that I would suggest as being highly desirable would be Downtown (which you don't want to do), East Side, a few selected areas around Miller Park, and the far far west side (near Wauwatosa in the Bluemound Rd. / Hwy. 100 areas). Otherwise, I would stick to closeby suburbs (still only 10-20 minutes to Downtown).
Here would be a list of I think great suburbs for you to consider - close to Milwaukee - and livable for a young professional (safe, retail options, etc.):
-Shorewood
-Whitefish Bay
-Glendale
-Wauwatosa
-Brookfield
-St. Francis
-Menomonee Falls
-New Berlin
-Waukesha
-Elm Grove
-Pewaukee
I personally would try to stay away from Oak Creek, West Allis or Cudahy - especially OC or Cudahy. I know quite a few people like those areas and indeed they are more affordable in general than places like Shorewood or Brookfield, however, I just find them more similar to the "rust belt" "blue coller" "NASCAR oriented" stigma. Not than there is anything in the world wrong with these things...being a NASCAR fan or blue collar, etc., of course and again, I have friends who live in these areas and really like them. However, for a young professional, I think you might be happier in a little more upscale areas of the metro.
Affordable options to look at especially may be: Shorewood, Wauwatosa, eastern Brookfield, and Glendale. But again, the East Side of Milwaukee is also great and affordable prices can be found.
Good luck and welcome to Milwaukee (I wish my family and I could join you as a resident of the area!). Despite the winter weather, Milwaukee metro is truly a great city - a real underrated gem - and I think you'll enjoy it there! (Just plan a mid-winter getaway trip to visit NC)!
Hi! - I am a 30 y.o. male who resided in Milwaukee my whole life until 3.5 years ago and am eagerly trying to relocate myself and my family back (from Albuquerque, NM) so I think I can relate to your situation at least somewhat.
First off, being from the south, be warned that the winters will be a major culture shock to you. From November until the middle of April...it can be a challenge. Winters are lonnnnggg and springs are short / near non-existant. Falls are nice but go by quickly. Winters are cold, gray, and long...the grayness and short days in winter may be your hardest adjustment, along with the more talked about snow, sub-freezing temps, etc.
Having said that, if you can be braced and prepared for winter, the springs, summers, and falls are very nice compared to the south. You'll love the summers especially compared to NC's I believe...they are humid, but much, much cooler than NC's. And remember that 9+ million people live in Chicago metro (an hour south of Milwaukee) and 1.5+ million people live in Milwaukee...so you won't be "alone" in adjusting to the weather and there are plenty of things to see and do even in the cold months.
As for neighborhoods, if you are not going to reside in Downtown Milwaukee, I would only suggest the East Side of Milwaukee if you want to be in Milwaukee itself; it is a really neat, hip, urban, fairly safe area of Milwaukee...near to Downtown and the beautiful lake shore (and the amazingly pricey but beautiful Lake Dr.). I would - in my opinion - stay farther east in the Oakland Ave., Prospect, Farwell, Downer areas, etc., rather than the Riverwest area (which some folks like and is improving readily but still is sketchier for crime). Would be a great alternative if you wanted near Downtown but not Downtown. Here is info:
Otherwise, beautiful east side suburbs (just minutes north of Milwaukee's east side) are: Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, and Glendale. West side suburbs in parts that are only 10-to-20 minutes from Downtown also desirable would be Wauwatosa or Brookfield. St. Francis is a nice south suburb very near downtown that is right on the lake. The Bay View area would be worth looking at too.
Frankly, the only parts of the city of Milwaukee itself that I would suggest as being highly desirable would be Downtown (which you don't want to do), East Side, a few selected areas around Miller Park, and the far far west side (near Wauwatosa in the Bluemound Rd. / Hwy. 100 areas). Otherwise, I would stick to closeby suburbs (still only 10-20 minutes to Downtown).
Here would be a list of I think great suburbs for you to consider - close to Milwaukee - and livable for a young professional (safe, retail options, etc.):
-Shorewood
-Whitefish Bay
-Glendale
-Wauwatosa
-Brookfield
-St. Francis
-Menomonee Falls
-New Berlin
-Waukesha
-Elm Grove
-Pewaukee
I personally would try to stay away from Oak Creek, West Allis or Cudahy - especially OC or Cudahy. I know quite a few people like those areas and indeed they are more affordable in general than places like Shorewood or Brookfield, however, I just find them more similar to the "rust belt" "blue coller" "NASCAR oriented" stigma. Not than there is anything in the world wrong with these things...being a NASCAR fan or blue collar, etc., of course and again, I have friends who live in these areas and really like them. However, for a young professional, I think you might be happier in a little more upscale areas of the metro.
Affordable options to look at especially may be: Shorewood, Wauwatosa, eastern Brookfield, and Glendale. But again, the East Side of Milwaukee is also great and affordable prices can be found.
Good luck and welcome to Milwaukee (I wish my family and I could join you as a resident of the area!). Despite the winter weather, Milwaukee metro is truly a great city - a real underrated gem - and I think you'll enjoy it there! (Just plan a mid-winter getaway trip to visit NC)!
I have to say I agree with the comments from EnjoyEP - I think we've seen each others posts before and we tend to agree on most areas. I spent 10 years (right out of college) living in Shorewood and found that area (and the eastside in general) to be perfect for someone your age. I always felt safe and loved the community. TONS of brownstone apartments ("old world" - arched doorways, spanish plaster walls, leaded glass china cabinets - tons of those available in Shorewood). Trust me, if I were your age (about 14 years ago . . . ) and just graduated from college, I would not settle in Cudahy, Oak Creek, West Allis, St. Francis . . . I think you will find you will definitely be much happier on the east side/Shorewood and will find plenty of affordable opportunities.
If you want to live in the city of Milwaukee, try the west side, around Hwy 100, near Morgan Ave, Howard Ave. It's a very nice neighborhood and there are lots of nice apts reasonably price. It's a short drive to downtown, 10-15 minutes or if you commute by bus probably no more than half hour.
Milwaukee has a wonderful mass transit system. You are never more than a couple of blocks (maybe few) from a bus stop.
I would strongly suggest the East side myself. I absolutely LOVED living there in my early 20's. There is just so much to do and see, it's safe and near UW-Milwaukee, and there are a lot of single college students, that's assuming you are single.
It can get loud in the areas near the college, so if your looking for a quieter place, I recommend you check out Shorewood, and whitefish bay area. They are still on the lake and transport to downtown is still easy.
Being close to the lake has it's serious advantages, there are tons of walking and biking trails all over the place and being able to walk to the lake to just sit and relax on an early fall, summer or spring day is worth every penny you would pay in rent and then some. You can pretty much walk or bike to anything you need and transport to downtown is easy from the area... 1 bus usually will bring you right down there.
Being that the East side is near a university there are also a lot of affordable rental properties in the area too.
As far as the weather is concerned, don't listen to these folks, yes the winters can get cold, but nothing in comparison to Minneapolis (where I grew up) and lately it seems the winters have been really mild. I don't know, maybe global warming or maybe just a warm weather pattern, but you might actually like the snow... I really miss it being in the Caribbean for the past 2 years.
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advice from former Milwaukeean
