Where to live in Appleton, WI? (Milwaukee, Green Bay: for sale, apartments, rental)

[SindyL28]

Hello!

My boyfriend and I are moving to Appleton, WI for a job opportunity. We were wondering if someone could give us advice as to where to live within or nearby Appleton. We must live someplace with a bit of hustle and bustle. We like going to nice restaurants, shopping, movies, etc.. We actually like living in the city so I am sure this will be a huge culture shock to us. We are from CT so we are prepared for the colder climate. (..not exactly looking forward to that part.) I would like to live someplace close to possible job opportunites and also a community college. I am interested in getting involved in the community and meeting new people. Also, the apartment/home that we will be renting must be top of the notch, including brand new amenities, one or two bedrooms, walk-in closets, spacious, fireplace, and a jacuzzi or pool would be very nice. I am under the impression that rent is very cheap, and we are extremely excited about it. Does anyone know of any good places to visit and have fun within or nearby Appleton? Thank you for your help!

[globae]

Hustle Bustle in Appleton, ROFLMAO, this is a small town, if you want excitement go to the mall, the sidewalks shut down at ten pm in the small towns, if you are looking for an apartment with a pool be careful coz of the rules of no discrimination for families you will have kids in the pool at all times. you would be better off renting an duplex or home,,,, hotels are cheap rent one for a month while you look around,,,there are lots of little-er towns near Appleton, look at them also, DO NOT move to Kaukauna we call it Stinkauna for a reason ya know, College?? you mite have a NTWC local branch there with classes at the library or the YMCA, yu are going to have culture shock so bad when you get to this area, BUT it is a great area to live in,,,,, Not that I would ever live in Appleton all it is ,,,is the mall and all small stores everyway,,,,good luck finding apartments,,,,,

[adamnlisa]

I could help you with a house for sale, but that's about it! LOL If you're looking to buy, our friends are desperately trying to sell their house... it's perfect size for a young couple!

[yo vanilla]

Appleton is just a mid-size town, but considering that it does have a vibrant downtown. There are a lot of good restaurants here, and also a magazine reporter recently called it the best coffee town in the midwest, if you're into coffee. There's three movie theaters in town, and one in Menasha which is a sit-down table service style. I find it to be enough for day-to-day life, and if you need more big city life go spend the weekend in Milwaukee. The weekend's the only time to do most of that stuff anyway.

For colleges there are Fox Valley Tech, Lawrence University right downtown, a UW-extension center in Menasha, Phoenix U and Rassmussen if they count, and UW-Oshkosh isn't too far away and has good business programs among others.

[SindyL28]

Thanks for the advice. Would you reccomend living in Appleton? Is there a "better" place to live nearby?

[yo vanilla]

if the job is located here, there's no better place to live. appleton's the central city in the fox valley. neenah is nice and just down the highway a bit, but it's a smaller town of about 25K. appleton has just about all the stuff around here - shopping, restaurants, etc. there's a very good performing arts center here, actually, it's had national recognition. neenah does have a quaint downtown with some nice restaurants.

the other peripheral towns are nothing to write home about.

[metallian]

I moved here from CA a year ago. The closest thing to hustle and bustle and culture will be in Appleton itself. Check appleton craigslist to see rental prices.

It pales in comparison to what any larger city would offer. It probably WILL be a culture shock.

The region is not multicultural in any integrated sense of the word. It is overwhelmingly caucasian (as am I, but still). The restaurant choices are sub-par, in my opinion. Unless you like fried fish. But with some effort, you'll probably find a few spots you like and can return to again and again.

I would describe the fox valley area as very insular - not at all cultured, cosmopolitan, vibrant, or hipster. I recall telling one guy (a UW college graduate) where I was from, and his reponse was "when I think of San Francisco, I think of the gays!" Believe me, this kind of interaction is not an anomaly. It is not a mean-spirited thing - just a result of being sheltered. There are exeptions of course. In general, the people are nice, working class folks who keep to themselves. Most of the people I've met are Wisconsin natives. Gender roles are pretty traditional.

The weather is a real problem for me, and I didn't think it would be, having grown up on the East Coast. It is ridiculously cold. Bitter cold. For months at a time. But they do a great job clearing the roads here. We still get a decent amount of sunshine, compared to places I've lived in Pennsylvania. We can get some wicked Spring rainstorms - the kind where you will have to hang out in the basement with flashlights and candles ready until it passes. The summer is humid but not overly hot. Lots of bugs. Fall is very nice.

Overall, it feels a bit like traveling back in time a few decades - a simpler life. It provides some of what I was looking for when I left California: low cost of living, good public schools, uncrowded, less crime, no rat race, slower pace. But the lack of different cultural perspectives, the blandness of middle-America, gets to be mind-numbing. But this is coming from a guy whose ideal place to live is Manhattan (if it were affordable). Depends on what you want. I will be moving on sometime in 2012.

[yo vanilla]

once i met this girl from san diego who told me she honestly thought wisconsin was nothing but farms. as in, literally nothing but farms. it was also the first time she left the state. so naturally i decided that all people from california were sheltered. i also decided she must be a bad driver.

wisconsin is known for cows just like san francisco is known for gay people. doesn't mean that's the only thing there. but it does mean that stereotypes exist from some truth.

[SindyL28]

So informative! I've honestly never heard anything about Wisconsin except the cold weather. I understand that it will be a culture shock to me, but I try and embrace change as much as possible. It will be different being Asain-American in a city where the majority of the population is caucasion. I hope I do not get judged because of it! Do people from Appleton typically drive to Greenbay for entertainment purposes? I'm moving there in a week so I guess I will find out for myself!

[mmferg]

There is less to do in Green Bay than there is in Appleton. I would either pick up place near down town or by the mall area. I have lived in milwaukee, Appleton, and now in between appleton and GB.