Australian moving the states: Madison or Milwaukee or Chicago? (fit in, apartment)

[Jn560]

Hi All,

I'm a 23 year old Australian who just graduated my Engineering degree and obtained a year long working visa in the states. I do not intend to undertake work related to engineering and would rather just chit-chat and pour beers to the general population, the intent of my stay is more or less a year off to relax, see sights and experience the US culture. I've done a bit of research and based on where a few of my friends are currently situated in the states I have narrowed down my base location to one of three choices: Madison, Milwaukee or Chicago.

How to decide between them?

My father is a New Zealander, my mother is Vietnamese but I was born and raised in Australia. First question is - how do these cities compare in terms of diversity and acceptance of "foreigners", do we fit in?

I intend to make money by working bars or maybe as a waiter - How do these cities compare in terms of number of bars and/or restaurants?

I've saved up roughly $4000 (savings). How does rent compare in these cities? I am willing and to share a place and would like to live closer to the action i.e close to the bars. Think this is enough money + work ?

Any information relating to the above will be greatly appreciated!

Also if you are an Australian or have an Australian friend that lives in the mentioned cities could you please give me some insight of your experiences? You/they having a good time?

Thanks for your help in advance!

[svicious22]

If you plan on traveling a lot to see the rest of the country, that points toward Chicago with its excellent transportation options, Milwaukee is better than Madison in this regard but Chicago is far and away the best. Madison is smaller and its bar culture tends to be somewhat dominated by the University of Wisconsin and its sports teams, since you have no affiliation that might be a negative. (Or not). Being a smaller city/college town competition for jobs like what you are after there is fierce in my experience.

Chicago is by far the largest and most cosmopolitan/international and will present the most diverse employment opportunities. It's also far and away the best of the three cities to live without a car. You can do so in Milwaukee or Madison but it's more of a hassle. I've lived in all three cities but haven't rented in any of them for a long time so not a good source for that info. I will say security deposit/move in fees can vary somewhat from landlord to landlord and by location so factor that in when budgeting.

Check out Craigslist.org to get an idea of shared situation renting prices-in all three cities sharing to get costs down is routine so I wouldn't think it would be much of an issue, though in Madison the timing of such arrangements tends to be dominated by the University's semester schedule so it would be easiest to find a place starting in August, January or June when classes let out.

[cfbs2691]

Chicago.

[slowlane3]

Keep in mind that the U.S. hourly minimum wage is HALF what it is in Australia.

[43north87west]

Originally Posted by Jn560

Hi All,

I'm a 23 year old Australian who just graduated my Engineering degree and obtained a year long working visa in the states. I do not intend to undertake work related to engineering and would rather just chit-chat and pour beers to the general population, the intent of my stay is more or less a year off to relax, see sights and experience the US culture. I've done a bit of research and based on where a few of my friends are currently situated in the states I have narrowed down my base location to one of three choices: Madison, Milwaukee or Chicago.

How to decide between them?

My father is a New Zealander, my mother is Vietnamese but I was born and raised in Australia. First question is - how do these cities compare in terms of diversity and acceptance of "foreigners", do we fit in?

I intend to make money by working bars or maybe as a waiter - How do these cities compare in terms of number of bars and/or restaurants?

I've saved up roughly $4000 (savings). How does rent compare in these cities? I am willing and to share a place and would like to live closer to the action i.e close to the bars. Think this is enough money + work ?

Any information relating to the above will be greatly appreciated!

Also if you are an Australian or have an Australian friend that lives in the mentioned cities could you please give me some insight of your experiences? You/they having a good time?

Thanks for your help in advance!

To answer your original question, nobody will pay any attention to you. I'd pick Chicago, but any city would work if it works for you.

What I don't get is an Australian asking if Chicago, Madison, or Milwaukee are diverse and accepting of foreigners? Is this a joke? Chicago is full of foreigners.

Mod cut.

Anyway, good luck. But again, Chicago offers the most. It has good public transportation (if that's something you depend on), a huge number of potential employers, and an endless supply of things to explore. Plus an airport that can get you almost anywhere directly. But you could probably do well in each of the cities. The biggest thing is whether you are looking for a city of the size of Madison, Milwaukee, or Chicago.

[Jn560]

Originally Posted by 43north87west

To answer your original question, nobody will pay any attention to you. I'd pick Chicago, but any city would work if it works for you.

What I don't get is an Australian asking if Chicago, Madison, or Milwaukee are diverse and accepting of foreigners? Is this a joke? Chicago is full of foreigners. [Snip.]

Anyway, good luck. But again, Chicago offers the most. It has good public transportation (if that's something you depend on), a huge number of potential employers, and an endless supply of things to explore. Plus an airport that can get you almost anywhere directly. But you could probably do well in each of the cities. The biggest thing is whether you are looking for a city of the size of Madison, Milwaukee, or Chicago.

Mod cut.

All in all, thank you for providing feedback. I suppose Transport would be a huge bonus. Chicago being a major city - is it correct to assume rent to be more expensive as well as drinks and food?

[Jn560]

Originally Posted by svicious22

If you plan on traveling a lot to see the rest of the country, that points toward Chicago with its excellent transportation options, Milwaukee is better than Madison in this regard but Chicago is far and away the best. Madison is smaller and its bar culture tends to be somewhat dominated by the University of Wisconsin and its sports teams, since you have no affiliation that might be a negative. (Or not). Being a smaller city/college town competition for jobs like what you are after there is fierce in my experience.

Chicago is by far the largest and most cosmopolitan/international and will present the most diverse employment opportunities. It's also far and away the best of the three cities to live without a car. You can do so in Milwaukee or Madison but it's more of a hassle. I've lived in all three cities but haven't rented in any of them for a long time so not a good source for that info. I will say security deposit/move in fees can vary somewhat from landlord to landlord and by location so factor that in when budgeting.

Check out Craigslist.org to get an idea of shared situation renting prices-in all three cities sharing to get costs down is routine so I wouldn't think it would be much of an issue, though in Madison the timing of such arrangements tends to be dominated by the University's semester schedule so it would be easiest to find a place starting in August, January or June when classes let out.

Thanks for your feedback...Seems everyone is pro Chicago so far, wonder if there is any pro - Madison or Milwaukee people...

[AminWi]

It really depends on what experience you are looking for, Jn560. If you are looking for a huge, diverse city and all of the bustle and excitement that go with it, you are probably best off with Chicago. The downside will be that it is expensive to live in the center of things, and you very likely will have a long commute from suburbs to the city if you want something affordable.

If you'd be happy with a smaller, quieter city, Madison might do it for you. It is a university town with all of the international students that go along with it, so people here are quite used to contact people from all over the world but the city is about 75% white, so it may not look terribly diverse. You'll probably get a lot of friendly interest about your accent. Rent prices here are rather high for small cities in the Midwest, and you'll need to be careful to find a place on a good bus route if you opt not to buy a car. Most people who think they are going to make it without a car here do end up buying one, but I know some who have gotten by bicycling all winter or using a car share program to supplement the buses. Traditionally there have been a lot of grad students here who pick up the bartending and wait staff jobs while they are in school or after they graduate. It isn't unusual to have a cab driver or handiman with an advanced degree here, either, as there are more educated people than jobs. You might want to look into the availability of jobs before you opt for Madison.

If you'd like something in between, go for Milwaukee. Milwaukee has the benefit of being a larger city than Madison, but not a mega-city like Chicago. There is a lot to do, but commute times are comparatively better than Chicago and there is more affordable housing than you'll find in Madison. It's been quite a while since I've lived there, but I think it is still true that it will be easiest to be car free if you live in one of the many neighborhoods along the lake - the East side, Third Ward, downtown, etc. The Bayview neighborhood might also be a great option, but I'm not sure how bus service is to the rest of the city from Bayview. Any neighborhood you choose in Milwaukee will have bars and restaurants, and plenty of them. I am not sure how much competition there is for jobs in that industry - hopefully someone else can chime in.

Good luck! I hope you find the right spot for you and have a wonderful year!

[thefragile]

Mod cut.

If you don't want to get a car, transit wise Chicago is better than Milwaukee or Madison. Rents however will be much much higher. Madison is more of a college town, Milwaukee is not. Milwaukee's transit system isn't totally horrendous but if you want to do some big grocery shopping or whatever, it's not fun hauling that on the bus. And there aren't too many corner grocery stores offering actual food groceries such as produce in Milwaukee. I don't know, I like Milwaukee but if you want the experience of a larger city, I guess go with Chicago.

[BrewCityGuy]

Milwaukee! Far less expensive than Chicago to live and play. You can find a pretty nice apartment in the city center or river area for half the cost than Chicago. Milwaukee is a very nice city in its own right and when you need a little more excitement or change of pace simply take the train or bus down to Chicago, since it is only an hour and 20 minutes away. Milwaukee is an up and coming Midwest city that will be greatly changed within the next 2-4 years. Milwaukee has a tremendous amount of bars per capita. Milwaukee has lots of really nice festivals, concerts, local restaurants, coffee, bars, craft brewers, parks, etc. It has a beautiful lakefront and right on the shores of Lake Michigan. Again, all three cities are really great choices and offer similarities and differences! Good luck with your decision.