Brown Deer? (Milwaukee, Menomonee Falls, Mequon: subletting, houses, neighborhoods)

[RNye]

The village of Brown Deer would have to be one of Milwaukee's most integrated communities, which is a very rare concept within a Milwaukee suburb. The village of Brown Deer is home to many middle class-upper middle class African American families. Many people speak of crime in the area however, the crime that these people speak of is not in Brown Deer village but,nearby Milwaukee. Brown Deer is bordered by Milwaukee to the south and west. It seems that once a suburb in Milwaukee becomes diverse, it is considered bad and avoided. I know that Brown Deer Rd. west of 76th Street has changed over the last 10 years with the close of Northridge Mall and the demographics have shifted in the area however, that is not even Brown Deer. Really, the situation depends on how much you are willing like to spend on a home. The shopping in Brown Deer is good but not great. Their is a Kohl's Departments store, Old Navy, Burlington Coat Factory, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, Micheal's Arts & Crafts, Sprint, Pick N Save, McDonald's, Applebees, Habanero's Mexican Kitchen, Old Country Buffett, Lowes Home Improvement, American TV & Appliances,Northshore Audi, Subway, Cousins, and a few more that I can't exactly recall. The area is also home to a Courtyard and a Sheraton and numerous business parks. The closet mall is Bayshore in Glendale which is less that 15 minutes away and has just underwent a 300 million dollar renovation. About schools, I haven't heard much about the educational system is Brown Deer but I don't think the schools are the best. If you want great schools, move to nearby Glendale. The housing prices are about the same and I pesonally think that you will get more for your money in Glendale. Close to Milwaukee & Brown Deer, Great Schools, Great Parks, Great Police Department, Low Taxes, Great Shopping and more. Glendale, would also have to be the second most intergrated suburb in the Milwaukee area. A great environment for a child to live and go to school in. Overall, Brown Deer is not bad, just a little different from what people in Milwaukee are used to. Also, Fox Point, Whitefish Bay, Mequon, River Hills, are nearby but more expensive. Grafton, and Cedarburg are further north and are nice. Grafton is a little cheaper than Cedarburg, but Cedarburg has a nice downtown. I personally live in Grafton and the schools are really good but, it's a bit far and everytime I want to shop, I end up driving all the way to Brown Deer, Bayshore or Mayfair. To conclude, Look at some homes, look at some different areas and drive around. If you need anymore help email me at rmatt84540@msn.com I am sure you will find what you are looking for.

[chubacca]

I would recommend Whitefish Bay (Northshore). It is more than just Lake Drive where the really expensive home are; there are a lot of middle class families in Whitfefish Bay. I would consider it affordable and very family friendly. The kids here walk to school. My husband works in Menomonee Falls which is just west of Brown Deer and he does not mind the commute, it is less than 30 minutes. There are a lot of young families here and an excellent school system. It is a VERY safe area with many stores around. The bayshore mall is less than 5 minutes down the road with many retail shops and restaurants. More than a few grocery stores are nearby, including Trader Joes. It is also only a short drive to downtown. There are also sidewalks here which is uncommom in other neighborhoods in WI we found out. Sounds like a small thing but it is a nice feature as I see the kids walking along all the time.

[pandagal]

So happy to get some additional feedback! We are looking for a more reasonably priced home. We are definitely middle class, and can't afford a $300 thousand dollar home. I think a diverse community would be great for children, and I agree that crime is everywhere. We live in a big ten college town now, so diversity and crime are two things we are used to. Nothing too violent, but enough to be on the map. Sounds like Brown Deer is a pretty nice area and after looking up some homes on realtor.com, it may just be the most affordable. Sounds like with the shopping and all that everything we would need is right there. I'm all about not having to make a big commute somewhere for groceries. I like my ice cream still frozen when I get home.
You all have been terrific and I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate all the advice and knowledge you're sharing with me! Wisconsin folks are GREAT!

[deannapenn]

About living in Brown Deer...

It is definitely a declining community -- a transitioning community. My husband and I moved there a little less than five years ago. Because the houses are affordable, you can't be certain you'll get a good class of people in your neighborhood.

Examples of problems with the class of people:
Just as we were moving in, I saw my neighbor and waved, a big smile on my face and a friendly hello. She scowled and ran into the house. She did the same to my husband. Seems this woman hated the people from whom we bought the house, and she just transfered her hatred onto us. It's SO uncomfortable! She blames us for all kinds of thing. If her flowers are trampled, she says our cat did it. We don't have a cat.

Then, a guy moved in across the street from us and rode his motorcycle up an down on his lawn, even between houses. He took down some nice privacy bushes between his house and his neighbors -- so the neighbors got fed up and moved out. Then, a couple of degenerates moved in with a couple of loud Harley-Davidsons, not caring what time of day or night they tear through the neighborhood. When people complained, the degenerates retaliated. Imagine going into your own yard and hearing your neighbor yell at you from two doors down every time they see you ... also, driving by your house slowly, coming to a stop and giving you the evil-eye (just like those guys who used to lynch black people and white social workers down South in the 50s - 60s) while all you're doing is gardening in your own yard. It is hell. The police just talk to them, but all that does is make the degenerates angrier and meaner. When the police came by to sit and observe, they sat in clear view of the offenders! Duh!

Brown Deer is a bad, bad choice. It will only get worse because the houses are too affordable, allowing more degenerates to move in.

[deannapenn]

I live in Brown Deer. My husband and I drive up to Mequon and Grafton to do our grocery shopping at Sendiks. Sendiks are the best grocery stores. There is no Sendiks in Brown Deer, just a Pick-n-Save store which is a little grundgy and the check-out folks are commonly surly and uncommunicative. We have to shop at the Pick-n-Save on Port Washington and Green Tree Roads to get a well-kept store with nice check-out people. The good non-grocery stores are in Glendale and Whitefish Bay (Bayshore Mall).

Frankly, if I knew better at the time we moved here I would have never move to this area at all. The Milwaukee area is filled with too much hatred and divisiveness. Of course, there are nice people here and there -- mostly in the communities where people are more educated -- Whitefish Bay and Shorewood. Otherwise, it's a crap-shoot.

I usually tell people to not even move here. A handful of folks told me to leave when I first arrived, but I didn't listen. Fourteen years later, I regret it.

[Empidonax]

Brown Deer is a perfectly fine place to live, especially north of Bradley Rd. It's the only Milwaukee suburb that has attracted significant numbers of black residents, mostly middle-class black families. (14% of total population.) Unless you want a lily-white community, you should consider Brown Deer. The schools are fine--not incredible, but definitely college-prep oriented. Brown Deer is also an important retail/commercial hub for northern Milwaukee County, so if non-violent crime stats look a little high, it's mostly due to shoplifting, etc. at the local malls. The community itself is safe and a good place to live. I know several people who live in Brown Deer, and they enjoy it.

[fxsts]

Glendale, Glendale Glendale. Low tax base, nice homes close to shopping...Fox Point to snooty, Cedarburg too snobish....Brown deer is an extension of north Milwaukee. bad areas...just ask about Northridge mall...
From edge of Glendale, east to fox point, west to 127th st and north to Donges bay road...look out.
Glendale has some really nice homes along the Milwaukee River parkway..
200k to 275k. Costs: River Hills 500k and up, Fox Point 150k and up, bayside 300k and up,
Brown Deer 60k and up. Glendale 150k and up
Good Luck.

[Fishtacos]

To the original poster. Milwaukee is a small city, less spread out than say St. Louis, a bigger medium sized city/metro.

You can go from North Milwaukee suburbs, through downtown, to South suburbs in less than 30 minutes. Same for Western suburbs. Traffic is very very little in metro Milwaukee. You can choose from many different parts of town. You would be comparing 20-30 min to say 5-15 min depending on where you end up. Many choices under 30 minutes, most well under 20 minutes.

[AnnK.]

If you have the opportunity to live outside Milwaukee County that would be much better. Taxes are extraordinarily high in Milwaukee County. Just for an example: taxes on a $170,000 home in Milwaukee County are about $3700-4000 a year. Taxes on a $250,000 home in Waukesha County are about $2500-3000 per year.

Brown Deer has declined.

I do not like their library personnel. The staff there is curt and rude. I get much better service at other libraries.

I find better shopping in other areas.

I have relatives who live in Ozaukee County, in Grafton, Cedarburg and in Washington County in Germantown. These are all much nicer communities with less crime, better neighborhoods, shopping, libraries, restaurants, culture, churches, and YMCA's.

AnnK.

[Packrat]

Be carefull-the MKE ghetto is every bit as bad as Chicago's.