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Old 02-16-2010, 03:05 PM
 
10 posts, read 60,881 times
Reputation: 26

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I really don’t mean to sound like an ass, but I seriously do not understand why anyone would want to move to Green Bay, let alone enjoy living there.

I say this as someone who first moved to Green Bay from Milwaukee with my family in 1992… I was 11. I stayed for 3 years before moving back to Milwaukee to start high school, then back to Green Bay (against my wishes) in 1997 to finish. I stayed until I graduated in January 2000, then only occasionally returned to visit my mother until I was forced to move back “home” last year when I was laid off.

Thankfully, I’m back in Milwaukee where I’m not entirely content, but feel like I’m in a river delta of social and cultural progress compared to Green Bay. I’m always amazed when I hear Green Bay talked about as such a great place to raise kids. I don’t know a single person that was raised in Green Bay who actually enjoyed it. I also don’t know a single person with the means to do so that didn’t leave Green Bay the first chance they got. The ones who stayed usually did so because of familial and occupational responsibilities… which more often than not means that they got pregnant (or got someone pregnant) at a young age.

I’m also shocked to hear of Green Bay’s reputation for being a place populated by warm and friendly people. While there’s no doubt some Green Bay folks fit this description, based on my experience I’d say the “typical” Green Bay resident is a miserable person with a crappy job that doesn’t pay (is there any other kind in Green Bay?) who may or may not be hell bent on making everyone else just as depressed as they are.

Cultural offerings in Green Bay are almost non-existent outside of things like Art Street, where about 90% of the attendees only care about getting wasted. The only bands that come to Green Bay are ones that can’t get booked at Summerfest or State Fair… and that’s saying something! It doesn't help that the one significant stride Green Bay has made towards cultural progress in the past two decades... The Weidner Center... has been rendered obsolete by the Fox Cities PAC.

Worst of all, Green Bay’s attitudes towards racial and cultural diversity seem stuck in the 19th century. Everything that’s wrong with Green Bay is blamed on the Blacks and Mexicans and back in the 90s (before any Blacks or Mexicans were around), it was the Hmongs fault. Last time I was up there, it felt like every other week I overheard a conversation about how “those people” are “taking over” which is hilarious since even with the “massive” influx of people of color over the past decade, the town is still 85-90% white and people of color have ZERO political influence thanks to the Resch-Bergstrom old boys network.

These are just a few reasons why it never made sense to me that some people consider Green Bay to be the third city in the Wisconsin “hierarchy” behind Milwaukee and Madison. If you ask me, Green Bay is not even the third best city in its part of the state. Appleton, Oshkosh, Manitowoc and Sheboygan are all more complete and appealing cities despite each being a fraction of Green Bay’s size. Outside of relatively trivial things like population size (which is dropping) and the Packers (who could be better thought of as a Milwaukee team that plays way… WAY in the suburbs), I have no idea how anyone could consider Green Bay to be the “flagship” city of NE Wisconsin.

Yet despite all this, many of you apparently disagree with me… so PLEASE c-d!!! Help me understand why anyone who values their sanity would ever want to move to Green Bay!!!
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Old 02-16-2010, 09:15 PM
 
365 posts, read 776,068 times
Reputation: 350
If you’re not happy somewhere then it’s a good thing not to live there. You obviously made the right decision for your self. But many people do enjoy life in Green Bay for a variety of reasons. Some were born and raised there and so it has always been home, some like being near ground zero of Packer mania; but what ever the reason the Green Bay area has continually grown at or above the state average.

The area does offer many amenities to residents and visitors alike. Amenities Green Bay offers include the National Railroad Museum; NEW Zoo; Bay Beach Amusement Park; Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary; Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve; Heritage Hill State Park; Green Bay Botanical Garden; UWGB (NCAA division 1 athletics); NWTC; Bellin College of Nursing; Oneida Casino; Weidner Center; Meyer Theater; Resch Center; KI Convention Center; Neville Museum; Lambeau Field and Atrium; Green Bay Packers; Green Bay Blizzard (IFL arena football team); Green Bay Bullfrogs (collegiate summer baseball team). Green Bay also offers great outdoor recreational activities being at the base of the Door Peninsula and the north woods.

The reason many people see it as a regional center for Northeastern Wisconsin may have to do with the NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox affiliates all broadcasting out of Green Bay; Northeastern Wisconsin’s division of the Federal Court Eastern Division is based in Green Bay; Green Bay is the county seat of Brown County - the most populous county in Northeastern Wisconsin; Austin Straubel is the third busiest airport in Wisconsin with Delta/Northwest, United, American, Continental, Midwest and Frontier Airlines. These are just a few of the reasons.

As to perceived racism in Green Bay I’m sure it exists there as it does elsewhere. And although Green Bay has the highest percentage of ethnic minorities in Northeastern Wisconsin your correct in observing that it is still overwhelming white. I think latest estimates show Green Bay to be 85% white with Hispanics by far being the largest ethnic group and fastest growing. Twenty years ago Green Bay was probably closer to 95% white. Perhaps some people find change difficult, for example, when they see storefronts in neighborhoods changing from English to Spanish. Personally, I think the growing diversity makes the town more interesting.
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Old 02-17-2010, 07:59 AM
 
Location: Portland OR
2,646 posts, read 3,821,003 times
Reputation: 4806
There will always be people who search out the things that for your others (like you) are a negative.

There will always be people who desire a "non diverse" area.
There will always be people that desire a quiet some would say boring town to settle down and concentrate on raising a family.
There will always be people who are content with a job that pays the rent or mortgage and I am sure the prevailing wage in GB allows for that.

In short, GB probably is not for you, but for many many people it apparently works.

Finally - the same can be said for almost anyplace on the planet. Works for some - not for others.
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Old 02-18-2010, 06:39 PM
 
10 posts, read 60,881 times
Reputation: 26
I understand that not everyone wants what I do from a city... hence my last big paragraph. Despite having spent a fair chunk of my life in Green Bay, I'm not aware of anything that Green Bay has that can't be found (often times of better quality and/or less money) in a handful of other cities within an hours drive.

Apparently I'm not the only one that's noticing Green Bay's lack of substance outside of its football team... it's the only significantly-sized city in NE Wisconsin with a shrinking population.

Also, regarding TV stations in Green Bay... I'm not certain, but I'm pretty sure one or more of the stations is in (or at least closer to) Appleton. That's why the official name of the DMA (media market) is "Green Bay-Appleton."
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Old 02-18-2010, 08:27 PM
 
365 posts, read 776,068 times
Reputation: 350
I just checked the US Cenus bureaus latest estimates for a few Northeastern Wisconsin cities to see what their population changes have shown since the 2000 census:

Green Bay in 2000 census showed 102,313 population, 2008 estimate is 101,025 down from their peak estimate of 102,787 which was estimated in the census year of 2000.

Appleton's 2000 census showed 70,087 population. There 2008 estimate was 70,305 which is down from their peak estimate over this period which occured in 2001 and was estimated at 70,679.

Manitowoc's 2000 census showed 34,053 population. There 2008 estimate was 33,169 which is down from their peak esitmate of 34,092 in 2002.

While none of these communities show significant changes in their populations it should be noted that the Green Bay and Appleton areas have both seen signifcant population growth in their suburban metropolitan areas, just not in their core cities.

As to the mentioned TV stations, Green Bay and Appleton are the same televison market due to the very close proximity of these cities. Below are the TV stations addresses:
CBS affiliate, WFRV: 1181 East Mason Street, Green Bay, WI‎
ABC affiliate, WBAY: 115 South Jefferson Street, Green Bay, WI‎
NBC affiliate, WGBA: 1391 North Road, Green Bay, WI‎
Fox affiliate, WLUK: 787 Lombardi Avenue, Green Bay, WI‎
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Old 02-19-2010, 07:21 PM
 
Location: Iowa
14,284 posts, read 14,519,099 times
Reputation: 13743
When areas lose industry, which has happened in NE Wisconsin, young people leave to find work, older people stay because they aren't depending on employment.

Where I am, there are quite a few bigger buildings/factories standing empty, companies that closed or moved elsewhere.
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Old 02-20-2010, 11:22 AM
 
136 posts, read 422,645 times
Reputation: 82
Iam sure I will raise an eyebrow with this however, unless you are in professional sports such as Football, GreenBay to me is a cold gray city and I have know idea unless you are a lifer why a young
person or couple would want to live there.
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Old 02-20-2010, 11:34 AM
 
Location: Milwaukee
1,040 posts, read 1,989,792 times
Reputation: 1835
In fairness all northern towns/cities are cold and gray in the winter. It sounds as if the posts are a little tough on Green Bay. To me it is a middle/working class city with a decent quality of life. It is boring and slow but to many that is O.K. Otherwise, it is clean, not run down(a little tired in areas), low crime, decent enough schools, low cost of living and no traffic. This is the idea situation for many in the middle class. Less headaches. I prefer Milwaukee, but that is my choice. It doesn't make it any better or worse. There are much worse places to live than Green Bay.
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Old 02-20-2010, 09:43 PM
 
39 posts, read 127,830 times
Reputation: 32
I worked downtown with many people who were from Green Bay and I thought they were all friendly and easy to get along with.
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Old 02-21-2010, 11:06 AM
 
Location: Marion, IA
2,793 posts, read 6,102,381 times
Reputation: 1613
Huh, Greebay seems an aweful like Cedar Rapids. Or any upper midwest town for that matter. B-O-R-I-N-G!
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