do you like Wisconsin? (Milwaukee, Madison: home, college, living in) - (WI) - City-Data Forum

Regs4rl · 02-28-2010, 07:28 PM

I remember going there on vacations when i was younger and i'd love to go back. does anyone recommend any certain parts of Wisconsin? or are they all nice? i can't remember exactly where we went but it was in the northern part of the state.

bluescreen73 · 02-28-2010, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mintleif

I remember going there on vacations when i was younger and i'd love to go back. does anyone recommend any certain parts of Wisconsin? or are they all nice? i can't remember exactly where we went but it was in the northern part of the state.

Loved Wisconsin. Most of my family still lives there. We lived in West-Central Wisconsin, near Black River Falls. Just an hour to both LaCrosse and Eau Claire. Right on the edge of the driftless area. Thick forest everywhere. If I could convince my better half to live in the butt cold I'd move our family there.

dlk33 · 02-28-2010, 09:04 PM

There are a lot of things to like about Wisconsin, some things not to like about Wisconsin. Anyone considering living in Wisconsin or any other place needs to do the research to find out if it fits their lifestyle, if they can afford the cost of living etc. Climate can be a huge factor in making that choice! If you can't handle at least six months of winter, a good amount of cloudy skies, Wi isn't the place for you. I've lived in the small city of Waterloo & medium size city of Madison. I prefer what Madison has to offer over a small town or city. I will be moving to the Appleton area this summer, which I'd say is like a smaller Wi, but not as liberal. Appleton offers a lower cost of living & lower median home cost. I would think the northern areas of the state are beautiful, but it's also colder with more snow & the communities are on the small side, you'd have to do some driving to get your errands done. Any place of interest should involve a visit, there is nothing like actually seeing for yourself if a place feels right or not.

schroedess26 · 02-28-2010, 11:18 PM

+ Low Cost of Living
+ Can move around quite easily
+ Commuting from anywhere in the state is a breeze
+ Jobs are around for the right people (with a college education)
+ You have the Packers

- Want to live in a nice area? Well for the place its pretty expensive
- Climate sucks more than anything (Northern Wisconsin 6 months of Snow, Southern Wisconsin 4-5 Months of freezing cold not always with snow)
- If you don't have a college education good luck finding a decent paying job all the factories are leaving
- It can be pretty dead unless you like sitting in a dark tavern on the weekend
- All you have is the Packers in the winter, well unless you cheer for UW-Madison for football and basketball

Thats about it for Wisconsin, also the weather is really nice in the summer for 2 months or maybe 3 months but after that you gotta be able to handle the cold of the North and not like Illinois or Ohio but of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Dakotas.

milwaukeeproud · 03-01-2010, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by schroedess26

Thats about it for Wisconsin, also the weather is really nice in the summer for 2 months or maybe 3 months but after that you gotta be able to handle the cold of the North and not like Illinois or Ohio but of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Dakotas.

I think that's a bit of a stretch. It's normally pretty nice from mid April to early November. It's not Hawaii nice, but it's not like it's 20 degrees in May and September either.

bananamana · 03-01-2010, 12:02 PM

It depends on what you're looking for. If big cities are your thing, Milwaukee or the southern cities of Racine or Kenosha are great for their proximity and connections to Chicagoland. Madison is also a very interesting, at the very least, city to live in and it's also an up and comer in the US as a whole. Wisconsin also has a plethora of smaller cities to choose from like Appleton, Eau Claire, Wausau, La Crosse, Green Bay, etc. and they all have their pluses and minuses. Living in the northwoods (where I was raised) is great but you really have to have interests in that area. All in all, there's a lot to offer. I would like to reiterate what others have said about job opportunities, especially in the Madison area.

Where I would recommend would be a mix between La Crosse, Madison, and Wausau for various reasons. La Crosse is where I live right now. It's beautiful, set in the bluffs and next to the Mississippi River. The summer brings festivals and entertainment and the city is beginning to come to life. It's also located on the planned high speed rail line to Minneapolis from Chicago so in the next 20 years it's going to be very easy to get to other places as well.

Madison is the capital and beautiful in it's own right. It almost goes without saying that it contains many of the most exciting aspects of the state. The town is well kept and clean and busy.

Wausau is what I like to call the gateway to the northwoods (or the last bastion of civilization). It's right in the hills, next to Rib Mountain. Growing up, this is where we had to go shopping and where we had to get our groceries. I really like and would like to return to Wausau one day.

It's all in what you like.

BacktoNE · 03-01-2010, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mintleif

I remember going there on vacations when i was younger and i'd love to go back. does anyone recommend any certain parts of Wisconsin? or are they all nice? i can't remember exactly where we went but it was in the northern part of the state.

Coming for vacation? Or moving here?

If moving, it really depends on where you are coming from, your expectations, needs, etc.

It's no secret that it hasn't been a good fit for us, but others have made the adjustment quite well. It seems to help if you have kids and/or have an affiliation with a church.

catfeathers · 03-02-2010, 07:50 AM

as BacktoNE also asked...why exactly are you asking? It would be easier to answer specifics. But, in general, just about anywhere in Wisconsin is nice to visit (and I can't think of one area in Wisconsin that actually has 6 months of snow!).

notmuch69 · 03-02-2010, 09:42 AM

Quote:

- Climate sucks more than anything (Northern Wisconsin 6 months of Snow, Southern Wisconsin 4-5 Months of freezing cold not always with snow)

Where I'm from in Central Wisconsin, the 4 seasons are actually quite enjoyable, except for maybe Jan & Feb. The Jan & Feb weather is actually what's needed for snow to stick around for a while.

Ragnar · 03-02-2010, 11:40 AM

I live in Madison and it's pretty typical that I don't see much of my lawn from late November / early December through much April. So that's about five months. There may not be as much snow falling in March or April, but snow is still all over the ground, getting brown and nasty as it melts. At least by then snow is on the way out and summer is coming...