Cudahy? (Milwaukee, Green Bay, Brookfield: apartments, renters, condos)

[lisajewela]

I have officially accepted the offer to relo to Milwaukee from Mpls, MN. I have appts to look at places in the following cities....Germantown, Mequon, possibly Brookfield but a little spendy. I have however noticed some rentals in Cudahy. I will be working near Brown Deer. I have school age children and am concerned about school quality, safety but would also like to live near the lake with a manageable commute. Help again.......................

[43north87west]

Take a pass on Cudahy.

Look in the North Shore. There are tons of rentals in Shorewood and Whitefish Bay. Fewer in Fox Point or Bayside.

Shorewood is really nice. It has a nice city feel, but has all the good schools and is right next to the lake. Whitefish Bay is a little more sleepy but still nice. Fox Point and Bayside are definitely suburban, with fewer rentals and higher prices in general.

All of them have very good schools.

You can also look in Glendale. Glendale goes from very small houses to $$$.

All of the above communities are older, especially the closer to the city you go. THat means, most of the rentals are going to be older (which is not necessarily bad). The newer rentals with more modern amenities would be in places like Mequon, Cedarburg, Grafton, Thiensville. Those communities are also safe, have good schools, etc.

Every area I have mentioned would be a very easy commute to Brown Deer, and the North Shore communities border Lake Michigan. Most of the rentals in Shorewood, and some in Whitefish Bay are easy walking distance from the lake. (5-20 minute walk). Shorewood is very walkable, some of Whitefish Bay is as well, if you like that sort of thing. If you lived in most areas of Shorewood, you really could live on foot all weekend, something I like.

The other more suburban communities are more spread out, so driving is more required. There are no rentals in Fox Point or Bayside close to Lake Michigan. Most of Lake Michigan is private access only in Fox Point, Bayside, Mequon, and Grafton. There are a few parks but not that much.
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[EnjoyEP]

I would also agree that you may consider taking a pass on Cudahy. Cudahy, among other things, is far south, and it would be a heckuva commute to Brown Deer (north end).

I would recommend either Glendale or Menomonee Falls. Glendale is NE and Menomonee Falls is NW. Both are very nice, yet relatively affordable, fairly safe suburbs of Milwaukee. Both would offer fairly affordable rentals (versus a Brookfield) and would be close relatively to Brown Deer.

Shorewood and Whitefish Bay would also be good options as mentioned, however, they are on a general rule more expensive (WFB is generally very pricey) than Glendale or Menomonee Falls. To get the most bang for your buck, you may wish to thus look into Glendale or MF. However, if you could find a deal in Shorewood or WFB, those would be excellent places as well.

[Empidonax]

Brown Deer itself is also a good place to live, for the most part. There are a lot of good apartments and condos around Brown Deer Road and Green Bay Road. I wouldn't recommend the area near Northridge, though (the west end of Brown Deer). As others have said, Glendale would be another good choice. The schools in Brown Deer and Glendale are very good.

[lisajewela]

Thank you..I will be doing some more research and the information I am getting from everyone here is very helpful! Anybody know about the River Cove apartments in Germantown or the Mequon Trail Townhouse rentals in Mequon...Also, any information on places to search for rental homes vs apartments in these areas would be helpful. Thanks Again. I have to go this weekend and rent something so my time is limited. I need a 3 bed hopefully 2 bath so that also limits me..Craigslist is useful but not much in the areas everyone is mentioning so keep your fingers crossed. I will be a Wisconsinite very soon...THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE!!!

[lisajewela]

Shorewood is looking good as far as available rentals..any specific area in Shorewood better for family living? I love walking communities! I am seeing a lot of references to UWM which tells me that a lot of rentals are probably geared towards college students rather than family. So any specifics within Shorewood or areas to avoid (Frat houses, college row, whatever terminology you want to use) if any would be fantastic. Thanks Again!

[EnjoyEP]

All three communities you listed are extremely quiet, safe, and would be great for families. Germantown, Mequon, or Shorewood.

Mequon is very upscale - if you can afford something here, that is great. It is quiet, pricey in general, upscale, and suburban. Nice community. Conservative.

Germantown is somewhat similar to Mequon - not as upscale or pricey, but very quiet and nice for families. Very suburban and conservative.

Shorewood is more of an urban type suburb, right off of Milwaukee, but extremely nice. Near the lake and closer to Downtown Milwaukee. A little more geared to the hip, contemporary crowd.

I would probably chose either Shorewood or Mequon. All three though are great for what you'd be looking for.

[Empidonax]

When you get here, go to a supermarket (by the entry/exit) and grab copies of the various glossy pamphlets that feature apartment and townhouse rentals. Lots will be listed for the North Shore, Germantown, etc. Though you may not want to stay in a "corporate" type of rental, these pamphlets can give you an idea of price ranges and rental neighborhoods in various communities.

In addition, take a look at other media, including the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel classifieds (also online at JSOnline.com, Web site of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) and the Shepherd Express (an alternative weekly with more independent rentals listed).

You may also consider heading to the public libraries in the communties you're interested in--Shorewood Public Library, North Shore Public Library (handles Whitefish Bay, Fox Point, Bayside), Glendale Public Library, Brown Deer Public Library, etc. You will find copies of local community newspapers and pennysavers at these places, and these papers will contain more individualized listings of rentals.

It's true that the rental apts. in Shorewood often target the UWM crowd, but most of the UWM people renting in Shorewood are older grad students, staff, and faculty. The party crowds tend to rent in the city of Milwaukee, though exceptions do occur. Many of the renters in Shorewood are young professionals who want to be near the college action, but who want a more upscale and mature vibe. I know several people (faculty) who live in the Fountain Bleu apartments, right across from the Shorewood Public Library, and they are very happy there. The closer you are to campus, the more likely you'll have UWM people around, but there are also many renters in Shorewood who are middle-aged and elderly Russians, and many more renters who are college grads and career-builders with an interest in living near bookstores and coffeeshops.

If you're out driving and looking for apartment clusters in Shorewood, you'll find a lot along Oakland Avenue. The strip of apartments on Oakland north of Capitol has a more professional rental crowd. On Capitol between Oakland and Downer, there are a few apartment buildings; these cater more to UWM people, but many young professionals are to be found, as well. Another cluster of apartments is located along Wilson Drive (the road borders the Milwaukee River, so there is a nice walking/bicycle trail there).

In Whitefish Bay, there are many apartment clusters on Henry Clay Blvd. and on Santa Monica Avenue. Accessible to the lake, and also to the village's downtown. There are also apartments around the Hampton Road/Port Washington Road area, but they don't seem as nice.

Glendale is divided by I-43. On the east side of Glendale (adjacent to WFB, Fox Point, etc.) there are many apt. building. on Port Washington Road. Many apartments are also for rent in the newly renovated Bayshore Town Center. You may not want to live in a shopping mall, but these units are geared toward professionals who want easy access to Trader Joe's, Bar Louie, L.A. Fitness, the Apple Store, etc. Up the road on Port Washington Road, near Cardinal Stritch University and the North Shore Public Library, are other apartments. I'm sure some Stritch students rent there, but I believe many renters also work full-time in the medical labs and other companies in the area.

In Fox Point and Bayside, most of the apartments for rent will be on or just off of Port Washington Road. Take a drive up PWR and you'll see various options. Apartments get scarcer once you head north on PWR past Brown Deer Road, but they do exist. There is an apt. complex north of PWR/BDR, adjacent to a condo complex, on the left-hand side of the road. Up PWR in Mequon, there is a complex called the Apple Orchard (on the right-hand side of the road). It's located just north of the PWR and Donges Bay intersection, near a shopping plaza.

If you drive along these streets, and particularly Port Washington Road, you'll see a lot of what's available in the North Shore. I'm less familiar with the west side of Glendale, though Green Bay Road seems to have a few complexes, especially near the intersections with Green Tree Road and Good Hope Road.

You should have no problem finding a nice rental at a good rate in a good location. Best wishes to you!

[lisajewela]

Thank you again your information is invaluable. I decided on a house rental in Whitefish Bay. Any information one would need to know about this area would be great. I.E. Grocer, General Shopping, Activities for children, child care, etc. Also any regular celebrations, parades, things like that if they exist that I should be aware of. THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!

[Empidonax]

Congrats, that's a lovely area. You have your choice of grocers around there. Silver Spring Drive is considered WB's "downtown," and there's a Sendik's supermarket near the corner of Silver Spring and Lake Drive. Sendik's can be a bit pricy in some things, but the quality of food is pretty high. At the Bayshore Town Center (down the road west on Silver Spring and Port Washington Rd.) is a Trader Joe's, known for high quality and inexpensive foods (packages veggies and meats as well as frozen goods, jarred sauces, inexpensive wines, etc.).

There are a couple of Pick-n-Save's near Whitefish Bay. Pick-n-Save is the standard grocery chain in the Mke metro; it has a majority share of sales. There's a PNS on Silver Spring Ave., heading west past Port Washington Rd. into Glendale. There's also a somewhat more upscale PNS on Port Washington Rd. near Green Tree, a couple miles north of the Bayshore Town Center.

There a Penzey's Spices in a strip mall on Port Wash Rd., just south of Silver Spring.

Lots of general shopping at the Bayshore Center and all along Silver Spring. Silver Spring has more locally owned businesses, and there's also a small movie theater (called the Fox Bay, or something like that).

I'm not too familiar with the festivals and street fairs in WB, but keep an eye on the local churches. Many of them sponsor street fairs.