Wanna help me choose my new home town in WI?

[Psm73]

We're being transferred there from NY (dh just moved & is already working there). Of course you need parameters for your recommendations but here's the annoying part.... we can live anywhere in the whole state. I've been staring at my computer for days, looking at the city profiles for each location, researching house prices, property taxes, school test scores........... :blink:

 

Now that our house here is sold, we need to find a house there. Relatively soon. We prefer not to rent as we have a larger size family, dog, etc. PWe would like to be able to go right into a house.

 

Anyway, we don't want to be directly in a city. We like the suburbs (even a bit rural is good for us). We were thinking more centrally located so his driving isn't as extensive. We are trying to avoid the counties with really high property taxes - been there, done that here in NY. Affordable housing is a definite plus. Some of the areas our friends recommended to us are just too expensive as far as house prices. Yes, it might be the best area in the whole state but we don't *need* to be in the most sought after area. We would like to be in a decent school district (for resale reasons only - we will continue to homeschool).

 

So if you could live anywhere in WI, where would you choose? and why?

 

Also, anyone have any strong feelings (yay or nay) on Watertown? Johnson Creek? Ixonia?

 

Thanks for your help!!! Anything is better than what little info I have now. :)

[Seeker of Schole]

If I could live anywhere in WI, it would be Door County, but that's for me and not you.

 

Centrally located to where - the entire state? Or Madison / Milwauke?

 

Have you checked out Elkhorn, WI?

 

I guess it depends on what you consider 'close' to things. Where I grew up is an hour to Madison, hour to Milwaukee and hour and a half to Chicago. It was 1 to 20 minutes to get to a decent grocery store. That seems the norm for me, so...

[Psm73]

Thanks for the already quick reply! We haven't checked out Elkhorn. I'll add that to the list.

 

It's funny how "close" is relative, isn't it? Someone told us that Kenosha is really "out there, away from the city". It's a pretty built up place with lots of traffic & shopping! Definitely not what we were picturing based on the recommendation.

 

Anyway, we are looking for a town with at least a grocery store and a library. So definitely not too rural. I don't need a mall in my town or anything like that but I don't want to drive more than 10-15 minutes to shopping, a restaurant or two, and the local library.

 

Hope this helps.

[Perry]

Lucky you! There are lots of great little towns in Wisconsin!

 

My favorites are the Madison area, Sauk Prairie, Black Earth, Spring Green, Appleton, and Wausau.

[Bug's Mom]

I'm in La Crosse and like it here. There are a lot of smaller towns around. I LOVE Viroqua. (they have a library and, I think, may be building a new one...and have a large food co-op)

[Seeker of Schole]

As for the three you initially asked about I enjoy shopping in Johnson Creek and it's easy access to a lot of areas. Watertown would also be a thought. If you're thinking a little more rural, maybe look for something in between the two? I also like Sun Prarie, but am not sure about property taxes for that area...

[Psm73]

Um... I'm getting scared! I haven't heard of hardly any of these places.

 

Here I thought I was getting the list narrowed down! I'll add your suggestions to my research list. :)

 

And I will add, his market is the ENTIRE state but he has quite a few locations clustered near Milwaukee. He has a couple up north and several in the southern part of the state. So we can technically go anywhere but I prefer for us to be central to cut down on his driving time.

 

Thanks for the info - please keep it coming! :) Also, if anyone else chimes in, the "whys" of locations would be good so I know if it's what we're looking for, too. Thanks again everyone!

[Kathleen in VA]

I'd move to Dunbar, Wisconsin because Dd18 wants to go to Northland Baptist Bible College there. Not very helpful, huh?:)

[Hillary in KS]

I've lived in La Crosse, Fountain City, and Sheboygan.

 

If I could move back to La Crosse, I'd do it in a heartbeat. A HEARTBEAT. :D We love it there. (In-laws live there, so we get to visit often!)

 

Sheboygan was a nice second. it was a very nice small city in which to live. And right on Lake Michigan!:D It's an hour north of Milwaukee, an hour west of Fon du Lac, and 45- 60 minutes south of Appleton/Green Bay.

[Psm73]

Kathleen, funny you say that! I just had a homeschool friend from here call me tonight - her sons are thinking about going there or to Maranatha Baptist Bible College (which is in Watertown). Pretty strange to hear her bring up Watertown when my husband and I were just talking about some houses located there this afternoon. I'd never heard of either of those colleges until today. Apparently 1/3 new enrollments @ Maranatha are homeschooled students.

[Maverick_Mom]

This is so funny. We are in NY; dh started his job in WI a few months ago. We'll be moving as soon as our house sells.

 

Small world. :)

[Running the race]

As for the three you initially asked about I enjoy shopping in Johnson Creek and it's easy access to a lot of areas. Watertown would also be a thought. If you're thinking a little more rural, maybe look for something in between the two? I also like Sun Prarie, but am not sure about property taxes for that area...

 

I grew up in Sun Prairie and still have friends there. It was a great place to grow up. I could commute to orchestra rehearsal in downtown Madison. It was only an hour to Milwaukee. Haven't lived there since 1984, though. If you seriously want to talk to someone there, I could hook you up with a friend.

[Michelle My Bell]

I'd move to Dunbar, Wisconsin because Dd18 wants to go to Northland Baptist Bible College there. Not very helpful, huh?:)

 

This is a Stunningly beautiful area! I love the trees and Northland!!! We have been to family camp there several times. I would say it is remote however and very wintery! LOL

[Michelle My Bell]

Kathleen, funny you say that! I just had a homeschool friend from here call me tonight - her sons are thinking about going there or to Maranatha Baptist Bible College (which is in Watertown). Pretty strange to hear her bring up Watertown when my husband and I were just talking about some houses located there this afternoon. I'd never heard of either of those colleges until today. Apparently 1/3 new enrollments @ Maranatha are homeschooled students.

 

I am very familiar with this school as well. Northland and Maranatha are both homeschool friendly and excellent schools. I wish I still lived near there. We used to live in MN.

[jenpeterson5]

I went to college at Maranatha in Watertown. I graduated in '96. (I lived off campus this last year as I was married. Different perspective than on campus.) I have a sister that attended there later. When we went back for her graduation in 2001, I was shocked at how grown the area had become. I have not been there since, but I can tell you what they had 10 years ago. There was a larger grocery store called Pic-N-Save, Piggly Wiggly, Kohl's, Walmart, newly redone town library (very nice), Ponderosa, McDonald's, Hardee's, Walgreens, Culver's, Perkins, Pizza Hut, hotels, and a hospital. The city has grown so much, yet just a mile or less out of town and you are in a rural setting. It has everything you need and I am sure a lot more over the past 10 years. It is an hour from Madison and an hour from Milwaukee. There is an outlet mall in Johnson Creek, not far away. If you want to live closer to the freeway than I would check into Johnson Creek or Sun Prairie. If I remember right Watertown is about 20 minutes from Johnson Creek and 30 minutes from Sun Prairie. Another city nearby is Oconomowac. This city had a nice little restaurant called Mug and Muffin. I can remember sitting there eating a bread bowl filled with hot chili in the cold winter... anyway, I am rambling. There is a ski hill in Oconomowac if you ski downhill. Just for some added info - Watertown is also home of the first Kindergarten and Octagon House.

 

Here is a link to there city. http://www.ci.watertown.wi.us/

 

Hope this info helps.

[oldskool]

I grew up in Hudson, WI which is a border town to MN. It is very pretty (on the St.Croix River) and a nice size. The great part about it is that it is close to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area which has lots of homeschooling activities and groups to be a part of, as well as, tons of great museums, shopping, theaters, etc. Close to Hudson is a town called River Falls and that is also very nice. It is rural, but has a university so there is a nice feel to it.

 

Lesley

[jenpeterson5]

When we lived in Watertown, my husband commuted to work in Menomonee Falls (just north of Milwaukee). He found some back ways to work and just loved it. Beautiful commute.

[CalicoKat]

I've lived in La Crosse, Fountain City, and Sheboygan.

 

If I could move back to La Crosse, I'd do it in a heartbeat. A HEARTBEAT. :D We love it there. (In-laws live there, so we get to visit often!)

 

Sheboygan was a nice second. it was a very nice small city in which to live. And right on Lake Michigan!:D It's an hour north of Milwaukee, an hour west of Fon du Lac, and 45- 60 minutes south of Appleton/Green Bay.

 

We're moving to LaCrosse next month. :D

 

I like Viroqua too. It's kind of on the cutting edge of the whole organic food movement. I bought my wedding gown from the local bridal shop there 18 years ago.

[Psm73]

Woo hoo! Thanks soooo much everyone. I really, really appreciate the insight. That was extremely helpful.

 

It looks like the size of Johnson Creek & Watertown are what we're looking for, so at this point, I think we will focus in on those. I've always LOVED house shopping but I've never had to do it when the search area includes an entire state! Don't you feel so bad for our realtor? :tongue_smilie: He's been great, though, very patient.

 

Anyway, if anyone else wants to chime in, please feel free. If not, I'm so grateful for the help you've provided.

[k2bdeutmeyer]

I spent a good portion of my childhood in Eau Claire. Probably not a small town, but it was nice to only be 1-1.5hr from Minneapolis. I loved it there. :) I was a kid though, so I can't really speak for adult type things.

[catz]

Door County is fabulous but it's out there. But Green Bay is only an hour or so from most spots on the Peninsula. My dad was raised there on a cherry farm.

 

If you are interested in being close to a major metro area the western border is nice. Hudson and surrounding areas in only 30-45 minutes from the Twin Cities. We were actually out biking in Hudson area last weekend. There are some beautiful places near the river. We live in MN, but both my parents are from WI and we travel there often. I love WI. Parts of it are just gorgeous. I like Madison area too.

[dani3boys]

We're moving to LaCrosse next month. :D

 

I like Viroqua too. It's kind of on the cutting edge of the whole organic food movement. I bought my wedding gown from the local bridal shop there 18 years ago.

 

You will be about 45 minutes from me! I live east of Rochester, MN.

[LostSurprise]

It really depends on what you like to do.

 

If you love the homesteading life, outdoor winter sports, hunting/fishing/swimming/biking, then Northern Wisconsin (Bayfield, Rice Lake, Hayward) might be for you.

 

If you like the small, tourist town with cute shops, then Minoqua, Sister Bay (or any Door Co. town), Mt. Horeb, Cambridge or Baraboo may be for you.

 

If you want to be close to classes, good restaurants, museums, cultural events then small towns around Madison, Milwaukee, and Appleton (and even La Crosse, Green Bay and Eau Claire to a degree) would be interesting. Sun Prairie, Lake Mills or Stoughton for Madison. Maybe something a little further out for Milwaukee...closer to Oconomowoc or Port Washington. Elkhorn, Delavan, and Lake Geneva are handy to the northern Chicago suburbs (although I'm not a big fan of the first two and Geneva is very expensive).

 

For cute small towns I like Mt. Horeb, Fort Atkinson, Dodgeville, and Columbus. La Crosse has a fun downtown and is handy to Mayo in Rochester, MN. Hudson and Eau Claire are handy to the Twin Cities and have a lot of natural beauty (lakes, forest) around them.

 

Prices (homes, food) are higher in the southern parts of the state. Larger cities (Madison, Milwaukee, Appleton) and towns near the IL border (Lake Geneva) are closer to Chicago prices.

 

I hope that helps a bit.

[Mergath]

I would live somewhere in Superior, in Douglas County, but that's only because I love Duluth, MN, and it's just across the bridge. :001_smile:

[catz]

I would live somewhere in Superior, in Douglas County, but that's only because I love Duluth, MN, and it's just across the bridge. :001_smile:

 

Good point - another fabulous area!

[CalicoKat]

You will be about 45 minutes from me! I live east of Rochester, MN.

 

(like!) I've been to Rochester. DH had his surgery there 15 years ago @ St. Mary's (Mayo!)

[Orthodox6]

I guess I'm the only person who likes Milwaukee. Is it no longer a good place?

 

I loved [ ! ! ! ] visiting my great-aunt and great-uncle in West Allis (suburb) when I was growing up.

[Psm73]

Thanks again everyone! You're giving me a ton of ideas.

 

Orthodox6, what I'm finding above all else with this home search is that it's all about perspective. It's amazing to me some of the towns people refer to as "rural" and then a week later someone else will refer to that same exact place as "way too crowded and congested". Some people prefer big cities, other people think that if their town has a grocery store, it's not rural enough. lol Different strokes.....

 

Some of the places suggested here I would consider way too rural. I don't want to live in a town with only 400 people. But I also don't want to live in a place with 40,000. I like something in between. That's one reason it's hard when people suggest a place with no info attached - something they love about it (like zero shopping) would be something I wouldn't like about it. So it's always nice to hear why someone likes a place.

 

One thing I know, coming from NY, when people hear we are moving to WI, over and over all they say is, "It's SO beautiful there." :) We've run into quite a few people who live around here who would love to move back to WI. I'm excited to see what's ahead!

[BatmansWife]

I've lived in WI for 40 some years. I grew up in Sturgeon Bay (Door County). I've also lived in Algoma (NE of Green Bay on Lake Michigan), and Stevens Point (middle of the state). My mom lives in Kenosha, which I don't care for (my dh always heard that Kenosha and Racine were the worst cities in the state). We are now living in Grantsburg, WI (population is about 1,500).

 

Here's the Chamber of Commerce website. Grantsburg is in the Indianhead area of the state (NW area). We are about an hour south of Superior. We are near the St. Croix River; 20 minutes north of Taylors Falls MN (beautiful area!). We have a really nice library, an outdoor pool, a fitness center, Subway (other restaurants too, but not any other chain), a nice grocery store, the county fair.

 

If you want to shop at Walmart the closest is Pine City MN, about a 20 minutes drive....or St. Croix Falls, a little bit farther. We are about 25 minutes from North Branch, MN where they have a nice mall. If I have the need for Chinese food (which springs upon me quite often :drool: ) I can drive 20 minutes east, or 20 minutes south, or 20 minutes west and fill that need. :lol: I wish I didn't have to drive that far....but at least they are around.

 

One really nice thing is the school district. It's one of the best schools in the country. Of course...we homeschool, but they have a really nice Homebased Educational Program through the school district.

 

Our town just had the 35th annual world championship snowmobile watercoss. It's held in July...yes, it's snowmobiles...that cross the water. Check it out. I bet nobody else in WI can say they have that. :D

 

FYI: I'm pretty excited because this is the first time I've gotten to use the drool smiley. :001_smile:

[Annie]

You're so lucky! I know *exactly* where I would want to move (four block radius of Villas park in Madison), but since you don't want the city...

 

I like the suggestion of Sun Prairie. It's a cute little town and seems like a great place to raise kids. It's close enough to Madison that you could drive in for an activity now and then.

 

If you're thinking about the Milwaukee area at all, what about Muskego? I would consider it an exurb. I grew up in the Milwaukee suburbs, and I loved it. The property taxes are high though.

 

Have fun!

 

 

ETA: I forgot about Appleton! I lived there for a summer, and it was very nice. It's not giant but has what you need. Fairly close to Green Bay. Really though, I would rather be a little drive to Madison or Milwaukee than a little drive to Green Bay.

Edited August 3, 2011 by Annie

[Orthodox6]

If you wish to participate in a homeschool group, perhaps you should check where they are, of the type you would want to affiliate with.

[mcconnellboys]

Well, if you can stand the great frozen North in winter, we love Bayfield, right on Superior!