Hey everyone. This thread is basically asking for information on Milwaukee. I've always wanted to move to Chicago for the longest time, but now that my move date is closely approaching ive realised that Chicago just isnt a money wise good move. Anyways, basically I would like to know the nice( not too nice tho....im on a budget..haha) areas of milwaukee....and by nice i mean just not too dangerous. And any other information you could give me on the city would be VERY appreciated. Thanks.

Well, what are you into? The Eastside is the main college are but it's kinda expensive. Riverwest is good if you like organic food and underground music, the same (in a more sedate way) for Bay View on the southside. If you just want a cheap apartment close to the center of things, then you could move onto the Westside around Marquette University. it's also the area of town with the best bus service. None of the areas are particularily dangerous but they do have some crime, the worst (and coincidentally the cheapest in terms of rent) is the Westside. If you want to live in a little bit quiter place that's still cheap, you could move onto the far southside or some of the areas on the Westside along the border with the suburb of Wauwatosa (it's a lot cheaper than living in Wauwatosa itself).

Personally, if you want to move to Milwaukee---move to Wauwatosa. Its a great "suburb" that is close to everything--downtown, Miller Park, shopping, parks, etc. Its pretty safe, has good schools, beautiful neighorhoods, and isnt as expensive as living in Milwaukee.

If you want to live in Milwaukee--try somewhere on the Eastside. While still a little rough around the edges-Brewers Hill and Riverwest would be cool. Probally one of the best places to live in the city is without a doubt Bayview. Everyone talks about the Third Ward...but that seems a bit pricey. If you want to move in that area...go buy a place in Walkers Point. Its damn near the same thing anyway...right next door and alot is happening there. If you dig old warehouses and things of that nature--you like it there.

Hey thanks ReddAlert and milwaukee-kobenhavn! Ive taken your advice and its helping with lookin around on craiglist..... Thanks agian.

Hey thanks ReddAlert and milwaukee-kobenhavn! Ive taken your advice and its helping with lookin around on craiglist..... Thanks agian.

Heres some more advice, craiglist isn't that popular in Milwaukee like it is in other cities. I would use other resources

Depends on whether or not you want suburban or urban living.


I would reccomend for urban areas:

Eastside---The most vibrant and ecclectic hood in Milwaukee. Big area, many "microhoods," lots of people, restaurants, activities, the lake, etc. Its home to old money, new money, college students, young professionals a sizeable hipster population. Basically covers anything east of the river, west of the lake south of shorewood and north of downtown.

Riverwest---If you like edge, Riverwest is ideal. It's Milwaukee's ultra-progressive hipster heart, but crime is an issue. West of Holton, as a general rule, is probably to dangerous to look. Its located directly west of the river (as the name implies) from the east side, centered along locust and center streets.

Bayview---The dark horse inner-ring neighborhood in Milwaukee. Rents and homes are still cheap, the lake is at your doorstep, quieter, peaceful, safe, very nice, but lacks the amenties one can find in the first two. Centered along Kinnikinnic Ave on the southeast side.

Walkers Point---The poor man's third ward. If you want to invest in real estate THIS is the place to do it. The area is beginning to develop and will likely explode in the next 10 years. I personally love this area. Huge, desolate warehouses and old cream city break buildings line the deserted sidewalks in the north part, gays bars and mexican restaurants dominate the southern half. A very industrail-chic neighborhood in the making. Lies south of the third ward, includes the intersections of national and 5th.

Stay away from the third ward. Nice, but overpriced and overrated. Still a great place to walk around in. I would also not recommend the west side near Marquette or along Wisconsin Ave. It's busy (not in a good way), can be dangerous, and lacks amenities.

If you want to try the suburban approach...


Shorewood and Whitefish Bay are two great, established inner-ring suburbs north of Milwaukee on the lake. Here, you hav quiet, beautiful tree-lined streets but still the option of walking from place. Can be VERY expensive. but you could probably find a good deal if you scrounge.

Wauwatosa, on the west side, has some great, walkable neighborhoods and a lot of affordable housing.

If you really really must live in Suburbia...


The "best" options in terms of crime, schools and beauty would probably be Mequon, Hartland, Brookfield or Cedarburg. Typical sprawling bedroom communities with huge houses. Cedarburg has a old-town heart, but is very far from the city (A good 35 minutes without traffic). The rest are closer, Brookfield is the biggest and has the most stuff. Quiet, safe, boring, you get the idea.

Hope that helps.

I'm going to throw in a plug for my neighborhood, Sherman Park. I love living in this neighborhood. But there are some downsides.

Sherman Park is a classic urban neighborhood with density, beautiful tree-lined streets and great brick houses that are very afforfable (average price between $150K and $180K). It has a level of diversity and inclusiveness you don't see in most places. Not just ethnic and economic diversity, but diversity of ages and lifestyles. Picture three little Black girls playing double dutch on the sidewalk while an Orthodox Jewish family in traditional garb walks past, while a lesbian couple does yardwork and a jacked up car with spinners and thumping bass rolls past and all the while an old German guy is watching the whole scene on his front porch. These are the scenes that I see everyday in my neighborhood. The place is just bursting with life.

On the other hand, while Sherman Park is great neighborhood to walk around in, there aren't a whole lot of places to walk to. The actual park from where the neighborhood gets its name is not bad but not great, either. The main commercial strip is full of vacancies and crappy shops (although this will change with the Burleigh Main Street effort), and the neighborhood is psycologically separated from the rest of the city by a ring of bad neighborhoods on three sides. We have nice coffee shop, Sherman Perk, that for one reason or another I almost never go to. Crime has been an issue, but with increased police patrols it's improved a lot.

hey thanks so much for everyone with info. What is the best apartment search i should go to for Milwaukee tho?? -thanks

hey thanks so much for everyone with info. What is the best apartment search i should go to for Milwaukee tho?? -thanks


I hate to say this, but apartment searches are the fucking devil. At least here in Louisville all they do is list sprawling, overpriced suburban complexes with ugly design and huge surface lots.

If you want to find the cool shit, your best bet is to pick 3 urban neighborhoods and do a "clean sweep" by driving all around them calling the little for rent signs. Start by finding the main commercial drag in the neighborhood and look for streets that intersect it near stuff youd like to be near. Seriously, call 10 or 15 places in each neighborhood and get a feel for the going rate for rents. It sounds like a lot, but this is how I found my apartment in a day.

You are much better off dealing with a smaller, private landlord who is usually more hands on, often charges cheaper rent, and has the pimp apartments with the location. I just hate that lots of ppl think you have to live in these sprawling suburban places called Eastgate, or Cedarwood, or crap like that they have in every city/suburb.

Anyways, in Milwaukee I would traverse Third Ward/Walker's Point, Eastside, and Riverwest. It is seriously worth the drive or flight up there for a day to do this.

Craig's List is actually ok if you're looking for apts. in the center of town. Otherwise, scraperboy is right. Bike or drive around different parts of town and look for for rent signs. An alternative is to look in the classifieds in the Milwaukee Journal (http://www.jsonline.com). They are divided up by area and include all kinds (duplexes, apt. complexes, buildings, lofts, etc.).

ahh yes. I plan on going up to Milwaukee with my family who live in Watertown in about 2 weeks. I plan on driving around for a while to get a feel for areas of town mentioned here. Im just looking online at apartments to have an idea of the areas prices. but yes. Anymore info on milwaukee will be great.

thanks!

I'm going to throw in a plug for my neighborhood, Sherman Park. I love living in this neighborhood. But there are some downsides.

Sherman Park is a classic urban neighborhood with density, beautiful tree-lined streets and great brick houses that are very afforfable (average price between $150K and $180K). It has a level of diversity and inclusiveness you don't see in most places. Not just ethnic and economic diversity, but diversity of ages and lifestyles. Picture three little Black girls playing double dutch on the sidewalk while an Orthodox Jewish family in traditional garb walks past, while a lesbian couple does yardwork and a jacked up car with spinners and thumping bass rolls past and all the while an old German guy is watching the whole scene on his front porch. These are the scenes that I see everyday in my neighborhood. The place is just bursting with life.

On the other hand, while Sherman Park is great neighborhood to walk around in, there aren't a whole lot of places to walk to. The actual park from where the neighborhood gets its name is not bad but not great, either. The main commercial strip is full of vacancies and crappy shops (although this will change with the Burleigh Main Street effort), and the neighborhood is psycologically separated from the rest of the city by a ring of bad neighborhoods on three sides. We have nice coffee shop, Sherman Perk, that for one reason or another I almost never go to. Crime has been an issue, but with increased police patrols it's improved a lot.

I'm sorry to say Ive never even considered Sherman Park as a viable urban alternative. I know that area is nice, but the areas aroudn it are very dangerous, probably the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city. I didn't know it was so diverse, though. Very interesting. Do you ever find yourself feeling unsafe?

Brookfield is the best.

How about somewhere near Waukesha?

I faced this same issue a couple of years ago when I moved here. I didn't know anyone to point me in any kind of direction, so I just jumped on the first respectable place I found online, which happened to be in Greenfield near 27th & College on the south side. It's not a bad area, but it's just too far removed from all of Milwaukee's centrally located activities to really tickle my fancy. I stuck it out for a year there and then came across a great(also my current) place downtown(ish) right near the new City Green condos being built. Some great old brick apartment buildings in this area and a decent mix of people. Walking distance to anything you might need: transit, parks, festivals, lake, downtown, bars, etc. I really do live in my favorite part of the city and feel lucky every day that I found this place. The last few days, I have noticed a few "For Rent" signs in front of some neighboring buildings that I would definitely look into.

My advice to you would be very similar to what others have posted above. If you can afford to visit before moving or live in a hotel for a week or so when you do move, do it so you can take a nice drive around town, and maybe a walk. You could look at locations on a map all day long, but nothing convinces you like seeing a neighborhood with your own eyes. Best of luck.(by the way, my roommate and i just happen to be looking for a roommate :) )

Brookfield is the best.

How about somewhere near Waukesha?


lol


to the thread starter, avoid "Eastmore Real Estate" at all costs

Go for the East Side. If I had to live in Milwaukee, it would be my choice. It's urban, vibrant, diverse, safe, close to downtown, close to Milwaukee's amazing lakefront, well-served by mass transit, and has plenty of nightlife/restaurant/retail corridors such as North, Van Buren, Oakland, Prospect, Farwell, Downer, and the famous Brady Street. It's also fairly cheap. My friend rents a small but livable one bedroom on Knapp and Astor, minutes from downtown and Lake Michigan on foot, for $450/month. If you find much of the East Side to be too pricey, look into the Lower East Side. It has a slight crime problem (mostly minor thefts) and a less attractive housing stock than the rest of the East Side, but it has a great location right near Brady Street.

Regarding the wauwatosa (Tosa as it's known locally) idea, if you are raising a family, but want to be close to milwaukee, it is a very good place to live, but if you don't plan on using the public education just move to the neighborhoods in Milwaukee bordering tosa, like Sherman Park, Enderis Park, or the Washington Heights; the homes and neighboorhoods are very similar sometimes even better than those in tosa but the prices are a lot more reasonable.

Tosa is very urban as far as suburbs go and in many areas is indistinguishable from the city of Milwaukee. Tosa has reasonably priced homes and rents. The school system is also great. But if you're going to live there and you have kids or plan on having kids, make sure to live on the east side of Tosa. There are two public middle schools in Tosa--Longfellow on the east side and Whitman on the west side--and two public high schools--Tosa East and Tosa West. Longfellow and Tosa East are both academically and athletically superior to Whitman and Tosa West, respectively. But if you want to live in an area where there is great nightlife and people on the streets after 10pm, I wouldn't live there. It can be a bit sedate at night, particularly on weekdays.

I'm sorry to say Ive never even considered Sherman Park as a viable urban alternative. I know that area is nice, but the areas aroudn it are very dangerous, probably the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city. I didn't know it was so diverse, though. Very interesting. Do you ever find yourself feeling unsafe?

I spent my teenage years living at 44th and Chambers and I never once felt unsafe. Never while walking, waiting for a bus, or at home. It doesnt get too bad until you cross 35th Street.

I stuck it out for a year there and then came across a great(also my current) place downtown(ish) right near the new City Green condos being built. Some great old brick apartment buildings in this area and a decent mix of people. Walking distance to anything you might need: transit, parks, festivals, lake, downtown, bars, etc.

I live about 2 blocks from the City Green condos and have to really put my vote in as the best area to live, especially if you like being able to walk everywhere. This is seriously close to everything the city has to offer.. and you are also right next to the lakefront if you ever need to get in touch with nature. Rents aren't bad and if you have a car, parking really isn't as much of an issue as you would think.

I spent my teenage years living at 44th and Chambers and I never once felt unsafe. Never while walking, waiting for a bus, or at home. It doesnt get too bad until you cross 35th Street.

I live off of 56th/Keefe and for the most part it's very safe. There are minor thefts and we had a shooting about a block away a few months ago. There was a rash of muggings a few months ago also, but this kind of stuff is far from unheard of in Riverwest or even the East Side.

Crime in my neighborhood is far from chronic a problem. Things happen, but when they do, we and our neighbors call the cops and cooperate with them. We have very active block watches and one the most established neighborhood associations in the City, the SPCA. After the rash of muggings we had a huge community meeting with the police and Mayor to discuss the problem. 300 people showed up. The police have increased patrols in our area and there haven't been any more major incidents since.

A few weeks ago on a Saturday afternoon I got a doorbell ring, and it was two of my neighbors telling me that some guy was trying to take the license plate off the car parked behind our house -- my car. I ran back there with my big black lab hoping to catch the guy in the act. He had left without the plate or the sticker, but I thanked my neighbors for telling me about it. Then another neighbor pulls up in his car and says he saw the guy that did it and got his license plate number. That's the kind of neighborhood I live in; we look out for each other and get involved.

I live about 2 blocks from the City Green condos and have to really put my vote in as the best area to live, especially if you like being able to walk everywhere. This is seriously close to everything the city has to offer.. and you are also right next to the lakefront if you ever need to get in touch with nature. Rents aren't bad and if you have a car, parking really isn't as much of an issue as you would think.

You just hit upon the one huge drawback to my neighborhood. You have to drive to get to the good stuff Downtown and on the East Side. A bus ride downtown is about 30 minutes from my neighborhood. It works for commuting, but not for "kickin' it."

Another really beautiful neighborhood on the West Side is Washington Heights - South of North Avenue, north of Wisconsin Avenue, west of Washington Park, east of 60th. You could get downtown on public transit in about 15 minutes from this neighborhood, and it has a pretty active commercial strip along Vliet Street.

I spent my teenage years living at 44th and Chambers and I never once felt unsafe. Never while walking, waiting for a bus, or at home. It doesnt get too bad until you cross 35th Street.

I used to live on 44th between Chambers and Burleigh.

Im looking at moving somwhere else in the city myself. Not to sure where I am going to go. I am thinking Riverwest...although the possibility of my car getting broken into every weekend is a deterent.

Im looking at moving somwhere else in the city myself. Not to sure where I am going to go. I am thinking Riverwest...although the possibility of my car getting broken into every weekend is a deterent.

Getting pistol whipped would be more of a deterent for me

^lol yeah. Im sure that whole area will be nice it a few years. Rent will probally start doubling with all the college types and white people moving in. I believe thats how the Third Ward was, as was Brewers Hill, the Beerline, and Walkers Point will be.

Getting pistol whipped would be more of a deterent for me

Or having a drunk pilot flying a small plane crash in your neighborhood(that was RW, right?). :scouserd:

^lol yeah. Im sure that whole area will be nice it a few years. Rent will probally start doubling with all the college types and white people moving in. I believe thats how the Third Ward was, as was Brewers Hill, the Beerline, and Walkers Point will be.

The area is nice. People don't realise how much of a community (and how safe it is) until they live there. Riverwest hasn't actually changed all that much since the ´70´s. It's safe too- my friends and I used to hang out there 24/7, we were particularily fond of Resivoir Park at night. I guess it's a matter of taste; for me Riverwest is the one of the only places I'd ever live in Milwaukee.

I just remember the last time I was in Riverwest having some women stoned out of her mind asking me if I had a joint to spare. Its funny because she thought she needed more.. (she was the most stoned person i have ever seen and that is impressive since my freshman year roommate was stoned the entire time)

I guess Riverwest cant be that much worse than it is here on the Northwest side.

Well. personally I would never wander anywhere west of say...Holton (and even thats pushing it) without feeling unsafe. Maybe I just hit it at the wrong times, but whenever I'm down there there are alwaus some pretty shady characters lurking about and few other people on the streets.


But I would live a few blocks from Humboldt, most definitely. It's a weird neighborhood like that, though. Starts getting a rough feel (for me) just a few blocks in. How much is rent in Riverwest these days for say a...2bd/2 bath place in good shape?

Well. personally I would never wander anywhere west of say...Holton (and even thats pushing it) without feeling unsafe. Maybe I just hit it at the wrong times, but whenever I'm down there there are alwaus some pretty shady characters lurking about and few other people on the streets.


But I would live a few blocks from Humboldt, most definitely. It's a weird neighborhood like that, though. Starts getting a rough feel (for me) just a few blocks in. How much is rent in Riverwest these days for say a...2bd/2 bath place in good shape?

Ah, rent. Well, the chances of finding an old Milwaukee flat with 2 baths are about as slim as none but you can get a 2bdrm. flat for under $600. Rent in general is usually about $100 a month or more under that on the East Side. Its cheapest around Booth St and most expensive around Humboldt.

About the stuff west of Holton, have you ever walked around over there? Its actually a really nice middle class area (south of Center, east of MLK). Most people don't even realise it exists. It's always full of families in their front lawns, old guys weeding, etc. Try walking up 1st, 2nd and Palmer. Not every house is in good shape but most are. There's even a couple of really nice new houses and a frat. Photos (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=366356)

^^ i think you'll have to make your album public before we can view anything

fixed. i just made a thread instead.

good call

Ah, rent. Well, the chances of finding an old Milwaukee flat with 2 baths are about as slim as none but you can get a 2bdrm. flat for under $600. Rent in general is usually about $100 a month or more under that on the East Side. Its cheapest around Booth St and most expensive around Humboldt.

About the stuff west of Holton, have you ever walked around over there? Its actually a really nice middle class area (south of Center, east of MLK). Most people don't even realise it exists. It's always full of families in their front lawns, old guys weeding, etc. Try walking up 1st, 2nd and Palmer. Not every house is in good shape but most are. There's even a couple of really nice new houses and a frat. Photos (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=366356)

Yeah, the housing stock is nice and crime varies from block to block, but overall its probably still a little too dangerous for me. I like places where I at least feel somewhat safe walking out of my door at night.


On the other hand, I had a friend who moved just WEST of the highway on CENTER street of all places (he was white and jewish) because he thought living in Riverwest "promoted segregation." Within two weeks, he was beaten within an inch of his life for not cooperating during a mugging. Needless to say, he got the hell out of dodge and learned a very valuable lesson: being an urban pioneer and socially conscious citizen is one thing, being an absolute fool is something entirely different.

^yeah, there's a big difference between Harambee and the stuff west of the freeway. I wouldn't recommend that area to anyone.