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[Jeff in Cincinnati]

I'm going to have to change my handle to "Jeff in Milwaukee" because I just accepted a job up your way.

So tell me about Milwaukee. I'm 43 years old with a spouse and two kids. I like ethnic food (anybody's) and deer hunting and brass quartets and kayaking. Not all at the same time, of course. I'm looking for a good school district and any other insider's information you can provide.

Edit: As you can see from my avatar, I already have the Packers thing going for me.

[eyesroll]

1. Hey, Jeff!

Welcome to Milwaukee!

I am single and live in the city proper, which, unfortunately, have crappy schools. I am not a parent, so I'll leave the specific school commentary to others, but I do know that a lot of the suburbs have good schools.

As for ethnic restaurants, we have many. I live within walking distance of Japanese, Korean, Greek (both formal and gyro stand), Mexican, Italian (both formal and pretty good pizza/gelato), Middle Eastern, Lao/Thai, and probably some others I'm forgetting.

If you plan on running a blog (Progressive Milwaukee?), let me know and I'll add your URL to my list of WIBlogs.

:hi:

[elehhhhna]

2. The best part about Milwaukee -- and there are many--

Is that if you drive a few hours north to the UP, there are mountains! Real honest to God Mountains! (& hills).

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

8. My father-in-law is a Yooper...

I go there every year long about the middle of November -- if you know what I mean!

[gassed]

3. I did Child Protective Services in Milwaukee....

for a number of years. The schools in the city of Milwaukee are, almost without exception, bad. It's not that the schools and school employes are bad....just overburdened.

There is a pretty strong anti-intellectual bias in many of the schools that create a situation where good students need to be almost covert in their performance.

eyesroll is correct though...there are many great ethnic restaurants...I love the Africa Hut, and there is this neighborhood Italian restaurant near UWM where the owners "old country" mom serves as wait staff. She is truly a character, and I mean that in nicest sense of the word.

[joneschick]

4. about the schools

how old are your kids? Milwaukee Public School system has some terrific choice schools. My three went K3-5th at the German Immersion School and we were very pleased with the experience. It's where our mayor's kids attend. Middle school--feh! PM me, I guess. High School of the Arts, Rufus King and Riverside are the tops for high school. That's if you're doing the urban thing. I can't really speak to the suburban thing, I grew up in a suburb and I can't imagine living there again. Taxes are on the steep side in Milwaukee.
We enjoy a number of good Indian restaurants. My husband can give more specifics.

[joneschick]

7. mps info

this should take you to the 2003-2004 Milwaukee Public Schools report card. I'm pretty sure some of the local real estate folks have similar reports for other school districts. Good luck.

http://www.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/html/MPS/Administration/Offices_of_the_Superintendent/Assessment_and_Accountability/Research_Accountability/Report_Card_of_MPS_Schools

that's one ugly link. cut and paste I guess.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

9. It was pretty much what I expected...

Every bit as bad as the Cincinnati Public Schools. As was noted earlier, it's not that the schools are bad per se, it's just that many of the families who are committed to learning leave and go elsewhere. It's a vicious circle.

By the way, here's a great link for schools information across the country. I've found it really useful.

http://www.homefair.com/homefair/usr/nsrs/home.html?type=to

Also an ugly link! You do have to put in contact information, but nobody has ever contacted me.

[HereSince1628]

5. Milwaukee is a real city and everything that means...

The county has museums (5th largest Nat. History museum in the nation), professional sports, the lake front Festival grounds, and the State Fair grounds. It also has some big city problems.

Ethnic restaurants are sprinkled around, the "fashionable east side" may have the most culturally diverse collection.

Kayaking and deer hunting are close, but there are significant populations of urban wildlife. I'm currently in Wauwatosa, an inclose suburb, and I see deer, fox, racoons, opposum nearly every early AM walk.

If your new job is with the city/county you may be required to live in the city/county. There is a territorial employment thing.

When you shop for housing you'll find all sorts of levels available. Depending on the same criteria you consider in all cities.

Homes here have basements. Make sure the house you buy is tested for radon.

The modified urban landscape has created flash-flooding problems that haven't been solved by the "deep tunnel" project. Be sure you understand your relationship to floodplains and storm water runoff. Basement flooding in some neighborhoods is a problem. In older neighborhoods the water can come up through the floor drain because the sewer and storm systems are together.

Property taxes are steep, though they depend on the cost of the home.

I think some of the best buys for housing within the city are from 76th street west to the edge of the city between Center and Burleigh. But other folks I know prefer to live close to the "fashionable east side" in neighborhoods near the UW-Milwaukee.

I haven't experience with the Milwaukee schools. Its my impression that the Wauwatosa school district and the Brookfield school districts have excellent schools, their high schools are certainly among the best in the state.

[gassed]

6. I was going to say something nice about...

Riverside...but I couldn't remember the name. That HS definitely lacked the chaotic atmosphere found at many of the schools.

I forgot all about the suburbs. If you are looking for something a little more bucolic...Oconomowoc has a nice school system.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

10. Replying to my own message -- Blech!

I might end up in Waukesha County -- is it my imagination or is the Democratic Party nearly non-existent out there?

[HereSince1628]

12. Waukesha County is one of the Republican bastions

Its been that way for a long time. But there are also Democrats...they are just outnumbered.

[Cyndee_Lou_Who]

22. Raising hand as an outnumbered Democrat in Waukesha..

It's no fun a'tall!! :(

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

29. Does the party meet on a regular basis?

I checked for a website but didn't find one.

Our practice here in Cincinnati is that the County Party meets three-four times a year and local "Ward Clubs" meet on a monthly basis.

[Magrittes Pipe]

30. Waukesha County Dems don't have a website.

But they meet monthly in the Cutler Room at the Waukesha public libray.

There are about 10 people at the busy meetings.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

31. Thanks!

And now for bonus points -- do you know the date and time of their meetings?

[Magrittes Pipe]

32. I didn't even know when I lived there.

;)

I THINK it was the third Wednesday of the month, at 7:00 pm. Ask eyesroll to be sure, she remembers stuff like that.

[eyesroll]

33. Actually -- they meet at the Labor Council now...

I do think it is still third Wednesdays.

Go to wisdems.org -- they have the contact info for the new chair.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

39. 1726 S. West Avenue?

Thank God for Yahoo! Maps.

What time is their meeting? I'll be too late for April, but I'd like to attend in May.

[eyesroll]

40. 7 pm, unless they changed it.

You may wanna call ahead.

[Cyndee_Lou_Who]

23. I am a Democrat in Waukesha, as are my parents.

My mom's a DUer and will likely reply to this thread (hi, Mom!)... Waukesha is tough, and the school district is not that impressive. I grew up in Wauwatosa (where RetroLounge lives) and miss it dearly! Homes are not cheap there for a single mom, and taxes are high... but if I could pick anywhere in area, that'd be it... or way out in boonies. I am in Menomonee Falls. Hate the schools, hate the cops, village politics are a shambles...

[ewagner]

11. Welcome to Wisconsin

We're glad to have ya! :hi:

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

16. My local Democratic friends are upset...

One told me, "Wisconsin is already a Blue State -- we can't lose any more Democrats from Ohio."

[gassed]

21. Wisconsin is a blue state

However, it seems to be hanging on to blue by it's fingernails. You don't have to travel very far out of Madison or Milwaukee before things start turning real red.

I had a job interview for a SW position at Waupun Correctional last October. The town was covered with Bush/Cheney yard signs. In the time I was there I saw one Kerry/Edwards yard sign and one Kerry/Edwards bumper sticker.

[sybylla]

24. Don't judge Wisconsin by the signs and bumper stickers

This last election everything outside the larger population centers saw very few signs and stickers from the Kerry campaign but our puke friends didn't have any trouble getting theirs and getting them early.

A lot of Dem trouble in the hinterlands is the media - or more specifically the lack thereof. There is a huge "no taxes, keep the government out of my life" Libertarian mentality out here and they swing. The Dems just need to find a way to get their message past the whore media.

But there are some truly Republican areas of the state like Waukesha and some parts of the Fox Valley that have voted red for at least half a century.

[Cyndee_Lou_Who]

25. Waukesha... my stomach TURNS as I think this... went EIGHTY PERCENT RED

in November... :puke:

[Jimbo S]

27. Actually more like 67% red

according to the results published in the Freeman. City of Waukesha was the "best" at only 62%

[RetroLounge]

13. Check out living in Wauwatosa

It's a blue town, right next to Milwaukee, and if you need to commute to Waukesha County, it's not far. It's what I do every day.

Also, easy access to 2 highways, and everything in Milwaukee is 10 minutes away. Everything!

Welcome!

RL

[Jimbo S]

41. Yeah, but Tosa has a goofy school district

Boundary line intentionally set so that East HS has 1200 kids and West HS has 600 kids. So guess which side of town the money and resources go?

If I lived on the west side, I'd start a riot.

[RetroLounge]

14. "I'm 43 years old with a spouse and two kids"

Hah, I've got one year on you! Youngster...

How old are the kids?

RL

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

15. My kids...

My son is in first grade and my daughter is in fifth. Both of them took the news of the relocation remarkably well. We have family in the region (I grew up in NW Illinois and my in-laws are Yoopers), so they're happy to be seeing them more often.

[RetroLounge]

17. Okay, where in NW illinois? Chicago Suburb?

I grew up in Niles, just outside of Chicago, and lived in Glenview before coming here.

My son is in 1st grade now and my daughter will be in JK this fall.

You'll like it here, I would guess...

RL

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

18. NW Illinois

Savanna. Right on the Mississippi River between Galena and the Quad Cities -- Chicago was like a foreign country to us.

[RetroLounge]

26. After living in Milwaukee for 20 years

Chicago seems that way to me now too...

RL

[dragonlady]

19. Brown Deer is a very nice suburb

adjoining Milwaukee on the north, so it's convenient to the big city but not of it. The community and schools are the most ethnically mixed in the area. Its population is about 12,000. We were very satisfied with the schools for our kids. We're having a referendum that would build a new elementary school and part of the high school (return here after April 5 to see if we passed it--we're trying our best to win).

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

20. Good Luck!

I know that passing school levies here in Ohio is a bear. It took our current school district three tries to get it passed.

[Lefta Dissenter]

28. Welcome, Jeff!

OK, so I'm a Madisonian, and I don't have any advice about Milwaukee (though my sister lives in Whitefish Bay and loves it, but she homeschools her kids, so go figure...).

But I didn't want to be left off the welcoming committee! :hi:

[mark414]

34. live in the city proper

yeah there's the suburbs but mehhh living in the city proper is much better

[ClassWarrior]

35. Hear, hear, mark!!

Livinnnnn... for the ci-tayyyy...

NGU.

[mark414]

38. yeahh word up

i'm living up by uwm right now, being a student and all it kind of makes sense...but i'm probably returning to riverwest this summer...can't wait

[Jimbo S]

36. If you're willing to pay

an extra $1,000 a year in property taxes.

[mark414]

37. small price to pay

i'd drop an extra $5K a year so long as it kept me out the suburbs

they work for some people, but not me (nothing personal)