Wisconsin Weather -why do I stay here

[Martha]

Unfortunately, WV gets a lot of gloomy overcast days.

Martha, I am impressed that you give piano lessons. You truly are a jill of a lot of trades.

Only to non=paying relatives.

 

[donheff]

Martha, I am impressed that you give piano lessons. You truly are a jill of a lot of trades.

So Martha, I have a Young Chang Studio that has gone unused for 10 years (DW was a sometime player, but not recently). I tried a DIY piano program for a few weeks about 20 years ago but quickly gave up. Have there been any break-throughs recently that make it easy for people to learn the piano or is it still plain old work?

 

[kz]

I'm not far down the road from you rjk. (think airplanes) I'm a Wisconsin junkie and love it here. Of course I'm a rare "winter person" so this suits me just fine.

Luckily I have a husband who enjoys the weather, too. We walk everyday unless it gets below -20. Of course that doesn't happen too much anymore. Today it's high 40s and the sun is shining. That works too. <grin>

I'm such a rare person that my absolute dream vacation is an expedition in Antarctica. I'm dead serious although I haven't found anyone who wants to go with me. I guess I'll settle on Alaska in winter. Looks like the best I can do....at least hubby says he'll accompany me.

 

[FinanceDude]

I'm not far down the road from you rjk. (think airplanes) I'm a Wisconsin junkie and love it here. Of course I'm a rare "winter person" so this suits me just fine.

Luckily I have a husband who enjoys the weather, too. We walk everyday unless it gets below -20. Of course that doesn't happen too much anymore. Today it's high 40s and the sun is shining. That works too. <grin>

I'm such a rare person that my absolute dream vacation is an expedition in Antarctica. I'm dead serious although I haven't found anyone who wants to go with me. I guess I'll settle on Alaska in winter. Looks like the best I can do....at least hubby says he'll accompany me.

How is Oshkosh today?? Is this a good time of year to take my kids to the EAA museum?? They love planes.........

Hanging out here in the Milwaukee area.......high of 51 degrees forecast........

Agree on the walking........it's fun to walk in FOUR seasons......unlike Phoenix, which has two seasons......HOT and HOTTER................

 

[kz]

It's always a good time at the EAA museum. Just not during the actual week of EAA every summer.

Enjoy your day, Financedude.

 

[FinanceDude]

And yours..........except I am working...............

Oh well, a temporary inconvenience..............

 

[rjk514]

Now were back to normal, got out of work last nite and temp. was
a brisk 13 degrees...How sweet it is...

 

[FinanceDude]

Now were back to normal, got out of work last nite and temp. was
a brisk 13 degrees...How sweet it is...

Hey, it hit 30 yesterday.........global warming!!

 

[Tom52]

I love to vacation in Wisconsin Late May thru October. In fact I have a couple timeshares there. Winter in Wisconsin is about the same as the Chicago burbs where I live.

A summer home in Wisconsin and a winter home in Tennesse would be ideal for me.

 

[kat]

Greetings from upstate New York with relatives in Wisconsin!

I'm staying put because I need four seasons, or five, if you spend time in Vermont and have mud season before spring.

The key for me is having winter joys. I love my mountains year round. And my dogs love the snow, which is missing this year.

I respect the fact it will change when I'm older, seeing the pain on my elderly neighbors' faces over the years when they tell me how much they used to walk and now are so afraid of falling on the slippery sidewalks. Not sure how I will navigate that time of my life. I have an 85 year old friend who still skis the toughest mountains. Who knows how it's all going to play out. Life is a mystery!

 

[veritasophia]

I just got a job offer in Milwaukee, great job that I think I will enjoy and good pay. Problem is, my wife and I live in So. Cal. and she hates the cold.

This is a tremendous opportunity for me so I need to find a way to convince her to come along. Besides 4 seasons and beautiful summers, what else have you got?

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

I just got a job offer in Milwaukee, great job that I think I will enjoy and good pay. Problem is, my wife and I live in So. Cal. and she hates the cold.

This is a tremendous opportunity for me so I need to find a way to convince her to come along. Besides 4 seasons and beautiful summers, what else have you got?

Lived there for 20+ years, raised my kids there. It is great. Festivals, restaurants, very good public schools with a little homework, beautiful houses, lake front, 90 minutes to Chicago, generally friendly and upstanding folks.

Negatives: weather and urban crime.

We loved it, but it is cold and snowy. Just build in a couple of escape trips a year and you'll do fine.

 

[veritasophia]

Hi Rich,

Thanks for the reply. Can you recommend some safe areas in the vicinity of Milwaukee? My main concern is the "urban crime" from your post.

 

[Nords]

This is a tremendous opportunity for me so I need to find a way to convince her to come along.

I'm not sure how giving your spouse the impression that your career/job have a higher priority than her happiness/comfort qualifies as a "tremendous opportunity"...

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Thanks for the reply. Can you recommend some safe areas in the vicinity of Milwaukee? My main concern is the "urban crime" from your post.

At least when I was there, Milwaukee's high crime areas were well known and fairly segregated. No better or worse than other American citites.

A few nice areas: Greenfield, Whitefish Bay, Shorewood, Fox Point, Glendale, Brookfield and many more. We never encountered crime there, but did read about it.

 

[youbet]

Milwaukee has more taverns per capita than any other metropolitan area in the USA!

 

[veritasophia]

I'm not sure how giving your spouse the impression that your career/job have a higher priority than her happiness/comfort qualifies as a "tremendous opportunity"...

I just graduated and I'm starting my career, so as you can imagine that's been uppermost in my mind lately. Hopefully, what you described is not the impression I give my wife because I love her dearly, more than any "ideal" job.

Right now we live on her income in a very high living cost area and her job has almost no opportunity for growth. I've received offers in the area but they do not come close to the potential of this opportunity in Milwaukee. If I accept the job we will march toward ER at a much faster pace. But if the journey is too painful to her, it is not worth it.

Thanks for the wake up call Nords.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

I just graduated and I'm starting my career, so as you can imagine that's been uppermost in my mind lately. Hopefully, what you described is not the impression I give my wife because I love her dearly, more than any "ideal" job.

I interpreted your message differently from Nords. I understood that you have an important decision in front of you, location is a big piece of it, and writing off what might otherwise be a good (and financially wise) alternative on the basis of a misconception of a place is not wise.

Cities are funny. In the end, your happiness depends far more on the 2 or 4 or 6 friends you spend most of your time with, your family, and your attitude. Doesn't matter whether it's San Francisco, Milwaukee, or Tucson. Each offers plenty. Good luck wtih the decision and remember: nothing has to be forever. If the decision allows you to sock away some early money for FIRE compared to the other choices, that can be a factor.

 

[FinanceDude]

At least when I was there, Milwaukee's high crime areas were well known and fairly segregated. No better or worse than other American citites.

A few nice areas: Greenfield, Whitefish Bay, Shorewood, Fox Point, Glendale, Brookfield and many more. We never encountered crime there, but did read about it.

A bunch more.........PM me. I grew up here, and am back for the last 13 years. I can give you ideas on where to live, etc.

 

[HFWR]

"I'm from Milwaukee, and I oughta know..."

 

[maddythebeagle]

I have family in Milwaukee and visit quite a bit and dont view crime as bad there...look up statistics per capita....I live in NW Wisconsin closer to Minneapolis/st. paul and the statistics are worse there....watching the news in the 2 areas, the twin cities seems like a war zone

The areas that Rich pointed out...also Mequon (higher end), Slinger, Germantown in the northern edge and to the south Franklin and Greenfield are nice...Aunt in West Allis, but I think that has gone down little bit....

 

[Cut-Throat]

I have family in Milwaukee and visit quite a bit and dont view crime as bad there...look up statistics per capita....I live in NW Wisconsin closer to Minneapolis/st. paul and the statistics are worse there....watching the news in the 2 areas, the twin cities seems like a war zone

The areas that Rich pointed out...also Mequon (higher end), Slinger, Germantown in the northern edge and to the south Franklin and Greenfield are nice...Aunt in West Allis, but I think that has gone down little bit....

I disagree and so does this table as far as the murder rate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_cities_by_crime_rate

It ranks Milwaukee 12th in 2005 and Minneapolis and St. Paul Rank 30 and 46th respectively - I think you just get more Twin Cities news and Crime makes news.

I spend time in Milwaukee as I have in-laws there. The Twin Cities seem 'safer' to me.

 

[FinanceDude]

"I'm from Milwaukee, and I oughta know..."

You are? Cool..........another native...........

 

[Nords]

It ranks Milwaukee 12th in 2005 and Minneapolis and St. Paul Rank 30 and 46th respectively - I think you just get more Twin Cities news and Crime makes news.
I spend time in Milwaukee as I have in-laws there. The Twin Cities seem 'safer' to me.

So we're reduced to arguing which town kills its residents less/slower?

 

[HFWR]

You are? Cool..........another native...........

Only a former PBR drinker...