We currently live in California and my husband just got a job in Milwaukee. We will be moving soon and I know nothing about the area and need your help. Where is the best place to live with good schools? We don't have to live in Milwaukee but do need to be within 30 minutes. My oldest daughter will be starting Kindergarten in the Fall so our biggest priority is sending her to a good school. We will be renting at first.
I am so excited but nervous. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
We live in Franklin ,it takes us 15 min. to go downtown!It is a great place to raise kids!Great schools and great neighborhood!!I think Franklin has the best schools in Milwaukee!Highly recommended!
Bring your snow boots, we just got 8-14 inches last night.
It depends on 30 mins. from where? If you need a south side home, north, or west. Where abouts is his job at?
Just stumbled across this post-- because you're new to the area I wanted to recommend Fresh Frame Photography as a family portrait resource. Choosing a photographer in Milwaukee can be overwhelming as there are many options but Fresh Frame specializes in photojournalistic chlidren's portraits, making every session fun for all, resulting in amazing, genuine moments captured forever! if you'd like meaningful, creative portraits for a reasonable price, check out our site:
I hope you and your family are settling in to the area by now, and enjoying our lake-- and the lake effect snow we're experiencing today. :) Thanks for your time!
In one word.....Wauwatosa.
Welcome to Milwaukee! There are so many great communities to choose from, and many of them have great schools. I agree with the other posters of starting your search based on the location of your husband's job.
Also, a lot depends on the size of home and type of home you are looking for. Generally speaking, the homes closer to the city are older and smaller, but they have more character and charm.
We live in Wauwatosa and love it for the following reasons: proximity to downtown; community/neighborly feeling; ability to walk to so many locations; many families with young kids in our neighborhood; warmer in the summer than the communities near the lake; etc.
That said, we may end up moving to Brookfield to accommodate our growing family and our need for a quieter work-at-home space for my husband if we can not find that in Wauwatosa.
Renting is a great idea so that you have more time to explore the city and communities before you buy.
Good luck with your decision!
Check out New Berlin. Great schools, great location and great moms groups. Good luck with your move and welcome to Wisconsin!
My husband and I were in your shoes almost 5 years ago. We had 2 days to learn to navigate the city, find a safe place to live, and find childcare for our then 9 month old! We live in Whitefish Bay and couldn't be happier with the location and the schools. Our son is in the 4K program at Cumberland Elementary. There are great townhouses called Bay Village Townhomes available for around $1000 a month. Whitefish Bay is the second suburb north of the city, we are about 10 minutes north of downtown and just a few minutes from the beautiful Lake Michigan. We have friends who live in Shorewood and they are equally happy with the location and the schools. Best of luck to you in your search. Please feel free to email me if you have any specific questions.
J.
You'll want to avoid living right in Milwaukee, as Milwaukee Public Schools don't have the best reputation, but schools in Wisconsin are generally good. Wauwatosa is a good option, but expensive. We live in West Allis and have been happy with the schools so far. A friend of mine is in the Whitnall school district and has also been pleased with it (that's a bit further out). Here's a link to school performance reports that may help you. https://wlds.dpi.wi.gov/spr/
Good luck with your move!
J.
I live in Ozaukee County & grew up here also. It is a wonderful place to live & raise a family! The schools are great & it is a very safe, family-oriented community. I have a website that has a calendar that has all kinds of events happening in Ozaukee County. Check it out & you can see all of the wonderful events happening here! www.ExploreOzaukee.com.
And here's a story from CNNMoney about Ozaukee County: http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/moneymag/0809/gallery....
Welcome to Wisconsin!
Great responses so far. As indicated, it all depends on what you are looking for. We live in Shorewood and absolutely love it (along wtih Whitefish Bay). Definitely the frustration of an old house (along with the character), but currently live within 2 blocks of the preschool, grade school, junior high and high school). Shorewood is only 1 1/2 square miles on Lake Michigan. It is very pedestrian and we take advantage of it. We go to the beach (yes - the lake has a beach), take the dog swimming, use the bike path (which takes you downtown to an awsome lakefront). Schools are awesome. Very urban vibe but family oriented. Also, because it is smaller, you pretty much know everyone in the community with comparable aged kids. Also, no major commuting to your kids activites - you can get everywhere in the community within five minutes by car.
However, if you like newer and bigger houses you are going to want to head west or north.
Good luck!!!
Menomonee Falls is wonderful - great community, great schools, everything you need. Google Menomonee Falls WI and you will see everything including the school district. My husband works in Milwaukee and it takes him 30 min. But there are alot of great communities in the Milwaukee area...Germantown, Sussex, Brookfield, Mequon etc.
