What Is Your Favorite Milwaukee Suburb?

[i_am_hydrogen]

What is your favorite Milwaukee suburb?

[ReddAlert]

Wauwatosa! It has a great downtown with lots of nice stores and resturants. Its location is very nice as well..being next to Hart Park-which has a great forest and creek. The downtown is less than a ten minute drive to downtown Milwaukee--which goes past the great Miller Plant..which is actually very attractive below. The area has alot of older buildings which make it quite attractive as well. The city also has Mayfair-probally the states best mall. The Research Park/Medical Center is also booming with lots of activity. The houses are great in many locations, especially around Bluemound Ave. I guess you could add this amazing building to the city, although its right on the border.
The "Greek Church" by Frank Lloyd Wright
http://img161.exs.cx/img161/3677/whole0rb.jpg
http://img161.exs.cx/img161/9964/wholedistant6op.jpg

Whitefish Bay and Shorewood are already a given. They are very cool urban towns that are near the lakefront and UW-Milwaukee.
Cedarburg probally the best ...although I dont consider it an actual suburb of Milwaukee.
I dont really like Brookfield, Franklin,Muskego, New Berlin, or Oak Creek. I hate Cudahy. I dont really like West Allis that much either in most areas...West Allis is filled with wannabes who try to act like they are country...but come of looking like white trash. Its kinda funny, considering its Milwaukees biggest burb. Brown Deer is kinda nice, also kinda ghetto now. The same thing with Glendale-which I love. Fox Point and River Hills are too rich for my tastes. West Milwaukee is so industrial, its cool. Greenfield....nothing special. Dont care too much for Hales Corners. St. Francis is pretty cool in some areas. The Falls is charming, but I work there and some of the people livin in MF kinda make me mad. Germantown is the same way. Mequon is cool, Theinsville has a pleasant setting...its all good.

[Ben]

> Brown Deer is kinda nice, also kinda ghetto now
Isn't that kind of an oxy-moron? To me, I would see a landfill and say "Boy is that ghetto." Someone posted a "An undiscovered Milwaukee ghetto" thread recently and I'm just like, shit I'd take one of those houses! That isn't a trashy part of town!

Oh and the thing about people from West Allis. My bus driver buddy. Kinda scrubby lookin and very very improper English.

[ReddAlert]

well kinda...lol
ghetto isnt always bad..considering only part of the area near Milwaukee is. Its not a place where I would be shot.. :)

[ReddAlert]

> Brown Deer is kinda nice, also kinda ghetto now
Isn't that kind of an oxy-moron? To me, I would see a landfill and say "Boy is that ghetto." Someone posted a "An undiscovered Milwaukee ghetto" thread recently and I'm just like, shit I'd take one of those houses! That isn't a trashy part of town!

Oh and the thing about people from West Allis. My bus driver buddy. Kinda scrubby lookin and very very improper English.

yeah speaking of trashy parts of town...which infact were not trashy at all...was Sherman Park. I got bored after I had to mail some letters..and drove all up North Ave....which has LOTS of beautiful buildings..then proceded to take Sherman home, which had an amazing amount of dropdead gorgeous houses..especially near Washington H.S. The area has crime probs...but it looks so nice. They have this great statue of G.Washington in the street that looks pretty cool.

[neqquah]

Where is downtown Wauwatosa? Is it around 76th and State, 68th and North, or is it around Mafair?


anyway, out of all of the Milwaukee suburbs, I think Wauwatosa stands out the most. I don't know why.

First off, lemme get the suburbs I don't like out of the way:

Cudahy - I like the extreme south side of Cudahy, but the rest of it, :sleepy:

Whitefish Bay - I like the area around Silver Spring Dr., but the rest of it just boring to me, plus, it looks kinda eerie at night.

Fox Point - A little bit too "upper class" for me

Bayside - Same as Fox Point

Oak Creek, Menomenee(sp?) Falls, Germantown - A little bit too conservative for me



Okay, the suburbs that I DO like

Wauwatosa - Like I said before, I just find unique for some reason

Shorewood - Probably the most "urban" suburb of Milwaukee

West Allis - There are just so many different areas of West Allis. I wish it were in Milwaukee's city limits.

Mequon - Like West Allis, it's big enough to have different settings.

Theinsville - Right in the middle of Mequon, so....go figure

Brown Deer - This has to be the most unsegregated suburb of Milwaukee

Greendale - Also unsegregated, but not as much as Brown Deer

Brookfield - I love everything west of Moorland Rd.

Greendale - I like it's "historic village" looking downtown

West Milwaukee - I love industrial areas

South Milwaukee - I get a nostalgic feeling whenever I'm there, which is odd since I've never lived there,


There nothing special about Franklin, Hales Corners, St. Francis, and Greenfield (execpt the Southridge area). I've never been to New Berlin and Muskego.


So, I'm pretty cool with Milwaukee and it's surrounding areas. :)

[ReddAlert]

ya got the same views as I do my friend ^

Yeah, I live on the northwest side and noticed how unsegregated Brown Deer is. I heard that the whole northwest side is the most diverse and unsegregated area in Milwaukee, it seems true but I dont know if thats correct. The problem with this area is that is so.....blah...way too many apartments and uninspired housing.

Downtown Tosa is off of Watertown Plank Road and 76st I believe. Its not by Mayfair at all, which is pretty cool because its not as packed.
I got a dark picture of it...so bear with me..

http://img212.exs.cx/img212/3112/p10100309rx.jpg

this pic really doesnt show to much of the actual downtown part...I took this from a parking lot by Hart Park across the river.

[i_am_hydrogen]

^ Redd, yep, that picture above is the of the "Village", which is basically considered Tosa's spiritual downtown. Tosa Fest and other events are down there. The buildings are more historical, and some of the streets still have cobblestone.

After moving out of Sherman Park (44th and Chambers) many, many years ago, my family moved to Wauwatosa, where I basically grew up. So I'm partial to Tosa, myself. It's relatively big, very close to downtown, and feels the most urban of all the suburbs (with Shorewood a close second). There are plenty of things to do there, for a suburb (even though I try to avoid Mayfair to the greatest extent possible). I also like the parks and parkways.

Shorewood is my second favorite. The houses there are huge and gorgeous. The streets have such nice trees on them. Shorewood is also really close to the East Side and the Lake.

[milwaukeeunseen]

yeah speaking of trashy parts of town...which infact were not trashy at all...was Sherman Park. I got bored after I had to mail some letters..and drove all up North Ave....which has LOTS of beautiful buildings..then proceded to take Sherman home, which had an amazing amount of dropdead gorgeous houses..especially near Washington H.S. The area has crime probs...but it looks so nice. They have this great statue of G.Washington in the street that looks pretty cool.

Sherman Park -- that's my neighborhood. I love it. I have not had a problem yet with crime. The houses are beautiful, the neighborhood is remarkably integrated. The only drawback is that it's somewhat out of the loop from Downtown/East Side activities. But that drawback aside it's the best neighborhood I've ever lived in.

Also, the statue is of Frederick von Stueben, one of Washington's right-hand men. German guy. Common mistake.

[milwaukeeunseen]

Favorite Milwaukee suburb? I gotta go with West Allis. Yes, as someone pointed out, people there tend to use poor grammer. And maybe the personal hygene isn't up to snuff. But I love the crazy mix of stores and bars along Greenfield. And there's some really neat industrial architecture in 'Stallis. And, overall, people there are pretty nice, as far as suburbs go.

Least favorite? Brown Deer. There's just nothing there of any interest to me whatsoever.

[Ben]

well kinda...lol
ghetto isnt always bad..considering only part of the area near Milwaukee is. Its not a place where I would be shot.. :)
To me anything nice is not ghetto. Most of these pictures I would not call ghetto. Crime is crime. Ghetto is ghetto. They make effect one another in some fashion, but they are 2 distinctly different attributes of a community. Ghetto/high-scale are physical appearances and reflections of the market, not how crime active an area is. Ghetto to me is: poor and run down(trashy looking). It's just an area you wouldn't want to live in or look at on a day to day basis simply because it's not as nice of living as it could be.

Speaking of all these sub communities, how are actual neighborhoods(not suburb) distinguised in Milwaukee? I want to say there are 96 neighboorhoods in Milwaukee? Rand McNally has a color-coded(different color for each neighborhood) neighborhood layout of Milwaukee's strictly city limits and I think that's how many it listed.

[i_am_hydrogen]

Sherman Park -- that's my neighborhood. I love it. I have not had a problem yet with crime. The houses are beautiful, the neighborhood is remarkably integrated. The only drawback is that it's somewhat out of the loop from Downtown/East Side activities. But that drawback aside it's the best neighborhood I've ever lived in.

Also, the statue is of Frederick von Stueben, one of Washington's right-hand men. German guy. Common mistake.

I agree. Sherman Park is a great neighborhood.

[Neph]

Favorite Milwaukee suburb? I gotta go with West Allis. Yes, as someone pointed out, people there tend to use poor grammer. And maybe the personal hygene isn't up to snuff. But I love the crazy mix of stores and bars along Greenfield. And there's some really neat industrial architecture in 'Stallis. And, overall, people there are pretty nice, as far as suburbs go.

Least favorite? Brown Deer. There's just nothing there of any interest to me whatsoever.
I have to say Stallis, not only does my brother live there but it's the only suburb I know well enough to say anything about. Most of my brothers friends grew up in Stallis and they all seem like family to him.

He lives in the neighborhood between the Fair grounds and the old Allis Chalmers plant on 75th St. Last summer we walked over to the State Fair and spent all day there and had the time of our lives! It's a pretty nice neighborhood, ask Sharptent. We both spent some time in my brothers basement bar before going to a Cubs/Brewers game two years ago.

[theodore]

Stallis always struck me as the kind of place where you hang out at your friend's parent's house in the basement, with brown shag carpet, drink cans of your dad's Miller Lite and listen to LAZER103.

So, I'm going to have to go with West Allis.

[EastSider]

Whitefish Bay/Shorewood area has always impressed me. I live on the edge of campus and I'm always seeing the large amount of people outside on the sidewalks enjoying their neighborhood (biking, running, walking, that sort of thing). I'm speaking of residents outside of college students, older families or individuals. It's amazing how many people would never expect to see those neighborhoods in Milwaukee (myself included, before I came to school here).

Also the commercial strip after lakedrive turns into...silver spring is it? Real pedestrian friendly commercial that works, and is genuine.

[ReddAlert]

Sherman Park -- that's my neighborhood. I love it. I have not had a problem yet with crime. The houses are beautiful, the neighborhood is remarkably integrated. The only drawback is that it's somewhat out of the loop from Downtown/East Side activities. But that drawback aside it's the best neighborhood I've ever lived in.

Also, the statue is of Frederick von Stueben, one of Washington's right-hand men. German guy. Common mistake.

kinda looked like George Washington from where I was!

Its definely a jewel that nobody knows about. People always think any neigborhood on the northside is ghetto and an area to stay away from. Yes, its near some rough areas, but the houses and buildings are so nice...it doesnt look like a crime haven. I really like this area now...the area along North Ave. in Wauwatosa is great--very walkable. Its lined with some nice stores and resturants. The only part that seems unsafe is around Lisbon Ave...

I would love to get an apt down there...probally moreso than on Brady St. or Prospect.

yeah and about Allis...
I like that area on Greenfield that you guys are talking about. They put lofts in that big building.....Im drawing a blank to whats near it....?

[Steely Dan]

It's a pretty nice neighborhood, ask Sharptent. We both spent some time in my brothers basement bar before going to a Cubs/Brewers game two years ago.

yeah dude, that was fun, hanging out in your bro's basement, drinking at his bar......... very, very cool.

so because of a lack of any significant experience with any other milwaukee burbs and because paule's brother's basement bar is so cool, i'm gonna have to say that stallis is my favorite milwaukee suburb ;).

[Neph]

yeah dude, that was fun, hanging out in your bro's basement, drinking at his bar......... very, very cool.

so because of a lack of any significant experience with any other milwaukee burbs and because paule's brother's basement bar is so cool, i'm gonna have to say that stallis is my favorite milwaukee suburb ;).

Yeah it was fun and cool and all that but the Cubs/Brewers game was much cooler. You Cubs fans are much tamer then the White sox fans ever were plus you're truer fans! I'd love to do it again Sharptent...keep that thought in mind with me, OK.

What's funny about "Stallis" is that I've never heard anyone there call it that. I first picked it up at the message boards at OnMilwaukee.com

[milwaukeeunseen]

I first heard "Stallis" a long, long time ago from some Stallis natives. It's been around for awhile.

[milwaukeeunseen]

West Allis is everything most suburbs aren't: dense, diverse, interesting, oozing with character. Here's some snaps from the Greenfield and National area:

Some typical Stallis homes:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/milwunseen/DSC01876.jpg

The intersection of Greenfield and National -- the crossroads of Stallis:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/milwunseen/DSC01877.jpg

A new mixed use project:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/milwunseen/DSC01887.jpg

A costume store window:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/milwunseen/DSC01889.jpg

Part of the old Allis-Chalmers plant redeveloped into a retail center back in the 1990s:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/milwunseen/DSC01891.jpg

Typical "Main Street" retail. There's a bunch of this stuff:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/milwunseen/DSC01896.jpg

[ReddAlert]

thats the part I was talking about! That area has so many crazy and intresting shops..like that Neon one. Very walkable and cool.

[40748246]

Pewaukee.

[edsg25]

Sorry, mine's more of a question than an observation, but it is suburban Milwaukee related (or, more accurately, metro Milw related):

realizing that it has pretty well filled in between Chgo and Milw, if you were to put a divide between the two metro areas, where would it be?

I think from a Chicago perspective, it would probably be somewhere between Kenosha and Racine. Racine is well within Milwaukee's orbit while Kenosha has increasingly become more and more a part of Chicagoland, with far more suburban Chicago development than Racine is for suburban Milwaukee.

In that sense, it is almost like Kenosha has some things more in common with Waukegan than it does with Racine.

How do you see this in Milw?

[Azn_chi_boi]

can anybody draw me a map about the metro, I can't tell where does the metro ends...

[neqquah]

Sorry, mine's more of a question than an observation, but it is suburban Milwaukee related (or, more accurately, metro Milw related):

realizing that it has pretty well filled in between Chgo and Milw, if you were to put a divide between the two metro areas, where would it be?

I think from a Chicago perspective, it would probably be somewhere between Kenosha and Racine. Racine is well within Milwaukee's orbit while Kenosha has increasingly become more and more a part of Chicagoland, with far more suburban Chicago development than Racine is for suburban Milwaukee.

In that sense, it is almost like Kenosha has some things more in common with Waukegan than it does with Racine.

How do you see this in Milw?


The closer together Milwaukee and Chicago's metro areas become, the better.

[ReddAlert]

Sorry, mine's more of a question than an observation, but it is suburban Milwaukee related (or, more accurately, metro Milw related):

realizing that it has pretty well filled in between Chgo and Milw, if you were to put a divide between the two metro areas, where would it be?

I think from a Chicago perspective, it would probably be somewhere between Kenosha and Racine. Racine is well within Milwaukee's orbit while Kenosha has increasingly become more and more a part of Chicagoland, with far more suburban Chicago development than Racine is for suburban Milwaukee.

In that sense, it is almost like Kenosha has some things more in common with Waukegan than it does with Racine.

How do you see this in Milw?

I would definely put it between Racine and Kenosha.

[CG5]

I'll do a run-down.


Favorites
Shorewood - Dense, fun, smells good. Great parks, contains the northern extension of one of my favorite things about the Easssside - the Oak Leaf Bike Trail. And, the BP on Oakland has free air for tire-pumping. Oh, and I go grocery shopping here. Hell, it's technically a part of my neighborhood, I'd better like the place.

South Milwaukee - I love South Milwaukee. A good friend of mine lived there for a few years before moving to 'Da Falls, and we spend a lot of time in South Milwaukee. They have some really cool hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and some great lakefront parks. They also have that crazy, lonely little tower...I'm not sure if it's technically in SM or Cudahy, but if you've seen it you know what I'm talking about. And the abandoned factories on the lakefront are kewl. South Milwaukee Roxorz.

Wauwatosa - Mayfair is nice. The Rosebud is nice. Honestly, to me, 'Tosa is just...nice. Nothing to scream about, but nice enough to go to on occasion.

Whitefish Bay - Whitefolks' Bay is a decent area. Big Bend Park is one of my favorites...dunno why. All in all, it's like a slightly less-interesting Shorewood, and I do like Shorewood, as you've seen. So WB gets a thumbs up from me.

West Allis - Stylin' 'Stallis!! It's tacky and quasi-urban and weird, and I generally like it. Certainly not enough to live there, but it's aiight. (Btw, did anyone else hear about the condo tower they proposed here a few months ago? Wtf?)

Waukesha - It's pretty far out (relatively speaking), but it's included in the metro population, so I'm including it on my list. Waukesha is pretty dull outside of downtown, but downtown itself is beautiful...it's a fun walk on a summer day. They have a nice riverfront, too.

Cudahy - Don't laugh. Cudahy is to South Milwaukee, for me, what Whitefish is to Shorewood. Slightly lesser, but still decent. Yeah, it smells. But it's fun in a very weird way.

West Milwaukee - They have a Chili's, guys! No, seriously, I love the factory "skyline" here. And it's such a freaking hole-in-the-wall of a town...I like it, again, for some weird reasons.

St. Francis - See: Cudahy.


Indifference
Oak Creek - Yawn. Not offensive...just yawn.

Theinsville - See: Oak Creek

Brown Deer - Kind of weird, and not in the fun St. Francis-Cudahy-South Milwaukee way.

Greendale/Greenfield - See: Oak Creek.

Franklin - See: Oak Creek. (Once the Predock-designed Indian School is finished, I just may care enough to visit rather than pass through.)

Hales Corners - See: Oak Creek.

Muskego - See: Oak Creek.

Fox Point - The main street is cute. But other than that, see: Oak Creek.


Active Dislike
River Hills/Bayside/Glendale - I am not a fan of the North Shore 'burbs. No specific reason...they just give me an icky feeling when I drive through.

Germantown/Menomonee Falls/Brookfield/New Berlin - This would be the area I refer to as the Suburban Corridor of DOOM. The attitude in this area (not so much New Berlin as the other three) far exceeds the actual quality of the majority of the residents' characters. On top of that, they all have their own special disgustinguishing features. G-town is full of that HORRID tack-tastic "German" "Architecture" in their "Business" "District." Their library seriously looks like a brick beached whale. Even the gas stations are excessively gabled and bricked and etcetera'd. Menomonee Falls is total negative space. There is absolutely nothing of note in the entire "village" except, perhaps, for the new library (interesting building) and a hole-in-the-wall Chinese place on Main Street. And 'Da Falls is home to my least favorite intersection in the entire world (Appleton-Pilgrim-Menomonee). Brookfield is overflowing with bitches. 'Nuff said. I just tag New Berlin on here because it's more of the same of the previous three without the Retarted Theme Park architecture or piss-ass attitude problems. [/rant]

Mequon - The 'Quon is like a plague.

Cedarburg - Arrogant motherfuckers. "We have a wine festival thing, thus we are a superior breed of human being. Run away now, you lot."

[Coldwake]

I'll only comment on the burbs I feel strongest about...

Mequon: You have three things: Big houses, farms, high end strip malls. Most of the residence are out of touch with "normal people."

Brown Deer: Where do people get this ghetto image from? Is it the diversity? Or is it because people don't actually know what the borders of Brown Deer are? And as far as nothing really there... come on now... the #1 Old Navy in the nation is on Green Bay ave in Brown Deer!! :-)

West Allis: You guys really seem to like this town... all I see is a run down urban area with rediculously high taxes that are choking the residence but since all the major industry in the area is gone it doesn't cover the normal city maintenance costs alone! Which goes back to that run-down feeling I get from it.

Brookfield: Ugh... they are so trying to be something they're not.

Cedarburg: Charming companion to Mequon. The two work well together in a posh-poshserving relationship. It's a nicer area but the people don't seem to have blinders on like their neighbors to the south.

Whitefish Bay: Whitefolks bay.

Germantown: Growing into a nice family suburb... erm... boring. But has a great mini-golf course!

Waukesha: Grrr... I don't want to get started on this... I can go to the same place a dozen times and NEVER take the same route to get there... and not on purpose! Grid patterns people... grid patterns! We can work around the river with straight roads, I've seen it done!

New Berlin: the best thing going for new berlin is that it has the largest industrial park in the state... but its driving all the businesses out through expensive "redevelopment" of the park. I could very into this... but I'm going to leave it go at that.

Ok thats enough, maybe more later.

[Fiddlerontheruf]

can anybody draw me a map about the metro, I can't tell where does the metro ends...

http://members.aol.com/comfyrock2/wp_metro.gif

This gives you a pretty good idea of where we are talking about. From Germantown (top left) to Oak Creek (bottom right) is roughly 32 miles. From downtown Milwaukee west to Waukesha and further west (the metro sprawl a bit after that) is about 40 miles.

[Fiddlerontheruf]

I am about to make an extensive post, bitches...

I'll only comment on the burbs I've been to...


(population #'s are approximations, within 2,000 for sure)




Mequon: My hometown, my home. Mequon has very little to offer it terms of culture or excitement, but the people are generally more open-minded and nicer than most upper-class outer ring suburbs. Probably has something to do with the large amount of well-educated, well traveled people that inhabit these parts. Other than that, its a big, rich, dare I say *tastefully* sprawling (sorry) terminus for the north shore suburbs. population: 23,000

Brown Deer: Gotta go with unseen on this one. Brown Deer is terrible. i could stand a burb if it had high crime and were urban, but brown deer is about as urban as Mequon with a slight urban tilt in some areas. Brown Deer is home of abandoned strip malls, tacky porno shops, bad food and trashy residential development. Not a nice place. (Consequently ranked the WORST milwaukee suburb my Milwaukee Mag, which did not influence my decesion; :)) population: 12,000 or so

Glendale: Nice, most diverse hood on the north shore. Northern and eastern parts are white and suburban, southern and western and mixed race and both residential and commercial. It's not Evanston, but it's not Schaumburg, either. Population: 12,000 or so

Fox Point/Bayside: Can be grouped together because they are so similar. Both very wealthy, both very Jewish, both by the lake, both suburban in nature but still retain charm because the streets are canopied with trees and the houses are very tasteful usually, albeit sometimes very gaudy. Combined pop: 20,000

River Hills/Chenequa: In a league of their own. Every major metro has at least a few of these. River Hills, sandwiched between ritzy fox point and dumpy brown deer is incredibly private, wooded enclave of about 2,000 people covering about 10 square miles (average=5 houses/acre.) Chenequa lines on Pine Lake about 25 miles west of Milwaukee and has about 700 people and has the same ultra-exclusive, "you-don't-belong-here" feel. The street layout is almost rural in both communities because zoning is so strict. Most houses are invisible behind large swaths of forest that begin at driveways and continue to mysterious, otherworldy luxury of the houses that lay behind them. [/melodrama]. But really, they are f*ckin rich. THink Barrington Hills or Minnetonka. Combined pop: 2500 or so

Shorewood/Whitefish Bay: Usually considered the best burbs in Milwaukee by the hip, urban, upwardly mobile types. Very urban, very cool, very diverse and very expensive (in spots), quite affordable away from the lake. Combined population about 35,000
Germantown: Non descript, conservative and boring. Downtown consists of a a very large strip mall and most of the 20,000 or so residents live south of the area. Cheap, ugly suburban crap. Not nice by and stretch.

Menomonee Falls: There are two Menomonee Falls. The older, dandy, jolly-good 50's Menomenee Falls (whos inhabitants are mainly from that era or earlier) and the booming, new, wealthy Menomonee Falls to the south and west. It has a small but charming old downtown and two large strip mall areas, with such large names as Menards, Wal-Mart and Home Depot taking up space. Some very expensive homes going up on the suburban side of town. The inner area is generally safe but almost all white, and very "white-trash" at that. Population: about 35,000?

Brookfield/New Berlin: combined population of about 80,000, almost all of it in unspeakable sprawl, these two communities epotomize most of what people here hate about the burbs in general. Hardly any diversity, VERY conservative, no community, not walkable etc etc. Brookfield and New Berlin has a bunch of sprawly "larger scale" suburban development, as opposed to Milwaukee's more bucolic approach. The only positive is that they are both pretty affluent and have very good schools.

Franklin/Oak Creek: Where the working class south-side whites move after they get out of the city. Sprawly, new a cheap, they are not as self-righteous and neo-con as Brookfield and New Berlin, but they are working on it. Combined pop: 60,000

West Allis ('Stallis)/WestMilwaukee: Milwaukee's most unique burb!!!! I've driven through Stallis and eaten there a few times, but only once a chance to walk around. West Milwaukee is a tiny little suburb (in area) just next to stallis and for all intents and purposes IS part of Stallis. Urban, dirty and lovably unpretentious, Stallisonians have either an ironic pride of living in a white-trash haven or are a part of it. They seem to co-exist peacefully, though. You think glam rock went out of style? Mullets? Oldmosbile Cutlasses? Come to Stallis. I really like West Allis. YAH! population: oh, about 60,000 or so.

Tosa: Unfortunately, I have never been to downtown Tosa so I can't speak fo rit, but I have been to other areas of Tosa and I can say that Tosa is probably the most influential of all the suburbs. It is a hub of commerce, has well-known schools, and is the home of Mayfair, which is a city unto itself. Tosa is generally regarded as Milwaukee's main burb. It ranges from old downtown cobblestone streets to quiet residential lanes to busy, 3-lane wide Highway 100 (actually a road). Overall, a very decent place. Nothing to write home about, but a good burb to have as a main one. Population: 45,000

Cudahy/South Milwaukee: A real intersting pair to watch. Now, mainly poor, white and boring, both could be in the early stages of a very intersting Renaissance. More and more people are reaping the benefits of cheap housing, a stable community, an urban atmosphere and BREATHTAKING views of the lake and city. Population: 35,000



ALL suburbs west of Brookfield except Waukesha: Generally, almost all of Waukesha county west of Brookfield is suburban, growing quickly, and very, very rich. There are some rural patches left here and there, especially in the southwest corner of the county, but nearly the entire county has been, is being, or will be in the near future, enveloped by golf courses and expensive subdivisions. POP: 100,000?

Waukesha: Waukesha is like Aurora for Illinois. And already established city that became the focal point for the westward suburban development of a major city. Like Aurora, it has an urban, very charming central core and sprawls out for miles in every direction. Birthplace of Paul and Morgan Hamm as well as Heather Graham. Would be a fine city if you didnt have to travel through miles of sprawl to get there. Population: 65,000

I have never been to: Butler, Hales Corners, Greenfield, Greendale or Muskego.



And that, ladies and gentleman, is the longest post of my life.

[CG5]

Oy vey kid, when did the travel brochure company hire you? That post made me feel dirty. :P

[i_am_hydrogen]

That was one hell of a post. I enjoyed it. Nice analyses.

[Coldwake]

I am about to make an extensive post, bitches...

I'll only comment on the burbs I've been to...


Brown Deer: Gotta go with unseen on this one. Brown Deer is terrible. i could stand a burb if it had high crime and were urban, but brown deer is about as urban as Mequon with a slight urban tilt in some areas. Brown Deer is home of abandoned strip malls, tacky porno shops, bad food and trashy residential development. Not a nice place. (Consequently ranked the WORST milwaukee suburb my Milwaukee Mag, which did not influence my decesion; :)) population: 12,000 or so



What?! You should have kept to your original statement and commented on the burbs you've been to. Obviously you haven't spent much time in your neighbor to the south! Tacky porno shops? Bad food? Trashy residential development? The only one I'll give you is a few strip malls with less then optimum occupancy rates. And even those are probably for reasons you don't even realize.

If you don't mind, I'd like to know where these porno shops are... I hate having to drive down to greenfield ave all the time! :)

By the way... trashy residential developement? If I blindfolded you (this has nothing to do with the porno shop I swear!) and dropped you off in the middle of either Brown Deer or Theinsville you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference based on the housing.

I'd go on with a rebuttal for the rest of your post but I'm at work! I'll come back later.

And get out more! :okay:

[neqquah]

I have never been to: Butler, Hales Corners, Greenfield, Greendale or Muskego.


Bulter has to be Milwaukee's most forgotten, overlooked suburb. Most likely because it the smallest(and it's very small). North-South it's about a mile long, and East-West it about 8 or 9 blocks. It's bordered by the southeast corner of Menomonee Falls(to the north and west), the northeastern corner of Brookfield(to the south and west), the northwestern corner of Wauwatosa(to the southern half of its eastern city limit), and the southwest corner of Milwaukee's northwest side(to the north half of its eastern city limit). *sighs* Very strange city limits.


anywaaaay......I think it a unique suburb for it's size. It doesn't really fit it to Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, Menomenee Falls, or Brookfield...even though it's trapped in the middle of the four.

I've never been to Hales Corners.

Besides the Southridge area, Greenfield is pretty boring to me.

I like Greendale's "Historic Village" looking downtown, but besides that, :sleepy:

I've only been to the southeast section of Muskego(which sucks), so I can't comment on the rest of it. I'm guessing that it's just as boring.

[Fiddlerontheruf]

What?! You should have kept to your original statement and commented on the burbs you've been to. Obviously you haven't spent much time in your neighbor to the south! Tacky porno shops? Bad food? Trashy residential development? The only one I'll give you is a few strip malls with less then optimum occupancy rates. And even those are probably for reasons you don't even realize.

If you don't mind, I'd like to know where these porno shops are... I hate having to drive down to greenfield ave all the time! :)

By the way... trashy residential developement? If I blindfolded you (this has nothing to do with the porno shop I swear!) and dropped you off in the middle of either Brown Deer or Theinsville you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference based on the housing.

I'd go on with a rebuttal for the rest of your post but I'm at work! I'll come back later.

And get out more! :okay:

OK, well the porno shops are mainly located on Brown Deer road. I believe there is also one on Bradley rd. There are three that I know of, which is three more than I know of in any other suburb.

My reference to "bad food" was the fact that most restaurants are of the "low-end mass-market chain restaurant" persuasion.

Trashy development refers to mainly to the townhouses near Bradley Road and some on Brown Deer. They have a very dirrrty feel to them, which looks so out of place in such in a suburban area.

Remember, I'm not the only that thinks this way. (http://www.themilwaukeechannel.com/money/4608284/detail.html)

I have spent a substantial amount of time in Brown Deer, btw.

[Fiddlerontheruf]

I'll do a run-down.









Germantown/Menomonee Falls/Brookfield/New Berlin - This would be the area I refer to as the Suburban Corridor of DOOM. The attitude in this area (not so much New Berlin as the other three) far exceeds the actual quality of the majority of the residents' characters. On top of that, they all have their own special disgustinguishing features. G-town is full of that HORRID tack-tastic "German" "Architecture" in their "Business" "District." Their library seriously looks like a brick beached whale. Even the gas stations are excessively gabled and bricked and etcetera'd. Menomonee Falls is total negative space. There is absolutely nothing of note in the entire "village" except, perhaps, for the new library (interesting building) and a hole-in-the-wall Chinese place on Main Street. And 'Da Falls is home to my least favorite intersection in the entire world (Appleton-Pilgrim-Menomonee). Brookfield is overflowing with bitches. 'Nuff said. I just tag New Berlin on here because it's more of the same of the previous three without the Retarted Theme Park architecture or piss-ass attitude problems. [/rant]

lot."

Brilliant. That made me feel clean, happy and fu n k Y!!

[CG5]

There are porno shops on Brown Deer?

[Fiddlerontheruf]

There are porno shops on Brown Deer?


To be comnpletely honest, I'm not sure if the porn stores are in Milwaukee or Brown Deer, but there is/was one, as far as I can remember, on Brown Deerjust before Northridge (near Colders). I think it is still there. The other one, on Bradley, is near the Kwick-Mart.

[Fiddlerontheruf]

There are porno shops on Brown Deer?


To be comnpletely honest, I'm not sure if the porn store on Brown Deer is in Milwaukee or Brown Deer, but there is/was one, as far as I can remember, on Brown Deer just before Northridge (near Colders) right on the border. I think it is still there. The other one, on Bradley, is near the Kwick-Mart. There are probably one or two more scattered around that I have never seen.

[ReddAlert]

yeah, theres an adult video store on Brown Deer and 91st/Swan.

[Fiddlerontheruf]

yeah, theres an adult video store on Brown Deer and 91st/Swan.


thats in Milwaukee, but there is also one in Brown Deer.

[Coldwake]

The only point I'll concede to you is the lack of good dining. Except for a few nice places like Diamond Jims for casual dining, PrimeTime for an old school sports bar, or Lepeep for breakfast, there isn't much in the way of nice food.

But the rest... alllll wrong. There is no porn shop first of all. I don't know WHERE you got that from. The closest one is the one Reddalert mentioned, which is on 91st street... but Brown Deer ends at 67th.

The dirrrrty apartments you're talking about... um... the ones on brown Deer rd that have a rent from $800-1500 a month? Or which ones on bradley rd? the ones west of 60th that are in milwaukee or the ones east of 51st that are right across the street from a parade of homes subdivision from a few years back? Some places may indeed be blah 70's built apartment buildings... but thats for the most part it.

By the way... to show how much you don't know... there is NO Colder's in Brown Deer. Credibility: broken. Heh. Ok I'm not trying to be that harsh... but there the opinion that my friends and neighbors (I've lived in mequon for 6 years now) seem to have is a tilted image of brown deer that seems right in line with the northridge syndrome. It's pretty far off base but there is no convincing you of that. If I could get my pictures to post properly I'd post some nice pictures, but for some reason its not working for me.

I think mequonites (is that the right term?) think they are more open minded then they really are... er, I don't think that, I know that from experience.

Oh wait, here's my disclaimer: Brown Deer is not a perfect gem that deserved to be at the top of milwaukee mag. 50 best suburbs. But I still think it is extremely underrated.

[boomper]

EDSG25- As a southwest suburban Milwaukee (Franklin) resident, I would also place the metro borders at about the Kenosha/Racine county line. I do not consider Kenosha a suburb of Milwaukee, but I do consider it a suburb of Chicago now days. So much of Kenosha resembles Chicagoland more than it does Metro Milwaukee, including the only White Castle in the state, until recently the only Long John Silvers and Carmax in the state, both abundant in Chicagoland, and even the reflector lane markings so prevalent in Illinois, but used so conservatively in Wisconsin.

Racine, on the other hand does not have nearly as much in common with Chicagoland as Kenosha does. I, personally consider Racine a suburb of Milwaukee, though many other people here, especially in Racine seem to be reluctant to do so. They more seem to consider thenselves as a stand alone city, but I would say Racine, Caledonia, Mt Pleasant, Wind Point, North Bay, and Elmwood Park to all be suburbs of Milwaukee. IMO Racine is not its own metro area, but part of the greater Milwaukee metro which is a neighbor to Chicagoland with nothing inbetween.

Waukesha is widely accepted as being a suburb of Milwaukee, and it is no more than 5 miles closer than Racine is to Milwaukee. That is why I don't understand the difference in classification. Maybe just the reluctance of some people to move into the 21st century, I don't know. It's almost like Milwaukee and Racine are so close yet so far apart. People from Milwaukee seem to always forget about Racine, and people from Racine tend to want to be left alone, and it seems they almost view Milwaukee like they do Chicago! I could be wrong, but that is what I tend to see alot. I am probably one of the few people in Franklin as likely to shop at Regency or Brookfield Square as I am to shop at Southridge.

Anyhow, funny that you bring this topic up, I think about it all the time! Kenosha to Chicago and Racine to Milwaukee, just like the US census considers it. 10 or 15 more years and this won't even be a topic, we'll just all be 1 big megopolis anyhow, so no sense getting too worked up over it anybody! Pretty cool IMO.

[boomper]

Lepeep in Brown Deer is no more. It is under construction to become Habanero's Mexican Kitchen, along with another location on Hwy 100 in 'Tosa. It sounds like a Qdoba or Chipotle type place.

[Fiddlerontheruf]

But the rest... alllll wrong. There is no porn shop first of all. I don't know WHERE you got that from. The closest one is the one Reddalert mentioned, which is on 91st street... but Brown Deer ends at 67th.

The dirrrrty apartments you're talking about... um... the ones on brown Deer rd that have a rent from $800-1500 a month? Or which ones on bradley rd? the ones west of 60th that are in milwaukee or the ones east of 51st that are right across the street from a parade of homes subdivision from a few years back? Some places may indeed be blah 70's built apartment buildings... but thats for the most part it.

There definately was a porno shop on the Brown Deer/Milwaukee border as of last year in that sleazy strip mall on BD road (nearAmerican, haha). It could very well be defunct now. In fact, I would be surprised if its still operating. I know for a fact there is still one off Bradley.


By the way... to show how much you don't know... there is NO Colder's in Brown Deer. Credibility: broken. Heh. Ok I'm not trying to be that harsh... but there the opinion that my friends and neighbors (I've lived in mequon for 6 years now) seem to have is a tilted image of brown deer that seems right in line with the northridge syndrome. It's pretty far off base but there is no convincing you of that. If I could get my pictures to post properly I'd post some nice pictures, but for some reason its not working for me.

sorry, I misspoke. I meant American.

I think mequonites (is that the right term?) think they are more open minded then they really are... er, I don't think that, I know that from experience.

Oh wait, here's my disclaimer: Brown Deer is not a perfect gem that deserved to be at the top of milwaukee mag. 50 best suburbs. But I still think it is extremely underrated.

Perhaps you're right about the 'quon. But at least it's better than Brookfield.

OK, well someone has to be #50. I'm not saying it's a end-of-the-world shithole, but as suburbs go, it's Milwaukee's worst. At least in my opinion.

[Coldwake]

Perhaps you're right about the 'quon. But at least it's better than Brookfield.

OK, well someone has to be #50. I'm not saying it's a end-of-the-world shithole, but as suburbs go, it's Milwaukee's worst. At least in my opinion.

O.K. everyone is entitled to their opinion... but because of the brookfield comment I feel like you're my new best friend.