Chicago suburbs vs Milwaukee suburbs (Naperville, Skokie: cul-de-sac, real estate, roughest)

[yosemite]

How would you describe the differences between the two metro areas?

Can you compare certain suburbs of Chicago to those of Milwaukee?

[Drover]

Primary difference I see, besides the obvious that Chicago has a lot more of them, is that Chicago's suburbs also encompass "extremes" more than Milwaukee's. Chicago's well-to-do suburbs are considerably more well-to-do than Milwaukee's well-to-do suburbs. On the other hand, Chicago has done a magnificent job of exporting urban problems to its inner suburbs in a way that Milwaukee hasn't perfected yet. Another crucial difference is that, on the whole, real estate is a lot pricier in the Chicago area. You get more bang for your buck in the Milwaukee area.

[edsg25]

North Shore suburbs in Chicago match the suburbs in the same relative position in Milwaukee.

Interestingly the two cities follow a similiar path north along their lakefronts with high rises behind the parks. The only difference is that Chicago's northern limits are found in decidedly urban Rogers Park and Milwaukee's northern limits (near UWM) are more like the suburbs that follow northward across city limits.

[pvande55]

I've often wondered what is the demarcation point between Milwaukee's south and Chicago's northern suburbs. The State line? Racine? One difference is that Chicago suburbs have commuter rail to downtown, something that so far only Sturtevant WI has. The airports, Mitchell Field and O'Hare, are used by passengers from both metro areas.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by pvande55

I've often wondered what is the demarcation point between Milwaukee's south and Chicago's northern suburbs. The State line? Racine? One difference is that Chicago suburbs have commuter rail to downtown, something that so far only Sturtevant WI has. The airports, Mitchell Field and O'Hare, are used by passengers from both metro areas.

The demarcation is the Racine County/Kenosha County line, as determined by commute patterns. Sturtevant isn't the only one to have train service. Kenosha has a Metra station. Considering the Amtrak train costs about $10 each way from Sturtevant, I don't know that many people are using it for daily commuting, but I could be wrong.

[Lookout Kid]

Shorewood and Whitefish Bay, which are just north of UWM but sort of chipped out of Milwaukee's north lakefront, are really quite similar to Wilmette. But the major difference is that they border some of Milwaukee's roughest neighborhoods--even though there is a large park and river providing a nice separation. Fox Point and River Hills are more remote in feel, but very "North Shore" as well. River Hills is one of the richest towns in the country on a per capita basis (it's very small and only has millionaires, basically).

Cedarburg is a cute little town with a nice downtown that has sort of latched on to suburbia. Maybe similar to Geneva? Glen Ellyn?

When I think of Mequon, I think of McMansions on cul-de-sacs. But I'm not familiar with every inch of this suburb.

The closest thing you have to Oak Park might be Wauwautosa. Though 'Tosa is certainly less upscale than Oak Park and hasn't really "embraced" it's increasing diversity to the same extent. And it has more post-war housing stock.

West Allis is a working class suburb that is just west of the South Side of Milwaukee, and it's definitely getting it's share of "urban problems". Allis Chalmers left decades ago, and the town has seen steady decline ever since.

Waukesha might be comparable to Naperville to a degree (large satellite suburb with good schools and sprawling housing around an older core), but the downtown area sucks.

Brookfield is an upscale suburb with similarities to Northbrook, Glenview, Deerfield, etc.

[middle-aged mom]

Lookout knows his stuff.

I am quite fond of Shorewood, WFB and Fox Point.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

...The closest thing you have to Oak Park might be Wauwautosa. Though 'Tosa is certainly less upscale than Oak Park and hasn't really "embraced" it's increasing diversity to the same extent. And it has more post-war housing stock...

I think Wauwautosa is more like combination of Forest Park (or Melrose Park) and Berwyn. But that is just me.

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

I think Wauwautosa is more like combination of Forest Park (or Melrose Park) and Berwyn. But that is just me.

Wauwautosa may give the most obvious link to suburban Chicago of any Milwaukee suburb.

Actually and technically make that link in the past.

Back when the great, late and lamented Marshall Field's was building its Old Orchard and Oakbrook stores, the company got an idea:

since Milwaukeeans frequented the State Street flagship (on a trip far longer than that from Skokie or Oak Brook), why not give the Milwaukee market its own Marshall Field's...which it did at Mayfair in Wauwatosa. The store was basically the same design as the first massive stores the company put in place (River Oaks along with the other two) north, west, and south of Chicago.

Of course in this faceless Macy's era, the connection between places like Old Orchard and Oakbrook is rather meaningless. And the Macy's in Tosa is actually now part of an enclosed mall, not the open air one it started as.

[xavier xerxes]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

I think Wauwautosa is more like combination of Forest Park (or Melrose Park) and Berwyn. But that is just me.

Haha. Thats a good one.
More like Oak Park.