Is Milwaukee a mini Chicago? (Paris, York: buying, theater, quality of life)

[Milwaukee Ronnie]

Originally Posted by WildWestDude

Anyway, I too fiind these rivarlies silly especially the sports related ones

I find a lot of civic rivalries silly, but I actually don't mind the sports rivalries. I think a rivalry that takes place on a field is a lot more productive than a rivalry that takes place in a boardroom or a legislative chamber.

In that spirit ...

GO BREWERS!!!

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee Ronnie

I find a lot of civic rivalries silly, but I actually don't mind the sports rivalries. I think a rivalry that takes place on a field is a lot more productive than a rivalry that takes place in a boardroom or a legislative chamber.

In that spirit ...

GO BREWERS!!!

I agree Ronnie, I think what he meant though was when it actually permeates over and trickles over into more the "real world" - eg: possible economic and industrial ties, etc., which I really think actually happens between SE WI in relation to missing out on opportunities to associate ourselves with Chicago, rather than against it.

But I am with you on the Brewers, although I am still in a state of shock over the Packers' loss.

[Milwaukee Ronnie]

Originally Posted by EnjoyEP

But I am with you on the Brewers, although I am still in a state of shock over the Packers' loss.

In years past, we all knew how each baseball season would end: failure. Somewhere well below .500.

This year, I honestly don't know how the Brewers season will end. This is why 2008 is going to be an exciting baseball season in Milwaukee.

GO BREWERS!!!!

[CHIP72]

Originally Posted by WildWestDude

I used to live in the Chicagoland area, NW Indiana specifically.
I have a degree in geography and matters like this interest me and are a nice conversation topic.
I am not looking to move anywhere else.

Even though I can't help at all (I live in Harrisburg, PA), I think this is cool, because I also have a degree in geography and think in a similar way.

Until about a month ago, I was strongly looking to move to the Chicago area (received a good job offer with the federal government in DC), and the primary reason I was looking to move to Chicago was because it is near Milwaukee and the combined area is like a mini-Northeast Corridor (an area I love but I'd like to get a feel for living in a different area of the country - one of the few negatives about my impending new job a mere 2 hours south of my current location). I've only spent very limited time in Chicago and no time at all in Milwaukee, but I'd venture to say the cities' proximity to each other provides benefits to both and makes both cities, especially Milwaukee, more interesting than if either was isolated and far away from another large city.

Once I get settled in after moving to the DC area, I'll start plotting out when I can make an extended weekend trip to Chicago and spend most of one day in Milwaukee. Perhaps I can get to home games for the White Sox, Cubs, and/or Brewers too.

[MKE POL]

As much as Wisconsinites hate Chicago we need to be thankful, I have been all over the US and after what I've seen is that for our metro size we have more than any other city our size. Just look at the Twin Cities, aka "Whiteapolis" they don't seem to have any good bars or clubs/lounges, and I didn't seem any sense of culture at all there. Milw has gained so much from being right next door to Chicago one of the biggest assets we have gained from Chicago is EXPOSURE. Just look at how many times the Chicago Tribune has written articles urging people to visit Milw. Milwaukee doesn't have to be Chicago to compete with Chicago, Milw needs to build on it's own identity. If our city was so bad you would Illinois plates every you go on a weekend.

[Lookout Kid]

I lived in Milwaukee for a few years immediately before moving to Chicago, and actually find them to be night and day.

After arriving in Chicago, I immediately felt like I was more linked in to the world, more marketed to, and living at a faster pace. People in Chicago have more of an edge and seem to be more focussed on careers, fashion, and status. It's enough of a difference that it was immediately apparent to me.

Architecturally, Chicago is much more dense and has a lot more brick. Parts of the less dense Northwest Side of Chicago look VERY similar to Milwaukee, but 19th century Chicago is almost entirely red brick flats and rowhouses. It's really a different neighborhood feel. Milwaukee's neighborhoods are actually very similar to Detroit's, but are less burned out and abandoned! Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and Detroit are largely cities built of detached wood-frame single-family or duplex homes (called 2-flats in Chicago). Chicago has a lot more brick and higher densities, with the primary building types being two-flats, three-flats, and six-flats. In the older 19th century parts of the city, these are nearly always brick or grey stone.\

The residential area around Brady Street in Milwaukee feels quite a bit like Chicago, as does the near South Side. But they feel more like the western parts of Chicago to me. There is a distinctly Milwaukee/Chicago housing type called a "Polish Flat" which is a cottage house jacked up to create a "garden level" story below for extended family. You'll see this in some older neighborhoods where the old houses have ridiculously long staircases leading up to the front door.

[WildWestDude]

Wonder which city would have the largest # of transplants(voluntary) from one another, Chicago or Milwaukee?

[Alt Dach]

No culture in Mpls??? If culture can be defined as classical music and theatre(which are usually considered main elements) Twin Cities have more than Chi. and Milw. combined.Bar and lounges are anti-culture.

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by WildWestDude

Wonder which city would have the largest # of transplants(voluntary) from one another, Chicago or Milwaukee?

More go from MKE to CHI...largely due to jobs / economics. To a lesser degree, the allure of living in a huge / world-noted big city (but still being able to hang somewhat on to the insular nature of the upper Midwest).

Quite simply, there are often a greater variety of well paying jobs to be found in Chicago for mid-level and mid-upper level professionals. That attracts pros from Milwaukee.

Also, so many Milwaukeeans are oft undesirable to live anywhere other than WI / MKE, but are tempted by the tales of a "huge city" (eg: NYC, LA). They don't have it in their insular nature to move anywhere that drastically, but Chicago is certainly close enough and a good enough cultural compromise that they heed their "look at me, I am going to the Big Time" oats by "moving to Chicago". Of course, these same folks have a non-scientific but very educated guestimate of a 97% return rate to Wisconsin once they start having children.

Are there Chicagoans that relo to Milwaukee? Sure. Mostly folks in their 50s, 60s, etc., whose money would take them to a decent place in Chi-town, but to a great place in MKE. There are others who come up here for the colleges (Marquette a biggie, or maybe UWM) or the quality of life (lower housing costs, lower taxes, much less congestion, etc.), but I would say they are still few and far in between.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Alt Dach

No culture in Mpls??? If culture can be defined as classical music and theatre(which are usually considered main elements) Twin Cities have more than Chi. and Milw. combined.Bar and lounges are anti-culture.

LMAO. Yeah ok buddy.