Is Milwaukee Dying? (Wauwatosa: real estate, condos, violent crime)

[Pickled]

The submitter moved out of Milwaukee in 1986, but continues to visit regularly.

[D-res]

the current government isnt helping much but you cant say that the massive condo boom and development underway in the city doesnt mean anything. Dont forget the burbs are sprawling and booming as usual. almost every one saw a positive population increase over the last year, some by huge percentages.

[peace2u]

Milwaukee has not kept pace with the rest of the country. Government is bloated no economic development. What good are condos if no one can afford them? Incomes have not kept pace with the cost of living here in milwaukee. Job growth is very minimal. Technology has suffered here in wisconsin as a whole. young talent has taken flight. If milwaukee does not do something to lure and keep people here then it will be dead.

[cgartman]

Remember all the baby boomers who moved to the burbs to raise their children. All their children are grown and starting their own families. These are the people who will be buying up the condos. The area north of downtown will soon be home to fresh retail and more condos. The increase in downtown residents will lead to high end retailers occupying the ground level of the new condo developments. The downtown may actually be lively 24 hours a day and people will no longer have a need to shop in the burbs...i.e. Michican Ave in chicago, but not as big.

[peace2u]

Originally Posted by cgartman

Remember all the baby boomers who moved to the burbs to raise their children. All their children are grown and starting their own families. These are the people who will be buying up the condos. The area north of downtown will soon be home to fresh retail and more condos. The increase in downtown residents will lead to high end retailers occupying the ground level of the new condo developments. The downtown may actually be lively 24 hours a day and people will no longer have a need to shop in the burbs...i.e. Michican Ave in chicago, but not as big.

Keep dreaming! Milwaukee has a blue collar mentality. most of those baby boomers children from the burbs, their children are to afraid of coming downtown only to frequent some of the bars on water street. Downtown is a ghost town after 6pm. Downtown will take years if ever to come close to Michigan ave. There are too many dilapidated buildings that are empty along Wisconsin Ave and other areas of downtown. Local government has not given any incentives to lure business downtown. Prime example would be G.E. This company scouted downtown Milwaukee or surrounding areas first, but Wauwatosa offered the best incentive so they decided to call Tosa home. The biggest boom downtown is during the summer festivities. The condos or real estate is purchased primarily by illinois residents as second home, I would wager to say that they are driving the condo boom in milwaukee. It is a second home for them at affordable prices.

I graduated from MSOE, most of the student body graduating something to the tune of 52% secured jobs outside of milwaukee's job market, of the 52% 41% secured employment outside of the state. Milwaukee has a long way to go. It is still a nice place to live but its future looks bleak without change. The housing boom has slowed dramatically.... wth the new development of Bayshore mall will surely keep the suburbanites close to home and lure in town shoppers to the burbs.

[Sarscasm]

Cities are never living to begin with, therefor they can never die.

Simple question, simple answer.

[cmb53208]

Sadly, Milwaukee's leadership is little more than an empty suit-in response to increasingh violent crime, they whine that they have no money for more cops, but instead hire more parking checkers [i]and[i] increase the property taxes. Then they scratch their collective behinds and grunt "duh, why are people leaving? We got $650,000 condos downtown!"

The fact is Milwaukee is becoming two cities in one: One of which is along the lake, Bayview, Downtown, and portions of the West Side home to an affluent population that the city fathers like to trot out in front of cameras. The other city which seems to get larger by the day is home to a largely minority population dealing with poverty, crime, schools that are worse than bad, and leaders that offer little more but the same studies over and over again. Until Milwaukee gets some real leaders who realize that the 50's are over and that there are others besides the downtown condo dwellers much of the city will continue to decline.

[GreggB]

Originally Posted by cmb53208

Sadly, Milwaukee's leadership is little more than an empty suit-in response to increasingh violent crime, they whine that they have no money for more cops, but instead hire more parking checkers [i]and[i] increase the property taxes. Then they scratch their collective behinds and grunt "duh, why are people leaving? We got $650,000 condos downtown!"

The fact is Milwaukee is becoming two cities in one: One of which is along the lake, Bayview, Downtown, and portions of the West Side home to an affluent population that the city fathers like to trot out in front of cameras. The other city which seems to get larger by the day is home to a largely minority population dealing with poverty, crime, schools that are worse than bad, and leaders that offer little more but the same studies over and over again. Until Milwaukee gets some real leaders who realize that the 50's are over and that there are others besides the downtown condo dwellers much of the city will continue to decline.

I agree w/ you on this100%

[kjs36]

no, milwaukee is not dying.

[FromMilwaukeeInSeattle]

Originally Posted by cgartman

Remember all the baby boomers who moved to the burbs to raise their children. All their children are grown and starting their own families. These are the people who will be buying up the condos. The area north of downtown will soon be home to fresh retail and more condos. The increase in downtown residents will lead to high end retailers occupying the ground level of the new condo developments. The downtown may actually be lively 24 hours a day and people will no longer have a need to shop in the burbs...i.e. Michican Ave in chicago, but not as big.

8 years later and you are correct. Milwaukee isn't dying but is thriving for young people. The Eastside, Bayview, Third Ward, and along the lake is thriving now. Glad to see a right prediction from 2006.