Possible move to Milwaukee from Australia advice for a young family (Racine: fit in, 2013)

[mbradleyc]

There are good schools. This seems like a good site for rankings:
Milwaukee's Best Schools: Ratings, Reviews, and Grades - Zillow School Information

As far as temp, It gets into the '90's a few days June-September, sometimes more, sometimes less. Every couple of years it will get to 100 for a day or two.

Spring is usually cool and wet. From April 1 to June it will hover between the 40's and the 60's normally overcast with some rain. It might snow once in a while, but briefly and it will be gone in a day or two. It will get up in the 70's more often. The sun shines a lot too.

Fall is beautiful in October and November. It will start to get cold, especially at night it can dip into the 30's. Some times it snows for Halloween. Often it snows for Thanksgiving. Often it hasn't really snowed by Christmas.

But January and February! One night you'll go to bed and then in the morning 18 inches of snow, BOOM! The next night it can drop into the minus teens F. I'm not talking about wind chill. Wind chill, hah! That's for wimps. I mean mercury temps. The wind will tear your face off, though. Spit in the air and hear it crack into ice before it hits the ground.

That doesn't happen every year though. Some years it doesn't even get below zero.

We sell great gear for it.

[guitarguy1685]

Originally Posted by kemst

The image we have of the USA is bad schools and worse crime (especially gun crime) Is it noticeable in "real life"?

If you don't have money this is true. But that could be said about any city in the world. I've been living in Milwaukee for almost 2 years and have yet to see anything I would consider dangerous. I'm not saying I'm rich, far from it, but I'm not considered in poverty.


As far as your image of the USA goes I could only say that the only news you will ever see is bad news. Like whenever I hear news from Australia it has to do how someone died from some random wild animal or insect in the city. That and apparently Australia is surrounded by sharks with lasers. I'm surprised you lived long enough to have two kids!

[kemst]

Originally Posted by guitarguy1685

As far as your image of the USA goes I could only say that the only news you will ever see is bad news. Like whenever I hear news from Australia it has to do how someone died from some random wild animal or insect in the city. That and apparently Australia is surrounded by sharks with lasers. I'm surprised you lived long enough to have two kids!

I laughed out loud at your laser comment. That said, a surfer did just get killed by a tiger shark a few hundered km north from here (last week)

I do agree that the media doesn't mind a bit of negative sensation - which is why I really appreciate all your comments.

BTW My kids know exactly what to do if they see snakes or spiders (which they have) - I doubt this will be a valuable skill in a Milwaukee winter.

[mbradleyc]

Your kids will be disappointed. Not a venomous creature to be found in Milwaukee.

Unless you like politics.

[SamirD]

Originally Posted by mbradleyc

If it takes you 20 minutes to get from Tosa to downtown you're taking your time. In 20 minutes you can go from Oak Creek to Brown Deer.

Like I said, we just moved here.

Originally Posted by kemst

but every shooting (fatal or not) gets headline news.

If this comes through am actually looking forward to "real" seasons and the cold. In the hight of summer there are quite a few days well over 105 (yuck) and in winter if we get 60 it is considered cold and gloves can be seen ! My kids have only ever seen snow in books and I don't actually own a coat.

We get the same headlines everytime a bullet whizzes somewhere.

If 60s have people putting gloves on, you will definitely be in for a real awakening. It was in the single digits a few days ago and standing out in it with full gloves, scarf, hoodie, coat, boots and a pair of thick cargos had my hands frozen in 15 minutes. I'm a bit sensitive to cold due to diabetes, but my wife's hands were frozen about 5 minutes later! You'll love it for about half a day and then you'll really miss the old country.

The kids will love the snow once they're bundled up though. I made a snowball with the fresh powder on Sunday and hit my wife in the back as she was walking towards the car...hehe. Winter does bring out something inside of you, which hopefully will be bundled up enough to avoid frostbite.

Originally Posted by mbradleyc

But January and February! One night you'll go to bed and then in the morning 18 inches of snow, BOOM! The next night it can drop into the minus teens F. I'm not talking about wind chill. Wind chill, hah! That's for wimps. I mean mercury temps. The wind will tear your face off, though. Spit in the air and hear it crack into ice before it hits the ground.

You're scaring me. I thought this weekend was semi-bad!

[mbradleyc]

Originally Posted by SamirD

You're scaring me. I thought this weekend was semi-bad!

These are extremes, but they happen often enough.

The snow on Sunday was very ordinary. 4 to 6 inches? Shoot. Wait until we get an actual blizzard. They don't happen as often as they used to, but on any given day from now until April....

[SamirD]

Originally Posted by mbradleyc

These are extremes, but they happen often enough.

The snow on Sunday was very ordinary. 4 to 6 inches? Shoot. Wait until we get an actual blizzard. They don't happen as often as they used to, but on any given day from now until April....

Gulp. I should have bought a Jeep Rubicon Unlimited.

[bagster]

I spent a winter in Milwaukee back in the late '60's. My fondest memories are of great beer and pizza. The cold doesn't bother you much once you get acclimated.

[kemst]

Believe it or not, the cold is actually appealing. I have the complexion of the Michelin man - so I really struggle with the blazing sun and cloudless summer days here.

Whenever we go out (summer or winter) it's hats and sunblock all 'round (We have the highest rate of skin cancer in the world).

I love log fires and dream of living somewhere where a sauna is a chosen pastime. I lived in Scotland for a few years and loved how the sun made you warm rather than felt like it was raining needles

That said, I have never experienced a blizzard (or made a snow man )

I did hear that there has been a cold snap in the US - is it a normal Milwaukee winter so far or is it worse than usual?

[mbradleyc]

Originally Posted by SamirD

Gulp. I should have bought a Jeep Rubicon Unlimited.

No problem. This is Wisconsin. We know what to do.

I spent some time in Virginia. One of the most embarrassing moments of my life was the day I had to call out from work because there was six inches of snow and I could not get out of my apartment's parking lot. They have no snow removal equipment in Virginia. They just wait until it melts.

Unless it is a driving snow or a blizzard, we handle it like a normal day. The real adjustment is making time in the morning to warm up the engine and clean off the windows. Give yourself an extra 5 or 10 minutes to get going and the roads will be fine, mostly.

Some days it just doesn't work out, but employers understand that. The kids will love it.