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As far as the east side close to UWM goes, it's pretty safe, but in certain areas (the area around Maryland and Locust comes to mind) there's lots of house parties on the weekends, so you might want to keep that in mind. They don't usually cause any serious problems, just noise and litter. Generally, if you're closer to North or if you're east of Downer, you see less of that due to there being more people around your age, quieter/older students, families and professionals.
I would also recommend Shorewood. It has a lot in common with the east side, but it's a little safer. It has some good quality shops, grocery stores and restaurants along Oakland.
Riverwest is nice, but I wouldn't recommend it for you based on your criteria.
Don't know if OP is still looking or commuting but I just saw this and thought I would comment. I am a recent transplant from Chicago, although the city itself, not the suburbs (which suburb are you in?). I actually commute two days a week to Chicago as I have a well established law practice there, my husband has been freelancing but just accepted an offer from a company in Kenosha for in house.
We moved to Milwaukee to have an urban environment that is less stressful and easier than Chicago. We still own our condo in the Andersonville neighborhood and intend to keep it. When we moved here we intended to move to Bayview for a number reasons, location (I want to be on the south side but near the lake for my commute- better drive and closer to Amtrak), I prefer the more blue collar vibe, Bayview reminds me more of "Wisconsin" culture, etc......we ended up in the upper east side, we are on Summit a few houses down from Newberry. It's lovely, really and truly, but for me, so, so boring. Understand, I'm used to a very vibrant area, if I didn't have kids I would probably choose to live in the Third Ward, but that's not really conducive to children. I do like that this neighborhood is generally walkable, everything I need is on Downer or North Ave, which is good since we only have one car (I'm determined to keep it that way), I love the proximity to the lake and Lake Park is great. The people are very friendly for the most part, although it has been disappointing to my daughter that there aren't more children, and some of the children here are Hasidic so not all parents are open to the idea of my daughter as a play mate. I can honestly say I've seen and experienced no crime, but on the other hand, as a member of the Riverwest facebook page, they seem to have a crime over there every hour of the day. We have some students living across the street from us and they have been relatively quiet, no issues there either.
I can say I like the east side, I intend to move, but I like it. For me I could have gotten this type of experience if I had moved to Winnetka, that's what it feels like to me, very north shore. I feel like there may be more going on in the close suburbs, including Shorewood.
Don't know if OP is still looking or commuting but I just saw this and thought I would comment. I am a recent transplant from Chicago, although the city itself, not the suburbs (which suburb are you in?). I actually commute two days a week to Chicago as I have a well established law practice there, my husband has been freelancing but just accepted an offer from a company in Kenosha for in house.
We moved to Milwaukee to have an urban environment that is less stressful and easier than Chicago. We still own our condo in the Andersonville neighborhood and intend to keep it. When we moved here we intended to move to Bayview for a number reasons, location (I want to be on the south side but near the lake for my commute- better drive and closer to Amtrak), I prefer the more blue collar vibe, Bayview reminds me more of "Wisconsin" culture, etc......we ended up in the upper east side, we are on Summit a few houses down from Newberry. It's lovely, really and truly, but for me, so, so boring. Understand, I'm used to a very vibrant area, if I didn't have kids I would probably choose to live in the Third Ward, but that's not really conducive to children. I do like that this neighborhood is generally walkable, everything I need is on Downer or North Ave, which is good since we only have one car (I'm determined to keep it that way), I love the proximity to the lake and Lake Park is great. The people are very friendly for the most part, although it has been disappointing to my daughter that there aren't more children, and some of the children here are Hasidic so not all parents are open to the idea of my daughter as a play mate. I can honestly say I've seen and experienced no crime, but on the other hand, as a member of the Riverwest facebook page, they seem to have a crime over there every hour of the day. We have some students living across the street from us and they have been relatively quiet, no issues there either.
I can say I like the east side, I intend to move, but I like it. For me I could have gotten this type of experience if I had moved to Winnetka, that's what it feels like to me, very north shore. I feel like there may be more going on in the close suburbs, including Shorewood.
I don't know how you feel there would be more going on in the suburbs. You'd be even more bored than you are now.
Don't know if OP is still looking or commuting but I just saw this and thought I would comment. I am a recent transplant from Chicago, although the city itself, not the suburbs (which suburb are you in?). I actually commute two days a week to Chicago as I have a well established law practice there, my husband has been freelancing but just accepted an offer from a company in Kenosha for in house.
We moved to Milwaukee to have an urban environment that is less stressful and easier than Chicago. We still own our condo in the Andersonville neighborhood and intend to keep it. When we moved here we intended to move to Bayview for a number reasons, location (I want to be on the south side but near the lake for my commute- better drive and closer to Amtrak), I prefer the more blue collar vibe, Bayview reminds me more of "Wisconsin" culture, etc......we ended up in the upper east side, we are on Summit a few houses down from Newberry. It's lovely, really and truly, but for me, so, so boring. Understand, I'm used to a very vibrant area, if I didn't have kids I would probably choose to live in the Third Ward, but that's not really conducive to children. I do like that this neighborhood is generally walkable, everything I need is on Downer or North Ave, which is good since we only have one car (I'm determined to keep it that way), I love the proximity to the lake and Lake Park is great. The people are very friendly for the most part, although it has been disappointing to my daughter that there aren't more children, and some of the children here are Hasidic so not all parents are open to the idea of my daughter as a play mate. I can honestly say I've seen and experienced no crime, but on the other hand, as a member of the Riverwest facebook page, they seem to have a crime over there every hour of the day. We have some students living across the street from us and they have been relatively quiet, no issues there either.
I can say I like the east side, I intend to move, but I like it. For me I could have gotten this type of experience if I had moved to Winnetka, that's what it feels like to me, very north shore. I feel like there may be more going on in the close suburbs, including Shorewood.
What kind of vibrancy are you looking for? More pedestrian traffic around the neighborhood? Or more students and mixed demographics?
Compared to the Downer Ave. area, Shorewood does have a bit more of a busy vibe along certain parts of Oakland Avenue, especially north of Capitol. Only a couple other suburbs, like the heart of the village of Wauwatosa and the Silver Spring area of Whitefish Bay, have that kind of vibe going on. But these places also have a Winnetka feel to them. Perhaps you really seek more of an urban location? Perhaps a house or townhouse closer to Brady St., or maybe a place in Bay View near KK and Russell?
Don't know if OP is still looking or commuting but I just saw this and thought I would comment. I am a recent transplant from Chicago, although the city itself, not the suburbs (which suburb are you in?). I actually commute two days a week to Chicago as I have a well established law practice there, my husband has been freelancing but just accepted an offer from a company in Kenosha for in house.
We moved to Milwaukee to have an urban environment that is less stressful and easier than Chicago. We still own our condo in the Andersonville neighborhood and intend to keep it. When we moved here we intended to move to Bayview for a number reasons, location (I want to be on the south side but near the lake for my commute- better drive and closer to Amtrak), I prefer the more blue collar vibe, Bayview reminds me more of "Wisconsin" culture, etc......we ended up in the upper east side, we are on Summit a few houses down from Newberry. It's lovely, really and truly, but for me, so, so boring. Understand, I'm used to a very vibrant area, if I didn't have kids I would probably choose to live in the Third Ward, but that's not really conducive to children. I do like that this neighborhood is generally walkable, everything I need is on Downer or North Ave, which is good since we only have one car (I'm determined to keep it that way), I love the proximity to the lake and Lake Park is great. The people are very friendly for the most part, although it has been disappointing to my daughter that there aren't more children, and some of the children here are Hasidic so not all parents are open to the idea of my daughter as a play mate. I can honestly say I've seen and experienced no crime, but on the other hand, as a member of the Riverwest facebook page, they seem to have a crime over there every hour of the day. We have some students living across the street from us and they have been relatively quiet, no issues there either.
I can say I like the east side, I intend to move, but I like it. For me I could have gotten this type of experience if I had moved to Winnetka, that's what it feels like to me, very north shore. I feel like there may be more going on in the close suburbs, including Shorewood.
Shorewood is not going to fix it. The neighborhood isn't the problem; your perspective is. Your neighborhood is already vibrant, not to mention a safe, beautiful, exclusive, desirable, well kept city neighborhood, and probably the best intersection between safety, recreation, amenities, architecture, lifestyle, exclusivity, and location in the entire state of Wisconsin (possibly more).
You live within walking distance of multiple parks, a beautiful beach, hiking/walking/running/mountain biking trails, bars, restaurants, grocery and convenience stores, outdoor concerts, farmers markets, a major hospital, a major university, a marina, kayaking, canoeing, a golf course, lawn bowling, playgrounds, multiple coffee places, multiple movie theaters, a summer full of lakefront festivals and other activities, and I'm probably missing 1000 other little things available within a mile or two.
Notwithstanding all of these things, you claim that it's not vibrant. So what exactly is so much more vibrant about Bay View? What is so much more vibrant about Riverwest? What exactly makes Andersonville so much more vibrant than your current location?
I somehow remember your debut question on this site, and I recall suggesting that you remain in Chicago. There was something about the tone of your initial questions that suggested maybe you weren't really on board with the move, kind of like saying you are from Andersonville, then including the irrelevant information about owning a condo there and having no intention about parting with it. What value does that give the OP, other than perhaps implying that you are just testing the water here as opposed to making a commitment?
What exactly makes Andersonville so much more vibrant than your current location?
Agree with 43north87west. Vibrancy is a very subjective term and in this case it's only use is to make a dig at the East Side...for reasons not yet clear.
Consider my biased perspective of Andersonville. To me it's congestion of single-level storefronts and multi-family dwellings with a little boutiquey-ness sprinkled here and there, but nothing outstanding. The building color swatch varies from light brown to brown, making the environment monotonous and thus difficult to distinguish from the rest of the north side of Chicago. Maybe it would be different if I had more friends and family within the boundaries..but for above reasons Andersonville is not vibrant to me.
Milwaukee's East Side is filled with large single family homes with larger parcels, hence less congestion, less shops to support that congestion, and more green space and room for activities. Maybe that's what the OP considers dull?
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