Milwaukee is not a suburb of Chicago (Kenosha, Racine: schools, taxes)

[coreymcgovern12]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

I don't know about you but Kenosha county is basically all filled up along the freeway and Racine county has a lot of new development from Caledonia down to Kenosha county line. If you notice developers have been buying up properties and marketing them for sale all along the corridor. It's not the I95 corridor but it's not I94 to madison either it is developing fast.

I drive that stretch every morning from Pleasant Prairie to Rawson Ave. I see them adding the lanes. Some say that tolls are coming to Wisconsin, did you know that? Gov. Doyle wants them before he bails out. Kenosha County is nowhere NEAR filled up along the freeway, soon to be a tollway. At the exits there are assortments of dying hotels, half empty restaurants, a porn shop, a cheese store and a few gas stations. The prime outlet mall has been there for years. Hwy 50 is the biggest development there with a fairly busy Woodmans and some chain restaurants. The dog track off of 158 there is in big trouble financially. 99% of Racine county along I94 is rolling farmland with a few small businesses speckled here and there. I don't see very much of this land marked for development. I've also heard they are moving some of the current businesses to new locations due to the freeway expansion. What makes you think this equates to Milwaukee becoming a suburb? Is that some dream of yours? Let me clue you in on something as our family originated in Milwaukee County. Chicago could, in your dream world, purchase the city of Milwaukee outright----- and Milwaukee would still be Milwaukee. It is in a different state. That means when people move to Milwaukee/Racine/Kenosha, they are now Wisconsinites. Whether they or you like it or not. It's a deeply rooted culture. Maybe you don't get it as much lving in Walker's Point. Transplants will always have their own roots, follow their same sports teams, and even work in Illinois. But they will not have their home anymore. They will have a new home in a very stand alone city, in a very stand alone culture.

[thePR]

Originally Posted by chicagojoe23

Hello cheeseheads. I recently saw a post by somebody on your forum who claimed that Milwaukee is considered a part of the Chicago MSA. The Office of Management and Budget does not list Milwaukee or even Racine, but does list Kenosha WI.

This makes more sense, since when I drive up to Milwaukee there is like 50 or more miles of cow pasture separating Illinois and Milwaukee, with the occasional gas station, cheese shop, and fireworks stand.

I don't see Milwaukee as ever becoming part of Chicago anymore than I see Philly as part of New York City. Both sets of cities are about same milage apart with metros that do not quite touch. Also, just different cultures and different identities. I don't think most people here in Chicago even realize that Milwaukee exists. I guess what I'm saying is don't hold your breath.

The metros will be combined by the 2010 census and just because the metros are connected doesn't mean that Milwaukee is Chicago's suburb.

[urbancharlotte]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

Well I wouldn't say never! it's obviously growing towards each other.

Milwaukee is not a suburb and it's not Milwaukee people trying to say it as a thing of pride or trying
to be a part of something they are not. The origin of the comment actually comes from people from
Chicago as a way of ripping on Milwaukee. Obviously people in Milwaukee don't want to be considered
a part of Chicago, they want to be a stand alone city. I listen to a lot of Chicago radio and TV and I have also heard my Chicago friends all say "Milwaukee isn't just Chicago's most northern suburb?" or "Milwaukee, it's just a suburb of Chicago".

It's actually the other way around, you never hear people in Milwaukee trying to be a suburb of Chicago. It's a way for Chicago people to minimize Milwaukee.

I'd KILL to live in Chicago's largest suburb!!! Doesn't the Metra serve Milwaukee now? How convenient!!!

[Milwaukee City]

I never said Milwaukee was a suburb of Chicago nor do I want it to be. I also think they are two very different cultures and Kenosha is more culturally a part of IL than Racine County.

Maybe you don't get it as much living in Walker's Point.

What does that mean? I have said many times before I am in Chicago nearly every other week and a lot of times on the weekends for I have a nice obsession with Horse Racing so I used to go to Dairyland a lot but now I just drive right down to the OTB. So I have spent my fair share of time in Chicago and it's suburbs, I also have a ton of Chicago friends.

I see them as two metros right next to each other that share some similarities but overall is part of a big metro area. As for the counties not growing well Kenosha is the 5th fastest growing county and Racine last year had 6% growth and the year before that it was 8%.

[chicagojoe23]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

I see them as two metros right next to each other that share some similarities but overall is part of a big metro area. As for the counties not growing well Kenosha is the 5th fastest growing county and Racine last year had 6% growth and the year before that it was 8%.

Milwaukee City, I think that person was referring to business growth along I-94, not those counties' population, since it looks like that is what you said was "filled in" in a previous post. I probably drive up your way about 3 times a week average, and I see alot of Illinois plates, but they look to be commuting or heading to school, or maybe off to fish. There are also many transplants there in WI from Illinois (I may be one soon if northern Illinois keeps growing too fast) and I would agree with you 100% that they are two separate metro areas. Do they overlap? Sure. There are many big cities that overlap in America. Nobody else that I know of calls Philly a suburb of New York, or San Diego a suburb of LA.

[chicagojoe23]

Originally Posted by coreymcgovern12

I drive that stretch every morning from Pleasant Prairie to Rawson Ave. I see them adding the lanes. Some say that tolls are coming to Wisconsin, did you know that? Gov. Doyle wants them before he bails out. Kenosha County is nowhere NEAR filled up along the freeway, soon to be a tollway. At the exits there are assortments of dying hotels, half empty restaurants, a porn shop, a cheese store and a few gas stations. The prime outlet mall has been there for years. Hwy 50 is the biggest development there with a fairly busy Woodmans and some chain restaurants. The dog track off of 158 there is in big trouble financially. 99% of Racine county along I94 is rolling farmland with a few small businesses speckled here and there. I don't see very much of this land marked for development. I've also heard they are moving some of the current businesses to new locations due to the freeway expansion. What makes you think this equates to Milwaukee becoming a suburb? Is that some dream of yours? Let me clue you in on something as our family originated in Milwaukee County. Chicago could, in your dream world, purchase the city of Milwaukee outright----- and Milwaukee would still be Milwaukee. It is in a different state. That means when people move to Milwaukee/Racine/Kenosha, they are now Wisconsinites.

I didn't know the greyhound track was hurting. Yeah there isn't much new along the freeway there besides the new Best Buy and Woodman's, which has been there a while.
Not to mention most of the "developement" is strip malls and chains. That can only hurt the downtowns of cities like Racine and Kenosa because those kinds of businesses tend to draw customers away from the mom and pop places by undercutting. Look what happened to Kenosa's downtown once the interstate built up. Ghost town. Racine finally got theirs going, but they have much fewer options to the west than Kenoshans. Does that stretch really need to be developed in the way they are going with it? Why not more corporate parks and jobs instead of strip malls, fast food, and hotels?
The part I agree with you the most about your post is that part about Wisconsinites. I think if someone makes the big move up to Wisconsin, they do not get to claim it as a "suburb" That's just rude and again, hurts the image of Chicagoans and Illinoisans and makes it harder for guys like me to do business. Seriously.

[chicagojoe23]

Originally Posted by urbancharlotte

I'd KILL to live in Chicago's largest suburb!!!

You'd KILL to live in Naperville? It's nice but come on. No, there is no Metra train connecting Milwaukee and Chicago.

[frankenberry]

Originally Posted by chicagojoe23

I didn't know the greyhound track was hurting. Yeah there isn't much new along the freeway there besides the new Best Buy and Woodman's, which has been there a while.
Not to mention most of the "developement" is strip malls and chains. That can only hurt the downtowns of cities like Racine and Kenosa because those kinds of businesses tend to draw customers away from the mom and pop places by undercutting. Look what happened to Kenosa's downtown once the interstate built up. Ghost town. Racine finally got theirs going, but they have much fewer options to the west than Kenoshans. Does that stretch really need to be developed in the way they are going with it? Why not more corporate parks and jobs instead of strip malls, fast food, and hotels?
The part I agree with you the most about your post is that part about Wisconsinites. I think if someone makes the big move up to Wisconsin, they do not get to claim it as a "suburb" That's just rude and again, hurts the image of Chicagoans and Illinoisans and makes it harder for guys like me to do business. Seriously.

Yes! That kind of development is what is bringing Lake County down too. It's pretty common for people from Lake County to move to Wisconsin where life is not all that different but costs less. I think we get a good perspective of both Chicago and SE Wisconsin areas. Wisonsin taxes are out of sight, but many people don't care because Wisconsin offers better schools and less congestion. I would not move there because my family is all in McHenry.

[frankenberry]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

I'm sure you have seen the expansion of I94 from the Mitchell Interchange all the way down to the state line which is also a joint venture with the state of IL. As they expanded their freeways to 4 lanes each way so have we. Point being they wouldn't be doing this if there was no development between the state line and Milwaukee. I don't know about you but Kenosha county is basically all filled up along the freeway and Racine county has a lot of new development from Caledonia down to Kenosha county line. If you notice developers have been buying up properties and marketing them for sale all along the corridor. It's not the I95 corridor but it's not I94 to madison either it is developing fast.

What is your definition of fast? 50-75 years? Kenosha WI isn't even truly part of Illinois I don't think. Kenosha is not as in tune with Illinois as people make it to be. I have plenty of coworkers who live there and are more in touch with Wisconsin culture. I don't forsee some master plan to make Milwaukee a suburb of Chicago by widening a road.

[Milwaukee City]

Originally Posted by chicagojoe23

You'd KILL to live in Naperville? It's nice but come on. No, there is no Metra train connecting Milwaukee and Chicago.

I think he is referring to the Amtrak train from downtown Chicago to Milwaukee.