What do you like best about living in WI (rural)? (Milwaukee: house, transfer) - Wisconsin - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

Owensmomma · 04-06-2010, 05:20 PM

Vintage_girl, we moved to WI in 2007 after spending almost our entire lives in the Chicago area. I desperately wanted to get out, but didn't manage it until I was almost 50. Let me tell you, it was worth the wait! We spent the first two years in Door County, which was nice, but we didn't see much future there for our younger kids, who are teens and still live with us. Now we're in Rock County and we're really enjoying it. The people here are very friendly, it's not crowded, and we can go places at any time of day without getting into long lines of traffic. When we drive through Chicago en route to or from visiting family in IL or IN, we always ask each other, "How did we survive this congestion for so long?"

When we finally cross the "cheddar curtain" back into WI, I breathe a big sigh of relief! I think you will love it here. As for "hicks," if you mean small-minded people, they can be found anywhere, city or country, so you just have to ignore them and save your friendship for people who have big hearts and are colorblind. Good luck to you on your move!

cassnate6259 · 04-07-2010, 11:48 AM

I am cheating a bit since I grew up in Wisconsin, but I absoutely love the state. When I was growing up, I always thought there were so many places that were so much better and nicer... but now I have grown some perspective and have learned how great of a place Wisconsin is to live, ESPECIALLY southwest Wisconsin.

If you haven't had the chance, be sure to check out the Spring Green area and maybe Governor Dodge state park. You will be totally blown away by how beautiful it is there in the driftless area. There's a lot of beauty, history, and yes, even culture there. I am currently living near Chicago and very much want to go back to that lifestyle. Hopefully it will all work out when I have a family someday.

As a side note... I think it is funny that city people see people from central-northern states as "Hicks". There's so much I could say about suburban Chicago people who don't even have the chance to see the kind of beauty they're missing out on but... ah... I will bite my tongue. ;-)

ImaloneJill · 04-10-2010, 07:52 AM

I just spent the week near our property in Rusk County. That is a remote place. The largest town in Rusk is Ladysmith which is less than 5000 pop. Bruce has less than 800 people. We took our 16 year old son up there for the first time since we bought the land in September. He is thrilled that there are so many ATV roads there. He also said it was a strange mixture between farms and woods. What we love about it IS the remoteness, that there are no vacation hot spots in or around it. The Blue Hills are lovely. It is a 40 minute ride to Hayward or Rice Lake, if we feel the need for touristy stuff. There are lakes and rivers everywhere. Woodpeckers and eagles out your front door. As far as the people, I think they don't really want things to change and I can't blame them. What they have is a way of life worth protecting. The only thing I would want to change would be the junk piles visible on their properties, a custom I will not follow.
I want to move to Wisconsin and away from this mess forever, but won't be able to do it for a while due to husband's job. All I can say is that I feel the stress melt away as soon as I am across the state line.

glambertlove · 04-10-2010, 09:22 AM

I just moved to WI from Knoxville, TN a few months ago. I live 10 miles north of Manitowoc. My husband and I are both in our early twenties, so I wouldn't say it's a place to launch a career. Where we live is right off the interstate, so easy access to Green Bay and Appleton areas. I do think the rural areas are safe, quiet, and a great place to raise children. If you like small town life, it's actually enjoyable.

MSPLove · 04-11-2010, 02:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImaloneJill

I just spent the week near our property in Rusk County. That is a remote place. The largest town in Rusk is Ladysmith which is less than 5000 pop. Bruce has less than 800 people. We took our 16 year old son up there for the first time since we bought the land in September. He is thrilled that there are so many ATV roads there. He also said it was a strange mixture between farms and woods. What we love about it IS the remoteness, that there are no vacation hot spots in or around it. The Blue Hills are lovely. It is a 40 minute ride to Hayward or Rice Lake, if we feel the need for touristy stuff. There are lakes and rivers everywhere. Woodpeckers and eagles out your front door. As far as the people, I think they don't really want things to change and I can't blame them. What they have is a way of life worth protecting. The only thing I would want to change would be the junk piles visible on their properties, a custom I will not follow.
I want to move to Wisconsin and away from this mess forever, but won't be able to do it for a while due to husband's job. All I can say is that I feel the stress melt away as soon as I am across the state line.

I didn't know the property you owned was in Rusk County. I have a cousin who lives right there in Bruce with her family. After years as a navy wife she's happy to be back home in Wisconsin "for good" she says. Interesting what you said about protecting their way of life. I've been Facebooking with relatives, conversing with some of them for the first time as an adult since I've not lived in Wisconsin for years... I'm slowly but surely beginning to see how conservative some of them are, just based on some of their passing comments on Facebook.

My Navy cousin isn't that way out of ignorance. She's obviously seen her share of the country and has been abroad too. She's just a small-town WI girl at heart. I think I'll have to keep some of my views to myself when I move back there. hehe

Love your description of the outdoors too. I took it for granted when I lived there. I wish I would've been more outdoorsy growing up, but the northern Wisconsin beauty is something I'll definitely be taking advantage of when I move back.

Vintage_girl · 04-13-2010, 12:34 AM

Minnesconsinite that's funny you say about keeping your views to yourself when it comes to how conservative your WI relatives are :P That's something I'll have to learn too!

Are some parts of WI better for jobs than others? Where my husband and I are looking at is a growing city, but still rural enough.

Vintage_girl · 04-28-2010, 09:01 PM

I've got an additional question-- for those of you who moved away from a larger city to WI, what were the benefits to you? Did the benefits outweigh the costs? Are there some things you'd like more of as far as convenience, or are you able to make do?

crazyme4878 · 04-29-2010, 07:38 PM

What city are you looking at, anyway? Every part of the state is slightly different. I think most people, although not neccessarily racially sensitive, aren't racsist either. That said, I would think twice about the Medford area. Not sure if what I heard is just rumor or true.

My family is from the Blue Hills and I was just in the area last week. I miss it. The family farm (130+ years) is up for sale. I wish I could just buy it and move back. I've been daydreaming all week how I would remodel my grandmother's house.

Rural MN and rural WI are not that much difference, in my humble opinion. (I have lived in both.) Like most rural areas, they don't want people coming in and telling them they are doing it all wrong, or constant whiners on how town doesn't have this or that. People are sometimes slow to make friends, but sometimes not. You will hear people fearmongering about how much the teenagers drink or how one school or another has a lot of drugs. My thought? You will find that everywhere--big city and rural township. It is how you raise your kids that will help prevent it. And in a smaller town, you are more likely to know all your childrens' classmates.

My parents still live in western Wisconsin and they are constantly busy with either house and yard work, hunting, clubs/teams, going to concerts or plays (yes, small ones, but still a concert or play), fundraisers, etc.

Vintage_girl · 04-29-2010, 10:55 PM

Hmm my husband would argue the point that rural MN and rural WI are the same

He's quite protective over WI, and ever since he moved here he's insisted that there are huge differences between the two states, but that could be from his own experience.

I'm looking at central WI-- where it's growing and isn't as rural. I mean over there it's plenty of farmland and woods, but I would say that Wausau is comparable to a suburb here in MN. My husband's also said that the city has more now than it did back when he lived by there permanently.

notmuch69 · 04-30-2010, 01:38 PM

Quote:

My family is from the Blue Hills and I was just in the area last week. I miss it. The family farm (130+ years) is up for sale. I wish I could just buy it and move back. I've been daydreaming all week how I would remodel my grandmother's house.

That's to bad. I'm trying to keep our family farm in the family as long as I can. Can't wait to move back soon and live there until I die. There are so many things to do right at home every day when you have land in the country.