Commuting from Beloit - Nice areas to live? (Madison, Janesville: real estate, house)

[moving616]

First, we love this site. We've been looking at moving for a few months and have found most people's insights to be very helpful! Thank you.

We're looking at accepting a position in Beloit, WI. We know we don't want to live there, however, we'd love to get some input on commutable neighborhoods (as in 45 minutes max). We already visited the area and were fairly impressed with the Roscoe area but the real estate prices seemed quite high. We're open to both Illinois and WI. Any suggestions or input would be great!

What's important to us?

1) Quality of schools (kids ages 6, 8, 12)
2) More suburban than rural housing options (kids to be near other kids)
3) Community sports / activities for kids
4) Preferably a more liberal type of community than a stuffy conservative environment
5) Close to the staple amenities (walmart, malls, home depot type places) (but not TOO close)
6) Trees - I know that sounds crazy but we don't want to buy a cookie cutter house in a cornfield
7) Housing options for 300k or less

[Chelito23]

Janesville sounds like it has all of the qualities you are looking for. It has it's own shopping mecca for the county with every box store you could imagine....and the housing runs the gamit from new, treeless subdivisions to more established residential areas. I think it would be hard to find housed over 300K in Janesville! It is a safe, small city, with good access to other cities...and good schools. The only negative is the high taxes, but you do get what you pay for.

[moving616]

Anyone else out there have thoughts on this? Are the southern suburbs of Madison too far of a drive from Beloit? Any immediate advantage between living in Illinois and Wisconsin?

[LML]

Evansville is a 1/2 hour drive from Beloit and is a very nice smaller community. Also Milton and Clinton are nice smaller communities within a 1/2 hour drive. Personally, I like all of them more than I like Janesville but that is more than likely because I grew up in Beloit and the rivalry between Beloit and Janesville is too deeply ingrained at this point.

[luebda92]

Beloit has some real quality neighborhoods you might like to consider. East Ridge is the most prized possesion of southern Wisconsin, with oak trees dating hundreds of years old and moderate home prices and a great neighborhood elementary school. These homes have huge lots and are located on Beautiful Turtle Creek. Easy access to I-90 and all the shopping you could ever want. (10 minutes to Janesville (north), (20 to Rockford ( south). You will not find a better location then Beloit.

[luebda92]

Originally Posted by LML

Evansville is a 1/2 hour drive from Beloit and is a very nice smaller community. Also Milton and Clinton are nice smaller communities within a 1/2 hour drive. Personally, I like all of them more than I like Janesville but that is more than likely because I grew up in Beloit and the rivalry between Beloit and Janesville is too deeply ingrained at this point.

Janesville has OK shopping, but its a crapshoot.

[luebda92]

Originally Posted by Chelito23

Janesville sounds like it has all of the qualities you are looking for. It has it's own shopping mecca for the county with every box store you could imagine....and the housing runs the gamit from new, treeless subdivisions to more established residential areas. I think it would be hard to find housed over 300K in Janesville! It is a safe, small city, with good access to other cities...and good schools. The only negative is the high taxes, but you do get what you pay for.

Janesville would be a bad choice, "the city of spread out". Taxes are high, but you are not getting anything more. The homes are cookie cutter and the environment is conservative and closed minded. BAD CHOICE.