Reviews & Comments
Milwaukee, WI
I love Milwaukee, and you might too -
6/7/2023I have lived in Milwaukee for about 5 years. I really like the area, but I also plan on moving away soon. It is a unique city that has its charm though. Here is my personal list of pros and cons I have about it.
--Pros--
-Generally a very affordable place to live: Living in Milwaukee has been really nice on my wallet. I never really feel like I'm gonna be destitute at the end of the month, even if I decide to splurge on extra things during the month.
-Laid back: So this may be a con for someone looking for a big, bustling city, but for me, it feels like Milwaukee has the amenities of a huge city but at the pace of a smaller town. Sure, there are plenty of areas in the city that are still surrounded by a lot of loud noise, but I never really had any issues finding a quieter part of town to live.
-Food and drink: If you like beer and cheese, Milwaukee is the place to be. Some of my favorite beers have been from local breweries. Plus, Wisconsin cheese is some of the best cheese in the country. It's never a problem to find a place with both beer and curds if you're into that. Aside from those, Milwaukee also has a really diverse food scene. Plenty of global cuisine can be found in Milwaukee, and it's usually very good. Maybe not the easiest on the wallet, but still a nice treat.
-Friendly people: Growing up in California, I definitely was not used to strangers on the street being nice. Living in Milwaukee, even though I tend to keep to myself most of the time, when I go out, I find that the local people are very friendly. I've had really pleasant chats with a random stranger a number of times, which is refreshing.
-Interesting and various local events: It seems like there is always something happening in the city, whether that be a festival of some sort, a concert, or a live show. Milwaukee has a ton of annual events, and they're all pretty interesting.
-The airport: The Milwaukee airport is great! It's not confusing to navigate, and I haven't had issues with getting where I need to go. It may just be my experience, but I really enjoy the airport out here.
-Neighborhoods are charming: The different neighborhoods in the city are charming. Personally, I am a fan of Riverwest. It's a cute neighborhood, and has plenty of nice little bars and cafes. Downtown tends to be clean and bustling. The Historic Third Ward is also a beautiful part of town.
-4 Seasons: If you like seeing the seasons change, you'll definitely be able to see it in Milwaukee. It's got 4 distinct seasons.
--Cons--
-Segregation: So, the city is badly segregated and hasn't changed. A lot of the areas that were redlined are not well maintained and seem to still be ignored by a lot of city projects and road work.
-Crime: Crime can get pretty bad here, but it seems to be mainly contained to the segregated, lower-income areas. Honestly, though, outside of those areas, I feel safe to walk around during the day alone, and at night with a couple friends. Just be aware of your surroundings and use your street smarts and you'll be fine.
-Mediocre public transit: There are buses around the city, and a tram that can take you to the casino from the train station. You will definitely need a car to get around the city unless you plan on only going to a few specific areas.
-The weather: So, while you may see 4 distinct seasons, each season doesn't get the same amount of time. Winters are definitely cold and snowy, and can last from early October until mid April. Summers are hot and humid, which can feel pretty smothering and unpleasant. Usually the summer weather lasts from mid June until the end of September. But the 5-ish weeks of spring and 6-ish weeks of fall are great!
-Poor job market: Milwaukee's job market may be trending upwards, but it feels like it's just a sort of stagnant mess. I hope this upward trend continues and more job opportunities become available, but at least in my experience, it's a difficult market to get into.
-Air quality: The city's air quality is definitely not great. Luckily, I don't have too many allergies, so I'm not constantly feeling crappy, but a few of my friends have bad allergies and the air quality is brutal for them.
--Middle Ground--
-It takes 20 minutes to get anywhere: I don't know how this works, but it just seems to work that way. It seems like no matter where you want to go in the city, it takes 20 minutes to get there. Well, of course not in deep traffic, but in regular traffic, you can expect your travel time to be about 20 minutes.
-The lake: The lake is gorgeous and the beaches are lovely. The biggest issue I have with the lake is the lake effect in winter. It makes it feel so much colder in winter. The wind bites hard, and it's awful to be outside for more than a minute or two. However, in summer, being by the lake is great because the winds coming off of it are cooler, so you get a nice breeze.
Overall, I really love the city and what it has to offer. It could really be a great place for a lot of people, but it's definitely not for everyone. But I hope that my personal list of pros and cons can help you out if you want to move here. Even though I'm moving away, I do plan on coming back to the city to visit often.