Green Bay is a mostly quiet paper, manufacturing, agriculture, and dairy town with a good labor force and a hardworking character. It’s quiet- except during the fall when the legendary NFL Green Bay Packers become a local obsession. The continued success of the Packers in such a small, out-of-the-way market is unequaled in all professional sports.
The downtown area is clean and anchored by new convention facilities along the waterfront, spreading south and west with nice city neighborhoods close in and prosperous suburbs especially northwest. There are some grittier areas east of town, and a new casino has arrived on the scene adjacent to the airport. The Packers add to an already-strong community spirit; residents are proud to be from Green Bay and don’t bristle at the term “cheesehead” one bit.
Aside from football, Green Bay residents enjoy a traditional small-town way of life with ample nearby recreation, including the offerings of Door Peninsula (the “thumb” of Wisconsin), a New England–like area of farms, small towns, and islands. There are considerable recreational areas to the north and west. The area has a complement of local museums and a few performing arts activities. Cost of living is moderate. Access to other amenities and services means a long trek to Milwaukee or Chicago.
The city is in the Fox River Valley, where the river empties into the bay, surrounded by slightly higher ground and mostly wooded terrain. The Fox River is one of the largest northward flowing rivers in the United States. The climate is continental, modified by surrounding topography (the bay, nearby Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, and hills).
Skies are frequently cloudy, causing further temperature moderation. Most precipitation normally falls from May through September as thunderstorms. Winter snowfall is less than in nearby communities where the ground is slightly higher. Bitter cold periods occur, but they are shorter than those of other inland areas.