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I’ve lived in Milwaukee for 10 years, but grew up in Chicago. I love it here! It’s very affordable and has a lot of charm. Tons of restaurants, big arts culture and people are really friendly. There are lots of resources for parents too I’ve found.

North Shore (Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, Fox Point??): very walkable to restaurants, grocery, boutiques etc. More of a “city feel.” Smaller/older houses with expensive taxes. Great schools. More liberal, I’d say. I would put Wauwatosa in this category too.

West Suburbs (Waukesha County) Brookfield, New Berlin, Elm Grove, Sussex: larger/newer homes, more yard space, lower taxes. Great Schools. Not as walkable, more chain -type stores (Target, BedBath&Beyond, etc.), more conservative, I’d say.

Those would be my suggestions. The two areas have very different feels, but all nice depending on what sort of neighborhood feel you like.

PM me!! I love to brag about Milwaukee

I. LOVE. MILWAUKEE! DH and I used to live there up till a few years ago when we moved out of state.

I have to give a shout out to Wauwatosa where we used to live. It's close to Milwaukee but its own city. It's a very family friendly but still cool little town. Very walk and bike friendly. Kids walk to school, which is super cute.

West of Milwaukee, Brookfield, Elm Grove, New Berlin, and Waukesha are nice. I have the most experience with Brookfield, which has a more suburban feel.

I agree with PP about Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, etc. as nice cities. I just don't have as much experience with them.

The city of Milwaukee has its nice alcoves too, but you have to do a little more research to figure out if it is or not. I think the school districts for the surrounding cities that I mentioned above are nicer though.

Feel free to PM if you have more questions!

@annem1990 hits the nail on the head! I was born and raised in Milwaukee (and still live there).

Depending on your husband's exact work location, Washington County (Germantown, Richfield, Slinger) is sometimes doable depending on your commute preference (I live in Milwaukee proper and used to work in Richfield...about a 35-40 min drive...I like driving, though). I love love love New Berlin and Brookfield. If I could choose anywhere in the greater metro area to live, these would be my 2 picks. Easy access to downtown, larger lots, lower taxes.

As far as restaurants, I'd suggest Harbor House if you're into seafood/fine dining. Great views of the lake, too! One of my personal favorites for casual is Oscar's Pub & Grill. Best burgers!

ETA - Oak Creek, Franklin, and Greenfield are nice IMO, too, but just relatively higher property taxes compared to other counties.

I grew up in New Berlin and live in Waukesha now. I think most places in Waukesha County are great. Brookfield and New Berlin have awesome schools, but you'll pay extra for that in home prices. Muskego, Menomonee Falls, Pewaukee, and certain parts of Waukesha will also be places to keep in mind.

One of the things I love most about the area is that I live in a completely suburban setting, but I can be downtown in 20 minutes. Downtown has a ton of things to do. Bars, Restaurants, Museums, Theaters and there's always events going on at the lakefront. We lived in the Houston area for several years, and I hated how long it took to get into the city.

The suburban areas are also very active. In the summer months there are always multiple festivals happening every weekend. There are several nice farmer's markets in the area. "Downtown" Waukesha is also a nice area for restaurants and city events (concerts, races, festivals).

@bloved: I agree with PP about the Lakefront Brewery tour. I would highly recommend reserving your spaces ahead of time. They sell out on the weekends, and the full tours are very entertaining! They also have a separate Friday fish fry, which is tasty and fun too.

If you are arriving from the airport late and a beer geek, I recommend going to Stubby's Gastropub. It's not too far from downtown (near Lakefront Brewery actually), and the beer selection is phenomenal according to DH. Food's good too.

@bloved: Mequon is nice but I think property is more expensive, good schools though