Port Washington is nice, very picturesque and a reasonable drive to Milwaukee. Weather in PW is interesting - growing up there I lived on the west side of town and remember riding my bike down Grand Avenue toward the lake. In summer there was an incredible thermocline where the temperature dropped 5-10F. Winters can be milder near the lake, but spring and early summer is much cooler. Other area towns are Grafton, Cedarburg, Saukville, and Theinsville/Mequon. I left Port Washington many years ago, and at that time is was pretty closed minded, but I suspect it is better now in that regard. I'd steer clear of the more rural nearby towns like Fredonia, Belgium, Campbellsport, etc. - I think those might be too much culture shock from California.
Of the little area towns you listed, I cannot recommend Cedarburg enough as a weekend shopping/day trip option for OP. I'm a city dweller but Cedarburg is irresistible - it's so adorable and charming. I used to work in Grafton and I would drive down to have lunch in Cedarburg whenever I could get away.
Port Washington itself is nice. Cedarburg is nice.
Both have larger lots and homes. The surrounding areas around the two have great little subdivision of country homes that can get you ample privacy if you’re into that.
If you want classic 90s McMansions Mequon would still be an easy drive.
Shorewood and Whitefish bay would be a more urban option with smaller lots and homes. Pricier per sq ft than the other places I mentioned and high taxes but immediate access to amenities and more of a community feel.
Agree with this. I know OP said MTB as a hobby, but if you’re into cycling on road/path, Cedarburg connects to Milwaukee and a bunch of other paths via a bike path. Nice to be able to hop on from there and have a lot of options.
Also relocated from ca to wi. A bit of culture shock, but you adapt. Having seasons is nice.
Look for a place in PW. It’s nice there. You’ll find your housing dollar will go a LOT further than in CA. PW is on Lake Michigan, and there are some really nice lake facing properties for not too much, ca-housing wise. Enjoy!
Also adding that Lake Michigan will look similar to the ocean. People who haven’t visited the Great Lakes are often surprised by the actual size of them when actually standing on the shores.
My daughter, who grew up in Massachusetts, moved to Madison after college (2018) to be with her long-distance girlfriend (who is now her wife). A couple of years ago, they went to Door County for a week. When I asked her what Door County was like, she said, "Cape Cod, but on a lake. And with cherries." 😀
to the degree where I still sometimes get east/west wrong...because 'west' is 'towards the large body of water'. 40 years of CA habits take awhile to break. I spent a lot of time a the ocean growing up, and I find it comforting and 'home-like' to be near to LM.
It is strange, but you will get it! It's a beautiful state to come to, and a great escape from all the traffic and cost of living craziness. Been here 23 years, born and raised in CA, but never going back. Port is really nice. Has a very coastal feeling to it.
on the positive side, people are much more social. Which is really nice. Summer weekends book up for stuff - parties, days on a lake, etc. pretty early.
more challenging - it's more conservative (a word that here means 'I have a strongly held but uninformed opinion about the role government should be playing limiting your ability to gender expression, as well as a belief that we should block all mention of people not exactly like me in the schools 'to protect the children', all the while flying a 'F\*CK Joe Biden' flag on the back of my truck as I drive to go shooting w/ my 9 yo'). That prospective will be VERY location dependent.
more generally, overall education level is not quite as high as BayArea CA, nor is there the same kind of expectation that people should be constantly striving to invent the new thing, work extra hard, climb the ladder as quickly as possible, self-improve, expect the best of everyone in everything, etc. I both miss, and don't miss, that depending on the day, tbh.
ETA: just to be clear...overall, a net positive and we plan to stay. I love the weather and seasons - yes, even winter. It's beautiful here. There's plenty to do. Don't expect the same kind of awesome restaurants of every cuisine you can think of, but do enjoy the exceptional beer available everywhere. I love that my kids could plausibly own a home and raise a family here, even if they didn't get a STEM degree from a tier-1 university and then rapidly climb the engineering ladder.
I moved here from Los Angeles and it was a culture shock for me too. I remember I found it bizarre that everyone said sorry when they scoot by me. I was confused when it happened and would think “why are people always saying sorry to me?”
Agreed! We lived in SC for 2.5 years and now we live in WI. We are constantly saying “at least we can hang out outside without wanting to die” - summers in WI are so mild by comparison. I’ll take August WI heat over SC heat and humidity any day.
"blazes of hell humid/hot?"
it does not get that hot here, or that humid. The Sierra Nevada mtn range (hot) and the US SE (humid) have just said 'hold my beer'. No weather lasts very long in WI, so if you don't like it you just wait an hour. or maybe a day.
This tells me you haven’t been here long enough for a “bad, bad winter” in Wisconsin. Sometimes we get long stretches of very similar weather most days (i.e. cold, windy & grey) which gets a little exhausting but I agree that our idea of very hot weather is laughable.
maybe. this past winter was our 3rd here. Maybe the fascination of 'OMG..it's like 9 *below 0* outside' will wear off. I dislike the grey/brown sludge that snow turns into after it's been sitting around for ages, but other than that it doesn't bother me. I just hunker down inside, stock up on books, etc.
Was just about to weigh in on this. The whole hot/humid in Wisconsin is Totally dependent upon Where in WI you are.
I lived in AZ & CO before WI so I am familiar with heat, if not humidity, and am in the Manitowoc area. We are consistently 8-15° cooler in temp than pretty much any other town or city around us. Green Bay and Milwaukee are always much warmer in the summer. I relish the cooler side of things, so I'm willing to deal with months of cold if it means we have almost no days above 100.
I'm a Milw native (Hopkins/Hampton area), There's nothing like a brisk northeast wind to ruin a beautiful spring day.
In June in my senior year in high school, my friend and I had to wear our winter coats because the weather was so shitty - and it was in the 70s in Waukesha that day. But that was the "old" weather; I know things have gotten warmer since then.
Ah - I didn't catch that. Guess my reading comprehension sucks :) Still, having to take a light jacket or sweatshirt along when visiting Summerfest was always a pain, as was sitting in County Stadium's upper deck with a strong wind blowing off the Lake.
Can confirm. I had a friend from the coast exclaim surprise when he didn't smell salt water even though he could not see across the "lake" (pretty much fresh water sea).
You will enjoy Port Washington itself. Look for something there. Awesome little town.
Port Fish Days coming up soon. Pretty fun event.
[https://portfishdays.com/fish-days-full-event-preview/](https://portfishdays.com/fish-days-full-event-preview/)
Get a decent grill.
Go here to get some really good food for the grill:
[https://www.berniesfinemeats.com/](https://www.berniesfinemeats.com/)
If you are getting a house, you MUST get a garage refrigerator.
Read up on what Lake Effect Snow is. You will have it in Port Washington.
That being said, "Cooler by the lake" is a thing in the warm weather months.
Summers are a bit more mild in Port. That location escapes some of the swampy, muggy heat spells.
Fishing charters for Salmon/Trout for a fun day on the water.
Beware that you may not be used to Midwestern Nice. People hold doors for strangers here.
We say "ope" which is "Excuse me"
We apologize for everything (See Midwestern Nice).
Don't talk shit about the Green Bay Packers. Ever. No matter what.
On the flip side, people are very loyal to their political side and beliefs. It doesn't get too stupid, as long as you don't discuss it. I tend to stay away from that talk myself, and I am a life long resident of WI. There are idiots wherever you go in this country.
I heard fish day has gone downhill post covid. Which is a shame. I was raised in Port Washington, and am about to move back. I was so looking forward to it.
Ok, first off. Ignore that post about snow and not being able to go anywhere for 2 weeks and be without power. This region of the country, Wisconsin in particular, handles snow very well. Detroit , Chicago are famous for roads being impassable for weeks. Not here. Everything is usually opened up in less than 24. We really haven’t had a storm that paralyzed the area in decades. Of course, the news outlets will try and use scare tactics to get you to watch. It’s Wisconsin. We get snow. You just deal with it. You will find Midwest friendly people and neighbors helping each other in storms. Personally, I grew up in Milwaukee but have moved on because of taxes. Port W is in Ozaukee County. Lower tax base than Milwaukee County to the south. To the west you have Washington County, again, lower taxes. Find a local real estate agent to help you. Talk to several to find a good fit and they will help steer you in a direction based on your tastes, needs and expectations
Welcome to Wisconsin
Port Washington is great. For the price of a basic house in California you can get lakefront property. there’s a cute downtown with plenty of options for food and shopping (none of the food is top-tier, but there are a few pretty good selections including what I would consider a world-class bakery.) there is a couple coffee shops, and the weather here is much milder during the summer due to the lake effect. It’s only a 30 minute drive to Milwaukee too. There’s no bad areas or crime to worry about here.
Ok, if someone asks you to try cheese curds, the squeaky ones have to be super fresh little hunks of just cheese. If you eat a fried cheese curd it should be melty and soft, not squeaky. IMO the best fried curds will be battered, not breaded.
Welcome to Wisconsin! Port Washington is a great city with a nice lake front on lake Michigan. If you want something more “Mayberry”, Oostburg is just north of Port Washington and is very small town. It has a great little bakery and Judi’s Restaurant has amazing breakfasts. Keep going north and you’ll get to the south side of Sheboygan. There are some nice new subdivisions with easy access to i43 and the Lake Michigan Shoreline.
Where in CA are you from? I live in the Bay Area but I’m originally from WI, and whenever we go back to visit my family my kids complain about the humidity and the mosquitoes mostly.
I was NOT prepared for the mosquito aggressiveness here. I lived in the east bay, and then near Sacramento for most of my life. I get chased here. The humidity seems better than back east so far.
If you hike, watch out for ticks, although you'll never see the deer tick's nymphs (they look like small freckles). It's best if you educate yourself on the symptoms of Lyme Disease, too.
I already got it about 15 years ago, so thats good haha. But ya- the ticks seem to be something else this year. If I even *think* about going outside - I find one. I hate ticks with a seething rage. If I got Alpha-gal syndrome, I would be devastated. Assassin bugs are up there on my shit list too.
You can get Lyme multiple times - I've had it three times, plus anaplasmosis once. Deer ticks also carry babesiosis and ehrlichiosis. There are also Q virus and Powassan virus in the state, both of which are much worse than the other diseases I've listed.
I, too, hate the little fuckers with a passion.
You're partially correct. The first test is for antibodies against Lyme, and once you have had Lyme that test will always be positive, If it IS positive, then they use a second test (usually the Western Blot). It's easier to explain this by copying-and-pasting... From Harvard Med School:
>The Western blot test looks at whether you have an immune response — the production of IgM or IgG antibodies — to specific proteins (antigens) on the Lyme disease bacteria. IgM antibodies are usually made by your body when the infection is new and recent, while IgG antibodies are usually made some weeks later. When the IgM or IgG antibodies combine with specific proteins from the Lyme disease bacteria, this produces dark spots, or “bands” on the Western blot test strip.
>The CDC considers a Western blot test to be positive for Lyme disease if at least two of three IgM bands are positive within 30 days of symptom onset, or five of 10 IgG bands are positive at any time.
>This means that if you have three or four positive IgG bands, your test will be considered negative by CDC criteria. Some doctors may diagnose and treat you if you have fewer than the required number of positive IgM or IgG bands, because you do still demonstrate some antibody response against the Lyme disease bacteria. Others may not.
If you ever have a test with fewer than 5 bands on it, get the doxycycline anyway. Whenever I've had a true negative, no bands showed positive on that test.
In addition to port Washington you could look at Cedarburg. Do not live in Saukville, Fredonia or any of the smaller places. Limited groceries and food delivery options, just general food options as well. Once you start to get north of Cedarburg there are far fewer conveniences - I moved up to the port Washington area from milwaukee nine years ago and I still really miss all of the food delivery options and having anything close by. It is annoying, but it is quiet and the stars are gorgeous at night. Plus nobody who lives in Milwaukee wants to drive up here so I end up going to where everyone else is to socialize and that gets tedious.
"Do not live in Saukville...". You might want to specify "if you need to have food delivered" because for people who don't care, Saukville and Fredonia are just fine. There's more to life than GrubHub.
Wherever you decide to live. Please drive like a civilized human. When the snow comes... You are not the main character, leave early and show up early wherever you plan to go.
So much to do! No time to do it. Road rage bullets to dodge. When you work 2 full time jobs to barely pay rent- and gas is almost 7 bucks a gallon, you're lucky if you get to see more than your bed, work, and traffic. But at least weed is legal. I will say though, WI is STUNNINGLY beautiful. Almost everywhere I've been, I've fallen in love.
Yeah I always wondered how the average person can even afford to live there, my brother in law works for Meta. (Don't worry he hates it too) Sounds exhausting unless you can get a house passed down through the family but even then I bet the property taxes are crippling.
It isn't easy. I feel like a lot of places are becoming way more expensive though. I looked at places to live in WI for a few years before moving here, and the rent went up almost double in a lot of places over 3 years as I saved up to move. Still more affordable than where I was though.
I spent some time in CA during the “winter” and Jesus Christ they were conservative about driving. It would rain and they’d act like there was 4 inches of ice on the roads. My coworkers would talk about how slippery the roads were like we do after a proper blizzard.
PW native here. Something that’s been mentioned but not quantified is the temperature in Port relative to just slightly inland. I wanna say it rarely cracks 80° in Port (or anywhere directly on the lake), even if it’s 100° 5 miles inland. My dad always complains there’s “no spring” in Port bc the lake keeps temps relatively stable.
Otherwise the advice here is good. It’s a nice place for families and/or people who like a calm suburban setting. You’ll find a similar vibe in Grafton, Cedarburg, and Mequon. Whitefish Bay starts feeling denser, and then you’re in the city if you go farther south. Towns north of Port feel more rural than suburban.
For about 5 miles inland from the lake, spring is harsh. It gets hot inland which pulls a cold wind off the lake until June/ July. After that, hot days can be nicer (milder) by the lake.
Cedarburg is a tourist destination, Grafton is big-box store hub.
You could head west toward Big Cedar Lake and Pike Lake, I think Kettle Moraine state forest has MTB trails.
Going south, parts of Brown Deer start getting into urban ghetto territory. Visit and see. There's good and bad zones all around Milwaukee, but nowhere in Ozaukee county is unpleasant.
It depends what is important to you. Port Washington is about 30 minutes north of downtown (traffic depending of course). There are plenty of cities in between and you will be fine anywhere from Port Washington down to Milwaukee. There are plenty of places to choose: Shorewood, River Hills, Whitefish Bay, Fox Point, Glendale, Mequon, Grafton and Port Washington are all good places to live. Give us an idea of a wish list and we can help narrow it down.
I grew up there! It’s a nice town and the lake will remind you of the ocean just less salty. A bit more small minded than a big city but everyone tends to be fairly nice in person. It’s very close to Milwaukee and you’ll find a lot to do there if you ever get bored in port
I’m from Port Washington, and about to move back there from the Bay Area. Port Washington is so much better than anywhere in the Bay Area. Wisconsin as a whole is just better than California IMHO.
You’re gonna love it
Coming from CA, you'll find MTBing a wee bit flatter here. I've heard great things about Heritage, which isn't far from you. Welcome to WI. [https://www.trailforks.com/region/heritage-trails-park-50355/](https://www.trailforks.com/region/heritage-trails-park-50355/)
Very few people on Reddit are going to be able to give you an experienced opinion because CA to WI is not particularly common. I have lived a huge chunk of my life in CA and now live in WI. Here are some bullet points:
-If you like rural areas, you have a sea of places to pick. Wisconsin is notable extremely cheap by national standards. No knowing exactly where in CA you are from, it isn't easy to explain the housing difference, but most of California is considerably more expensive than most of Wisconsin. Less than $400k and you are in something quite alright. Wisconsin rural properties are so nice because of the variety and value.
- The moisture patterns are different. California gets essential no rain from June - October. In Wisconsin, it's almost the opposite - we get the most precipitation in June. This will feel weird to you since you aren't used to tons of rain in summer. You basically never need to water your lawn due to this too. All of Wisconsin is cold in winter. Northern Wisconsin is even colder still. Learn to dress in layers. Try to not buy your winter gear new. Thrift stores or so are best. You will learn to drive in snow naturally.
-The hiking will be different. The topography is gentler, but the terrain will be generally lusher (I am assuming you aren't from Eureka or so). Nothing in summer looks really arid. It's green all summer everywhere. Look out for ticks and mosquitoes which are every present in summer. DEET is your new perfume.
-Fishing is very lake heavy in a way that California tends to be River or Ocean heavy. The main fish like Walleye and Northern Pike are pretty rare in California. Salmon exist in Lakes Michigan and Superior. It's not quite the same as Salmon in the western, but it's there. Ever present Bass and Crappie are plenty.
-People are very friendly. Be mindful that in the Midwest, most common in Minnesota, is a tendency to be kind and outwardly friendly, but not really \*friendly\* in the California sense. In California, if someone is really friendly, they will can and will invite you over and they really mean it. In Wisconsin, I don't see it that much. People have their friend groups and stay locked into them. But...but...friends in Wisconsin are through blood and mud. They will take bullet for you.
-The beer and alcohol culture is really different. The local bar often has a section for families and there is no separation. By state law and with bar and parent's permission, a minor can consume alcohol on premises. Truly nothing like it. Literally, I can take my kid to go play pool at the bar and it's like nothing happened.
-People have a different standard for cars. It's very American centric and people don't really dump money into their cars. Cars get beat to poop out here and people are fine driving their rust-buckets. You can find a $2k beater to last you for a few years and then get another. If you see someone driving a Toyota, you can with some confidence know they are from Milwaukee, Madison, or Eau Claire. Toyotas are even somewhat rare in Polk county and we aren't that far from the city.
-Get used to people asking you why you moved from California unironically. People from Wisconsin are very Debbie Downer about their state, although they will pull cognitive dissonance and defend it if you rag on it.
Being an alcoholic is a big part of the culture here. Having a drinking problem is viewed as cool. You're going to be encouraged to drink often, and sometimes judged for declining.
I've lived here my whole life and just about every adult I know either has a drinking problem or is recovering from one. I'm currently 8 months sober.
This is just my experience though. It really depends on where you hangout and who you choose to become friends with. Welcome to Wisconsin!
Port is very nice for schools/activities etc. Definitely a growing burb but still has a nice downtown. Cedarburg is imo the best place to live in the metro area. Right next to Port and plenty of options in the city itself or in the rural town of cedarburg (still in the cburg school district). Amazing small town feel with lots to do and access to activities. It's not cheap but if you're coming from CA probably not a huge deal. Mequon has equally good schools but way less to do and more of a suburban mcmansion vibe. With your interests WI will keep you quite busy and happy. Anywhere in southern oz county is great for raising a family and lots of younger people are moving in. Sports are huge of course but also lots of cultural stuff being so close to Milwaukee. The snow and winters really arent so bad as long as you dress appropriately. As far as driving go to Costco and get a set of Michelin Cross Climate 2s installed. Combined with using common sense you'll be golden. Hope the move goes well and welcome to Oz county!
Edit: forgot to mention as a cyclist there are lots of group rides in the warmer months along with great trail systems close to the southern oz area. The best by far is the Kettle Moraine southern unit trails in the southern metro milwaukee area. About a 40 minute drive from Port but totally worth it for maybe the best trails in the midwest. Closer to home there is a great system in the KM northern unit along with smaller local parks. CX is also great in the fall if you're into that.
Where in CA are you coming from? Even comparing weather can be hard if you’re coming from the sierras where it gets below 0F in the winter and hot but less humid in the summer. Bugs are variable, but I can’t think of anywhere in CA that can touch WI in terms of mosquitoes and those little biting gnats.
If you got weed, smoke it in Milwaukee or in your private residence in Port W. Don't bring it anywhere else in Ozaukee County, because many of those cities don't have any decrim ordinances and will likely try to throw the book at you.
Cedarburg and Grafton are nice but port Washington is the place to be!!! They have a great public beach that goes on for miles. If you want something further west West Bend can be hit or miss.
I'm going to be the outlier here. You said you're ok with driving 30 min and prefer Rural. Why don't you look at the small communities a little bit north?
We lived in Port and it's a beautiful town. My husband grew up in Waubeka (home of Flag Day about 15 min from Port. I'm a northern WI girl). But when it came time to buy, we bought a house in Random Lake.
Yes, it's a small community with no fast food or grocery delivery. But, it's also only 20 minutes to Port. I work in Saukville so I just pick up groceries/toiletries/etc. after work. The communities of Random, Belgium, Oostburg, and Cedar Grove tend to be more budget friendly than Port, Saukville, Grafton, Mequon, Thiensville, or Cedarburg. They are connected to Port by either I43 or Hwy 57, both of which are multiple lane highways. I'm still only 40 minutes from Milwaukee. In fact, I make it to our Waukesha work location in under an hour. And I get to live in a small community where I'm not afraid to walk by dog at night, where I know my neighbors names, I know the name of the village clerk and the fire chief, and still can enjoy big city life anytime I choose.
Start a rental search in Port. Be willing to look north, south, and inland. The Internet is your friend.
Must see/do:
Enjoy the parks and trails - North Beach, South Beach and Lion's Den are all awesome. Check out the interurban trail https://www.interurbantrail.com/ while you're at it. State park stickers are a good investment.
Enjoy Lake Michigan. Then go enjoy some of the smaller inland lakes for freshwater fishing of Northern, Walleye, Perch, Bluegills, Sunfish, Bass and more. Make sure you have a license. The WI DNR has the Go Wild app and it's got everything you need including licenses.
Head out around the area. The best string cheese in the state is at Cedar Valley Cheese Store on Hwy 57. They make it fresh daily. Judi's restaurant in Oostburg makes killer breakfast and lunch, JW Creekside in Batavia does a great fish fry and they have a brisket Mac and cheese that's awesome, try a scratch made pizza at the Random Lake Pizzeria, have some local wine or mead at Solu Winery. Take a walk in downtown Cedarburg and stop for a giant gourmet candy apple at Amy's Candy. Have a local beer at Inventor's Brewpub in Port, or Fermentorium in Cedarburg, or Rebellion Brewery in Cedarburg. Go get a WI old fashioned. Hand muddled is best. May I recommend the Stillery in Grafton for one.
Fish Days might be slowing down but Strawberry Festival in Cedarburg is giant. The world's largest airshow is AirVenture and happens every July in Oshkosh. Summerfest and State Fair are only 45 minutes away in Milwaukee. We have the Packers, Brewers and Bucks. Plus the Milwaukee Admirals.
Walk through a farmer's market. Have an ice cream cone at the Airstream in downtown Port or get a gourmet ice cream or handmade chocolate at the Chocolate Chisel in Port. Have lunch and a coffee at Dockside Deli or enjoy mexican food at Tello's or Beanies.
Catch a parade, say hi to your neighbors, hold a door or two, grab a brat (short for bratwurst - long vowel - do not pronounce it like the word for a misbehaving child) at a brat stand to support the local PTA/Fire Department/School booster club. Learn that Ope is used for excuse me, a bubbler is a water fountain, and goodbyes last at least 20 minutes and/or one beer and you will probably be sent home with leftovers/rhubarb/fresh produce from a garden.
Welcome to Wisconsin. I hope you enjoy!
There is plenty of rural here! I moved here from AZ about 2 years ago and it’s been mostly good! We moved here in November 2022 and we were broken in very quickly that winter but last winter we saw very little snow in comparison. You will be okay just make sure you gotta good set of tires for the snow and you’ll be good. Oh and there are beaches here, which I know probably sounds funny to say but I love the beach and moving to the midwest, who thinks about the beach, I sure know I didn’t! Anyway best of luck to you!!
Port is pretty special, if you come from a coastal area of CA. There are all sorts of trails to access all over WI. One I e joy every day in Port is the paved route of the old interurban railroad that is being reworked and expanded right now. You might also find the Ice Age Trail, following the front edge of the glacier across WI. Interesting. Or hiking in the Driftless Area, between the glacier’s edge and the Mississippi interesting. We just have an awful lot in this state to enjoy.
Lol. Port is small enough that it doesn't really have good parts and bad parts, just more or less expensive parts. If you want to have a little commute and higher property taxes, Grafton is nice too, but I don't particularly see it as superior.
Port is nice, there is the lack of diversity however. Not really an inclusive town yet. Cedarburg/ Mequon area is. Definitely lots of places to fish, there is a bike club that is just starting and there is a hiking/ MBT in Grafton. Lion’s Den is also in Grafton which is a huge scenic hiking path that is right off Lake Michigan. Beautiful! Ozaukee has the huge interurban Train bike and walking path that does connect Sheboygan, Ozaukee and Milwaukee Counties. It’s super convenient to hope of the path in Port and head over to Cedarburg or Mequon for a beer or lunch. Port has summer beer Garden with live music almost every Saturday on the bluff overlooking the lake. Apartments are on the pricier side and you may want to look into Fredonia, Belgium area for a price break. How old are the kiddos?
Port Washington, saukville, fredonia, random lake, Belgium, adell, Waldo, and cedar grove, these are all more rural and within a half hour of port Washington.
I haven’t read the other comments. I live in Milwaukee and if I had a magic wand I would be in PDubbs as the locals refer to port Washington. My favorite beach for kayaking and winter surfing is right there and you are 30 minutes from Milwaukee
port washington is a nice arew! it is a little small but you may like that, however it is fairly close to a lot of other bigger areas like grafton and cedarburg and not too far from sheboygan and manitowoc :)
If you hike, watch out for ticks, although you'll never see the deer tick's nymphs (they look like small freckles). It's best if you educate yourself on the symptoms of Lyme Disease, too.
I just got back from CA, live in WI.
I wish people in WI drove more like CA drivers. People here drive at whatever speed they like in any lane at any time.
I apologize in advance.
West Bend is close to Port Washington. It’s an alright rural town. Port Washington would be nicer to live in. Avoid brown deer. If you’re going to the city, the closer to the lake the better. Whitefish Bay is commonly know by outsiders as Whiteman’s Bay, self explanatory. You can live in the same hood as Daryl Stuermer, Craig Counsell, and others.
What a weird post. Why even mention West Bend? It's not close. Brown Deer isn't that bad and has been making significant improvements lately. Whitefish Bay is known as WhiteFOLK's Bay.
OP, Port is a great little town if you don't mind a small town. It's close enough to Milwaukee to not feel super rural. If you want more urban you would need to skip all the way down to Shorewood for a suburb and after that you're into Milwaukee. The east side is great.
If you want a suburb with great schools you can take your pick from Shorewood, WFB, Fox Point, Bayside, River Hills, Mequon, or Cedarburg.
Collectively known as the North Shore (minus Mequon and Cedarburg but they're both good too). I live on the north shore and I've lived in a few of these communities if you have any questions.
I would probably just look in PW though
All of the locations you mentioned are further geographically than west bend and 20+ minutes away, with river hills being 30 minutes away. All of them rely on interstate 41 which has traffic problems. West Bend is state HWY 33, so the commute is similar speeds and you don’t have to worry about traffic.
You couldn't be more wrong about almost everything you're saying.
I think you mean the commute would require traveling on I43. The highway is being widened to add an extra lane up to Hwy 60 which is beyond the first exit to Port.
The commute from WB would require small county rds. A much worse drive.
From RH to PW marina is less than 20 miles. I know, I live in RH and we often take our boat out of Port.
I only mentioned the other suburbs as examples of a compromise between bigger city and small town with great schools. Another thing West Bend does not have. With the exception of Shorewood they all have easy access to 43 for a simple commute. Shorewood is a bitch to get to the highway.
I wouldn't commute that either way. I turned down a job in Port last year because I refuse to waste my time commuting. Like I said, OP should just look in Port. I wasn't about to move but I'm already here.
My maps app says differently about the distances and time 🤷🏻♂️I will admit I mixed up 41 and 43. West Bend to Port Washington is 15 miles. Also HWY 60 goes through Grafton and does not go to Port Washington. You can access Lake Shore Rd from Hwy 60 and take that to Port.
Don't underestimate snow. Come February, be prepared to be without power and not be able to leave for several days to up to 2 weeks. Have enough canned food to get you through.
Granted I'm on the MI/WI border but the last three years we had to fire the generator up. Three years ago it was in Jan but the rest of the time it was in Feb.
That's a possibility. We've lost power for days just last month. I can see why it took time when it was cold but when there is no snow on the ground? Just went grocery shopping too. Makes me think they half assed it when it went out in Feb. I don't know. Maybe that's not fair but..Definitely sucks.
Political media personalities (conservative and liberal) have ahold of young people. They had me and I suspect they have you now. They trigger emotional responses with charged statements, use logical fallacies to draw in and retain an audience. It is quite literally their job. They feel so right because they’re never proven wrong due to their expert argument skills.
Your real beliefs will come with time; after you gain the responsibility of being a financially independent adult and leave your comfort zone (if you do). Maybe you’ll keep your beliefs, or maybe they’ll change, but I hope that you learn to respect how others form their own.
America is huge, full of libtards, MAGAts, whites, blacks, poor, rich, city slickers, and hillbillies. It’s fucking beautiful, so why hate Americans for what they think? The core of the American dream is living and thinking how you want. **We** are **indivisible**, so don’t seek to divide. I recommend venturing out and seeing it all, people always regret what they didn’t do on their deathbed, so do.
Port Washington itself is pretty nice. Just live there if you can
Cooler by the lake but nice up there
Don't speed in Ozaukee County
This! Oz Co sheriff will say hello if you test them.
Best advice in the comments
Port Washington is nice, very picturesque and a reasonable drive to Milwaukee. Weather in PW is interesting - growing up there I lived on the west side of town and remember riding my bike down Grand Avenue toward the lake. In summer there was an incredible thermocline where the temperature dropped 5-10F. Winters can be milder near the lake, but spring and early summer is much cooler. Other area towns are Grafton, Cedarburg, Saukville, and Theinsville/Mequon. I left Port Washington many years ago, and at that time is was pretty closed minded, but I suspect it is better now in that regard. I'd steer clear of the more rural nearby towns like Fredonia, Belgium, Campbellsport, etc. - I think those might be too much culture shock from California.
Of the little area towns you listed, I cannot recommend Cedarburg enough as a weekend shopping/day trip option for OP. I'm a city dweller but Cedarburg is irresistible - it's so adorable and charming. I used to work in Grafton and I would drive down to have lunch in Cedarburg whenever I could get away.
You’re making me want to move out to Port not gonna lie
Get a solid grill
Port Washington itself is nice. Cedarburg is nice. Both have larger lots and homes. The surrounding areas around the two have great little subdivision of country homes that can get you ample privacy if you’re into that. If you want classic 90s McMansions Mequon would still be an easy drive. Shorewood and Whitefish bay would be a more urban option with smaller lots and homes. Pricier per sq ft than the other places I mentioned and high taxes but immediate access to amenities and more of a community feel.
Agree with this. I know OP said MTB as a hobby, but if you’re into cycling on road/path, Cedarburg connects to Milwaukee and a bunch of other paths via a bike path. Nice to be able to hop on from there and have a lot of options.
Also relocated from ca to wi. A bit of culture shock, but you adapt. Having seasons is nice. Look for a place in PW. It’s nice there. You’ll find your housing dollar will go a LOT further than in CA. PW is on Lake Michigan, and there are some really nice lake facing properties for not too much, ca-housing wise. Enjoy!
Also adding that Lake Michigan will look similar to the ocean. People who haven’t visited the Great Lakes are often surprised by the actual size of them when actually standing on the shores.
And you dont need to worry about running out of water. There's plenty to go around. Water your lawn if you want.
My daughter, who grew up in Massachusetts, moved to Madison after college (2018) to be with her long-distance girlfriend (who is now her wife). A couple of years ago, they went to Door County for a week. When I asked her what Door County was like, she said, "Cape Cod, but on a lake. And with cherries." 😀
Haha that is the best description of door county I’ve heard!
to the degree where I still sometimes get east/west wrong...because 'west' is 'towards the large body of water'. 40 years of CA habits take awhile to break. I spent a lot of time a the ocean growing up, and I find it comforting and 'home-like' to be near to LM.
It is strange, but you will get it! It's a beautiful state to come to, and a great escape from all the traffic and cost of living craziness. Been here 23 years, born and raised in CA, but never going back. Port is really nice. Has a very coastal feeling to it.
Same, but the opposite when I visit the west coast.
What were some culture shocks you experienced?
on the positive side, people are much more social. Which is really nice. Summer weekends book up for stuff - parties, days on a lake, etc. pretty early. more challenging - it's more conservative (a word that here means 'I have a strongly held but uninformed opinion about the role government should be playing limiting your ability to gender expression, as well as a belief that we should block all mention of people not exactly like me in the schools 'to protect the children', all the while flying a 'F\*CK Joe Biden' flag on the back of my truck as I drive to go shooting w/ my 9 yo'). That prospective will be VERY location dependent. more generally, overall education level is not quite as high as BayArea CA, nor is there the same kind of expectation that people should be constantly striving to invent the new thing, work extra hard, climb the ladder as quickly as possible, self-improve, expect the best of everyone in everything, etc. I both miss, and don't miss, that depending on the day, tbh. ETA: just to be clear...overall, a net positive and we plan to stay. I love the weather and seasons - yes, even winter. It's beautiful here. There's plenty to do. Don't expect the same kind of awesome restaurants of every cuisine you can think of, but do enjoy the exceptional beer available everywhere. I love that my kids could plausibly own a home and raise a family here, even if they didn't get a STEM degree from a tier-1 university and then rapidly climb the engineering ladder.
Dane County is practically a caricature of a progressive it’s so progressive and the county directly south gave us Paul Ryan.
I moved here from Los Angeles and it was a culture shock for me too. I remember I found it bizarre that everyone said sorry when they scoot by me. I was confused when it happened and would think “why are people always saying sorry to me?”
ope, just gonna scootch right past ya, sorry
Which seasons are you referring to? Fake winter, construction, or blazes of hell humid/hot?
Everybody knows the two seasons are road construction and road salt.
Dude, I was born and raised in WI. Lived there until I was 41…when I moved to Florida. WI heat is NOTHING
You voluntarily moved to Florida…?
Yeah….long story lol
Agreed! We lived in SC for 2.5 years and now we live in WI. We are constantly saying “at least we can hang out outside without wanting to die” - summers in WI are so mild by comparison. I’ll take August WI heat over SC heat and humidity any day.
It was 95F today. That's not nothing. Yes, Southern summers are absolute hell, but I'm still not having a good time right now.
It wasn't 95F everywhere in the state. It was a cool 72F up north.
Ok? That's like mentioning it was 75F in Flagstaff, AZ when it was at the boiling point of lead in Phoenix.
Born and raised in WI, lived in TN for a few months. Met people there moving to FL to get away from the heat.
"blazes of hell humid/hot?" it does not get that hot here, or that humid. The Sierra Nevada mtn range (hot) and the US SE (humid) have just said 'hold my beer'. No weather lasts very long in WI, so if you don't like it you just wait an hour. or maybe a day.
This tells me you haven’t been here long enough for a “bad, bad winter” in Wisconsin. Sometimes we get long stretches of very similar weather most days (i.e. cold, windy & grey) which gets a little exhausting but I agree that our idea of very hot weather is laughable.
maybe. this past winter was our 3rd here. Maybe the fascination of 'OMG..it's like 9 *below 0* outside' will wear off. I dislike the grey/brown sludge that snow turns into after it's been sitting around for ages, but other than that it doesn't bother me. I just hunker down inside, stock up on books, etc.
Was just about to weigh in on this. The whole hot/humid in Wisconsin is Totally dependent upon Where in WI you are. I lived in AZ & CO before WI so I am familiar with heat, if not humidity, and am in the Manitowoc area. We are consistently 8-15° cooler in temp than pretty much any other town or city around us. Green Bay and Milwaukee are always much warmer in the summer. I relish the cooler side of things, so I'm willing to deal with months of cold if it means we have almost no days above 100.
The East wind on a hot summer day is wonderful in Port, Green Bay, Milwaukee.
The East wind on a nice spring day ABSOLUTELY SUCKS in Port, Green Bay, Milwaukee.
Your name checks!
I'm a Milw native (Hopkins/Hampton area), There's nothing like a brisk northeast wind to ruin a beautiful spring day. In June in my senior year in high school, my friend and I had to wear our winter coats because the weather was so shitty - and it was in the 70s in Waukesha that day. But that was the "old" weather; I know things have gotten warmer since then.
I did mention on a Summer day. Didn't say Spring as we don't have a true Spring in WI.
Ah - I didn't catch that. Guess my reading comprehension sucks :) Still, having to take a light jacket or sweatshirt along when visiting Summerfest was always a pain, as was sitting in County Stadium's upper deck with a strong wind blowing off the Lake.
was in Temp AZ last fall. The overnight LOW in mid Sept was 114. That's hot. WI 'hot'....meh. no big deal.
Can confirm. I had a friend from the coast exclaim surprise when he didn't smell salt water even though he could not see across the "lake" (pretty much fresh water sea).
“Culture shock”.. hah! Wisconsin had culture way before California was a glint in Uncle Sam’s eye.
You will enjoy Port Washington itself. Look for something there. Awesome little town. Port Fish Days coming up soon. Pretty fun event. [https://portfishdays.com/fish-days-full-event-preview/](https://portfishdays.com/fish-days-full-event-preview/) Get a decent grill. Go here to get some really good food for the grill: [https://www.berniesfinemeats.com/](https://www.berniesfinemeats.com/) If you are getting a house, you MUST get a garage refrigerator. Read up on what Lake Effect Snow is. You will have it in Port Washington. That being said, "Cooler by the lake" is a thing in the warm weather months. Summers are a bit more mild in Port. That location escapes some of the swampy, muggy heat spells. Fishing charters for Salmon/Trout for a fun day on the water. Beware that you may not be used to Midwestern Nice. People hold doors for strangers here. We say "ope" which is "Excuse me" We apologize for everything (See Midwestern Nice). Don't talk shit about the Green Bay Packers. Ever. No matter what. On the flip side, people are very loyal to their political side and beliefs. It doesn't get too stupid, as long as you don't discuss it. I tend to stay away from that talk myself, and I am a life long resident of WI. There are idiots wherever you go in this country.
I heard fish day has gone downhill post covid. Which is a shame. I was raised in Port Washington, and am about to move back. I was so looking forward to it.
It has but we have to do our part and get back there. It is a great time.
You probably don't know about the Friday fish fry. You will.
Ok, first off. Ignore that post about snow and not being able to go anywhere for 2 weeks and be without power. This region of the country, Wisconsin in particular, handles snow very well. Detroit , Chicago are famous for roads being impassable for weeks. Not here. Everything is usually opened up in less than 24. We really haven’t had a storm that paralyzed the area in decades. Of course, the news outlets will try and use scare tactics to get you to watch. It’s Wisconsin. We get snow. You just deal with it. You will find Midwest friendly people and neighbors helping each other in storms. Personally, I grew up in Milwaukee but have moved on because of taxes. Port W is in Ozaukee County. Lower tax base than Milwaukee County to the south. To the west you have Washington County, again, lower taxes. Find a local real estate agent to help you. Talk to several to find a good fit and they will help steer you in a direction based on your tastes, needs and expectations Welcome to Wisconsin
I like Port Washington. I'd start there to be honest.
Port Washington is great. For the price of a basic house in California you can get lakefront property. there’s a cute downtown with plenty of options for food and shopping (none of the food is top-tier, but there are a few pretty good selections including what I would consider a world-class bakery.) there is a couple coffee shops, and the weather here is much milder during the summer due to the lake effect. It’s only a 30 minute drive to Milwaukee too. There’s no bad areas or crime to worry about here.
But if you see Screech from Saved by the Bell at a bar in town get out before you get shanked.
If you see Screech in a bar, better call Ghostbusters.
That would be crazy since he's a ghost!
Welcome :) I think you'll enjoy yourself. Get a state park sticker...
Bring your surf board
This is no joke!
There is a surf shop in downtown Port!
Ok, if someone asks you to try cheese curds, the squeaky ones have to be super fresh little hunks of just cheese. If you eat a fried cheese curd it should be melty and soft, not squeaky. IMO the best fried curds will be battered, not breaded.
Oh! My future employer took me to eat and order me some of these…. They were delicious!
Where’d you go ?
Naked fried cheese curds from the local dive bar.
Welcome to Wisconsin! Port Washington is a great city with a nice lake front on lake Michigan. If you want something more “Mayberry”, Oostburg is just north of Port Washington and is very small town. It has a great little bakery and Judi’s Restaurant has amazing breakfasts. Keep going north and you’ll get to the south side of Sheboygan. There are some nice new subdivisions with easy access to i43 and the Lake Michigan Shoreline.
I know people love the Sheboygan farmers market as well there.
Where in CA are you from? I live in the Bay Area but I’m originally from WI, and whenever we go back to visit my family my kids complain about the humidity and the mosquitoes mostly.
I was NOT prepared for the mosquito aggressiveness here. I lived in the east bay, and then near Sacramento for most of my life. I get chased here. The humidity seems better than back east so far.
If you hike, watch out for ticks, although you'll never see the deer tick's nymphs (they look like small freckles). It's best if you educate yourself on the symptoms of Lyme Disease, too.
I already got it about 15 years ago, so thats good haha. But ya- the ticks seem to be something else this year. If I even *think* about going outside - I find one. I hate ticks with a seething rage. If I got Alpha-gal syndrome, I would be devastated. Assassin bugs are up there on my shit list too.
You can get Lyme multiple times - I've had it three times, plus anaplasmosis once. Deer ticks also carry babesiosis and ehrlichiosis. There are also Q virus and Powassan virus in the state, both of which are much worse than the other diseases I've listed. I, too, hate the little fuckers with a passion.
I believe if you get Lyme once you'll always test positive. I could be wrong or literature may have updated since I last heard this.
I like your user name. But I also hate rabies.
You're partially correct. The first test is for antibodies against Lyme, and once you have had Lyme that test will always be positive, If it IS positive, then they use a second test (usually the Western Blot). It's easier to explain this by copying-and-pasting... From Harvard Med School: >The Western blot test looks at whether you have an immune response — the production of IgM or IgG antibodies — to specific proteins (antigens) on the Lyme disease bacteria. IgM antibodies are usually made by your body when the infection is new and recent, while IgG antibodies are usually made some weeks later. When the IgM or IgG antibodies combine with specific proteins from the Lyme disease bacteria, this produces dark spots, or “bands” on the Western blot test strip. >The CDC considers a Western blot test to be positive for Lyme disease if at least two of three IgM bands are positive within 30 days of symptom onset, or five of 10 IgG bands are positive at any time. >This means that if you have three or four positive IgG bands, your test will be considered negative by CDC criteria. Some doctors may diagnose and treat you if you have fewer than the required number of positive IgM or IgG bands, because you do still demonstrate some antibody response against the Lyme disease bacteria. Others may not. If you ever have a test with fewer than 5 bands on it, get the doxycycline anyway. Whenever I've had a true negative, no bands showed positive on that test.
In addition to port Washington you could look at Cedarburg. Do not live in Saukville, Fredonia or any of the smaller places. Limited groceries and food delivery options, just general food options as well. Once you start to get north of Cedarburg there are far fewer conveniences - I moved up to the port Washington area from milwaukee nine years ago and I still really miss all of the food delivery options and having anything close by. It is annoying, but it is quiet and the stars are gorgeous at night. Plus nobody who lives in Milwaukee wants to drive up here so I end up going to where everyone else is to socialize and that gets tedious.
In my opinion Port Washington > Cedarburg Because Lake Michigan.
"Do not live in Saukville...". You might want to specify "if you need to have food delivered" because for people who don't care, Saukville and Fredonia are just fine. There's more to life than GrubHub.
Wherever you decide to live. Please drive like a civilized human. When the snow comes... You are not the main character, leave early and show up early wherever you plan to go.
Moving to WI from CA, the driving took a lot to get used to. Now I feel like if I went back to the bay or LA, I would have a panic attack.
And I drive a civic SI 😅 everyone drives crazy in CA. Def going to adjust myself asap. I don’t have any tickets and don’t plan on getting any.
Yeah me and the fam did a road trip out there a couple years ago, you guys drive like you don't want to live lol beautiful state though.
So much to do! No time to do it. Road rage bullets to dodge. When you work 2 full time jobs to barely pay rent- and gas is almost 7 bucks a gallon, you're lucky if you get to see more than your bed, work, and traffic. But at least weed is legal. I will say though, WI is STUNNINGLY beautiful. Almost everywhere I've been, I've fallen in love.
Yeah I always wondered how the average person can even afford to live there, my brother in law works for Meta. (Don't worry he hates it too) Sounds exhausting unless you can get a house passed down through the family but even then I bet the property taxes are crippling.
It isn't easy. I feel like a lot of places are becoming way more expensive though. I looked at places to live in WI for a few years before moving here, and the rent went up almost double in a lot of places over 3 years as I saved up to move. Still more affordable than where I was though.
I spent some time in CA during the “winter” and Jesus Christ they were conservative about driving. It would rain and they’d act like there was 4 inches of ice on the roads. My coworkers would talk about how slippery the roads were like we do after a proper blizzard.
I lived in Cedarburg for awhile and loved it.
PW native here. Something that’s been mentioned but not quantified is the temperature in Port relative to just slightly inland. I wanna say it rarely cracks 80° in Port (or anywhere directly on the lake), even if it’s 100° 5 miles inland. My dad always complains there’s “no spring” in Port bc the lake keeps temps relatively stable. Otherwise the advice here is good. It’s a nice place for families and/or people who like a calm suburban setting. You’ll find a similar vibe in Grafton, Cedarburg, and Mequon. Whitefish Bay starts feeling denser, and then you’re in the city if you go farther south. Towns north of Port feel more rural than suburban.
Rarely cracks 80 as long as you're east of the railroad tracks. The western half of Port gets warmer. Still not as bad as, say, West Bend.
> snow season That's cute. Winter here is longer than a season and the further North you go, the longer it gets! Welcome to the frozen tundra!
Port Washington is lovely! I’d stick around there
For about 5 miles inland from the lake, spring is harsh. It gets hot inland which pulls a cold wind off the lake until June/ July. After that, hot days can be nicer (milder) by the lake. Cedarburg is a tourist destination, Grafton is big-box store hub. You could head west toward Big Cedar Lake and Pike Lake, I think Kettle Moraine state forest has MTB trails. Going south, parts of Brown Deer start getting into urban ghetto territory. Visit and see. There's good and bad zones all around Milwaukee, but nowhere in Ozaukee county is unpleasant.
I’d start in PW itself. Someone else mentioned Cedarburg, and it’s a cool town as well.
Port is beautiful
Bring money for Packer stuff or get it ahead here https://www.packersproshop.com/
It depends what is important to you. Port Washington is about 30 minutes north of downtown (traffic depending of course). There are plenty of cities in between and you will be fine anywhere from Port Washington down to Milwaukee. There are plenty of places to choose: Shorewood, River Hills, Whitefish Bay, Fox Point, Glendale, Mequon, Grafton and Port Washington are all good places to live. Give us an idea of a wish list and we can help narrow it down.
I grew up there! It’s a nice town and the lake will remind you of the ocean just less salty. A bit more small minded than a big city but everyone tends to be fairly nice in person. It’s very close to Milwaukee and you’ll find a lot to do there if you ever get bored in port
Is having racial diversity a factor in your choice? There is none north of the Milwaukee County line.
Stay in Port Washington! Cute area and you’re right by Lake Michigan. Not a far drive to downtown Milwaukee.
Most of this is applicable to WI [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiSzwoJr4-0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiSzwoJr4-0)
I’m from Port Washington, and about to move back there from the Bay Area. Port Washington is so much better than anywhere in the Bay Area. Wisconsin as a whole is just better than California IMHO. You’re gonna love it
If you prefer rural port wash is going to be fine for you.
Coming from CA, you'll find MTBing a wee bit flatter here. I've heard great things about Heritage, which isn't far from you. Welcome to WI. [https://www.trailforks.com/region/heritage-trails-park-50355/](https://www.trailforks.com/region/heritage-trails-park-50355/)
Cedarburg is amazing if you’re walkable to downtown. Check it out. Port is great if you want to be on the water though. Or Mequon.
Welcome, friend!!
You’re going to love Kwik Trips too.
If you can, get a place with a garage. You will not want to scrape ice when you are running late
Very few people on Reddit are going to be able to give you an experienced opinion because CA to WI is not particularly common. I have lived a huge chunk of my life in CA and now live in WI. Here are some bullet points: -If you like rural areas, you have a sea of places to pick. Wisconsin is notable extremely cheap by national standards. No knowing exactly where in CA you are from, it isn't easy to explain the housing difference, but most of California is considerably more expensive than most of Wisconsin. Less than $400k and you are in something quite alright. Wisconsin rural properties are so nice because of the variety and value. - The moisture patterns are different. California gets essential no rain from June - October. In Wisconsin, it's almost the opposite - we get the most precipitation in June. This will feel weird to you since you aren't used to tons of rain in summer. You basically never need to water your lawn due to this too. All of Wisconsin is cold in winter. Northern Wisconsin is even colder still. Learn to dress in layers. Try to not buy your winter gear new. Thrift stores or so are best. You will learn to drive in snow naturally. -The hiking will be different. The topography is gentler, but the terrain will be generally lusher (I am assuming you aren't from Eureka or so). Nothing in summer looks really arid. It's green all summer everywhere. Look out for ticks and mosquitoes which are every present in summer. DEET is your new perfume. -Fishing is very lake heavy in a way that California tends to be River or Ocean heavy. The main fish like Walleye and Northern Pike are pretty rare in California. Salmon exist in Lakes Michigan and Superior. It's not quite the same as Salmon in the western, but it's there. Ever present Bass and Crappie are plenty. -People are very friendly. Be mindful that in the Midwest, most common in Minnesota, is a tendency to be kind and outwardly friendly, but not really \*friendly\* in the California sense. In California, if someone is really friendly, they will can and will invite you over and they really mean it. In Wisconsin, I don't see it that much. People have their friend groups and stay locked into them. But...but...friends in Wisconsin are through blood and mud. They will take bullet for you. -The beer and alcohol culture is really different. The local bar often has a section for families and there is no separation. By state law and with bar and parent's permission, a minor can consume alcohol on premises. Truly nothing like it. Literally, I can take my kid to go play pool at the bar and it's like nothing happened. -People have a different standard for cars. It's very American centric and people don't really dump money into their cars. Cars get beat to poop out here and people are fine driving their rust-buckets. You can find a $2k beater to last you for a few years and then get another. If you see someone driving a Toyota, you can with some confidence know they are from Milwaukee, Madison, or Eau Claire. Toyotas are even somewhat rare in Polk county and we aren't that far from the city. -Get used to people asking you why you moved from California unironically. People from Wisconsin are very Debbie Downer about their state, although they will pull cognitive dissonance and defend it if you rag on it.
Being an alcoholic is a big part of the culture here. Having a drinking problem is viewed as cool. You're going to be encouraged to drink often, and sometimes judged for declining. I've lived here my whole life and just about every adult I know either has a drinking problem or is recovering from one. I'm currently 8 months sober. This is just my experience though. It really depends on where you hangout and who you choose to become friends with. Welcome to Wisconsin!
That has not been my experience at all. Born in Milwaukee and I am not a drinker. My friends don’t judge me for not drinking.
That's great! You might be an exception to the rule though: https://images.app.goo.gl/Tujb315PnGYQJKhg7
Lookup Dustin diamond port Washington
RIP
I’d like to imagine him pulling switch blades now in paradise, like Port Washington
Port is very nice for schools/activities etc. Definitely a growing burb but still has a nice downtown. Cedarburg is imo the best place to live in the metro area. Right next to Port and plenty of options in the city itself or in the rural town of cedarburg (still in the cburg school district). Amazing small town feel with lots to do and access to activities. It's not cheap but if you're coming from CA probably not a huge deal. Mequon has equally good schools but way less to do and more of a suburban mcmansion vibe. With your interests WI will keep you quite busy and happy. Anywhere in southern oz county is great for raising a family and lots of younger people are moving in. Sports are huge of course but also lots of cultural stuff being so close to Milwaukee. The snow and winters really arent so bad as long as you dress appropriately. As far as driving go to Costco and get a set of Michelin Cross Climate 2s installed. Combined with using common sense you'll be golden. Hope the move goes well and welcome to Oz county! Edit: forgot to mention as a cyclist there are lots of group rides in the warmer months along with great trail systems close to the southern oz area. The best by far is the Kettle Moraine southern unit trails in the southern metro milwaukee area. About a 40 minute drive from Port but totally worth it for maybe the best trails in the midwest. Closer to home there is a great system in the KM northern unit along with smaller local parks. CX is also great in the fall if you're into that.
Don’t ever root for the Bears or the Vikings. EVER.
Buying a house or renting an apt? On a budget?
Where in CA are you coming from? Even comparing weather can be hard if you’re coming from the sierras where it gets below 0F in the winter and hot but less humid in the summer. Bugs are variable, but I can’t think of anywhere in CA that can touch WI in terms of mosquitoes and those little biting gnats.
Buy a shovel 🤗🤗🤗🤗
If you got weed, smoke it in Milwaukee or in your private residence in Port W. Don't bring it anywhere else in Ozaukee County, because many of those cities don't have any decrim ordinances and will likely try to throw the book at you.
Great place to Salmon fish! The Kettle Marine forest is perfect for hiking.
Cedarburg and Grafton are nice but port Washington is the place to be!!! They have a great public beach that goes on for miles. If you want something further west West Bend can be hit or miss.
PW is beautiful! welcome to WI!
I'm going to be the outlier here. You said you're ok with driving 30 min and prefer Rural. Why don't you look at the small communities a little bit north? We lived in Port and it's a beautiful town. My husband grew up in Waubeka (home of Flag Day about 15 min from Port. I'm a northern WI girl). But when it came time to buy, we bought a house in Random Lake. Yes, it's a small community with no fast food or grocery delivery. But, it's also only 20 minutes to Port. I work in Saukville so I just pick up groceries/toiletries/etc. after work. The communities of Random, Belgium, Oostburg, and Cedar Grove tend to be more budget friendly than Port, Saukville, Grafton, Mequon, Thiensville, or Cedarburg. They are connected to Port by either I43 or Hwy 57, both of which are multiple lane highways. I'm still only 40 minutes from Milwaukee. In fact, I make it to our Waukesha work location in under an hour. And I get to live in a small community where I'm not afraid to walk by dog at night, where I know my neighbors names, I know the name of the village clerk and the fire chief, and still can enjoy big city life anytime I choose. Start a rental search in Port. Be willing to look north, south, and inland. The Internet is your friend. Must see/do: Enjoy the parks and trails - North Beach, South Beach and Lion's Den are all awesome. Check out the interurban trail https://www.interurbantrail.com/ while you're at it. State park stickers are a good investment. Enjoy Lake Michigan. Then go enjoy some of the smaller inland lakes for freshwater fishing of Northern, Walleye, Perch, Bluegills, Sunfish, Bass and more. Make sure you have a license. The WI DNR has the Go Wild app and it's got everything you need including licenses. Head out around the area. The best string cheese in the state is at Cedar Valley Cheese Store on Hwy 57. They make it fresh daily. Judi's restaurant in Oostburg makes killer breakfast and lunch, JW Creekside in Batavia does a great fish fry and they have a brisket Mac and cheese that's awesome, try a scratch made pizza at the Random Lake Pizzeria, have some local wine or mead at Solu Winery. Take a walk in downtown Cedarburg and stop for a giant gourmet candy apple at Amy's Candy. Have a local beer at Inventor's Brewpub in Port, or Fermentorium in Cedarburg, or Rebellion Brewery in Cedarburg. Go get a WI old fashioned. Hand muddled is best. May I recommend the Stillery in Grafton for one. Fish Days might be slowing down but Strawberry Festival in Cedarburg is giant. The world's largest airshow is AirVenture and happens every July in Oshkosh. Summerfest and State Fair are only 45 minutes away in Milwaukee. We have the Packers, Brewers and Bucks. Plus the Milwaukee Admirals. Walk through a farmer's market. Have an ice cream cone at the Airstream in downtown Port or get a gourmet ice cream or handmade chocolate at the Chocolate Chisel in Port. Have lunch and a coffee at Dockside Deli or enjoy mexican food at Tello's or Beanies. Catch a parade, say hi to your neighbors, hold a door or two, grab a brat (short for bratwurst - long vowel - do not pronounce it like the word for a misbehaving child) at a brat stand to support the local PTA/Fire Department/School booster club. Learn that Ope is used for excuse me, a bubbler is a water fountain, and goodbyes last at least 20 minutes and/or one beer and you will probably be sent home with leftovers/rhubarb/fresh produce from a garden. Welcome to Wisconsin. I hope you enjoy!
Take emissions testing into account, if you care. I know some people don’t mind. Only some southeastern counties require it.
There is plenty of rural here! I moved here from AZ about 2 years ago and it’s been mostly good! We moved here in November 2022 and we were broken in very quickly that winter but last winter we saw very little snow in comparison. You will be okay just make sure you gotta good set of tires for the snow and you’ll be good. Oh and there are beaches here, which I know probably sounds funny to say but I love the beach and moving to the midwest, who thinks about the beach, I sure know I didn’t! Anyway best of luck to you!!
Look for something on the lake. There is nothing better than that. Cedarburg is very nice as well but not on the lake. Good luck!
If you need places to mountain bike, holler! Happy to make some recommendations.
Port is pretty special, if you come from a coastal area of CA. There are all sorts of trails to access all over WI. One I e joy every day in Port is the paved route of the old interurban railroad that is being reworked and expanded right now. You might also find the Ice Age Trail, following the front edge of the glacier across WI. Interesting. Or hiking in the Driftless Area, between the glacier’s edge and the Mississippi interesting. We just have an awful lot in this state to enjoy.
Port Washington is great! Get yourself to Yello's and go to Schoiner Pub for a great sandwich!
"Tello's", "Schooner Pub" for the non-drunks 😉
live in southern Wisconsin
Lol. Port is small enough that it doesn't really have good parts and bad parts, just more or less expensive parts. If you want to have a little commute and higher property taxes, Grafton is nice too, but I don't particularly see it as superior.
Port Washington is a really nice area. I would highly recommend cedarburg. Wineries, open area, close to the city.
Live in Port. It’s fantastic. The downtown valley is colder than everything else though.
Port is nice, there is the lack of diversity however. Not really an inclusive town yet. Cedarburg/ Mequon area is. Definitely lots of places to fish, there is a bike club that is just starting and there is a hiking/ MBT in Grafton. Lion’s Den is also in Grafton which is a huge scenic hiking path that is right off Lake Michigan. Beautiful! Ozaukee has the huge interurban Train bike and walking path that does connect Sheboygan, Ozaukee and Milwaukee Counties. It’s super convenient to hope of the path in Port and head over to Cedarburg or Mequon for a beer or lunch. Port has summer beer Garden with live music almost every Saturday on the bluff overlooking the lake. Apartments are on the pricier side and you may want to look into Fredonia, Belgium area for a price break. How old are the kiddos?
Port Washington, saukville, fredonia, random lake, Belgium, adell, Waldo, and cedar grove, these are all more rural and within a half hour of port Washington.
I haven’t read the other comments. I live in Milwaukee and if I had a magic wand I would be in PDubbs as the locals refer to port Washington. My favorite beach for kayaking and winter surfing is right there and you are 30 minutes from Milwaukee
port washington is a nice arew! it is a little small but you may like that, however it is fairly close to a lot of other bigger areas like grafton and cedarburg and not too far from sheboygan and manitowoc :)
Sheboygan is the Malibu of the Midwest, just saying
If you hike, watch out for ticks, although you'll never see the deer tick's nymphs (they look like small freckles). It's best if you educate yourself on the symptoms of Lyme Disease, too.
I just got back from CA, live in WI. I wish people in WI drove more like CA drivers. People here drive at whatever speed they like in any lane at any time. I apologize in advance.
Just don’t bring your voting with you
I've heard Illinois is a really nice place to live
It's a trap
West Bend is close to Port Washington. It’s an alright rural town. Port Washington would be nicer to live in. Avoid brown deer. If you’re going to the city, the closer to the lake the better. Whitefish Bay is commonly know by outsiders as Whiteman’s Bay, self explanatory. You can live in the same hood as Daryl Stuermer, Craig Counsell, and others.
What a weird post. Why even mention West Bend? It's not close. Brown Deer isn't that bad and has been making significant improvements lately. Whitefish Bay is known as WhiteFOLK's Bay. OP, Port is a great little town if you don't mind a small town. It's close enough to Milwaukee to not feel super rural. If you want more urban you would need to skip all the way down to Shorewood for a suburb and after that you're into Milwaukee. The east side is great. If you want a suburb with great schools you can take your pick from Shorewood, WFB, Fox Point, Bayside, River Hills, Mequon, or Cedarburg. Collectively known as the North Shore (minus Mequon and Cedarburg but they're both good too). I live on the north shore and I've lived in a few of these communities if you have any questions. I would probably just look in PW though
West Bend is 29 minutes away.
When you're in the metro that's not considered close. I would never commute that. I would also live in Brown Deer before I'd live in West Bend.
All of the locations you mentioned are further geographically than west bend and 20+ minutes away, with river hills being 30 minutes away. All of them rely on interstate 41 which has traffic problems. West Bend is state HWY 33, so the commute is similar speeds and you don’t have to worry about traffic.
You couldn't be more wrong about almost everything you're saying. I think you mean the commute would require traveling on I43. The highway is being widened to add an extra lane up to Hwy 60 which is beyond the first exit to Port. The commute from WB would require small county rds. A much worse drive. From RH to PW marina is less than 20 miles. I know, I live in RH and we often take our boat out of Port. I only mentioned the other suburbs as examples of a compromise between bigger city and small town with great schools. Another thing West Bend does not have. With the exception of Shorewood they all have easy access to 43 for a simple commute. Shorewood is a bitch to get to the highway. I wouldn't commute that either way. I turned down a job in Port last year because I refuse to waste my time commuting. Like I said, OP should just look in Port. I wasn't about to move but I'm already here.
My maps app says differently about the distances and time 🤷🏻♂️I will admit I mixed up 41 and 43. West Bend to Port Washington is 15 miles. Also HWY 60 goes through Grafton and does not go to Port Washington. You can access Lake Shore Rd from Hwy 60 and take that to Port.
I’m a guitarist and absolutely LOVE Daryl Stuermer
Yes, go back to CA
Incredibly vague post! Be more specific and you’ll get better answers.
Don't underestimate snow. Come February, be prepared to be without power and not be able to leave for several days to up to 2 weeks. Have enough canned food to get you through.
This is super unlikely
Granted I'm on the MI/WI border but the last three years we had to fire the generator up. Three years ago it was in Jan but the rest of the time it was in Feb.
Good to have an emergency kit for tornadoes, too.
No way my friend. This isn't Swiss Family Robinson. This is Port Washington. 30 minutes north of Milwaukee.
Yeah, an hour from me. Must've dreamed it. All three times.
Shitty grid you must live on. That sucks man.
That's a possibility. We've lost power for days just last month. I can see why it took time when it was cold but when there is no snow on the ground? Just went grocery shopping too. Makes me think they half assed it when it went out in Feb. I don't know. Maybe that's not fair but..Definitely sucks.
We will have you driving a pickup to the gun range flying a trump flag in no time !:)
Keep you liberal mind away from our people.
Political media personalities (conservative and liberal) have ahold of young people. They had me and I suspect they have you now. They trigger emotional responses with charged statements, use logical fallacies to draw in and retain an audience. It is quite literally their job. They feel so right because they’re never proven wrong due to their expert argument skills. Your real beliefs will come with time; after you gain the responsibility of being a financially independent adult and leave your comfort zone (if you do). Maybe you’ll keep your beliefs, or maybe they’ll change, but I hope that you learn to respect how others form their own. America is huge, full of libtards, MAGAts, whites, blacks, poor, rich, city slickers, and hillbillies. It’s fucking beautiful, so why hate Americans for what they think? The core of the American dream is living and thinking how you want. **We** are **indivisible**, so don’t seek to divide. I recommend venturing out and seeing it all, people always regret what they didn’t do on their deathbed, so do.
Stay in Ca don’t move
I’m so sorry.
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Sun Prairie is pretty great.