I may have to move from Chicago to Milwaukee and I am wondering where would be the best place to live up there as far as training is concerned. Excellent access to running trails/path, good bike routes and pool/health club will be one of our most important decision making factors. We also have two dogs that like to run with us. Suburbs are ok but we don’t want to be too isolated, coming from downtown Chicago. Looking at a map, some of the northern parts of Milwaukee along the Lake seem quite nice. Any input about neighborhoods and the local Tri/run scene are greatly appreciated.
I’m in the Madison area but do know that the Tri-Wisconsin club is huge in the Milwaukee area. You may want to check out these websites and try to contact people in the Milwaukee area. Western suburbs are great too - rolling hills with good bike routes, running trails, health club pools, etc.
I used to live in downtown Milwaukee and Lakeshore Drive running north is a pretty good bike route, so any of the towns along there are great depending on the thickness of your wallet. There is also a multi-use trail the parallels the lake a little futher in, and is pretty good for long runs. As far as living downtown, east side is still nice but it looks to me like Wisconsin Avenue is in decline compared to 15 years ago when I lived there.
“Suburbs are ok but we don’t want to be too isolated”
Your moving to Milwaukee… haha.
Mini expat is right. You’re moving to Milwaukee. I was in your same situation 2 years ago. I used to live at Irving Park and Sheridan just north of Wrigley. I really liked downtown chicago. Unfortunately, downtown Milwaukee will not be the vibrant urban landscape that you’re used to. The place can be a ghostown in some areas it seems to me. I chose not live downtown but moved out to the suburbs. I still work downtown (and once and a while go out downtown) however. I moved to Waukesha which is a blue collar kind of suburb west of the city. I live exactly in between 43 and 94 so my commute is pretty inconvenient to downtown. typically this is 40min for me each way door-to-door, but being closer to 94 allows some people to do this in around 25min. I like Waukesha county though. There are some county parks with really nice trail runs, and empty farm country roads are nearly everywhere. The bonus living further out too is that the Southern Kettle Morraine is close by giving you more trail runs, and incredible good MTB. If you stick to the road, you’ll have non-stop rollers. Just north of Waukesha county you have the Pike Lake SP/ Holy Hill area to ride in. It’s nice up in that area as well. I just bought land in Hartland so I’m looking forward to exploring a bit more up that way. Workout facilities? Oconomowoc supposedly has an incredible new Y, but there is bunch of Y’s here and there. There is a couple nice private facilities in Brookfield and one right on 94 called Westwood. (I don’t belong to any club myself).
Good luck. Whatever you choose try to get a feel for it by checking each place out at different times of day/days of the week. I think you’ll appreciate the opportunity to move up here. I’ve been really happy with the move. Don’t even get me started on how much I pay in taxes though.
I lived in Milwaukee for 3 years. Whitefish Bay, to be exact. That’s one of the northern lake-bound suburbs you were talking about.
I would poo-poo the idea of living out West. More traffic. More ‘suburban’ feel. The only thing you’ve got going for you out there is more strip malls. 
Training-wise, the North Shore (Whitefish Bay, Shorewood, Milwaukee’s ‘east side’, etc) is pretty cool. All you have to do is head north on Lake to get to the country roads. There are some decent trails too. Traffic isn’t too bad.
Socially, no, it’s not hopping 24/7, but the ‘East Side’ of Milwaukee is still pretty cool. Most of the North Shore towns are only 5-10 minutes from the East Side. And you won’t feel like you’re in suburbia.
TriWisconsin is a huge group. They range from elites (Terry Labinski and Heather Gollnick either were or are TriWis members) to the slowest of slow. Club participation is high, so there are always people to train with.
I thought it was gonna be terrible when I moved there. I miss it these days.
Thanks guys, I’ll be up there this wknd to check it out. Northern suburbs sound pretty nice. Ia m not looking for major nitelife, just some restaurants and Starbucks is all I need. I am so sick and tired of the bad roads and traffic in Chicago. Any idea where TRI WI usually trains?
Okay, this thread has been dead for awhile…but I may be finding myself in a similar situation, however coming from Mpls.
Any additiaonl information about places to live, neighborhoods would be great. I’ve been hearing rumours of a revitalized downtown area (which would suit me)…is this the kind of town where you could find a cycling route out of downtown and still get some good mile in?
Additionally, any information on other basic logistics like gyms, restaurants, etc. would be really helpful!
I don’t live in Milwaukee or WI, but my family lives in WI while I’m in IL. I have researched a possible relocation to WI, including the Milwaukee area.
The north shore suburbs, particularly Whitefish Bay, Shorewood, Fox Point, Bayside and Glendale – of Milwaukee are very nice. They are right on / near the lake, access to various bike trails and parks on the lake, close to downtown Milwaukee (which is revitalizing). They are close to UW-Milwaukee, which brings a university town feel to the area as well. Just drive around those neighborhoods and you will see the activity and life, you’ll see lots of people out running, playing, etc. and many cyclists riding the lake shore road. You have easy access to open, rural roads just north and northwest of the area…Because of the lake and activity the area has a similar feel of some of the small coastal towns on the east coast and to a lesser degree on the west coast, but with the obvious difference in weather and mid-western culture. The schools in the area are great and Nicolet HS is considered one of the best in the state…
The housing market is good. Those suburbs are a little pricey for some, but very reasonable if you are coming from a more expensive area…you can find a 3 - 4 bedroom, 2+ bath, 2000 - 2,500 + sqf nice home in the mid $300K to mid $400K range within blocks of the lake…many nicer, older homes with updates and old character in that range – for a little less ($250K - mid $300K) you will find a lot of nicer homes as well. If yo have the money and can spend over $500K - $750k+ you might be able to park yourself on or within spitting / viewing distance of the lake…Use this site to search that area: http://www.firstweber.com/
Further north in Port Washingon is nice as well, but you will get more of an isolated small town fee in PW…still a very nice place.
Caution – Milwaukee is not Chicago from social / cultural standpoint…although it might be similar to Minneapolis / St/ Paul.
Hope this helps…
MKE is in the midst of a HUUUGE growth spurt right now, and urban vibrant living is precisely how I would describe it. The east side, which is north of downtown, and the villages of Shorewood and Whitefish Bay are very nice if you want to be on the Lake and near downtown, but live in a neighborhood. Right now the thing to do is live in a condo along the Milwaukee River or Lake Michigan. There are really nice areas just south of downtown as well.
Whoever added input from living here 15 years ago probably wouldn’t recognise the city anymore. There is new construction EVERYWHERE (and honestly I can’t fathom where all this cash came from, but it sure is nice). Milwaukee is a gem. Has to be experienced to understand I suppose. Put your Laverne ideas to bed, that is just not what it’s like. Our International Film Fest is occurring right now and although this year didn’t do much for me personally, it’s still great to have. My only complaint these days is the lack of smoke-free joints but as a former Chicago club disciple, the nightlife here is 100x less cheesey and personally, I’m pretty happy here. Training…like almost anywhere, once you get to know the areas, training oppurtunities blossom. Just outside milwaukee we do have a large area called the Kettle Moraine, essentially a geologically-speaking-recent remnant of glacial activity - very hilly, wooded, different terrain, beautiful. It’s pretty unique. If you move to the remote burbs and hate it, you asked for it.
(img src=http://www.photography-plus.com/images/Milwaukee/Milwaukee080504_32.jpg)
i haven’t posted an image on a website in a long time i hope this works. looks like i really couldn’t remember how to do that…argh
Tri-Wis trains everywhere! A LOT of people ride the Lincoln Memorial Drive to Lake drive route, just keep going north. Due to Lake Michigan on your right (heading north), there are not many 4-way intersections and you don’t really have to stop much…and the speed limits are 25-35. It is VERY conveniant and the roads are pretty good. Not upstate NY good, but definitely better than most city streets.
I ride that way and also further west, to get REALLY remote, really fast. I guess you’ll just have to check out the city, fall in love, join the team and become privy to the secret routes!
I live in Wauwatosa and have an easy time training, love the forward-thinking community, solid schools, great cafes, less suburbish.
North Shore (Whitefish Bay, Fox Point)-- Nice area, higher prices.
TriWisconsin is the big triathlon club here. Lots of fun, plenty of members, great group rides, etc.
My vote is for Wauwatosa or Elm Grove if you don’t need the lake.
Good Luck.
Depending on how far out of the city you would go, I’d recommend Pewaukee (West suburb). It has a great downtown with good restaurants and things to do. The main street in Pewaukee goes right by Pewaukee lake which has a nice beach and is a perfect place for open water swims. Across the street from the lake is Transition, a great bike/tri shop that is a huge supporter of the local tri scene. The nicest health club in the area is Westwood, maybe 5 minutes from downtown Pewaukee. Good schools, nice neighborhoods - very safe. and VERY close to miles and miles of beautiful country roads with lots of hills and nice road conditions. It probably takes me 25 minutes to get downtown Milwaukee if there isn’t much traffic. Last night it took 40, but it was two hours before a Brewer’s game so traffic was pretty heavy during rush hour. We don’t consider it a big deal to drive to Milwaukee for a new restaurant or something different, but the longer I live out west, the more I realize there are great restaurants and things out here and I don’t need to drive to Milwaukee as much. Or maybe I’m just getting old!
“Ia m not looking for major nitelife, just some restaurants and Starbucks is all I need.”
What? You’re not moving to the Yukon Territory. I can’t believe you honestly made that statement. BTW, nobody actually moves into the city of Milwaukee on purpose 
chris
North shore has good biking & running routes along the lake. However, if you want quick access to hills for biking, west is the way to go.
We bought in Wauwatosa because it is pretty central to everything and has solid schools. When I worked downtown, my commute was 20-25 minutes in heavy traffic, much less on nights and weekends. We did not know when we bought where my wife might end up working b/c she was still in school. Because Waukesha has as many jobs in her field as Milwaukee county, it made sense to look someplace central to the region rather than on the eastern or western edges of the area (a commute from the north shore to Waukesha county, or vice versa, would not be fun).
Plus, there is a multi-use paved trail and a newly-legal 2.5 mile MTB loop literally across the street from my house. Who could ask for more?
“Whoever added input from living here 15 years ago probably wouldn’t recognise the city anymore”
That’s too bad. I loved Milwaukee for it’s quirks. I experienced a fun city that built its character on beer and sausage, Harley Davidson, segregated neighborhoods, bad government, and lousy sports teams that get sell-outs anyway. The day they replaced County Stadium was the start of the end of what made Milwaukee unique. I say for every high-rise they build downtown they should have to build another brewery…at least bring back the classic ones.
i know i know! i loved county stadium. ack. the quirks are still there, unfortunately the quirks are becoming celebrities of their own legacy (smoky dirty south side bars haven’t changed, but now they’re “trendy” go figure)…i dont’ know how to say that other than it’s cool to be “throwback milwaukee” when it should just be the way it is! the state of the state i suppose…Wisconsin Ave got really cleaned up by the way, still kinda ghostown-ish
ppl trashing any city have most likely never lived in said city.
And the best part is when you move here and join Tri WI you can come see me for massage and Chiro18 for Chiropractic~!
I’m on the Board for TriWisconsin. We have endeavored to expand significantly in the last couple years. This year, we brought on all four of the major bike/tri shops in the Milwaukee area as sponsors, which also expanded our training area. Check out our website for more details – www.triwisconsin.org.
Here are some examples:
Monday night open water swim in Pewaukee Lake (access to Transition Cycle for locker rooms, showers, etc.) - West Side
Nearly every morning of the week, Monday, Wed, Fri nights, Sat and Sun mornings, open water swim in Lake Michigan at Klode Park in Whitefish Bay (North Side)
Saturday morning group rides out of the Southwest YMCA - South side
Wednessday runs from the Petit Ice Center (US National Training Center), in the winter, we run on the huge indoor track - Central
Thursday night runs and core classes from InStep Running - Downtown
During winter, we have computrainer workouts at Transition (Pewaukee - West Side) and Crank Daddys (Downtown)
During the winter, we have master swim classes on Monday (west side) and Tuesday (north side).
I live on the south side. I chose this area b/c it has access to the Oak Leaf Trail (biking and running) and easy access to limitless miles of country roads. I have several routes that take me from the Franklin area out and around Lake Geneva and back. I love this area.
The tri scene is getting very big in this area. We have over 350 members. We are in the process of exploring the possibility of putting on two new races next summer – Sprint, Oly, and Half. We are looking at doing one in Pewaukee and one at the Summerfest Grounds downtown. Still in the very, very early stages, but, we are starting to get things in place.
Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions or want more info.
Hi Matt,
I echo everything you said. could you contact me to reschedule appointment. Your office worker scheduled me for a monday—a day you were apparently off, doing your 150 milers or something. also, check out a thread i have going of training groups. surprising amount of interest for the westside.
dan mitchell