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I really don't understand why so many people have a problem with West Allis. I just overheard some kid tell his mom that he was embarassed that they were moving to West Allis. It's not the first time I've heard people make comments like this about West Allis. I don't get it. Someone please enlighten me.
30 Comments for "What's so wrong with West Allis?"
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[quote=my2kiddos]I really don't understand why so many people have a problem with West Allis. I just overheard some kid tell his mom that he was embarassed that they were moving to West Allis. It's not the first time I've heard people make comments like this about West Allis. I don't get it. Someone please enlighten me.[/quote]
I live in West Allis. I do have to admit, from living here all my life, the city has gone down a bit, there is more crime. Its not that I don't feel safe, but I am a bit more aware too. (It could also be that I am old and a mom too)
I love the location of the city. Its nice because you can get anywhere pretty quickly, downtown, miller park, north side, southside etc. I just wish the taxes weren't so much! -
[quote=skatemom]
I live in West Allis. I do have to admit, from living here all my life, the city has gone down a bit, there is more crime. Its not that I don't feel safe, but I am a bit more aware too. (It could also be that I am old and a mom too)
I love the location of the city. Its nice because you can get anywhere pretty quickly, downtown, miller park, north side, southside etc. I just wish the taxes weren't so much![/quote]
I also live in West Allis and I feel safer here than I would if I still lived in the Tosa neighborhood I grew up in. Talk about a city that's gone downhill and has more crime...we looked at living in Tosa, but we called the local plice departments and the crime rate was higher in Tosa than where I'm living in West Allis. Yet people still talk about Tosa as if it's the greatest city in the Milwaukee metro area and for some reason West Allis is a place that causes embarassement. I really truly just don't understand.
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[quote=my2kiddos]
I also live in West Allis and I feel safer here than I would if I still lived in the Tosa neighborhood I grew up in. Talk about a city that's gone downhill and has more crime...we looked at living in Tosa, but we called the local plice departments and the crime rate was higher in Tosa than where I'm living in West Allis. Yet people still talk about Tosa as if it's the greatest city in the Milwaukee metro area and for some reason West Allis is a place that causes embarassement. I really truly just don't understand.
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Yeah I see what you are saying. West Allis has "nicer" areas just like Tosa does, and they both have "not so great" areas too. (I am not saying the are terrible, but neighborhood crime is most prominent on the east side of town)
Maybe because WA was considered more of a blue collar town and Tosa is more of a shopping type?
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[quote=skatemom]
Yeah I see what you are saying. West Allis has "nicer" areas just like Tosa does, and they both have "not so great" areas too. (I am not saying the are terrible, but neighborhood crime is most prominent on the east side of town)
Maybe because WA was considered more of a blue collar town and Tosa is more of a shopping type?
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Yeah, I grew up on the east side of Tosa and the neighborhood has changed a lot, but it had its fair share of crime even back then. And the east side of West Allis definitely has it's issues as well. But when I looked at moving to Tosa the neighborhood I called on was actually on the north west side of town...and the crime there is terrible - much worse than on the west side of West Allis.
What do you mean by shopping type?
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I think it completely depends on the part of WA you live in. And as with any area, whether you live in an area with lots of rentals where the landlords often don't keep close tabs on what's going on vs an area with more homeowners. That seems to be the way it is is any city.
I lived in West Allis twice. Once (my first apartment), near 87th and Mitchell, then probably about 10 years later, when I temporarily separated from DH, near 63rd and Orchard. Both times I was glad to move away. The first time,I HATE this phrase, I usd it very infrequently b/c it's so offensive, like racial slurs, but the only phrase I can use to describe many of the people who lived around me was "white trash." There was litter all over their place, their kids would run around barefooted in dirty clothes and saggy diapers. People were constantly yelling, in their house, while they were getting into their cars, while they were cooking out. It was just constant swearing and yelling. And not just one family, but the entire area around me. My landlord was not great. The people in my building were just...gross. The guy downstairs would get his mail with just a t-shirt on, NOTHING else. Finally I moved to the east side when I got too tired of getting woken up by cops getting called to the area and the tenants smashing windows and shouting constant Fbombs and name calling like c**t, etc.
WHen I moved back to WA, it was b/c it was all I could afford. I would have loved to live on the south or west side of WA, but this place was affordable for me. Just the general attitude of people in the area was ignorant, obnoxious, disheveled (it was weird how so few of the neighbors had any pride in their houses, I guess the ones who took care of their houses were the homeowners and the shoddy looking houses were probably rentals), loud cars, loud motorcycles, bars galore (doesn't WA have the honor of having more taverns per square mile than anywhere in the US? That may be an urban myth).
Now I live in the city of Milwaukee but I get the Greenfield/West Allis Now. The crime report pages of the two areas are quite different, much more crime in WA, and where almost no violent crimes are reported for Greenfield, there is violent crimes for WA.
I told DH when we look for a new place I will NEVER look at a place in West Allis. -
[quote=jbuendia68]I think it completely depends on the part of WA you live in. And as with any area, whether you live in an area with lots of rentals where the landlords often don't keep close tabs on what's going on vs an area with more homeowners. That seems to be the way it is is any city.
I lived in West Allis twice. Once (my first apartment), near 87th and Mitchell, then probably about 10 years later, when I temporarily separated from DH, near 63rd and Orchard. Both times I was glad to move away. The first time,I HATE this phrase, I usd it very infrequently b/c it's so offensive, like racial slurs, but the only phrase I can use to describe many of the people who lived around me was "white trash." There was litter all over their place, their kids would run around barefooted in dirty clothes and saggy diapers. People were constantly yelling, in their house, while they were getting into their cars, while they were cooking out. It was just constant swearing and yelling. And not just one family, but the entire area around me. My landlord was not great. The people in my building were just...gross. The guy downstairs would get his mail with just a t-shirt on, NOTHING else. Finally I moved to the east side when I got too tired of getting woken up by cops getting called to the area and the tenants smashing windows and shouting constant Fbombs and name calling like c**t, etc.
I [/quote]
Heck we were almost neighbors.....I lived on 89th & Mitchell. And yes, that area has a little pocket of crappy landlords and bad tenants. We only lasted a year. We moved less than a mile away and its much better.
I agree with the "white trash" sentiment although the term is bad. I agree, I think with the east end being more duplex's & rentals that people don't take care of their homes etc. and don't take pride in their neighborhood. I know the city has tried forcing people to clean up their properties and at least some of it like the Six Points projects have been nice. I won't shop at the PNS on 68th & National because of past incidents, (there was a recent abduction attempt) I will drive out to the PNS in Tosa or Brookfield before I step in that store.
It also doesn't help that the taxes in WA are so high. We have friends in Waukesha County that have MUCH bigger houses, yards and their taxes are either cheaper or the same as ours. We continue to stay because its close to work & school, and we bought my parents house, so we got a good deal. :B
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[quote=my2kiddos]
What do you mean by shopping type?
[/quote]
WA has always been know as a blue collar town (even though most industry has left) and Tosa seems to be more suburban focused on shopping areas etc. I know tosa does have some industry but that I don't think is what its known for. -
I grew up in west allis, when I was younger we lived near 64th and national, back then (the 80's early 90's) it was a very nice area, now I drive through every once in awhile and it is, to put it nicely, a crap hole, people don't care about their propertys, etc. In high school we lived near hwy 100 and national, this still is a great neighborhood, so not all of west allis is "bad" but there are also other reasons, such as taxes and they are also real pains in the tush about getting permits and inspections, etc there. It was funny in high school, if you lived lower than 92nd you were considered the "white trash" kids and 92nd and up you were the snotty rich kids!
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I wouldn't want to live on 63rd and anything in West Allis. But I also wouldn't live on 61st and North in Tosa or 107th and Capital. I guess I just don't understand why all of West Allis gets labeled as trashy when it's really only limited to a particular area. We don't label Tosa that way so why West Allis? Dolphinjen - have you ever driven around on the west side of West Allis, or looked into the crime rate in neighborhoods on the west side of West Allis? I live in a great neighborhood and yes the taxes are outrageous, but thats the Milwaukee county affect not West Allis...Tosa taxes are just as high if not higher.
It just bugs me because I have a nice house in a nice neighborhood and I hate feeling judged when I tell people I live in West Allis. Once I overheard a conversation a woman was having about how her friends dog ran away and the woman she was talking to actually said..."well, if I lived in West Allis I'd run away too." I just don't understand it. -
You are not alone. I think people from Cudahy probably have some of the same experiences as the folks in West Allis. Both towns have great and not-so-great areas.
Growing up in a North Shore suburb, I thought everything south of Capital Dr was "iffy" to live in. Now I'm a South Side convert, and I love it.
Help people change their minds by showing them the nicities of West Allis, like that groovy Farmer's Market and the great food at Kegel's. -
I, too, grew up in WA, moved away when I got married to be closer to where my hubby and I worked, but my parents and sister still live near State Fair park. I love it there. I don't find our area to be anything other than very family oriented. One thing I miss about living where I am now is the closeness we had with our neighbors. Block parties, impromtu get togethers, everyone playing in everyone else's yards. It was a great place to grow up. Maybe it is seen as a blue collar area. That's no slight to me. We were a blue collar family. And I am proud of it :) My dad was very hard worker and I appreciate him all the more for it. On top of that, I didn't grow up in an area where you had to feel pressure to have the latest styles, a new car on your 16th birthday, live in giant houses. We all were just happy with what we had. I think that plays a lot into how we raise our kids now. If people didn't have the advantage of growing up the way that I did, I guess they would make snobby comments about WA.
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I live in WA now but will be moving to Greenfield end of October. While looking to buy our house, I didn't want to live in WA due to the fact of one, the taxes, and two how the neighborhoods are starting to get. I actually label the PNS on 68th as the "Ghetto Pick" and people know which one I'm referring to. The neighborhood I live in now, near 84th & Lincoln, is starting to get scary. A guy behind us committed suicide last year and our neighbors have the police there once a week. Just can't wait, one more month until closing. ;)
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[quote=my2kiddos] Dolphinjen - have you ever driven around on the west side of West Allis, or looked into the crime rate in neighborhoods on the west side of West Allis? [/quote]
YOu mean be the park, near Hale? It is very, very nice. I agree with you. I was just trying to explain what my opinion of the areas I lived in were, and why people might have certain opinions. The bad stuff in the police reports in the NOW section are almost always on the Northeast side of WA.
[quote=my2kiddos]It just bugs me because I have a nice house in a nice neighborhood and I hate feeling judged when I tell people I live in West Allis. Once I overheard a conversation a woman was having about how her friends dog ran away and the woman she was talking to actually said..."well, if I lived in West Allis I'd run away too." I just don't understand it. [/quote]
I would be really hurt too. You don't want people to cut on your home (the city you live in, not your house). That was mean what that lady said. Sorry you heard that.
I agree with the person who said it's good not to be one of the kids who gets whatever they want whenever they want. Totally agree with that. I don't aspire to live in a "ritzy" neighborhood. I like my neighborhood, but I want a place with a basement and garage!
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I think in the last 20 years we all have our impressions, (which is mainly based on rental value) but I think the source of most of our impressions stems from the manner in which these neighborhoods were developed. Remember, before there were so many people in Milwaukee there were impressions that the families had of the people that settled and developed each area. Talk with anyone nearing 70+ and you will hear common impressions (these are the terms I've grown up hearing, not my own words): Bayside: Jews, Northside: Blacks, Southside: Catholics, NEast: Hippies, SEast: poor industry workers, West Allis has become a messy combo of every ethnic cluter with little zoning law and too many rentals to hold property value.
In my experience I was raised in a conservative south side area. It was expected that, if you were close to your roots you would buy a very nice house within walking distance to your parents, or upgrade into Oak Creek or Franklin. Why would you move all the way to West Allis?? Also, in my personal experience I found out recently that both my first boyfriend and my husband's first girlfriend recently had their homes (separate) foreclosed on just 4 blocks from each other in West Allis. To me, it seems like my peers with the most problems and party life landed in West Allis.
Then you have the investment value: If you want to buy a rental property you won't find much in Oak Creek and Franklin, Greenfield and Greendale have too many codes, Cud. and St Francis? Unless they are public workers why would you rent when you can buy a nice house for cheep? Renters will trash your place.
West Allis is the perfect rental hub. Owners can live their nice lives in New Berlin, Waukesha, etc. and still drive in to deal with their properties. Landlords don't do extra to the houses. So, I think many of the houses are not showing pride of ownership. Houses are too close together, the city has little green space and the strangest borders. How can you take pride in your town if you don't know when you are walking in or out of it?
JMO -
[quote=newmomin2008]You are not alone. I think people from Cudahy probably have some of the same experiences as the folks in West Allis. Both towns have great and not-so-great areas. [/quote]
I completely agree. I live in Cudahy - was born and raised here. I've lived out of state twice and actually chose to move back here. At one point I lived on Lake Drive in the northeast corner of the city. It's absolutely beautiful there! DH and I love living by the lake, taking DS to Sheridan Park, my neighborhood park is adorable, Grant Park is awesome, we're so close to Bay View...date night on KK, We've got a YMCA, Canfora Bakery for ham and rolls is right down 794, Betty Brinn is a hop skip and a jump over the Hoan, I can make it into the Grand Ave Mall parking garage in 12 minutes. I think the stereotype of Cudahy really ruined my cute little suburb. I'm really crossing my fingers that it is on the up and up. Business along KK is moving south...can't wait for the Rosebud to open up!
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