Author Topic: Wisconsin vs Paris  (Read 11760 times)

MrsK

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Wisconsin vs Paris
« on: April 07, 2015, 05:10:20 PM »
So my DH is now 14 months from retirement from the military.  We want to relocate to a state that will not tax his military pay.  Wisconsin is one of those states and he has family there.  I am French, moved to the U.S. when I was in my twenties and have lived in HI, CA, FL, Spain, and the DC area as a military spouse.  I have been to Wisconsin once, several years ago in the winter.  I remember I liked the beer.

I am trying to get my head around this move and our FIRE lifestyle.  I will continue to work from home, but we absolutely have to move to a lower cost area if we want to be a FIRE and semi-FIRE couple.  I guess I had always hoped we could retire in France--one of those fantasies I never shared with my DH and as it costs too much and my DH doesn't speak French, Wisconsin it is!

Any pro-Wisconsin people out there who can tell me all of the great things I will love?  Is the cheese really that good? 

I do want to garden and we want to live on/near a lake. We have $250K saved for a house (we have never owned a house before!!)
I have been looking near Rhinelander and you can get a large lot on a lake for $150K.  Are there other great small towns just waiting for a French invasion? 

pagoconcheques

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2015, 05:41:56 PM »
I had always hoped we could retire in France--one of those fantasies I never shared with my DH and as it costs too much and my DH doesn't speak French, Wisconsin it is!

This is an excellent time to share this fantasy with your spouse!  You learned English, he can learn French.  Assuming you are a French citizen, you can easily move to France and live your "moustache" lifestyle there.  As your spouse, he can get a work permit. 

It's wise to establish residency in a state with no income tax and that has preferential treatment for military pensions.  See http://www.rapidtax.com/blog/states-that-dont-tax-military-retirement-pay/#.VSRqvPnF-Ck but do your own research as well.   Become residents of the state you wish to be your tax residence before you move abroad. 

fartface

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2015, 05:54:35 PM »
Uh...Rhinelander? You'd better visit here first before deciding. Yikes!

expatartist

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #3 on: April 07, 2015, 06:03:41 PM »
Ack! No! Wisconsin!?
As someone who spent 15+ years in a neighboring state (MN, Twin Cities), the Upper Midwest is affordable but its winters are brutal, and it feels very very SMALL.
/endrant

I know you wanted to hear from pro-Wisconsin people so will stop there.
Paris is insanely expensive, but what about other parts of France? Or the EU? COL in areas like southern Italy and the French countryside can be comparable - or lower - than in Wisconsin. (Or if you're looking for really really cheap, my friend in Bulgaria's bought a house with land for ~$10K, and she and her DH live on ~15K together every year). Our plan is to buy a flat or house in Palermo for ~50K Euro eventually. COL is quite low there too.

You two have a lot of options, more than just a binary of Paris-Wisconsin!

forummm

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #4 on: April 07, 2015, 06:22:32 PM »
Knowing people from Wisconsin has taught me that the culture there is: eat cheese, eat meat, drink beer, love everything Wisconsin, and be very cold for a long time. I would visit a place before you decide to buy property or move there permanently. It's very different than Paris. Maybe you'll like it. Maybe you'll hate it.

Eric

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #5 on: April 07, 2015, 06:28:04 PM »
I've always thought the Northern half of Wisconsin was beautiful.  And so many lakes, you'll have no problem getting lakefront property if that's what you want.  The winters are cold, sure, but that's why you snow shoe/ski/mobile or ice skate.

Uh...Rhinelander? You'd better visit here first before deciding. Yikes!

What's wrong with Rhinelander?

richschmidt

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #6 on: April 07, 2015, 06:39:52 PM »
My wife is from Wisconsin, and my inlaws still live there, just outside Wisconsin Dells. It's beautiful... but cold, as has been mentioned.

We live in Valparaiso, Indiana, which is about a two hour drive south of Milwaukee and a one hour drive east. Even here, the winter can seem long sometimes.

I've visited Paris three times now. We look forward to going back. It would be fun to live there for a summer or a year. But I don't think we could retire that far from family.

Which takes us back to Wisconsin. Your DH has family there. That might trump all weather or metropolitan considerations. :)

So... Determine what is most important to you when deciding where in Wisconsin you want to live. If you want to be close to city activities, you'll want to be in or near Milwaukee... which really isn't too far from Chicago. Between those two cities, there's a world of fun to be had. Summer festivals, professional sports, theater, concerts, etc, etc, etc. If the lake and natural beauty is more your thing, then central or northern Wisconsin might be your best bet.

And who knows? Perhaps Wisconsin will be your US residence, and you'll spend half your year in Paris...

fartface

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #7 on: April 07, 2015, 06:45:13 PM »
I have lived in Wisconsin for 40+ years. If I had to relocate...these are my top choices to live. I've also included some wonderful places to visit should you stop by.

Lots of amenities (parks, lakes, bike/walking paths) and good school districts:
Madison
Oconomowoc/Pewaukee
Cedarburg/Grafton/Mequon
Germantown
Franklin/Muskego
Kohler
Prescott (confluence of St. Croix & Mississippi)
River Falls/Hudson (MN border)
LaCrosse
Green Bay

IF you visit...check out:
Lake Geneva
Wisconsin Dells
Door County (Lake Michigan)
Wyalusing/Prairie du Chien (confluence of the Wisconsin & Mississippi)
Waupaca

The most beautiful parts of the state are west (along the Mississippi River). Where I live (suburban Milwaukee) winters are pretty mild in comparison to the Northern part of the state. These past two winters were brutal; however, I remember YEARS and YEARS when we'd barely have any snow. People around here drive 4 hours north in January/February just to go snowmobiling...

MrsK

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #8 on: April 07, 2015, 06:54:09 PM »
Thank you for your replies.  Do you know much about Burnett county?  This is where my DH has some family.  I like the pictures of Yellow Lake, but agree that perhaps I should visit again before we make more plans. 

At this point, I think retiring in Wisconsin is a done deal.  I am of the opinion that I can love any place if I try hard enough. 


JLR

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #9 on: April 08, 2015, 05:47:43 AM »
Wow. You sound so flexible and willing to give it a good try. I wish you all the best. :)

James

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #10 on: April 08, 2015, 06:30:50 AM »
I am in Rice Lake Wisconsin.

I interviewed in Rhinlander, it is beautiful and I have a co-worker who lives there now. I wouldn't personally live there, too far away from everything, but if that's what you want it would work. COL is pretty low as you noticed.

The cold and long winter are only an issue if you don't like it. If you get out in the cold and enjoy it, then it's not a down side. But if you spend the entire winter in doors waiting for spring, then it's a very big down side and greatly affects your health and well being.

You can get a shorter winter by living further south in WI, and you can be close to the twin cities if you want a big city. It's not a bad place to be, though I hope to move away at some point myself. :)

rubybeth

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #11 on: April 08, 2015, 06:39:52 AM »
Not Wisconsin, but Minnesota born and lived all of my life in the midwest. And I've visited Paris. :)

It sounds like you are flexible enough to be happy wherever you are, which is a true mustachian trait which I applaud. I also liked to believe that I could live anywhere as long as I was with my husband, and then I interviewed for a job in Ocala, Florida. ;)

I would suggest visiting and maybe renting for a year before deciding where to buy a house. You are correct that housing costs are low. You could likely have a very nice house with a lot of amenities that would keep you entertained during the long winters (I'm thinking in-home theatre and hot tub would be an amazing combo!). Also, take up winter activities like cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or at least get used to bundling up and walking where you can. I find that getting outside, especially on sunny days, is important. I don't complain about the weather, because I choose to live here and actually enjoy snow.

James

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #12 on: April 08, 2015, 07:19:32 AM »
My earlier comment was a little bland, let me be more specific... :)

The beer is really awesome, lots of small breweries and more on the way. I mostly drink WI beer, no reason to drink anything else. The cheese is certainly great, especially the specialty cheeses, though you have to find the good stuff, it isn't everywhere.

The people are pretty great, I grew up in MN and there is definitely a Midwest "Minnesota nice" vibe going on here as well. Small towns will take a good while to feel a part of it, but once you make friends they will be good friends.

Lots of small great towns to consider, places like Hayward aren't cheap, but they have a lot of amenities and are closer to major towns than something like Rhinelander. Duluth is awesome if you like a unique but larger town, so living close to that area would be nice. The Bayfield area has a lot of character, and access to Lake Superior is great. Madison is more expensive, but is a great college city with a vibrant community and more liberal vibe than the conservative rural areas. (not that politics is a big deal, just fyi) If you wanted you can get really close to the cities, Stillwater or Hutson areas are really vibrant and close to Twin Cities, while still being "Wisconsin" so you get the tax benefits, etc.

I don't know as much about eastern WI, but a lot of nice areas over there also. I would avoid Milwaukee and Green Bay areas, the weather might be nicer but the COL is higher and quality of life lower in my opinion.

Hope that helps, and let us know where you end up. My wife would definitely choose Paris, she has been studying French for years and would love to visit soon, but you will certainly be better off financially here.

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #13 on: April 08, 2015, 07:43:49 AM »
I grew up in the Milwaukee suburbs.  Wisconsin is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful places in the country to live.  The lush green rolling hills in summer are tough to beat.  We did visit Rhinelander one summer when I was a kid, and rented a cabin on a lake.  It was a very long time ago, but I remember liking it a lot.

One thing to consider is how you would be spending your time.  If you see yourself spending every day on the water, and you aren't as interested in night life or cultural stuff, then rural Wisconsin sounds great.  If, on the other hand, you'd like to go to more frequent concerts, then you should pick a place closer to a city, and visit northern WI for vacation.

pbkmaine

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #14 on: April 08, 2015, 08:10:36 AM »
I spent a few winters in Maine, and went to college in upstate NYC, so I have some experience with cold winters. The trick is to find a few winter sports that you really enjoy. Think about ice skating, snowshoeing, skiing (both cross-country and downhill), ice hockey, ice fishing. Curling is very big in the upper Midwest, and looks like fun. The other thing is to have the right clothes. Forget cute and fashionable. You need a down coat with a hood and good, warm boots with treads.   You will be able to find those items in abundance in local thrift shops in season. Also think about snow tires for the car. They really make a difference. Don't stay indoors in the winter! Get out and learn to love the weather, and you will be fine.

Capsu78

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #15 on: April 08, 2015, 08:21:10 AM »
As a FIB who lives on the south side of the Cheese Line, I will give props to the gardeners and gardens I have seen in Wisconsin.  My SIL father even grows grapes and makes a drinkable wine we all refer to as swill. 

Bob W

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #16 on: April 08, 2015, 08:35:01 AM »
I think that older couples in Wisconsin are looking to retire in more southern climes.

Why so limited?

If you interested check out our hood at Lake of the Ozarks Missouri.     You could easily buy a nice lake front home for 150K.   The weather is a solid 4 seasons with the spring and fall being decent temperature wise.   Lots of retired folks head south for the winters here as well.    COL is very low and our state taxes would more than make up for your property taxes in Wisconsin.   For example,  a lake front home here in the 150K range would likely have annual taxes of $700.  Income tax is 6% but that is only on the upper ends of income of course. 

Lots of military retire here.   Fort Leonard Wood is about a 1 hour drive if your concerned about being near a military base. 

People are very friendly here and there are opportunities for full or part time continuation of work.  Someone with a 3K pension and a paid off house would be living pretty high of the hog here. 

If you're into camping or hiking our state is rated number one in both categories.  Hunting and fishing is big too.  We camp comfortably temperature wise from April through October. 

So yeah look around a little and don't consider income tax as the only tax.  Property tax is huge in many states.   

MrsK

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #17 on: April 08, 2015, 09:22:48 AM »
My earlier comment was a little bland, let me be more specific... :)

The beer is really awesome, lots of small breweries and more on the way. I mostly drink WI beer, no reason to drink anything else. The cheese is certainly great, especially the specialty cheeses, though you have to find the good stuff, it isn't everywhere.

The people are pretty great, I grew up in MN and there is definitely a Midwest "Minnesota nice" vibe going on here as well. Small towns will take a good while to feel a part of it, but once you make friends they will be good friends.

Lots of small great towns to consider, places like Hayward aren't cheap, but they have a lot of amenities and are closer to major towns than something like Rhinelander. Duluth is awesome if you like a unique but larger town, so living close to that area would be nice. The Bayfield area has a lot of character, and access to Lake Superior is great. Madison is more expensive, but is a great college city with a vibrant community and more liberal vibe than the conservative rural areas. (not that politics is a big deal, just fyi) If you wanted you can get really close to the cities, Stillwater or Hutson areas are really vibrant and close to Twin Cities, while still being "Wisconsin" so you get the tax benefits, etc.

I don't know as much about eastern WI, but a lot of nice areas over there also. I would avoid Milwaukee and Green Bay areas, the weather might be nicer but the COL is higher and quality of life lower in my opinion.

Hope that helps, and let us know where you end up. My wife would definitely choose Paris, she has been studying French for years and would love to visit soon, but you will certainly be better off financially here.

This is so helpful!  I am hoping that I can recreate what I love about France in Wisconsin.  I bike, I bake, I like to invite neighbors over for wine . . .  I think the politics comment is somewhat important.  Because I have an accent, I have found that sometimes there are people who think I am a socialist (which I am!) and of course the jokes about the French running away from battles.  And in the U.S. I have found that the people in DC and CA for example find my being French interesting, while my husband's relatives--who have visited often enough, seem always compelled to tell me why America is better than France.  So I don't know if that is a Wisconsin thing, or a small town in Wisconsin thing.

The low cost of living is the driver.  We do the numbers and keep coming up with "we will be so rich in Wisconsin!" 

I think the idea of renting for a year is a good one.  I am thinking that my DH is so excited for his FIRE, that he has the rose-colored glasses on about living in a cold climate (after 24 years of not!) and about living so close to his mother.  I can see some issues with this, but he is in his happy place about retirement, so I feel like i need to be the voice of reason without stepping on his dreams. 

MrsK

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #18 on: April 08, 2015, 09:29:19 AM »
I think that older couples in Wisconsin are looking to retire in more southern climes.

Why so limited?

If you interested check out our hood at Lake of the Ozarks Missouri.     You could easily buy a nice lake front home for 150K.   The weather is a solid 4 seasons with the spring and fall being decent temperature wise.   Lots of retired folks head south for the winters here as well.    COL is very low and our state taxes would more than make up for your property taxes in Wisconsin.   For example,  a lake front home here in the 150K range would likely have annual taxes of $700.  Income tax is 6% but that is only on the upper ends of income of course. 

Lots of military retire here.   Fort Leonard Wood is about a 1 hour drive if your concerned about being near a military base. 

People are very friendly here and there are opportunities for full or part time continuation of work.  Someone with a 3K pension and a paid off house would be living pretty high of the hog here. 

If you're into camping or hiking our state is rated number one in both categories.  Hunting and fishing is big too.  We camp comfortably temperature wise from April through October. 

So yeah look around a little and don't consider income tax as the only tax.  Property tax is huge in many states.

Thank you for this.  One thing about Wisconsin is the lack of a commissary and base.  This is an issue because if you have Tricare or Tricare for Life (called "Just-Try-to-Get-Care" by some of our friends who have already retired) many, many providers don't take it or understand it.  We are in our 40s now, and almost never use medical care, but as we get older this is something to think about.

Maybe we should buy a camper first and spend a few years looking around for a place that feels like home.  I think my DH is so excited about meeting all of our financial goals for retirement, that he is eager to start being retired.  But I think we should maybe take a step back and be more strategic. 

It is ironic that we have been so careful about spending money for 25 years and now that we are at our goal, we seem to be throwing our best habits out the window. 

wenchsenior

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #19 on: April 08, 2015, 09:44:56 AM »
Figures that the post that finally makes me de-lurk isn't really about finances!

I was born and raised in Rhinelander (spent a few years living in Madison, then left the state), and I NEVER thought I'd see the day that someone would consider choosing between my hometown and Paris LOL!

Here are things to consider, if you are looking to retire in WI.

Overall, it is a beautiful state, especially if your primary focus is the outdoors/hunting/fishing. Topography and climate vary a lot. The southern half the state tends to be hardwood forest interspersed with rolling agricultural fields, and more topography, fewer lakes, but still a lot of water. The northern half tends to be more mixed hardwood/pine, economies based on logging, mining, and tourism, with tons of lakes and swamps/wetlands (and more mosquitoes), and sandier soil.

Four distinct seasons in the south, not much of a spring in the northern half...Rhinelander tends to go from freezing, gloomy, rainy/mud straight to glorious summer in about 2 weeks in late May. Springs in Madison start about now, but tend to be wet and chilly for the next month. Summer, and especially autumn, are fantastic all over the state.

Winters are cold and long, especially in the north, though less so than when I was growing up (Rhinelander has warmed up by one climate zone since I was a kid). Honestly, though, what was hardest for me was how short and gloomy the winter days are, again, worse up north). This is less of a problem if you are retired, though, because you can dash outside to take advantage of any speck of sun! But if you are light sensitive, this is definitely something to consider.

Growing season is very short in the north. We had a decent garden in Rhinelander, but it required a ton of soil amendment with horse and chicken manure. Growing season in Madison area was about 2 months longer. Also, you will need to fence off the deer, rabbits, etc. 

Topography is rolling and/or bluffy in the south and west along the river, and generally flatter in the north and east. Soil is richer in the southern half, and sandier/more sterile in the norther half.

Politics tend to be mixed, with Madison being much more liberal than the rest of the state. The small towns tend to be very conservative.

Economically, Madison tends to be very diverse and robust, with low unemployment. Cost of living is fairly high there compared with the rest of the state. Economically, the rest of the state is doing only variably well.  Rhinelander (I understand) is currently in a tough spot because one of its foundation businesses, the paper mill, is on the bubble of potentially shutting down. Rhinelander does have an airport and a decent hospital, which gives it a bit of a leg up as far as the northern touristy communities.

Generally, WI is considered a fairly high tax state and not especially great for retirees, esp in regard to property taxes, though this might be offset by sheltered military retirement income. However, one thing the high taxes have traditionally bought is a fairly robust safety net for aging seniors. For example, we had considered moving my aging mother back to WI (out of TX where we currently live, and which has much less support for aging seniors). However, the current politics of WI have swung strongly to cutting taxes and services, so this  could change in the future. If you are independent financially, this might not be a consideration anyway.

Except in the bigger towns and cities, the culture is mostly focused on hunting, fishing, football,  bars, small homesteading, boating, and winter sports. If you want an arts/music/theater/literature scene, you will want to be in Madison or Milwaukee, or maybe one of the smaller college towns like Eau Claire or Stevens Point, or Spring Green (a favorite of mine), which is partly based around an outstanding classical theater company (APT). Rhinelander does have a good community college with a little bit of associated arts, but again, it is a very small community so culture opps are limited.

My personal experience was that I absolutely LOVED growing up in Rhinelander, doing the small homestead thing, living on lakefront property, running nekkid through the woods as a little kid. And the LAKES! SO MUCH WATER! I was miserable leaving it when we moved when I was a teenager. But we moved to Madison, and I soon discovered that overall I liked the southern half of the state more because of the better climate and the lovely topography. Eventually, I moved out of state to go to college, and now I would only consider moving back to WI to particular locations and under very particular conditions. Rhinelander would NOT be on my list, and I say that as a member of one of the 'founding' backbone families of that town. For me, personally, it's too dark, cold, conservative, economically limited, and parochial. I sure love to visit it in the summer and autumn though!

In contrast, I would most certainly consider living in Madison (and I visit there much more often), or anywhere in the SW quarter of the state, as long as I took steps to deal with my seasonal affective disorder. SO BEAUTIFUL, SO GREEN, plus quite a lot to do!

Feel free to ask questions.




wtjbatman

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #20 on: April 08, 2015, 09:47:20 AM »
Keep in mind, despite all those comments about "It's so cold" and "You'll be living in a cold climate", it's not cold all year. It's cold in WINTER. Ok and the end of fall and beginning of spring :)

And this is coming from someone who is looking into moving south for longer warm periods. Yes it gets cold, yes it snows. But it's not that way all year! There are so many months of gorgeous weather to balance out the cold and snow, and I think it's easy to appreciate the four very distinct seasons.

forummm

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #21 on: April 08, 2015, 09:55:10 AM »
And in the U.S. I have found that the people in DC and CA for example find my being French interesting, while my husband's relatives--who have visited often enough, seem always compelled to tell me why America is better than France.  So I don't know if that is a Wisconsin thing, or a small town in Wisconsin thing.

This is generally an America thing. But some of the more liberal places (like DC and parts of CA) have people who are less reflexively nationalistic and can appreciate the good here and abroad. The US isn't "#1" at everything, but not everyone realizes that some other countries have some good things going on also.

MrsK

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #22 on: April 08, 2015, 10:04:02 AM »

I was born and raised in Rhinelander (spent a few years living in Madison, then left the state), and I NEVER thought I'd see the day that someone would consider choosing between my hometown and Paris LOL!


Thank you so very much, Wenchsenior!
This forum is so rich with the specific information I have been craving.  I am much more interested in the Madison area.  There is a town called Viroqua that seems to be an organic farm hot spot and an intellectual La Boheme.  I was hoping there was also a town or two like this in the north as my DH pictures himself with his own dock and fishing many, many hours on a tranquil lake. I like the "idea" of the northern lake but am concerned with the flying insects and the short garden season. 

I am resigned to the winters.  I do love a fire in the fireplace and making complex stews and I ski and read.  So I have a bit of a romantic image of the Wisconsin winter, but after 8 weeks of that I may go insane, I don't know.


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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #23 on: April 08, 2015, 10:08:35 AM »
Why not both? Small place in WI to keep your stuff and spend half the year in France. I have no clue why your DH would not want to live in France at least for a while.

MrsK

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #24 on: April 08, 2015, 10:19:11 AM »

[/quote]

What's wrong with Rhinelander?
[/quote]

I think this sounds like a great name for a movie!!  Maybe my first FIRE project could be a documentary about a French woman moving to Rhinelander . . .

wenchsenior

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #25 on: April 08, 2015, 01:13:47 PM »

I LOL'd recently reading Neil Gaiman's American Gods, which is set partly in WI (Gaiman lives in the bluff country in the western part of the state). Rhinelander was mentioned in passing when a local cop told the protagonist that a Rhinelander woman had frozen her feet to the side-walk getting her mail during a subzero winter cold snap, and had to be hospitalized.

I was all, "Thanks for making my hometown look so bad, Gaiman!"

To topic, I would suggest particularly looking at Spring Green, Mineral Point, and LaCrosse in the SW; Door County; and also the area near Duluth. All quite different from each other, and with a little bit more culture than you will find in any of the central northern towns.

Happy in CA

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #26 on: April 09, 2015, 12:00:54 AM »
I have lots of relatives in Wisconsin, some quite close to Burnett County.  It is a beautiful part of the state.  I grew up in St Paul but we visited both Somerset and Hudson regularly.  As I recall, Somerset had many residents of French heritage.  I assume that's still true.  In that part of Wisconsin, the Twin Cities are your closest urban environment and a fairly easy drive.  Also, the closer to the Twin Cities you are, the more liberal/suburban the population is.  Madison is great but it's far from Burnett County, so the area of WI just south of Burnett County and east of The Twin Cities might be a good compromise with proximity to both family and a reasonably large city.  It's not exactly Paris...

The_Crustache

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #27 on: April 09, 2015, 12:45:15 AM »
Everyone step aside, and let me handle this.

In advance, I apologize for the lack of accents. Deal with it.

Ecoute cherie,
Moi, j'avais habite en Wisconsin pendant toute ma vie, sauf que quand j'ai etudie depuis un semestre en Paris, et j'ai passe une annee scholaire en Colmar comme Assistant d'Anglais.
 
En Wisconsin il y a beaucoup des choses a aimer. Nous sommes connus pour le fromage, c'est vrai; mais c'est pas le meme qu'en France. C'est meillure en France, a mon avis, le fromage. Mais, tu peut trouver du bon fromage, meme les fromages Francais, ici en Wisconsin si tu cherches... La biere, c'est magnifique.
Ici, sauf que les villes grandes, la mode de vie c'est un peu comme ceux que Alsace, ou Lorraine, ou le Belgique-- rurale, agrinomique, local, congeniale, agreable, etc, et pas necessairement vraiment moderne, chic, a la mode, actif. En faite il ya beaucoup des gens avec l'heritage d'allemange, ou de la belge. Le facon que nous parlons c'est lent, et looooongg... si tu imagines un person de Flandres en utilisant anglais, c'est comme ca.
Ici nous avons beaucoup de l'histoire Francais, de l'age des Explorateurs de la Nouvelle France, mais pas beaucoup d'heritage ou culture vivante.

Les remarques que les autres dans ce thread a dit, sont pour la plus part vrai.
Wenchsenior a beaucoup raison.
Aussi c'est vrai que c'est important d'avoir un activite pour l'hiver (pour moi c'est hockey).

Quelque chose a conciderer c'est ou, exactement, vous allez habiter... Le Rhinelander, c'est pas mal, mais c'est loin d'un ville grand.
Appleton, ou j'etais eleve, c'est un ville moyen, mais il y a plein de "culture."
Une ville petite, qui est pres d'une ville grande (dans ce cas Milwaukee), comme Cedarburg, ou Grafton, Oconomowoc... ca sera genial, en plus c'est pas trop loin de Chicago (les vols directs a Paris...).

Questions? N'hesites pas! Aussi tu peut envoyer moi un message personelle si tu preferes.
« Last Edit: April 09, 2015, 12:53:31 AM by The_Crustache »

bruce88

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #28 on: April 09, 2015, 03:41:08 AM »
Google states with the lowest property taxes.  (I have friends in Wisc. who complain about their taxes.)

Having lived in Mich., Ill, (high taxes) and Ind, Fla (lower taxes), I choose lower taxes. 

Some of the no income tax states hit you hard with property taxes.  FLA seems to be one of the exceptions.

MrsK

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #29 on: April 10, 2015, 11:21:49 AM »
Everyone step aside, and let me handle this.

In advance, I apologize for the lack of accents. Deal with it.

Ecoute cherie,
Moi, j'avais habite en Wisconsin pendant toute ma vie, sauf que quand j'ai etudie depuis un semestre en Paris, et j'ai passe une annee scholaire en Colmar comme Assistant d'Anglais.
 
En Wisconsin il y a beaucoup des choses a aimer. Nous sommes connus pour le fromage, c'est vrai; mais c'est pas le meme qu'en France. C'est meillure en France, a mon avis, le fromage. Mais, tu peut trouver du bon fromage, meme les fromages Francais, ici en Wisconsin si tu cherches... La biere, c'est magnifique.
Ici, sauf que les villes grandes, la mode de vie c'est un peu comme ceux que Alsace, ou Lorraine, ou le Belgique-- rurale, agrinomique, local, congeniale, agreable, etc, et pas necessairement vraiment moderne, chic, a la mode, actif. En faite il ya beaucoup des gens avec l'heritage d'allemange, ou de la belge. Le facon que nous parlons c'est lent, et looooongg... si tu imagines un person de Flandres en utilisant anglais, c'est comme ca.
Ici nous avons beaucoup de l'histoire Francais, de l'age des Explorateurs de la Nouvelle France, mais pas beaucoup d'heritage ou culture vivante.

Les remarques que les autres dans ce thread a dit, sont pour la plus part vrai.
Wenchsenior a beaucoup raison.
Aussi c'est vrai que c'est important d'avoir un activite pour l'hiver (pour moi c'est hockey).

Quelque chose a conciderer c'est ou, exactement, vous allez habiter... Le Rhinelander, c'est pas mal, mais c'est loin d'un ville grand.
Appleton, ou j'etais eleve, c'est un ville moyen, mais il y a plein de "culture."
Une ville petite, qui est pres d'une ville grande (dans ce cas Milwaukee), comme Cedarburg, ou Grafton, Oconomowoc... ca sera genial, en plus c'est pas trop loin de Chicago (les vols directs a Paris...).

Questions? N'hesites pas! Aussi tu peut envoyer moi un message personelle si tu preferes.

Allons-y!! 
Un homme qui n’aime pas le fromage ne peut ętre bien au lit

aspiringnomad

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #30 on: April 10, 2015, 11:59:22 AM »
My question is why Paris in particular? I've visited France a few times, and despite being a city slicker, my favorite part of the visit by far is always the countryside. You seem amenable to smaller town living based on the Rhinelander comment, so why not a small village in Borgogne, Dordogne, or the Loire Valley? It'd be phenomenally less expensive than Paris, perhaps not quite as cheap as rural Wisconsin, but a much nicer quality of life (a mon avis) with a more temperate climate to boot.

James

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #31 on: April 10, 2015, 12:03:25 PM »
Keep in mind, despite all those comments about "It's so cold" and "You'll be living in a cold climate", it's not cold all year. It's cold in WINTER. Ok and the end of fall and beginning of spring :)

And this is coming from someone who is looking into moving south for longer warm periods. Yes it gets cold, yes it snows. But it's not that way all year! There are so many months of gorgeous weather to balance out the cold and snow, and I think it's easy to appreciate the four very distinct seasons.


Yes, it is only cold in Winter. And yes, there are four very distinct seasons. But Winter takes up 6 months leaving the other seasons 6 months to split up between them... :)

Cassie

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Re: Wisconsin vs Paris
« Reply #32 on: April 10, 2015, 12:07:32 PM »
I lived most of my life in wis & it is a beautiful state. As others have mentioned the more north you go the colder & more snow you will get. Menomonie is a small college town (about 20,000) about an hour drive from the Twin Cities. I lived there for 2 years & loved it. As others have mentioned I think your major choice will be between rural living or a bigger town.