Possibly moving

pandasquishy

Hi everyone,The hubs and I are possibly moving to Janesville this winter and I was wondering if you could tell me what's good?  He'd be doing his rotations at Mercy Medical Center.  Is that a good hospital?Where are some really nice places to live?  We would like a nice suburban area.  Starting a family is not soon but on the horizon, so what are the schools like?  What are the commutes like?  The job market?  Any information you can give me would be most appreciated.Thanks! 

FoxinFiji

Sorry to a debbie downer but Janesville has been having a very hard economic time with many major businesses closing there (including General Motors, Lear, and Gilman).  Because of this the unemployment rate has dramatically increased, the crime rate has gone up, and some people have been moving away.  But house prices are cheap and commutes are very short if you work in Janesville.  One of my co-workers drives to Madison everyday from Janesville but that is a long drive.  It will be like a tiny hick town to you compared to Miami!  There aren't really suburb towns/cities like you might be thinking; there are just developments on the outskirts of the city. 

pandasquishy

Thank you for the info.  This is the town the school has told my husband he needs to be in and he can't make a long commute since he will be on call all the time.  Is there something closer with a shorter commute than Madison maybe?  Or a particular development that would be safe?

When you say the crime rate has gone up, do you know what kind of crime? Petty theft or murder?  Everything?

I'm not from Miami originally and we're only here for three months.  I hate the big city feel of Miami, even the "suburbs" here are city-ish to me.  I'm from Buffalo where things are smaller and the economy sucks there, too.

mrsk2005

I've grew up in the Janesville area (not Janesville itself but very close) and continue to live in a small town between Madison and Janesville.  Yes, Janesville has taken an economic hit with the closing of the GM plant and other manufacturing plants but I don't think it has turned it into a horrible city by any means.

If you're looking for housing, I'd suggest the Northwest, Northeast or far East sides of town.  There aren't any burbs to Janesville but like the previous post mentioned, there are lots of housing development neighborhoods.  Housing prices are on the cheaper end of things right now so it's a good time to buy.  I would avoid looking for houses in the neighborhoods around the hospital as those are declining areas at the moment.

Also, in regards to Mercy Hospital, you are going to hear many opinions on that hospital.  A lot of them are unfavorable.  I personally would never want to be admitted to that hospital based on past experiences with family members.  I've actually requested on my daughter's daycare emergency form that she NOT be taken to Mercy Hospital under any circumstance.

If you find the right neighborhood it's a nice little city.  There are some things though that you will have to travel to either Madison or Rockford for.  The mall in Janesville isn't great and most of the restuarants are chains so there isn't any interesting places to dine.  Both high schools in the city were recently added onto so they are up to date.  There are many parks within the city.

If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to help!  Feel free to email me at mrsk2005 at hotmail.com.  Like I said, I've grown up in the area and know a lot more about Janesville than needs to be written in one post.

Good luck with the move!

charlieray

I am from Janesville.  Yes, the economy is horrible right now, but home prices are affordable, and the school system is great.  My step-mom actually works for Mercy Hospital and they are very well known in the area and well respected in the country.  Mercy is on the west side of Janesville.  If you are interested in building, there are very nice subdivisions being built on the outskirts of town to the west.  Your husband would be 15 minutes max (there is no traffic) from work.  There are also plenty of nice houses in town as well.  It still has a small town feel, and I never felt unsafe.  My husband and I plan on moving back there in a few years, so it can't be that bad!!

pandasquishy

Thank you so much for the info Mrsk and charlieray.  You've given me a lot to think about.  Unfortunately because he's a med student and we're mostly living off loans as a result, building is not an option; we're looking to rent.  I'll take a look on the north to east sides if we ultimately end up there.

FoxinFiji

I don't follow the news for that area closely but it's mostly theft that I've heard of.  My FIL was working on a construction site there that was repeatedly robbed despite taking precautions to lock everything down.  He was very careful to always lock his truck and hide or take with him any valuables because some of his co-worker's vehicles were broken into.  This was all in areas of downtown that aren't very nice though.

You have to remember too that it's all relative.  Southcentral WI has very little crime in general.  I wouldn't be worried about being home alone or walking to my car at night but you just have to be smart about it.  You know what I mean?

There should be plenty of single family homes or duplexes on the outskirts of town that aren't selling and available for rent.  Google map's walk-through feature should give you a good idea of what the neighborhoods are like.