Coming from CA
Hey everyone, lifelong California guy here (Quartz Hill/Antelope Valley area, north of LA). My wife and I are coming out in October for the Packers vs Cowboys game at Lambeau (been a Packers fan since the mid 90s 😄), but we are also planning on spending extra time exploring Green Bay and surrounding areas because we are seriously considering relocating to Wisconsin eventually.
I’m 46, married, no young kids at home, and honestly at that point in life where priorities start changing. We currently own a house in CA and I do like it here in a lot of ways, but the cost of living, constant hustle culture, traffic, heat, etc is starting to wear on us. Seems like everything here just keeps getting more expensive every year and you work harder just to stay in the same place.
The idea of Wisconsin appeals to me for a LOT of reasons:
- slower pace of life
- affordability
- seasons/weather
- land and space
- pond/lake properties
- workshop/garage/basement type homes
- gardening/homestead type stuff
- Packers culture obviously lol
- being able to actually enjoy life a little more instead of always grinding
We’ve been looking at properties outside Green Bay, especially stuff with a few acres, ponds, maybe room for chickens/gardens/greenhouse eventually. Some of the houses we’ve seen compared to California prices are honestly blowing my mind.
At the same time, I’m trying to be realistic and not romanticize it too much, so I’d love honest input from locals or transplants.
A few things I’m wondering:
- What do people LOVE about living in/around Green Bay that outsiders may not understand?
- What are the downsides people don’t think about until they move there?
- How brutal are the winters REALLY?
- Are there areas/towns around Green Bay you’d strongly recommend or avoid?
- Is the area generally welcoming to transplants?
- What’s the social vibe like? Friendly? Reserved? Community-oriented?
- How’s the job market/economy overall these days?
- How’s internet/service out in the more rural properties?
- Is owning acreage/pond property as awesome as it seems or is it way more work than I’m imagining? 😄
One topic I’m trying to understand honestly but respectfully is cannabis culture/laws there. In California it’s obviously fully normalized and legal. I’m not some public burnout or anything lol, but I do use cannabis regularly at home in the evenings and I enjoy gardening/growing as a hobby. I know Wisconsin laws are much stricter on paper, but at the same time I’m also seeing THCA shops literally everywhere around Green Bay online.
So I’m curious what the REALITY is there these days. Is it more of a “don’t be stupid and nobody cares” type situation for adults, or is enforcement actually as harsh as the laws sound online? Not trying to start arguments, genuinely just trying to understand the culture difference coming from California.
Also curious:
- boating culture
- taverns/local bars
- fishing
- wildlife
- living near Green Bay vs farther north
- what daily life ACTUALLY feels like there year round
Honestly this trip started as “let’s finally go to Lambeau” and somehow evolved into “wait... could we actually see ourselves living here someday?”
Appreciate any advice/input from locals. GO PACK GO