Kohler is a very small (pop1800)
"company" town about 5 miles from Sheboygan (pop 50,000), and about 55 miles from Milwaukee.

I would consider Kohler to be too far to commute to from Milwaukee, even its Northern suburbs would leave you with around a 30-40 mile daily commute each way. Sheboygan would probably be an option--at 50K residents it's not quite "country" but it's hardly a metropolis.

I currently live in a "company" town in Pennsylvania and I am looking for a change. My husband said he would be willing to commute from Milwaukee if he worked in Kohler. Are we being naive in thinking that he will be able to handle the commute? What type of things are there to do in Sheboygan if that is a better option? Thanks again.

One thing about the "commute" is that it would not be terribly congested. Even the Milwaukee rush hour (typically) can't hold a candle (or exhaust pipe?) to the sort of standstill you have in Chicago, for instance. Milwaukee's north suburbs are quite nice - and quite pricey. I've also heard a lot about Milwaukee's onerous real estate taxes, recently so you would really want to look into that. I don't think Sheboygan could ever be described as having any kind of "metropolitan" feel - and the city-proper is quite old and tired.

Kohler is a tiny "company town" with it's biggest claim to fame being the golf course. Sheboygan is not a place I would recommend anyone living in unless they need to. I was born just a few miles north of Sheboygan and have family that work for Kohler.

If you are looking for a metropolitan feel, these places are not for you! They are very much rural and small town. Can be comfy if one is looking for that, but if one wants the cultural aspects, shopping experiences, and other amenties of a big city they will be disappointed.

Sheboygan is roughly 30 miles north of the northernmost suburb of Milwaukee, and that might not seem like much (especially for me living in So Cal), but you must consider the weather whenever you talk of Wisconsin! Sheboygan verges on that part of Wisconsin that can get large amounts of snow. The highway between Milwaukee and Sheboygan is cleared fairly quickly and even in the dead of winter it is kept pretty clean, but it is something to consider. The drive is not all that exciting - lots of open land - and a driving through periodic snowstorms over a period of months that distance gets old real quick. Of course, some people adapt. (My relatives that work for Kohler travel roughly 25 miles to and from work from their homes further north) But still....something to consider.

I'm not sure what your husband does that he would have a job in Kohler (I believe Kohler is the only major employer there), but I would pass it up if it were me personally. I'm just not a cold weather person, though. Your mileage may vary.

Do you have children?

Have you ever thought about moving to Green Bay?

It is North of Kohler. It takes about 45 minutes by hwy 43. It is probably a safer environment than Milwaukee and it is a big city..It is also the home of the Green Bay Packers!!

I lived in SHeboygan for twenty years. It isn'y horribly small and I hate to say it, but I do miss it at times.

I think you should look into Green Bay. There is a lot more to do there than SHeboygan. It is a little smaller than Milwaukee, but it has that more up north feel. It is right along Lake Michigan and a short drive to a lot of up north activities (i.e. camping, fishing, etc.) if you're into that sort of thing.

Let me know if I can answer any other questions about the area.

I had to "live" in Sheboygan for 6 weeks for work about 2 yrs ago and aboslutely adored it. I don't know if I could live there forever, but thought it had some interesting sites: Kohler Museum in Sheboygan was great, and the people in that area were beyond fantastic. Kohler is a very nice place, too. My sister from Chicago went there for a weekend, and loved it. Then again, visiting is not the same as living there.

Milwaukee is not far, as posters have said. (I have an hour commute myself, but by train from Balto to DC.) You should really consider living in Kohler, or the cute town of Sheboygan Falls, and go into the big city when you need a city fix....

First, Sheboygan is not old and tired. They have a very attractive downtown and they've done an admirable job of fixing up the city over the years. That's one thing I love about Wisconsin, even the old industrial cities are relatively attractive compared with many other parts of the country. Taxes are high, but you get what you pay for and Wisconsin is very well kept and well run.

One suggestion I have is Port Washington, a lovely town on the lake, just north of Milwaukee's northern most suburbs. While not exactly urban, I don't think you would quite feel like you were living in the country. It would also be a reasonable commute to both Kohler and Milwaukee. One word of caution, the highway along the lake can be blanketed by fog, especially in spring. There was a massive accident involving dozens of vehicles a couple of years ago because of the fog. I don't think it's anything to be too concerned about, but it may be consideration if you're planning a daily commute.

I lived near Kohler for about 29 years. Kohler has very good schools and is a pretty town with a sports cente some high class stores a nice design center museum, resturants a first class hotel and out standing golf course. Sheboygan has a nice lake front good art museum, good inexpensive resturants, but not much in shopping, but it is getting better. I love Milwaukee, but would not commute, you would have problems with the weather. Snow in that area is dry and drifts so even with plowing it still can be a problem. We had many snowed in days when everything is cancelled and the family has a day together. We did not live in any town, but along Lake Michigan. It was beautiful and so is Wisconsin. Many lakes, hiking trails and all kinds of outdoor sports summer and winter.