Welcome to
Appleton, Wisconsin

All About Appleton by Jeff Lindsay

Table of Contents

About the Author

Innovation Fatigue - secrets of innovating and success

Now at Amazon

Jeff Lindsay is a long-time resident and fan of Appleton, WI, one of America's best small towns. Though now living in Shanghai, Jeff will be returning to Appleton and comes as often as he can. Jeff is married to Kendra Lindsay, a primary founder of the Classical School in Appleton that has made a difference for hundreds of children in the area. We have raised four sons in Appleton and found it to be a terrific place for families. Not that it matters, but Jeff has a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from BYU, has been an Assistant and Associate Professor at the Institute of Paper Science and Technology on the Georgia Tech Campus (actually began at the old Institute of Paper Chemistry in Appleton and was part of the move to Georgia), where he taught graduate-level science and engineering courses and advised many graduate students. Jeff is a registered U.S. patent agent and the former Corporate Patent Strategist of Kimberly-Clark Corporation, and loves inventing, photography, writing and learning.

Jeff is the lead author of a new book on innovation, entrepreneurship and strategy from John Wiley & Sons: Conquering Innovation Fatigue by Jeff Lindsay, Cheryl Perkins, and Mukund Karanjikar. See the related blog, InnovationFatigue.com. Preview the book at https://tinyurl.com/nofatigue. Also see what some significant leaders in business and innovation have to say about the book.

Search JeffLindsay.com + the Appleton Blog

Flag Day Parade in Appleton, Wisconsin
A photograph from Appleton's recent Flag Day Parade, June 12, 2004. Also see my new page of Flag Day parade photos from Appleton - and don't miss my new page of photos from the Nov. 23, 2004 Christmas Parade.
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Background

Appleton, Wisconsin is one of America's best places to live. With far more culture, entertainment, and convenience than you would expect for a town its size, Appleton is a charming, safe, friendly, and beautiful Wisconsin town with a population of 77,000, nestled in northeastern Wisconsin near Lake Michigan and at the north end of large Lake Winnebago. (Precise coordinates: 44.26 degrees north of the equator and 88.39 degrees west of the prime meridian.) Other basic statistics on Appleton are available at City-data.com, or check Appleton's weather at Wunderground.com.

As someone who has been to many parts of the world, I'm happy to say that Appleton, WI is just about as pleasant a place to live as you can find on this planet, at least when it's not winter. I am thrilled by the large and numerous trees, the numerous city parks, the lively downtown, the diversity and quality of its restaurants, the security and peacefulness of the community, and the friendliness of the people. In fact, in 2004, Appleton was honored for being in the top 10 most secure cities in the United States (interestingly, I was born in the #1 city on the list, Provo, Utah). Money Magazine in 2010 named it as one of America's top 100 places to live. Persoanlly, I'd say it's easily in the top 20.

Lawrence University at night, reflected in the Fox River by Oneida Flats. Jeff Lindsay, October 11, 2004.

Lawrence University at night, reflected in the Fox River by Oneida Flats. Photo by Jeff Lindsay, October 11, 2004.

One of my favorite things about Appleton is the majesty of the Fox River. Of course, anyone who grew up in Utah is awed (that's a-w-e-d, not o-d-d!) by the sight of a river more than 10 feet wide. The Fox River runs through the heart of Appleton. Though once heavily polluted, in recent decades it has been largely restored to a clean and biologically diverse wonder. Many species of fish live in the river, including (so I hear) sturgeon, bass, pike, trout, perch, walleye and carp. The Fox River is unusual in that it flows north for its entire course. It exits into Lake Michigan at Green Bay about 30 miles to the north of Appleton. A series of locks exist that once permitted navigation from Lake Winnebago to Lake Michigan and from there, the world. The locks aren't used now in order to prevent the infiltration of zebra mussels and other unsavory critters from other parts of the world.

Thumbnail of my photo of a hummingbird mothAppleton is a beautiful place to live, especially when it's not winter. Abundant wild flowers line the roads and many species of wild birds inhabit the area, including the ubiquitous and gorgeous red-winged blackbird. And recently, I had the inspiring and even breath-taking experience of watching a large hummingbird moth dine on our petunias (see the larger image on a page of Appleton photos). I thought it was a hummingbird - until I noticed its antennas and six legs. (I believe it is Hyles lineata - actually a sphinx moth).

Perhaps most spectacular of all the beautiful sights in this area are the sunsets. I don't know why - perhaps it's the interaction of Lake Michigan with northern winds - but this area is frequently blessed with rich and varied cloud formations sprinkled across an open sky that leads to stunning colors and dazzling light effects in the evening. A sunset viewed from the shores of Lake Winnebago or Little Lake Butte des Morts or even my own front yard can often be too much for words. Come visit us and see for yourself!

Jeff Lindsay's montage of Appleton

Appleton: A beautiful, peaceful, and exciting community, one of America's best!

Appleton is the largest of the "Fox Cities," which include multiple communities along the Fox River: Appleton, Neenah, Menasha, Kaukauna, Kimberly, Combined Locks, Town of Grand Chute, Little Chute, Freedom, Town of Neenah, Town of Menasha, Town of Vandenbroek, Town of Greenville, Darboy, Town of Buchanan, and Town of Harrison. The Fox Cities have a combined population of 180,000 people (and even more raccoons). The Fox River Valley is the second largest market in Wisconsin (perhaps this claim requires that we add in the 90,000 people of nearby Green Bay, which also sits on the Fox River).

French explorers came to this area in the 1600s, seeking a northwest passage to the Pacific. Explorer Jean Nicolet saw the Fox River in the 1630s. Later, Louis Nicolet and Father Jacques Marquette paddled the length of the Fox River (upstream - but it's a slow river in most places), portaged to the Wisconsin River and then discovered the Mississippi in 1673.

One fur trader, Hippolyte Grignon, built a spacious home, the White Heron, in 1835. It also served as an inn and trading post. The Grignon Mansion remains a major historical site in the Fox Cities (actually in Kaukauna). Then, two important men came onto the scene: Amos Lawrence and a Methodist minister, Rev. Reeder Smith. Interestingly, the 1880 census records from Outagamie County lists the occupation of Reeder Smith (husband of Eliza P. Smith, born 1804 in Pennsylvania) as the "Founder of the City of Appleton, Wisconsin" (search for Reeder Smith at FamilySearch.org). The story of Rev. Reeder's collaboration with Amos Lawrence found a college in Wisconsin is told on the page, "Appleton History: Amos A. Lawrence and Reeder Smith," one of a series of articles in the "History of Appleton" (www.apl.org/community/history) provided by the Appleton Public Library. Part of Mr. Lawrence's motivation was to enhance the value of land owned by Eleazer Williams, who later claimed to be the Lost Dauphin of France. The Williams land was not chosen as the site for the new college, but an improved location not far from the Grignot trading post was chosen, a site next to the Grand Chute falls on the Fox River. Soon the Lawrence Institute (now Lawrence University) was chartered in 1847 with financial help from Amos Lawrence.

Mayor Timothy Hanna buying flowers at Appleton's Farmers Market, August 6, 2005. Tria is the vendor.

Mayor Timothy Hanna buying flowers from a Hmong woman named Tria at Appleton's Farmers Market, August 6, 2005. Click to enlarge.

Samuel Appleton donated $10,000 for the new college library. The community that sprung up around Lawrence University, initially called Grand Chute (there is still a community of Grand Chute next to Appleton), was given the name of Appleton. It has long been claimed that the new name was in appreciation for Samuel Appleton's generosity, and he certainly believed that this was the case. However, according to historical information from the Appleton Library, Reeder Smith was the first to call the area Appleton, not in honor of Samuel Appleton, but the wife of Mr. Lawrence, Sarah Elizabeth Appleton. She was the daughter of William Appleton, a merchant in Boston and a member of Congress. Samuel Appleton was a cousin of William.

Whoever was being honored by its name, the community of Appleton became incorporated as a village in 1853 and as a city in 1857. The records show John F. Johnston as the first resident and village president, with Amos Storey becoming the first mayor in 1857. And the rest is history!

Appleton was settled by northern Europeans. Many people here have German, Dutch, or Polish ancestry. In recent years, Appleton has become more culturally diverse as peoples from other parts of the world have come here to live. Nearly three thousand Hmong people, originally from Laos, now live here, as do smaller numbers of Hispanics (mostly from Mexico), African-Americans, and Native Americans. The Oneida Indian Nation, with a rich and fascinating history, is especially prominent in this area. (The Oneida reservation is just a few miles to the north of Appleton.) Though we have a long way to go, Appleton has made good progress in welcoming and working with diverse peoples. The school system has worked especially hard to reach out to the Hmong people and others. For more information on the history of Appleton, see the Local History Page provided by the Appleton Public Library.

In spite of being a small town, Appleton has a lot of sophistication. Both the Performing Arts Center and Lawrence University bring a lot of culture into town, but there is plenty of local musical and artistic talent, along with outstanding music instruction and numerous performance opportunities for students. Music seems to be taken pretty seriously in Appleton, along with other arts.

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Appleton Fame and Glory

Another source of local fame is Appleton's parades! For a small town, we're pretty big on parades and enjoy some fame for a few of them. We hold the nation's largest Flag Day parade and the nation's largest Christmas parade, held on an evening a couple weeks before Christmas in weather that we affectionately term "bitter cold." We also have an unusual early-morning Memorial Day Parade with all the high schools showing off their marching bands. Besides the hundreds of parents proudly watching their children march by, literally dozens of other interested people attended this year's Memorial Day Parade at 9:00 AM. You can see some of Appleton's stalwart youth marching by in my page of photos from Appleton.


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Major Businesses and Institutions

"Paper Valley"

Appleton and the Fox Cities are well known for significant paper mills. Indeed, the area was nicknamed the Paper Valley because of the significant presence of major paper companies such as Kimberly-Clark, Wisconsin Tissue Mills, Menasha Corporation, Appleton (formerly Appleton Paper), and many others.

Before the paper mills came here near the turn of the century, the Fox River powered mills for flour and woolen goods. Wheat crop failure caused farmers to convert to the dairy business, and many of the mills were converted to paper production. Wisconsin soon became the leading paper producer in the nation, although in recent years that honor has shifted to the South (I think Georgia owns it now, for the much longer growing season makes the land more productive for forest products industries). The paper industry remains dominant, but other industries are making important contributions. These include finance, insurance, food services, dairy products, and others.

Here are some specific institutions and businesses of note:

In addition to these big businesses, Appleton has a lot of growth in small businesses. I'm beginning to realize that much of the heart and soul of Appleton is found in the small businesses we have rather the big corporations (although I'm grateful to the latter - they clearly play a huge role in shaping our community and one of them even gives me a monthly paycheck!). I'll be gradually adding information about some of our small businesses as well. Here is one that was just called to my attention: Sun Flower Spa at 1004 South Olde Oneida Street. Lovely Website and an interesting place - looks like a nice addition to the community.

Building the Hispanic Community in Appleton

While Appleton's Hispanic community is relatively small, we do have a growing population with Hispanic roots. Many are naturalized citizens or citizens by birth, in addition to those not yet citizens. One resource for the Latin American community in the area is Latino Link, a non-profit organization at 1800 Appleton Road, Menasha, WI 54952, located in the Goodwill building. Latino Link is dedicated to advancing the education, economic development, and cultural contributions of the Hispanic community, and in helping advance the quality of life of Latinos. They provide a wide variety of services and can even help with "nitty gritty" details like figuring out how to deal with electric bills, etc. I met the leader of Latino Link recently and was impressed with their work. Bienvenido, Latin Link!

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Schools and Universities

Note: Restaurant reviews are now on a separate page about dining in Appleton. The section of "Fun Things To Do" is also on a separate page.

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More Info and Tips for Visitors and Newcomers: Local Hotels, etc.

Air Travel and Airports

Appleton has an excellent airport, Outagamie County Airport (ATW), just two miles west of Appleton. It is served by Northwest, Skyway, United Express, Midwest Express, and Comair/Delta Connection Airlines. There are nonstop flights to Atlanta, Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, and Detroit. Overnight express parcel and freight services are available (FedEx, for example, has a large office close to the airport.) Few towns the size of Appleton have such an excellent airport so nearby. Makes travel a breeze!

Other local airports include Wittman Field in Oshkosh and Austin Straubel Field in Green Bay, both within 30 miles of Appleton. About 90 minutes south in Milwaukee is General Mitchell International Airport (MKE). a medium-hub airport.

FYI: Smoking and Drinking

One of the interesting things about Appleton and many Wisconsin towns is the large number of bars in the area. I moved here from Provo, Utah in the 1980s, a town then with one true bar then that I knew of (surely I missed a few!) for a population not much less than Appleton's. Suddenly I was in a city in the top 10 of the nation for bars per capita. A bit of a cultural change. Yes, Wisconsin has plenty of beer and other drinks, but Appletonians seem to be remarkably sober and responsible, in my opinion. And I've found people to be kind and understanding of those who don't drink. Visitors looking for a place to get a few drinks will have no trouble, with many popular choices, like Cleos on College Avenue. But instead of liquor, why not join me and my family for a healthy smoothie? Hey, we love visitors, when time permits. The Lindsay specialty of smoothies made from a secret mix of frozen fruit surely beats any cocktail out there, and you can still walk or even drive after reaching your limit.

Smoking is a different story here. Appleton has a strict no-smoking law that bans smoking in workplaces, including restaurants and bars. This new law is the bane of many bar and restaurant owners, who say that it drives business to surrounding towns that don't have the ban, though I think that early pain has declined - and non-smokers from other towns may be increasingly coming to Appleton (where we honestly have a surprisingly great mix of good restaurants). The smoking ordinance is a controversial law that passed by referendum in 2005. Personally, I don't smoke and appreciate the fresh air of Appleton, but I voted against the ban out of a philosophical concern for private property rights. If your dream is to puff away your life in a bar, Appleton might not be the ideal place for now - but there's always nearby Menasha or Neenah.

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Moving to Appleton?

Top Ten Tips for Home Buyers in Appleton: An Interview with a Leading Real Estate Agent in the Fox Cities

A new page on this site presents the results of an exclusive interview with one of the area's best realtors, Bradd Syring. Find out what you need to know about the real estate market in the Fox Valley before you buy your home. (Many of the tips apply to buying a home in Wisconsin as well.)

First of all, you should know about a wonderful resource for newcomers: The Appleton Area Newcomer's Club. They have been helping newcomers for over 40 years. They provide you with a monthly newsletter, help you make friends and learn about the area, keep you aware of interesting events and activities, and help you make the most of this wonderful community. So if you're new here or coming here soon, contact them today!

People moving here will be pleased to learn that Appleton is a very safe and pleasant place to live, with high employment and many rich opportunities for culture, education, and entertainment. It's clean and beautiful and filled with good people and fine institutions. The cost of living is also relatively low, especially when it comes to housing. Reasonable homes for families can be found for well under $100,000. It's generally much less expensive than what you'll find on either coast or anywhere close to Chicago.

Appleton has some outstanding builders. One that I know and recommend is Syring Homes, owned by Bradd Sying. I give a couple reasons on a related blog post.

The most common questions: taxes and schools

Many people ask me about two common concerns: taxes and schools. Taxes are high (but again, the cost of a home is generally low compared to many parts of the country). Someone with a $100,000 home here will have to pay about $2,500 a year in taxes. That's twice the rate we had in a suburb of Atlanta before moving here, and since homes here were somewhat expensive than in Georgia at the time, our property taxes tripled. I'm not really sure where all the money goes. With such high taxes, new home owners are surprised to learn that they may be billed thousands of dollars in addition to property taxes to pay for road improvements on their street and possibly for the installation of sidewalks. One year we had to pay an extra $4000 when our paved street was converted to concrete. Ouch. (Avoid corner lots!) But we're still glad to be here. After all, in Appleton, we don't have fire ants, kudzu or 4-inch long cockroaches.

What about schools? We're proud of our public schools here. The facilities and teachers are generally very good, and there are many great activities and extracurricular programs. One of the most impressive things is that high school students have access to many advanced classes, including some classes at Lawrence University for qualified students. I'm especially proud of the Classical School for grades K-8 that my wife, Kendra Lindsay, helped to found as a charter school.

Appleton has lots of stable families that take time to read to their children and encourage them in school, and I'm sure that helps a lot. For parents concerned about reading education, they need to know that the reading program is a mix of "whole language" and some phonics (definitely not intensive phonics). The amount of phonics included depends on the teacher. The source of the phonics component is primarily the spelling book for that grade, though some schools don't use the spelling book as a resource. (The elementary schools have tip sheets for parents urging them NOT to tell their kids to sound out new words, but to use "prediction techniques" like looking at pictures or extrapolating from the context to guess the word. Ouch!)

One related issue for parents concerned about early childhood education is the lack of reading in kindergarten. The philosophy of the Appleton School District, like most school districts, is that kindergarten children are not "developmentally ready" to learn how to read, so no serious attempt is made to teach reading in the manner some parents expect. Since first grade reading ability is known to be one of the strongest predictors for a child's success in school, some parents will want their kindergarten child to start learning how to read in kindergarten. They may need to supplement the education of their child by teaching reading themselves. However, the Classical School teaches reading in kindergarten and uses intensive, systematic phonics. Seems to be working very well! (I am biased, for my wife worked to establish this school long ago.

For those interested in alternatives, nearly 24% of Appleton students attend home school or private schools (based on Title I records for 1996).

Until recently, Appleton lacked school buses. Now some privately owned buses are available through a contract with the city, apparently for kids living over 2 miles from school, and Valley Transit buses can also be used for a fee. Many people still struggle with carpools for their kids going who aren't really within walking distance. The paucity of buses is perplexing for many outsiders given the high taxes.

In spite of a few problems, the schools have a lot to offer, including a number of really outstanding teachers and principals and other staff members. For example, one of my sons has come home several times with obvious excitement about the things he has learned - topics with depth and importance like causes of the Civil War and the physics of comets. (Thanks, Mr. Lynch!) It's great to see teachers helping my kids and making them eager to learn. And the high school and middle school musicals in this area are superb!

The successful development of the Classical School in Appleton also provides strong evidence that the Appleton School District listens to parents in the community. Both the Appleton School District and the School Board deserve a lot of praise for their help.

Tips for renters

A good apartment and rental finding service is Start Renting, Inc., which published a widely used listing of places available to rent. They also have a Web site: startrenting.com. Call 920-997-9500.

One interesting place to rent with a useful Web site is Fox River Mills, where historic buildings on the Fox River have been converted to apartments. Friends who have lived there liked the apartments and the community, but check things out for yourself.

Now, some general advice. Before you rent in an apartment complex, go there and SMELL the air carefully. Sniff around. If there is an unpleasant musty or fruity odor, the complex may be inhabited by heavy party animals who get drunk and throw up a lot. It can make an entire building reek! Also see if heavy smokers live there.

Check to see if you're close to a train track or other source of unwanted noise. Talk to some people there about their experiences.

Make sure you read the rules carefully and understand the policies, the parking, etc.

Tips for home buyers

Much of the growth in town is in the northern section of Appleton. The communities are new and well kept, and students go to the popular new North High School. But West High and East High are excellent schools as well, and there are several other fine parts of town that some newcomers overlook. Work with a flexible real estate agent and insist on looking at a variety of communities around the city.

To get a feel for Appleton homes for sale, one good resource is the listing of Appleton homes for sale by owner at ValleyByOwner.com. Homes being sold by realtors are also listed at sites such as Century 21 Fox Cities Real Estate.

An unusual aspect of housing in this area, compared to many parts of the country, is the use of plaster walls with sand paint (textured paint containing large grits). Miserable to clean and guaranteed to remove prodigious quantities of skin from knuckles or other body parts, the ubiquitous sand paint seems to be favorite of local builders. Perhaps the ability of rough, texture paint to hide defects in a wall is what has given it such appeal. My recommendation: if you're buying a new home, insist on user-friendly walls. If you're having a home built for you, there's no excuse if you allow the builder to use such a merciless material.

Based on my experience with two homes in the area, combined with the experience of others, here are my tips for home buyers:

Update: See my "Top Ten Tips for Home Buyers in Appleton"

There you can read the results of a 2006 interview with a leading realtor and contractor, Bradd Syring of Syring Homes.

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Government and Leaders

The city government of Appleton has the City of Appleton Web Page which offers information on officials, city policies, public transportation, the library, the Appleton police, and other services.

Our mayor is Tim Hanna. I have been quite impressed with him and was delighted recently with his kindness when I took Boy Scout Troop 178 to a Common Council meeting, where he came and met with us before the meeting to talk to the boys, and then warmly greeted us in the meeting. Thank you, Mayor Hanna! (And thanks to my friend, Alderman Paul Trelc, for meeting with us also.) Appleton has had 36 mayors over the years, including one female mayor, Dorothy Johnson, who served many years and is still very active in serving the community. (A remarkable woman - she's been a role model for me in many ways.)

Wisconsin Senators and House Members

See the home pages of Senator Tammy Baldwin and Senator Ron Johnson.

Representatives from this area include Mike Gallagher of the 8th District and Glenn Grothman of the 6th District.

Wisconsin.Gov: The Wisconsin State Server

Wisconsin.Gov is the State of Wisconsin's information server and a starting point to guide you to the many resources available from Wisconsin state agencies, departments and other governmental branches. It also provides links to information resources at the University of Wisconsin campuses, as well as sources from other states and the federal government.

You may also wish to investigate the Wisconsin State Legislature Page.

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Worship in Appleton

Though Appleton is a tolerant and diverse community with respect to most matters, when it comes to worship, you had better adhere to the dominant religion. That's right - you've got to worship the Green Bay Packers - or you might as well move out of town. Some of us are only superficial converts and still harbor many secret doubts, but we try to walk in faith nevertheless.

A few Appleton congregations now have Web pages, including:

Another site offers a list of local churches at "www.churchangel.com/WEBWI/appleton.htm". .

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Special Mention:
Honoring What I Find COOL in Appleton

As always, what follows is based upon my biases and personal experiences. But I think many people will agree that the following groups deserve some special praise for what they bring to the community.

The Appleton Fire Department
I have been truly impressed at the professionalism and the kindness of the Appleton Fire Department as they have helped a Hmong young man in my church, Peter Lee, with his Eagle Scout project on fire safety for the Hmong community. Peter is working to get many Hmong families prepared for the danger of house fires, moved by the tragic and unnecessary death of a Hmong friend of ours, Tony Vang. I am Peter's advisor on this project. We have been meeting with Cheryl Kuhn and Geri Larkee in the department to organize assistance from fire fighters as we work with the Hmong community. We've been able to meet and work with ten firefighters so far. We've been so grateful for the assistance they have offered. Smart, sharp, kind, and competent, the firefighters and other employees of the Department are truly among Appleton's finest. Working with them has honestly made me feel even better about my community. (Peter's project has also been greatly assisted by the Hmong-American Partnership and their President, Lo Lee, as well as Kimberly-Clark Corporation and the great leaders and young men of Troop 178 of the Boy Scouts of America, sponsored by a local congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Special thanks also to the Menasha Fire Department for the help they will be offering in coming weeks.)

Appleton Police
Brave men and women who really know and love their community. They are part of the reason that Appleton is one of the safest and most desirable places to live in the country - and in the world. They face difficult challenges and do so with professionalism and honor, like the other emergency responders in our community. Kudos to the police of Appleton!

Community Clothes Closet and St. Joseph's Food Pantry
These two organizations do so much to help the needy in the Fox Valley. The Community Clothes Closet accepts donated clothes and makes them available to needy individuals and families (on a referral basis) at no cost. The Food Pantry likewise makes large amounts of donated food available to the needy. I've seen many lives blessed by these organizations. They both have need of volunteer labor as well as donations. (Hint: the Clothes Closet is a great place for a family or small youth group to work for an evening.) Call 920-734-9461 for the Food Pantry, or 920-731-7834 for the Clothes Closet. Both are on Midway Road (1465 Midway Road, Menasha) between Oneida Street and Highway 47 a little south of Highway 441.

Generous Local Businesses
I'm continually impressed by examples of kindness from the leaders of local businesses in this community, men and women who generously donate their resources for community projects, charities, and needy individuals. Much of the generosity is quiet and unpublicized. Recent examples that come to mind involve Pensar Corp., Image I.T., Syring Development, Boldt Construction, Kimberly-Clark Corp., and AAL. Thanks!

Appleton Parks and Recreation (link is to http://appletonparkandrec.org/ via TinyURL.com since the site does not yet support secure https URLs, which my site requires)
This division of Appleton's city government does an awesome job in providing great educational and recreational opportunities for Appleton residents. They have a link to the latest brochure about events and activities in the area, plus a guide to parks and trails in the area. Hats off to a fine example of local agencies doing good things for the community. (And be sure to see some our parks on the Jim Froeming's Trivia Asylum's page of Appleton's Parks and Places.)

Appleton's Churches and Religious Organizations
Appleton provides a diverse and vibrant religious community that does a great deal of good for the community. If you're looking for a broad choice of religions and churches in a community with solid family values, Appleton is the place!

Appleton is loaded with coolness, in my opinion. Of course, not everything is cool. If I were a whiner, I could talk about a couple of pet peeves. You know, things like Appleton's plague of "temporary" concrete roads. Well, for those of you moving here, be warned that most streets in Appleton are made of concrete and require many weeks to install. An entire street or neighborhood can be closed to traffic for nearly 2 months when a road is being in, compared to the few days that asphalt roads need. The advantage of concrete is that it can last for years in Appleton's challenging weather - and it makes sense economically, if the road is left there for years. But over and over we see fairly new concrete roads being torn up to put in new water lines or cables or gas lines or whatever - probably costing a lot more money and much more inconvenience that asphalt. Just seems crazy to me - and definitely uncool. Here's an idea for a bumper sticker: "Asphalt rocks!" But we're in better shape that many places. For example, a meaningful bumper sticker in Utah a few years ago, during a period of intense road construction in preparation for the Winter Olympics, was "Welcome to Utah! All roads closed."

Other less-than-cool things, besides high taxes and low temperatures, might be the mosquitos, the occasional hatches of lake flies if you're near the lake or river, and perhaps the current lack of Vietnamese restaurants. But there is hope for change in at least one of these areas, if only we can bring back good ol' DDT.

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Comments from Readers

I've had hundreds of comments on my Appleton page over the years. In 2004, I decided I should share a few. Yeah, it's blatant self-promotion. I probably won't share the ones that say what a loser site this is! The first three are legitimate, real messages that I did not make up. As for the last one, well, you judge.

Here's a comment from 2009:

Thank you so much for your wonderful website about Appleton. My husband has been interviewing in several different places over the past few months for a job promotion. Every time he has had an interview I have looked on the internet for information about the area we could possibly be moving to. I an always baffled by how hard it can be to get the type of information one needs when considering moving somewhere new.

Your site was so informative I knew that Appleton would be a good place for our family. So, yesterday when my husband was offered the job in Appleton I was able to support him in that opportunity without reservation.

Here is a comment from 2006:

As someone who is considering moving to the Appleton/Green Bay area in the future, I was searching the net for info. when I stumbled upon your website. I'm originally from Wisconsin, but haven't lived there in about 25 years.

None of the websites I've found in the past with regard to ANY area of the country offered the things I was looking for. Fortunately, your website has EVERYthing that I was looking for - and more!!!

I wanted restaurant lists - and reviews. You have it. I wanted housing info, shopping info, neighborhood info, etc... and it's all on your site! Most of the photos that travel/city guides offer are sorely lacking. Although Green Bay has one of the better guides, so many of the photos are the standard photo, or a business photo. Boring. I wanted to see what the actual streets and neighborhoods and events looked like... and thanks to you, I have a great idea of what Appleton is really like. I now know about area restaurants, mechanics, where to go for Christmas trees, where to get good groceries, etc. You name it - it's there!

Here is a comment received in November of 2004 and used with permission:

This is long overdue. My fiancé and I looked at your web site while searching for a place to relocate in WI and to open a new flower shop. It is in part due to your unique site that we made the trip to Appleton and ultimately choosing this location to open the first KaBloom in the state. When we visited the people were so nice and helpful (so much for "MN nice" -- you guys are the best) and we ended up moving here in June. Thank you for putting so much time into the site and this reader does appreciate it....Thanks again for helping us make the right decision to call Appleton our home!

I'm delighted that this page would help bring people from Minnesota to Appleton. If the word continues to get out about what a fantastic place Appleton is, we expect thousands more Minnesotans to flee that state and head to greener pastures here.

I was surprised by another interesting comment in 2004, used with permission from a reader in New England:

This labor of love is the most impressive thing I've encountered in my 10 years of web surfing, so much so, that my wife and I are going to retire there this summer! I always had the feeling it was a special place when I drove through eons ago whilst a grad student at UW-Madison. Thank you.

A reader in Ohio had this to say:

Fantastic website! I realize their are many facets to it, but speaking about the portion covering Appleton, your site is better than most convention and visitor websites across this nation. They tend to be all the same and so commercial, as to not to reflect the personality of the municipality they are covering. For example, each city claims it has culture, sizzling night life, recreation abound, etc., etc., as if it is a god given right to list it on their site, regardless of legitimacy. They all do it in the same way, making the same claims with the same adjectives and same commercial rhetoric. The only variable? In many cases, the smaller the city, the more ridiculous the claim becomes. I realize your purpose in presenting your website may be different than convention and visitors sites, however, you achieved what the site visitor is looking for. Your website is informative, easy to use, professional, real, a pleasant surprise, and minus all the gibberish! Yet you could add commercial links and ads to it, and it would still have heart to it, unlike convention sites. Every city should be so lucky to have one like it, and a resident like you. (Your love for the community is reflected in the site.) It is honest and informative in its portrayal of the area. It is, "A Day in the Life of Appleton". I particularly enjoyed the photos (Pictures say a lot). Incidentally, they are hard to come by on most convention sites, aside from the standard pic of the skyline on the cover page. Good luck in the future with this project.

More recently, Greg T. gave me permission to quote this statement:

I've seen a LOT of websites, and I could definitely say that the diversity of content contained on your website is exceptional! I'd also have to say that its one of the best resources I had prior to visiting Appleton, WI! Any other site such as CitySearch or the Appleton chamber of commerce/tourism sites sucked!! Its almost ridicoulous what they concentrate on - its a concentration of Wisconsins biggest commercial developments (woo hoo!) vs. the privately owned businesses that make APPLETON, WI unique. Isn't that what tourists want?

Plus, I'm an extreme foodie so I really appreciated the restaurant reviews on your site because eating good was probably one of my main priorities during my visit.

So keep up the great work on the site!, and if possible I'd like to see if in the future I'd be able to figure out a way that I could add your link to my friends business site in Appleton. Her (Lacy) site, is Sunflowerspa.net because I love to promote sites like yours...... I think the City of Appleton should add your link to their site. I'd be willing to contact them urging them to do so.

And of course, that led me to investigate and praise the outstanding SunFlowerSpa.net site.

Here's a note from a man coming to Appleton, received Sept. 2005:

Dear Jeff, I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciated the information you provide in regards to life in Appleton. In fact, I can truthfully say it has been a major part of my decision to move up there next spring.

In Feb. 2006, I received this kind note:

We came across your interesting, informative, balanced, and humorous website while looking at Appleton as a possible place to relocate. You are an excellent ambassador for your city, and you have done a nice job posting useful information for long distance "Appleton neophytes!"

We live in Southern California and are exploring better geographic areas to raise our young daughter. Having visited Wisconsin while I was growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, we are intrigued by data that suggests Appleton might be a possible area that meets our relocation criteria. Your information underscores positive attributes that we have discovered (so far.)

Thanks, from afar, for your creative efforts! We will continue to refer to your site and its links while we think about coming up to take a look!

Another visitor top my site in Feb. 2006 wrote this (quoted with permission):

I wanted to take a minute to let you know how much I enjoy your website. I was born in Appleton but have lived in Houston all my life. I still go back to visit family there and it is great to be able to check out your website to find fun things to do with my kids when we go. Your site is more informative and far more interesting than any other Appleton website I have seen!

Here's a note from early 2007, used with permission:

I just wanted to give a quick thank you for putting all the time and effort into your Appleton home page. I work for a company that relocates it's employees all over the country, and I, having been relocated myself once before and will be relocating again in the near future. I have done an extensive amount of research on different communities that I might potentially be moving to, and in the dozens of communities I have researched none have ever had such a guide as this town. One of the most frustrating things about moving to a new lacation is the you know nothing about the people of the community. I will admit that at the first word of a new store in Wisconsin, I wasn't too thrilled about the prospect of relocating there. But after having read your site it has become my number one choice for my next home.
Wow, thanks!!

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