"When a small town is about as pleasing as can be, what else can it do? Why, make sure everyone notices, of course." That's what "Midwest Weekends" had to say about Cedarburg, Wisconsin's penchant for holding festivals.
This town of 12,000, a half hour north of Milwaukee, takes full advantage of its Norman Rockwell charm, artsy vibe and its resident beer, wine and specialty food producers to host several of Southeast Wisconsin's most popular weekend events. But this popular destination is not just a great place to visit, it a great place to live, offering urban amenities and an outdoor lifestyle just minutes from I-43.
Despite pressure from developers, you won't find runaway sprawl in Cedarburg
"When a small town is about as pleasing as can be, what else can it do? Why, make sure everyone notices, of course." That's what "Midwest Weekends" had to say about Cedarburg, Wisconsin's penchant for holding festivals.
This town of 12,000, a half hour north of Milwaukee, takes full advantage of its Norman Rockwell charm, artsy vibe and its resident beer, wine and specialty food producers to host several of Southeast Wisconsin's most popular weekend events. But this popular destination is not just a great place to visit, it a great place to live, offering urban amenities and an outdoor lifestyle just minutes from I-43.
Housing in Cedarburg
Despite pressure from developers, you won't find runaway sprawl in Cedarburg. The strip malls and big box stores are conveniently located - just in nearby towns. What you will find beyond the charm of Cedarburg's historic downtown are plenty of townhouses for rent, and tidy complexes dotting the farmland that offer two and three-bedroom apartments for rent and studio apartments for rent with all of the amenities. Rental houses are available too, from sprawling properties on the outskirts of town to modest homes mere steps from the city center. Whether you want to be within walking distance of the shops of Cedar Creek Settlement, or have easy freeway access to the city, you can find your perfect home for rent in Cedarburg. And if you're looking for neighborhoods in city, you won't find any; Cedarburg is a small town and small towns are too good for pesky neighborhoods.
If you want to move to Cedarburg, just make sure you look like a model tenant. Bring your great rental references, your steady job and the money for those all important security deposits.
Life in Cedarburg
Cedarburg is in Ozaukee County. Ozaukee is affectionately known by the locals as "Oz," but you won't find any wizard behind the curtain here. Today Cedarburg has a blend of old-world charm and modern conveniences. There are two districts on the National Register of Historic Places, each with more than 100 buildings. But the town is more than a museum. Live in Cedarburg, and you'll have unique recreational opportunities right in your own backyard!
Explore the bridges of Ozaukee County. OK, there's just one bridge, but it's the last remaining covered bridge in the entire state. Pack a picnic, bike to Covered Bridge Park (where else?) and check out the rare lattice truss construction of this 1876 beauty spanning picturesque Cedar Creek.
The 30-mile Ozaukee Interurban Trail runs right through Cedarburg on a route once used by the Milwaukee to Sheboygan trolley line. Designated as a Great Wisconsin Birding Trail, the welcoming trail offers biking, walking, inline skating and cross-country skiing through woodlands wetlands, and farmland all the way to Lake Michigan.
Beer (and wine)! This is Wisconsin after all. Not a lot of small towns can boast both a brew pub and a winery, but two of Cedarburg's historic mills house one of each. Cedar Creek Winery is housed in Cedar Creek Settlement, a woolen mill-turned-shopping-complex, and the Silver Creek Brew Company, formed from a home-brewers' club, is in the town's 1855 Greek Revival gristmill.
It's true, this town really knows how to throw a party. From its Festive Friday Eves in December to its Wine and Harvest Fest and it's wildly popular Strawberry Fest, the town can swell during the weekends. But with Cedar Creek Settlement as the center of the action, most residents are unaffected, unless they want to be. Then they don't have to travel far for the live music, art shows and cook-offs.
