Whitnall Park in Hales Corners is named after Charles B. Whitnall, the secretary of the Milwaukee County Parks Commission from 1907-1941. He had the vision to create this 600-plus-acre greenway in 1929. He passed away in 1949, and his ashes were scattered across the park. Watch your step.
The village of Hales Corners is situated in the southwestern corner of Milwaukee County
Whitnall Park in Hales Corners is named after Charles B. Whitnall, the secretary of the Milwaukee County Parks Commission from 1907-1941. He had the vision to create this 600-plus-acre greenway in 1929. He passed away in 1949, and his ashes were scattered across the park. Watch your step.
The village of Hales Corners is situated in the southwestern corner of Milwaukee County. According to the 2010 United States Census, the population of Hales Corners is 7,692. Hales Corners covers an area of 3.2-square miles. Most suburban public high schools bear the name of the community in which they are located. However, here it's Whitnall High School, named after Charles B. Whitnall, of course.
Moving to Hales Corners is simplified by the fact that Interstates 43 and 894 run just to the north of the community. Residents can easily access the freeway by heading north on South 108th Street, which is commonly called "Highway 100." Head to the east on I-894, and you can be at Mitchell International Airport in less than 15 minutes. Head north on I-894 and then east on I-94 to take in a Brewers baseball game at Miller Park, or to efficiently reach your downtown destination.
Searching for a Place
If you have the flexibility, look for a rental apt in the spring, summer, or fall, when it will be a little easier to do than in the winter. Relatively more leases start and end in the less snowy months. Rental housing is fairly plentiful in Hales Corners, so starting your search two or three weeks ahead of time will often work out just fine. Allow four to six weeks in the winter, however. When you find a place that you like, it can certainly help to have a recent credit report, pay stub, and rental history along. Some landlords in this area will charge a minor application fee.
Renting is relatively popular in Hales Corners. In fact, more than one-third of the residences in the community are renter-occupied. Many of the rental apts, townhouses, and condos are in established buildings built in recent decades.
Highway 100 Corridor: Apartments are often found on either side of the main thoroughfare through Hales Corners, Highway 100. Everything from studio units to 3 bedroom apartments for rent will be common in this corridor.
West: Side-by-side duplexes with attached garages may be found on the west side of town. Since this section of the community was developed later than the east side, some newer apartment complexes will be found here. One such complex, Parkside Apartments, offers heated underground parking and balconies with views of Hales Corners Park.
South: Does the idea of a fireplace sound appealing? There are apartments on the south side of town that include fireplaces. Even a 1 bedroom apartment for rent will sometimes have a fireplace at the Plum Tree Apartments. Also, some of the 1, 2, and 3 bedroom apartments on the south side of town will be set in the rather tranquil environment near Whitnall Park. There are some developments on this side of town that even offer furnished apartments.
Green Space Ahead of Its Time
Those relocating to Hales Corners will enjoy a great amount of green space on the southeast side of town. The Boerner Botanical Gardens, Whitnall Park, Whitnall Park Golf Course, Wehr Nature Center, and the Trimborn Farm estate are all a part of a recreational and scenic paradise that together comprise one of the jewels of the Milwaukee County Park System. It's pretty green around Whitnall Park in the summer, but the myriad colors of autumn are dazzling. And, every May the flowering crabs, magnolias, and forsythia light up the gardens.
The first five formal gardens at the botanical gardens were built eight decades ago. Those seriously afflicted with a green thumb will see recent "All-America Selections" of the latest roses in special test gardens. There's a large rock wall that's a favorite backdrop for wedding photos. There's also a "bogwalk," and no, you aren't required to don hip boots and slog among the cattails. Rather, there's a boardwalk running high and dry just above it all.
Swim or Skate
You'll find an outdoor swimming pool at Hales Corners County Park, on the west side of the community. The community pool includes diving boards and a wading pool. The Alyson Dudek International Skate Center opened in 2013. It honors Dudek, a Hales Corners resident that won a bronze medal in short track speed skating at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. She also competed in Sochi in 2014.
Out of Gas
Sherper's Camping Store on S. 108th Street is pretty unique. Army surplus items are included in the inventory. It's a little sobering to try on a WWII-era surplus gas mask that may occasionally be in stock. Fortunately, a lot of brand-new ones were left over. South of town, the dirt oval of the Hales Corners Speedway ran out of gas in 2004; progress in suburbia, one might say. The roaring engines of yesteryear are now silent, and this is good news for those looking at town homes and condos in the far southern part of town.
Walk the Plank
There's a fair chance that any apartment rental you consider in Hales Corners will be better appointed than the old Stahl-Conrad Homestead at 9724 W. Forest Home Avenue. However, the price was right back then. All one had to do was live on a piece of land, farm it and it was yours. Well, it is true that the work week may have been a hundred hours or so back then. The 1870s farmhouse was located along the old Janesville Plank Road. Today, asphalt has replaced the wooden planks that once made up this important route out of town. Back then, without the planks, those wagon wheels and heavy rain did not get along well at all. Today, rent in Hales Corners and you'll find that every single road is paved. Now that's progress.
