steev

This street is fairly busy, with a lot of "shortcut" traffic from Main Street as well as on-street parking for the houses around. But the back yards are all pretty large and green. In fact, if you live on the north side of the street, you get access to the school-district-owned nature center (which is the size of a small park, although without any playground equipment--a small pine woods and circular trail, fairly wild). The neighbors are quiet and friendly, with about half being rental homes and half small families in their own homes. There are also a few "older" people on the block, including a few folks who have had their home for a couple generations.

Despite being in "the city" (if Fond du Lac can rightly be called an urban area. . .), this street is surrounded by nature. The above-mentioned nature center, the city bike trail crosses 12th two blocks west of Main, a small tributary (although it's called a river, it's not much larger than a creek) that flows to Lake Winnebago, lots of small animals (rabbits, ducks, owls, squirrels, and box elder bugs), and a bunch of mature trees, mainly in back yards, give this area a more rural feel. Riverside Elementary School is right around the block as well as Goodrich Little Theater (community theater productions), the city's aquatic center (indoor lap swimming, diving, kids' pool, and lessons), the soccer field, tennis courts, and playground at Riverside, and Fondy High's Cardinal Field (where the football team plays) are all within a short walk around the block.

There is a bus stop on west 12th, although the city buses are small and keep an odd schedule. It's a short walk to Main Street where you can see parades and walk the five or six blocks to downtown festivals in the summer. Also the Farmer's Market and library are within a comfortable walk or bike ride a few blocks north. Unfortunately, Fond du Lac is not set up for a biking/walking lifestyle, so you'll have to drive out to the grocery store (a few blocks south) to get a food for the family and drive even further out to stock up at Target. Hwy 41 is only a few miles away, with an on-ramp at Hickory Street. The 151 bypass is about the same distance, if you're more inclined to travel that way.

The street is fairly quiet, although at night you're just as likely to be kept awake by an owl as by the train that passes a few blocks west. The train keeps its own regular schedule and after a few days, the distant rumbling and occasional low whistle turn into ambient noise. Cars do tend to pass through the narrow street rather quickly sometimes; it's a short cut from Main Street to Hickory or Military Rd. Keep a close eye on your kids (or stay in the back yard to play). Although it's a fairly busy street, there have been no accidents during the 5 years we have lived there. The neighbors are generally quiet and some of them are very nice (with a lot of rental homes and a few duplexes, neighbors tend to change every 6 months or so). There are people out riding bikes, walking dogs, and little kids playing when the weather is nice, so there's ample opportunity to get to know people.

Although people tend to look for homes on the east side of Fond du Lac, or in the subdivisions around the city, we like living on W12th Street. It's a nice place for a family or for a couple looking for a small starter home or quiet duplex.