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I wish everybody could live in Green Bay but then it wouldn't be that small little town. But just do visit on a game day weekend end,,,,where all the bank tellers wear Packer jerseys, waitresses wear jerseys, all the small stores downtown have Packer signs in their windows. It's a cultural thing. It is a way of life. I am so blessed to live there. When my dad was transferred to Green Bay, I had to look it up on a map, had never heard of it and I lived in Milwaukee!
We lived there from '98 to '05. I'd go back in a heartbeat but housing costs are about twice where I am now. I'm renting a nice 2800 sq/ft country home right now at $750. The same house around Green Bay would be at least $1500. Too bad.
Things I miss: Pleasant summers, Iola Car Show, friendliest people I've known anywhere, Gallagher's Pizza, Chili John's... oh, and my Packers, of course! One of the coolest things was that the town is small enough that people generally think nothing of bumping into players, coaches, legends at the checkout at the Festival or wherever, so players don't feel like they have to hide all the time (well, the vast majority anyway.) It was kinda odd. I'd bump into Donald Driver frequently at Walmart and Bubba Franks 3 or 4 times at the Festival in De Pere, but never anywhere else.
The best was meeting Bart Starr outside Donut Connection on September 12, 2000. He was getting out of his truck while I was walking back out to mine. I said, "Good morning, Mr. Starr!" He smiled and said, "Good morning to you!" I was going to leave it at that, but he walked on over to me to shake MY hand and asked if I was going to vote that day. I told him I was and I'd be voting YES on the stadium tax. He told me he had his fingers crossed and we were just a couple of guys talking for about two minutes about whether we thought it would pass before he wished me a good day and went on inside.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but that just doesn't happen in other sports cities.