Kimberly has ties to the past and attractive features for families
Just east of Appleton, Kimberly is a suburban village of 7,300 people with top-rated schools, an expanding collection of parks and housing styles residents can age and grow into. The village is named after the co-founder of Kimberly-Clark, a paper mill company with locations around Appleton during the late 1800s. The Kimberly Mill was closed in 2008. but its impact lives on, with the local schools and an annual festival honoring a paper-making history. In Kimberly, residents are connected to the past while having access to the modern amenities that make for comfortable suburban living.
New subdivisions and condo developments grow due to high demand
The area's older houses, like bungalows, Cape Cods and ranch-style homes, are along gridded streets. Many early paper mill employees lived in the homes, which were within walking distance of the mills. Now, young professionals and small families live in the homes which range in price from $180,000 to $330,000. As cars became more prevalent, detached garages were built, accessible by intersecting alleyways. New Traditional, Modern Craftsman, Colonial Revival and other modern architectural styles are in tightly packed subdivisions with winding roads and cul-de-sacs. They range from $300,000 to $600,000. Condos and townhouses of a similar design sell between $230,000 and $360,000.
Top schools in the Appleton area with competitive sports teams
Kimberly Area School District serves Kimberly and three other nearby villages and towns. Children living within the village boundaries attend four schools before graduation, each within a 2-mile drive of one another. Westside Elementary School, Mapleview Intermediate School and J.R. Gerritts Middle School are all rated A by Niche. Kimberly High School is rated A-minus and is considered the best public high school in the Appleton area, according to Niche. The high school mascot is a paper wasp, and student athletes are called Kimberly Papermakers. The school has recent state championship titles in baseball, football, hockey and volleyball.
Kayaking in the Fox River and swimming in a manmade lake
Small neighborhood parks are around the community, including Roosevelt Park and Verhagen Park, which has pickleball courts, a soccer field and a playground. Sunset Park has a kayak launch into the Fox River and a manmade, lake-like swimming facility called Sunset Beach. The park's athletic section, Sunset Point Park, has baseball diamonds, soccer fields and walking trails. The community has celebrated Paperfest since 1989, the 100th anniversary of the opening of Kimberly Mill. The four-day festival at Sunset Park has live musical acts, food trucks, sporting tournaments and carnival attractions.
Diverse restaurants and big-brand shopping in the neighborhood
Patrons can sip on a cold beer or margarita in the back patio pool during events and musical performances at Tanner's Grille & Bar. Other restaurants in the area serve a diverse range of fare, including Italian, Puerto Rican, Japanese and Mexican cuisines. A Festival Foods is in the neighborhood's northeast corner, and Lowe's, Dollar Tree and specialty shops are at the strip mall south of College Avenue. Just past Wisconsin Highway 441 is a large shopping center with big-name stores: Walmart, Target, Aldi, Kohl's, Pick 'n Save and Marshalls.
Close access to downtown Appleton and Interstate 41
Most residents rely on personal cars to get around, and downtown Appleton is less than 4 miles west. Wisconsin Highway 441 borders Kimberly and connects north across the Fox River to Interstate 41. Valley Transit buses stop in the area, with routes along Kimberly Avenue and East Maes Avenue. Appleton International Airport is 14 miles west, and Ascension NE Wisconsin – St. Elizabeth Hospital is a few miles past Highway 441.
![Heather Haggerty]()
Written By
Heather Haggerty
