The legend goes like this: Early French explorers were making their way down the dirty Chippewa River— mud-ridden and murky from the rain— in search of fresh water to drink. They were thirsty, tired and losing hope when one man stumbled upon a then-unnamed body of water, rejoicing, "Voici l'eau claire!"(“Here is clear water!”) The group stayed on the banks of what is now the Eau Claire River to settle the area and thus, the birth of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Today, the quaint community of 65,000 (its metro area reaches out to 114,000) has retained its small-town roots while offering visitors a variety of modern amenities. Nowadays, if you are thinking about relocating to the area, you won’t need to worry about potable water but you will want the inside scoop on where to find the best places to live. Here, we’ll guide you through the city and show you how to snag the house, apartment or condo that’s right for you.
This college town in northwestern Wisconsin sits about an hour and a half from St
