Apartment in West Towne Mall Area? Or anywhere? (Madison, Sheboygan: apartments, houses)

[fta]

I have been in dire need of finding a nice apartment in Madison, as I will be moving there in the fall to start grad school. Unfortunately I am on the other side of the country and can't really make a visit up to Madison to check out apartments. I was able to see a few when I was there in March but they did not have any vacancies for this next year.

I am wondering if anyone has any experience with the area around the West Towne Mall, and especially the apartments in the area. It's really difficult to find openings but I have been looking at High Point Commons and Yorktown Apartments.

Any thoughts? Or, do you have a suggestion where else to look? I don't mind living away from the whole university aura, but would like to stay near a busline so that I can get to campus under an hour.

Thanks for the help.

[Megan1967]

Highpoint Commons was built in the late 80's early 90's and was one of *the* luxury apartment communities of it's time. It is still fairly well kept up, but hasn't really been updated since it was built. Managed by Resident Services which I've heard very mixed reviews on.

Yorktown apartments were built around the same time and were also some of the nicest in the area at the time, they have been updated a bit, but are very comparable to Highpoint Commons. Steve Brown manages this property and they manage some of the nicest apartments in Madison.

Both are in convenient locations and have tons of nice amenities like in unit laundry, nice club houses, pools, wooded grounds, both flat lot and underground parking (which is so worth it if you can afford the extra fee per month).

Both are much nicer than anything you will find on campus at this point and a much better value for your dollar. Apartments are ridiculously expensive on campus. Both are way nicer than I ever lived in as a student.

[amysherman]

The Gallina Company has some really nice apartments in the Middleton Area. Most are on buslines but you'll want to check (Middleton and Madison are basically the same place).
I agree Yorktown is nice. And Steve Brown Apartments are lovely as well.
I don't know if I love High Point quite as much, but they are okay. Some don't have their own laundry. Don't know what your budget is, but High Point is far more affordable.
Good luck with your search. It's hard to find a decent apartment in Madison that doesn't break the bank!
Let us know if you have other questions about any properties.

[fta]

Thanks all for the help! I will post an update if I need any more info. Much appreciated.

[rekuci]

You can't get to campus from the West Towne Mall area without a bus transfer, afaik. Very few grad students live out there. However a lot live in the numerous complexes and high-rises along Sheboygan Ave. near Hilldale Mall and stretching west to Whitney Way and I've only heard good things about any of them. A lot of people who make poor housing decisions before arriving their first year end up moving out there for the remainder of their time here. There are also a few lower quality apartments along Mineral Point Rd. west of Midvale Blvd (you could probably find the names from signs on streetview) and a pricier complex called Midvale Heights on Midvale Blvd near the intersection of Tokay Rd that I've also heard good things about. All of these are off direct bus lines to campus, as opposed to anything near West Towne. Why have a 1 hour bus ride when you could have a 10 minute one?

[Tootenstein]

Actually, the 15 bus route goes down D'onofrio Drive right next to High Point Commons and takes you all the way downtown into campus with no transfers needed. It's around a 40 minute bus ride depending on traffic.

High Point Commons is a really nice place to live, just be aware that there are different units with different amenities. Some are really great, with a washer/dryer, fireplace, vaulted ceilings, giant personal garage right underneath you that fits 2 small cars. Other units have none of those things. Regardless though, it's a really well-maintained property, very safe area, you can walk to the movie theater, restaurants, or the mall, and hop on the bus to go downtown. I know of a few grad students who have lived there, too.

Don't know much about Yorktown but it looks pretty similar to High Point. Not sure about the bus lines over there, but you can look it up on the Madison metro bus route map online.

[argot]

Man... maybe I'm spoiled, but a 40-45 minute commute each way for an entire school year sounds rough to me. Why did you choose the West Towne area specifically? Maybe there are closer neighborhoods that you would like just as much.

[JoshB]

Originally Posted by amysherman

The Gallina Company has some really nice apartments in the Middleton Area. Most are on buslines but you'll want to check (Middleton and Madison are basically the same place).
I agree Yorktown is nice. And Steve Brown Apartments are lovely as well.
I don't know if I love High Point quite as much, but they are okay. Some don't have their own laundry. Don't know what your budget is, but High Point is far more affordable.
Good luck with your search. It's hard to find a decent apartment in Madison that doesn't break the bank!
Let us know if you have other questions about any properties.

Amy brings up some great ideas, I looked at Yorktown and the property is beautiful, nice 1 bedrooms from 1000-1100, 2 bedrooms from 1300-1500. I live in a Gallina Property off Greenway Blvd and love it here, management is very friendly and are attentive to tenants. I pay 1015 a month for a beautiful 1 bedroom. I'd look into the Gallina and Steve Brown properties like Amy mentioned.

[fta]

Originally Posted by argot

Man... maybe I'm spoiled, but a 40-45 minute commute each way for an entire school year sounds rough to me. Why did you choose the West Towne area specifically? Maybe there are closer neighborhoods that you would like just as much.

My main reasoning for the distance is I much prefer assimilation into more of a "normal" city lifestyle than staying in the university type experience. As such, I am more interested in living on the edges of town as opposed to smack dab in the middle. I guess it's just a personal preference.

[7G9C4J2]

Nothing wrong with personal preference, that's for sure, and if you prefer the outlying areas, you can certainly find many nice places to live on the far west side. Just be aware that the edges of Madison are a whole lot less "normal city" and a whole lot more "semi-suburbia" than you might think. Again, there is nothing wrong with that if that's what interests you. I just wouldn't describe the area around West Towne Mall as offering a city-like atmosphere.

If you'll be taking the bus to and from campus, you may want to spend some time with Madison Metro Transit's route planner. Their website can be something of a pain to navigate, but at the very least, you should be able to get an idea of what your travel times would be, and whether or not you could get home by bus after an evening of studying. I know some of their routes don't run past about 7 or 8 pm, so check the times carefully. Their website is here: Metro Transit - City of Madison, Wisconsin.