Considering relocating to Madison from Nashville, Tn (Appleton, Sun Prairie: renting, crime)

[Kluch]

Originally Posted by BoozeVoodoo

The cost of living in Madison is absolutely ridiculous unless you plan on receiving section 8 like the throngs of people from Chicago come here for. It is not as bad as any of the coastal cities but it is up there. We pay $1300 a month for a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment where in a lot of other cities that would rent us a nice four bedroom, two bathroom house on a six thousand square foot lot. If you would like a decent house for a fair price then look elsewhere, this is a city hell bent on making people live in apartments.

Madison is a nice place to raise a family however there really isn't that much to do comparative to other cities that I have lived in, to really have a good time you will need to travel about an hour north to the dells or an hour and a half to Milwaukee.

The school districts are awesome except for one complaint and that is they love to push their liberal agenda a bit much. My oldest has come to me on many occasions letting me know that his teachers have been praising Hillary and saying that everyone should vote for her. Politics, whatever they are, do not belong in school. I discussed this with his principle and the teachers had a stern talking too but nothing serious since they are in the union and can get away with murder.

The influx of people that Chicago didn't want doesn't help things here either. The scumbags and douchebags that couldn't make it in Chicago come here with fresh, newly grown big brass balls and cause a good deal of the crime that we do have here.

Come here to raise a family, stay because it is a good place to raise a family...not much in between.

It sounds more and more like Madison's cost of living is sky rocketing like Nashville's which is what Iwas afraid of. Definitely not a fan of pushing strong liberal agendas in the schools but what can you do at times? My wife liked the idea of madison because of it being a "healthy city" as well, with the farmers market and all. But I'm trying to get us to some place without an explosive cost of living because that's similar to how Nashville is. The other places we've considered are Grand Rapids and Indianapolis Suburbs... I guess, like I said earlier, we could throw Milwaukee in the mix but those are the recent options.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by BoozeVoodoo

The cost of living in Madison is absolutely ridiculous unless you plan on receiving section 8 like the throngs of people from Chicago come here for. It is not as bad as any of the coastal cities but it is up there. We pay $1300 a month for a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment where in a lot of other cities that would rent us a nice four bedroom, two bathroom house on a six thousand square foot lot. If you would like a decent house for a fair price then look elsewhere, this is a city hell bent on making people live in apartments.

You can still get a 2 bedroom for that in Madison? Holy hell, I really need to move back. I haven't seen a one bedroom that cheap in years.

Originally Posted by BoozeVoodoo

Another typical Madisonian.

That is another thing you have to watch if you decide to move here as well. You will offend everyone, all of the time and get called a bigot (out of context, mind you) just for stating your opinion or facts that don't fit their perfect view of this city.

If someone expresses a bigoted opinion, it isn't incorrect to call them a bigot.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by Kluch

It sounds more and more like Madison's cost of living is sky rocketing like Nashville's which is what Iwas afraid of. Definitely not a fan of pushing strong liberal agendas in the schools but what can you do at times? My wife liked the idea of madison because of it being a "healthy city" as well, with the farmers market and all. But I'm trying to get us to some place without an explosive cost of living because that's similar to how Nashville is. The other places we've considered are Grand Rapids and Indianapolis Suburbs... I guess, like I said earlier, we could throw Milwaukee in the mix but those are the recent options.

Madison has more affordable areas to live in than that poster was referring to in addition to outlying towns like Sun Prairie. The east side of Madison a bit removed from Lake Monona is also more affordable. I like Monona and Buckeye Rd corridor as well. Prices in these areas are not as high as Downtown , the near east side and the west side.

[Rynldsbr]

Originally Posted by Kluch

It sounds more and more like Madison's cost of living is sky rocketing like Nashville's which is what Iwas afraid of. Definitely not a fan of pushing strong liberal agendas in the schools but what can you do at times? My wife liked the idea of madison because of it being a "healthy city" as well, with the farmers market and all. But I'm trying to get us to some place without an explosive cost of living because that's similar to how Nashville is. The other places we've considered are Grand Rapids and Indianapolis Suburbs... I guess, like I said earlier, we could throw Milwaukee in the mix but those are the recent options.

Give us your definition of suburb. Are you looking to commute by car? How far/long are you willing to drive to get to work each day?

A nice two bedroom...does this include secure entry in a large complex or does a duplex work for you? Yard or public transportation needs?

What career field are you in? What is the employment situation and where do you anticipate working?

If you go 25 miles outside Madison in almost any direction, cost of living drops significantly. Madison is a cool college town with young professionals and aspiring career politicians driving up costs. "nice" towns with farmers markets and pretty little downtown squares are readily available if you are willing to commute in from outlying or if you don't need to live in the city. We lived 25 miles east, between Madison and Milwaukee and loved it. Great towns with character, lower cost of living, and amenities available just a short drive away in either direction.

[MadTown666]

I moved from the Southeast to Madison this year and I love it! Madison is a very live-able city with a lot to like: the bike paths are amazing, it's easy to get around and there are lakes at every turn. Housing is admittedly pricey, but I have found that haircuts and vet bills and restaurants and car repair, etc is much cheaper than the larger city where we lived before our move. The people I have met are incredibly active, fit people, many who are highly-educated. With that combination, there comes a bit of arrogance but nothing you wouldn't find in any academic environment. Mostly the people are friendly and welcoming. We bought a house fairly close-in on the west side so that we can walk to everything and have really loved that. It is also fun to shop at independent pharmacies, restaurants and food co-ops. The weather has been unseasonably warm (mid 50s today) so I haven't had a chance to try out winter sports, but I love that so many people stay active outdoors even in the coldest months. So don't rule out this city- it's got a whole lot to offer!

[Kluch]

Originally Posted by BoozeVoodoo

LOL, where do you live at?


I wasn't being intolerant to the opinion of anyone and was just stating my own. Stating your own opinion in a city like this will get you called a bigot simply because you are not following the liberal status quo.

Some have stated that you can live on the far east side for cheap but in my opinion the east side is run down with only a couple communities that are somewhat decent.

I will give Madison credit for being a healthy city but anyone that really participates in those types of things is still a niche demographic. Walk around a couple of the malls here and obesity seems like more of a favorable lifestyle here...Ill probably get slammed for that comment because everyone is so politically correct here but it is the truth.

Milwaukee is one of the most crime ridden cities in the country, I would suggest tossing that suggestion right in the garbage disposal. We had friends come up from St. Louis while helping a friend relocate for a higher position in his company in Milwaukee, St. Louis is not light on crime itself, and they were astonished by what they witnessed there after just spending a couple of nights there. Shots fired outside of their nice hotel room while one of the hotel rooms next to theirs got raided by the police the very next night and a variety of other things. St. Louis is a crazy city itself but even they said they wouldn't live in Milwaukee if it was the last place on Earth. To be fair, everything about a city is subjective to individual people and your results could be completely different as even I have friends that say they could never leave Milwaukee for their love of the city.

You make some really good points here. Thanks. I definitely have mixed feelings about Milwaukee (and Madison too). Obviously every "city" is going to have it's pros and cons so I'll definitely have to weight those. I like the idea of living by the lake and having healthy choices close by but the "friendliness" of Milwaukee hasn't been made real obvious to me while I've been researching it. Oh, and I don't mind the non politically correct comment either, hah.

[gypsyjudy]

I've lived in Knoxville, Memphis, Houston, Omaha, Detroit, St. Louis and Madison. I would go back to Madison in a heartbeat. Yes, it is very liberal and extraordinarily expensive, but it really does have a high quality of life. I homeschool my kids and consider myself to be quite conservative. That should be quite an endorsement for Madison. Great place.

[Kluch]

Originally Posted by gypsyjudy

I've lived in Knoxville, Memphis, Houston, Omaha, Detroit, St. Louis and Madison. I would go back to Madison in a heartbeat. Yes, it is very liberal and extraordinarily expensive, but it really does have a high quality of life. I homeschool my kids and consider myself to be quite conservative. That should be quite an endorsement for Madison. Great place.

...where do you live now?

[gypsyjudy]

Originally Posted by Kluch

...where do you live now?

St. Louis, MO - for the third and last time.

[gypsyjudy]

I'll put my two cents worth in again since I just read back through the thread. Your wife and I sound very similar. Every place in the US has obesity problems, and we are exporting our habits all over the world. After living in Madison's "utopia" for 13 years and then moving to Detroit for 1.5 years and St. Louis for almost 2 years, it has become starkly obvious that Madison definitely has a healthier lifestyle (except for the drinking culture, that is). Tons of outdoor activities (all seasons) in the city and nearby. We just visited there a few months ago (and were going to put an offer in on some land, but it fell through) and were shocked at the lack of smoking and people working out - biking, walking, etc. Here in St. Louis people think you are either homeless or your car is broken down if you walk anywhere! No, really! Detroit was nothing but a hellhole, and I can say nothing more than that about it...... I am a vegan and eat a ton of whole, organic foods. Madison...no big deal. In St. Louis people think I am a huge weirdo! The new fried chicken place in my area has had lines of morbidly obese people lined up out the door and around the building since it opened a month ago. Oh, and most of them are smoking. Ironically, the restaurant is right next to a funeral home!
You will have huge culture shock in Madison coming from Nashville, especially if you have not lived outside the South for a while. Then again, it could be refreshing. I considered Nashville for the next move with the low cost of living but I just cannot reconcile myself to living there again. As I said, for a conservative to endorse one of the most liberal cities in the US is quite an endorsement.