Madison (Monona, Wisconsin Dells, Luck: low crime, how much, houses)

[Christoph13]

I just turned 30 an looking for a change. I currently live in upstate NY (Albany) and have heard of a city called Madison WI. I know nothing about it and was hoping someone here could fill me in. How are the music venues here, hows the outdoors life, whats the cost of living, where's the best place to live? My girlfriend and my dog are planing on moving in the spring and starting a family. We are all very outdoorsies, but also love not having to drive far to the story. Schools aren't important yet but wouldn't mind an average cost of living and an average housing market. thanks for your help and happy holiday's..

Chris

[Depthcharge]

I've lived in Madison for 25 years. I moved here when I was 21. Madison has a lot to offer younger people. It has a relatively low crime rate, which in part may be due to the higher level of education of the general population and a strong job market.
I don't visit the nightclubs like I did when I was younger and single, but Madison goes the full sprectrum when it comes to music. You can find Rock, Jazz, Hip Hop, Country, Alternative and anything in between.
Madison is the location of our state Capitol. The Capitol building sits on an isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. It can be seen for miles in any direction, especially at night when it's lit up.
There are bike paths around the lakes as well as numerous parks. You'll have no problem finding outdoorsie things to do year round. For dog owners there are numerous dog parks where you and your dog can interact with other dogs and dog owners.
I live on the north side of Madison and average houses in my neighborhood are anywere from $160,000-$250,000. Other parts of Madison tend to be more pricey. Schools, grocery stores, Home Depot, and other miscellaneous shopping are all within a 10 minute drive no matter where you live in Madison.
From Madison it's a 3 hour drive to Chicago, Door county is also about 3 hours away. Wisconsin Dells are about a 1 hour drive. That's just a few places of possible interest.
I've only scratched the surface, for more specific info just "Google" Madison. You can also visit: madison.com for the website of the 2 major newspapers - "The Wisconsin State Journal" and "The Capital Times".
Good Luck if you do end up in Madison, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

[Chelito23]

The previous poster gave you a very nice, concise summary. Madison has everything you would want to do, it has an urban and progressive, democratic vibe. Many cultural activities as well as indoor and outdoor recreation. There is really something for everyone here. Shopping is pretty decent as well. The prices tend to be high for the midwest, and the taxes in Wisconsin(let alone Madison) are sky high. You might want to start a thread and ask people how much a small 25 or 50 year old house is valued at, and what they pay in taxes! Other than that, if money is an issue, the suburban communities around Madison afford a very high standard of living, with all of the ammenities of Madison, yet lower home prices and taxes. I really think you all would like it here. Some schools are better than others, but overall the Wisconsin schools are fine due to the high taxes. In general, it is easier to find a good school than a bad one.

Beware...many people here are so enamored by their lifestyle, and genuinely love living here, they are blind to the downsides of life here...and will not give you a totally accurate picutre of life in Madison. It is almost socially unacceptable here to complain about any aspect of Madison, people will generally react by telling you to move or to trash other places and not address or even acknowledge the problem or complaint, much less attempt to solve it.

The drawbacks are a growing traffic problem (you will see this comment be attacked with "it is no where near as bad as NY") but it is exists nonetheless. The local roads weren´t designed to carry as many cars as there are now, so at rush hour traffic is slow. At other times, it is usually a breeze.

Also, many people rave about the schools, but nearly have of the students in the Madison Schools live in poverty. A lot of attention, teaching time and funding goes to the special needs students as well as behavioral problems. I suppose this is good for those students at least. To be fair, this is probablly an issue in most cities in the country, just a new one that Madison is coming to grips with. Also, it is a very diverse school district demographically...about 50% of the students are Black, Hispanic and Asian. Not many other cities in Wisconsin can boast about this! So, the diversity is definantly a pro in my opinion.

The cost of living here is also quite high...although it very well could be in upstate NY too. Just look into state property taxes and state income tax first.

All in all I think Madison would be a great choice for you all, just wanted to give you an accurate picture, with the good and the bad. Good luck!

[beany]

We moved to Madison last year & its been the best move we ever made. While we're also a little past our 30s we have not lost sight of all the entertainment opportunities that Madison has to offer, and there are many. There are also a high number of trials & parks here - my husband being both a runner & cyclist has more options available to him than he knows what to do with. If you're into running, there are LOTS of races to enter here too.. We've also found a number of nice parks for hiking, kayaking or a simple picnic, being a VERY green state - the possibilities here seem almost endless.

The further west you go, the more rolling hills you're likely to run into.. Also, don't limit yourself to being IN the city. We're 8 miles from downtown & feel like we've got the best of both worlds.. the rural country roads AND the fun nightlife!