A European City in the Midwest? (Madison: employment, neighborhood, universities)

[mark1974]

From what I read Madison sounds like some kind of Nordic city with its liberal politics and its somehwat sophisticated culture (for a city that size)

It sounds charming. Except for the cold

I want to live there

[Sorge]

You're welcome! Madison's Progressive Talk - The Mic 92.1 -

I moved to Madison from Boston/Germany/Russia and feel good.

[7G9C4J2]

As much as I love Madison, I don't know that I'd go so far as to describe this community as a European-style city with sophisticated culture. Madisonians love to think of themselves as sophisticated and urbane, but in all honesty, we're a pretty provincial bunch here. There are fabulous things about Madison that are not often found in a city of 200,000 people, but I don't think they take us to a level that would put us on a par with most European cities.

This is one person's highly subjective perspective, but some of the things I like about Madison include the city's beauty, liberal politics, an excellent fine arts (particularly classical music) community, the emphasis on literacy and education, the presence of several colleges and universities, the robust economy, the fact that people are out and about year-round, and the friendliness of most residents. And believe it or not, the weather.

Some of the things I'm not so fond of include the tendency to talk everything to death before doing anything, the tendency to try to legislate morality, sprawl, the lack of diversity, and the attitude that Madisonians are better than the rest of the world.

So, it's not perfect here, not by a long shot. But as cities go, it's pretty darn good.

[mark1974]

I just read that Madison has the highest concentration of PHD's per capita. That has to count toward something in the way of making you feel less provincial. Don't sell yourself short just because you're a small city

[7G9C4J2]

Originally Posted by mark1974

I just read that Madison has the highest concentration of PHD's per capita.

Well, true. But did the article mention how many of them are cab drivers?

A lot of UW grad students fall in love with Madison and decide to stay on after they collect the advanced degree. However, there are only so many PhD-level jobs in a city of 200,000 people; if you're an employer hiring for an entry-level position, and you have a choice between a newly-minted Bachelor's degree holder or a newly-minted PhD holder, with a few notable exceptions, you're going to go for the less expensive - i.e. the Bachelor's degree holder - of the two. Consequently, we have a fairly large population of extremely well-educated but under-employed people here in Madison.

That's not entirely a bad thing from the point of view of someone who lives here, of course. You can have a really fascinating and educational conversation with your cab driver, for example, or the barrista at the local coffee shop. But the statistics alone can be a bit misleading.

[gallon]

Originally Posted by MidwesternBookWorm

Well, true. But did the article mention how many of them are cab drivers?

A lot of UW grad students fall in love with Madison and decide to stay on after they collect the advanced degree. However, there are only so many PhD-level jobs in a city of 200,000 people; if you're an employer hiring for an entry-level position, and you have a choice between a newly-minted Bachelor's degree holder or a newly-minted PhD holder, with a few notable exceptions, you're going to go for the less expensive - i.e. the Bachelor's degree holder - of the two. Consequently, we have a fairly large population of extremely well-educated but under-employed people here in Madison.

That's not entirely a bad thing from the point of view of someone who lives here, of course. You can have a really fascinating and educational conversation with your cab driver, for example, or the barrista at the local coffee shop. But the statistics alone can be a bit misleading.

There are plenty of PhD jobs at a world class university the size of UW. And Madison has a strong and growing biotechnology sector also, with plenty of research positions.
Those PhDs that may be driving cabs (I really doubt there are many) would rather drive a cab in Madison than work an ordinary job elsewhere.

Just a different perspective on it. As for the statistics, if they have the PhD, then they count,
doesn't matter what they are driving or what they happen to be doing this week.

[houseinmadison]

Well, it has its charms but I would not describe it as European. I am from Europe and I have not found the vibrant social contact opportunities anywhere I lived in the US like they have in the European cities, big or small. It's a different culture. That being said, you can have a nice life here provided you have good employment and choose a neighborhood that suits your tastes.