Questions about everyday life in Madison (Janesville, Middleton: credit, zoned, job)

[qazzaq9]

Right now I have Madison on the top of my list of towns I would like to relocate to. Right now I live in Binghamton, NY and its time to leave for good.

If I move to Madison, I would like to go back to school. I would probably have to start at a 2 year school. Is there good community colleges there? Is it an easy transfer to the university?

I would like to work as a personal trainer until I get a higher degree in the health sciences field. Is there enough of a gym culture to find work? Is there a selection of health clubs?

Some things I have found so far that I think would make it a good place for me. One is my diet is basically meat, dairy, fresh veggies and berries, and beer ? It sounds like Wisconsin as a whole is great for that.

My town has about 60,000 people. I think 250,000 or so would be a good jump for more opportunity, without an overwelmingly increase in people and traffic.

I am a non-denominational Christian but I attend a Lutheran church. I have read that there is many Lutheran churches to choose from. Is that correct?

I live to play disc golf. I never heard of it until I lived in Raleigh, N.C. and just fell in love with the sport. There are no courses here and I need my new home to have at least a course or two. I see that Madison has at least two courses and others near by. Plus I heard there are world class courses in Highbridge. Thats another big plus for me.

The only negative I can see is the weather. It's not really a negative but rather not much of a change. I hate how there is no sunny days here (52 a year) and I would like a lot more. Madison has about 20 more so it is a step up at least. Plus I can easily handle the cold winters here. How brutal is the average winter in Madison? I still like to get out and be active no matter the weather and I especially enjoy activities in the snow. Is there a lot of winter activities going on or do people tend to hide until spring?

O.K. I have to ask. What is a supper club? I've never heard that term before.
What are some of the unique laws, regulations, etc. that Madison has or Wisconsin in general? What are the things that would help an outsider blend or fit in? Or conversely, what would make someone stick out like a sore thumb, or a type of person that would not be accepted well.

Sorry for all the questions but I'm just trying to make up my mind about what town would be my best fit. I really like what I'm hearing about Madison, and I just want to learn as much as I can. If anyone has any links to good info about Madison or Wisconsin in general, that would be great as well. Thanks for taking a look at this tread.

[Megan1967]

If I move to Madison, I would like to go back to school. I would probably have to start at a 2 year school. Is there good community colleges there? Is it an easy transfer to the university?

The state has a university system. The main campus is in Madison, but there are two and four year campuses(sp?) all around the state. The closest two year campus is Janesville I believe. University of Wisconsin Rock County or U-Rock as it is called by the natives.

Whitewater has a smaller 4 year campus that is nearby.

The local tech college offers an associate degree specifically for people looking to transfer to the UW. matcmadison.edu

I would like to work as a personal trainer until I get a higher degree in the health sciences field. Is there enough of a gym culture to find work? Is there a selection of health clubs?

We only have a few big health clubs. Princeton Club, Harbor Athletic, Prairie Athletic Club, Madison Athletic club, Capital Fitness, Supreme Health and Fitness. There are others I know, but I can't think of them off the top of my head.

We do have a lot of Ironman, marathon, serious cyclist, tri-athlete types. Whatever you do, don't become the jerk that leaves little children crying in his wake on the bike path. I don't even have kids and these uber-athletes who act like the city is their own personal gym really bother me.

I am a non-denominational Christian but I attend a Lutheran church. I have read that there is many Lutheran churches to choose from. Is that correct?

I think Bethal Luthern might be one you want to check out. You might also want to check out Mad City Church. I'm not the communal worshiping type, but I know a lot of non-denominational Christians really love it.

I live to play disc golf. I never heard of it until I lived in Raleigh, N.C. and just fell in love with the sport. There are no courses here and I need my new home to have at least a course or two. I see that Madison has at least two courses and others near by. Plus I heard there are world class courses in Highbridge. Thats another big plus for me.

That's the weirdest "sport" I've ever heard of... There is a disc golf course by my house in Token Creek County Park - I pass it on my way to the dog park. That course is *heavily* used.

O.K. I have to ask. What is a supper club? I've never heard that term before.

<Smirk>It's not as glamorous as you might think. The name conjures up images of the rat pack, but really it's just a restaurant with a lounge type bar. It is of the era of my parents (my mom turns 80 in a couple of weeks).
Usually good food, usually strictly locals.

What are some of the unique laws, regulations, etc. that Madison has or Wisconsin in general?

Well, there are some laws about when/where you can and can't buy booze, but other than that I think everything else is pretty standard. I don't drink much so you'll have to find out what those are from someone else.

What are the things that would help an outsider blend or fit in? Or conversely, what would make someone stick out like a sore thumb, or a type of person that would not be accepted well.

Madisonians are really friendly and generally except anyone. I think the only offensive thing you can do when moving anywhere is to constantly compare where you used to live to the new place. Just be friendly and you'll be fine.

[MidwesternBookWorm]

You ask some really good questions, and you're smart to be thinking about those things before you move instead of after. It's tough to pull up stakes, move halfway across the country, and THEN discover that you can't stand a place.... as I know all too well, we did that in 1981, and regretted it for a long, long time. Right up until we moved to Madison in 1999, in fact.

Megan's answers are very good and quite accurate. I'll add a bit here and there where I can.

Madison Area Technical College is the local two-year tech school that Megan refers to. You can get an excellent start on a university education there, and as long as you maintain a B average, you are guaranteed entry into the UW system with your credits transferring along with you. They also have a lot of good two-year programs in their own right.

There are also other colleges in Madison, though not as well known (and often not as academically rigorous) as the UW. Edgewood College is a private Catholic college on the near west side, Herzing College has a campus here (IT and nursing are the main areas of study), Upper Iowa University is here (mostly business, I believe nursing as well), and Lakeland College is in town (business and IT, some graduate level teaching classes). Some of these are more geared to working adults than the UW system, which is primarily focused on the traditional 18-22 college demographic.

Can't help you on the gym question, I'm afraid, I'm a semi-pro couch potato from way back.

However, you do sound like a natural when it comes to Wisconsin's main food groups. This state does like its beer, and there's a lot of really, really good beer being produced and sold here. You'll also enjoy the Dane County Farmers' Market for fresh fruit, vegetables and free-range (often organic) meats and eggs.

Going from a city of 60K to one of 220K is still rather a jump, you know. Big city folks tell us we don't have any kind of traffic problems here, but you might find it hard to get used to at first. Only way to tell is to try it, of course; try to manage a scouting visit before you take a leap.

Unquestionably, the weather can be a real problem for some folks, and is probably the single factor that causes more people to leave Wisconsin than any other. That said, it's a very subjective thing, and not everyone finds it intolerable. You'll see temperatures mostly in the 40's to 60's in October, 30's and 40's in November, teens, 20's and 30's in December, often into single digits in January and early February, and starting to warm back up into the 30's and 40's in March. April can get into the 60's (though we had snow yesterday) and by the end of May, you'll need sunscreen again.

However, please note that in the previous paragraph, when I started talking about temperature ranges in specific months, I said "you'll see temperatures MOSTLY...." You will also see extremes in all those months. I can recall both 70-degree days in October, and snowstorms in October (not necessarily in the same year). I have seen highs in the 50's in December and January, and I've also seen lows well below zero. There is a huge, huge range in "normal", you know. You'll need to learn to pay attention to the forecast, and to dress for the weather; don't expect to get by with a light windbreaker in January, and don't think that you can get through a winter without a good pair of boots.

You'll definitely see people outdoors enjoying themselves in the winter. When there's ample snow (like this past winter!), there are lots of folks who cross-country ski, there are sledding hills, and ice-fishing is hugely popular. There are winter festivals in the area, and while there's not nearly as much out-door activity as there is in the summer, people don't hibernate, either.

As to your question about how to blend in, or at least avoid sticking out as an outsider, one of the best ways to be a good Wisconsinite is to drive friendly. You will hear references to "fibs" (FIB is an acronym for a phrase that starts with a non-family-friendly epithet, followed by the word Illinois, followed by another epithet), usually in connection with aggressive or unsafe driving, and one of the fastest ways to irritate your new neighbors is to drive the way folks do in Illinois. Beyond that, be friendly and interested in others, and you'll get back the same thing.

Good luck to you! And do try to manage a visit here before you burn your bridges and load up the U-Haul; our opinions will hopefully be helpful, but in the end, you are the only one who can tell how the place really feels to you. Hope you land in a place that you love!

[Drover]

A supper club is Wisconsin-speak for a restaurant that is open for dinner only; no breakfast or lunch. The focus of the menu is standard meat dishes like steak, burgers, chicken, and particularly in Wisconsin, fish dishes; typical side dishes include baked or mashed potato, french fries, various fried goodies such as fried cheese curds. It's a special treat if you can find a supper club that serves fried walleye cheeks. (And no, "walleye cheeks" is not a clever name for some prepared dish. It really is chunks of a walleye's face, deep fried.) In other words, the menu is pretty straightforward American Diner-style food with a Lake Country tilt.

Supper clubs are typically found in small towns. They are family-run mom-and-pop businesses. A supper club typically has a full-service tavern attached. Some serve buffet-style; most do tableside service, even those that have a buffet. Most (if not all) have Friday Night Fish Fry specials, often all-you-can-eat. (Friday fish fry is another Wisconsin tradition thanks to a combination of historic Catholicism and the lake-driven fishing culture). Despite the name implication, supper clubs are not private or members-only establishments. They are open to the general public.

IMO the supper club is one of Wisconsin's greatest institutions. It packs so much of Wisconsin's "everyday Joe" culture into a single establishment. If you ever want a crash course in Wisconsin culture, find a good small-town supper club, eat there, and then hang out afterward in the tavern for a while and listen in on the conversations. It's good people-watching.

As for unique laws: retail liquor sales shut down at 9pm, unless you sell from an adjacent tavern. But you usually only see that in rural areas; in Madison, if you want a bottle of hooch you better find your way to a liquor store by 8:50.

SPEED LIMITS ARE ENFORCED WITH IMPUNITY. The speeding "grace factor" in Wisconsin is a lot lower than most other states. This is particularly frustrating considering the state clings to the antiquated 65mph limit even on limited-access highways.

Also, there is zoned parking throughout most of downtown Madison, at least on the residential streets. That means you can only park there for a maximum of two hours unless you're a resident with a zone permit. Street parking ranges from inconvenient to impossible near downtown, so if you're bringing a car, you might be better off looking for a place in a neighborhood outside of downtown.

[qazzaq9]

Well it is official. I am going to be moving to Madison. If all goes well I should be there before the fall semester starts. I want to thank everyone for their help here.

So far I have two suggestions for a church. Bethal Luthern and Mad City Church. Does anyone else have suggestions? I'd like to get a few more options. What I am really looking for is a congregation that has many folks in their 20's, 30's and 40's. For whatever reasons, every church I attend here people are either 8 years old and under or 70+. Religion in general isn't very popular here. I think joining a church would be a good way to meet people from Madison. I'm open to just about any Protestant Church, it doesn't have to be a Luthern one.

I'm also looking to get involved in the community asap. Right now I have the info to register to vote and the contact info for the Badger chapter of the Red Cross. I always try to donate blood whenever I can (I have the second most rare type). I don't have much extra money, but I'm always looking to donate some time where its helpful. Does anyone know or work with a charity that needs a helping hand? Are there issues that are big in Madison, that I wouldn't know without living there? I guess I'm just asking if someone has personal experience with a charity. I know there are tons of groups that need help, I am just looking for a suggestion or two. I want to make sure I'm getting involved with a charity with a good reputation, not all of them in my hometown do.

Any other advice people have would be great. I already know not to speed, and leave the aggressive NY driving in NY. I am prepared for the long, cold winters as the weather here in Binghamton isn't much different than Madison.

Oh and I just thought about sports. Besides the Wisconsin teams, are there others that are televised a lot? Just curious on who I'll be able to follow on regular cable.

Thanks again everyone!

[katreese]

Darn...I cannot figure out how to multiquote.

Churches. I had the same problem here of trying to find a church appropriate for my age (30s). It was suggested to me a couple of times to try the First Unitarian Church, as it has a reputation of being social, but I never went: Home page of the First Unitarian Society (Unitarian Universalist) of Madison, Wisconsin, USA

Volunteering. I have volunteered a lot in this community. Try the United Way to start with: United Way of Dane County: what matters. , United Way Volunteer Center , VolunteerYourTime.org .

"The United Way Volunteer Center will match you with volunteer opportunities that fit your interests, skills, availability and location. They are happy to help you over the phone, in person in an interview, or you can look at opportunities by going to a collaborative website, volunteeryourtime.org."

Check out the free weekly newspaper, The Isthmus, ISTHMUS | The Daily Page | Madison, Wisconsin for other opportunities as well as kinds of news about and goings-on in the community.

I volunteer for Middleton Outreach Ministry Middleton Outreach Ministry (MOM) - Middleton, Wisconsin and have been very happy there. Out of my many years of volunteering here my time with MOM has been the most rewarding. They serve, among others, the elderly and the population of working poor.

Although previous posters have done an excellent job answering your questions, I'd like to mention that I've taken classes at Madison Area Technical College and at Upper Iowa and was very happy with both, and am currently a UW-Madison student and love it.

Welcome to Madison!

[Drover]

In Madison, you'll get the following sports regularly on cable: UW football and basketball; Bucks; Brewers; Packers. That's pretty much it. There's not a lot of sports-market overlap in Madison -- just the Wisconsin teams. You'll be able to catch about 25% of Cubs games and a few White Sox games on WGN and quite a few Braves games on TBS, which I imagine isn't any different from where you are now.

[Megan1967]

I volunteer at a food pantry on Madison's Northside. www.theriver-madison.org Nice group of people. The directors are all members of Mad-City. I'm actually not a church goer, so I'm really not trying to sell Mad-City, but it does sound like it would be a good fit for you. Lots of young people (did I say that, God, I'm feeling old ). Welcome To Mad City Church!

[qazzaq9]

Originally Posted by Drover

In Madison, you'll get the following sports regularly on cable: UW football and basketball; Bucks; Brewers; Packers. That's pretty much it. There's not a lot of sports-market overlap in Madison -- just the Wisconsin teams. You'll be able to catch about 25% of Cubs games and a few White Sox games on WGN and quite a few Braves games on TBS, which I imagine isn't any different from where you are now.

Thats one thing I guess I'll have to get used to. If there is sports on thats usually what I'm watching. And we have a pretty expansive market. We get yankees, mets, cubs, braves for baseball. Giants, bills, jets, and many eagles, cowboys and patriots games for football. Knicks, and nets for basketball. And rangers, islanders, sabres, and devils for hockey. But I like Wisconsin teams so it will be cool to follow them a little more.

[Drover]

Well you'll get as many Cubs and Braves games here as you would wherever you are now since they are carried on WGN and TBS respectively, which are part of basic cable packages almost everywhere. You'll be able to pick up an extra "regional interest" football game each Sunday on the two channels that carry football on Sundays (Fox and CBS I think); and those "regional interest" games are typically other Midwest teams, particularly other teams in the NFC North (Lions, Bears and Vikings). You'll catch a Giants or Patriots or Jets or Eagles games if they happen to be playing a Midwest team.

I don't know if you'll be able to get Minnesota Wild games in Madison. UW hockey is a pretty big deal so maybe you'll be able to catch it on a local channel?