Possibly moving to Madison

[gypsychic]

Some great informative posts here! My sister (native Floridian) relocated to Wisconsin decades ago for cooler weather, and lived in Madison for a number of years. When I visited, I really loved the vibe - just the right size city to me, loved the active bustling downtown with students from the university and the workers from the Capitol building. And I also love the scale of the charming old buildings there.

I was surprised at how EXPENSIVE all the real estate was there (I check this in every city I visit) and also how long the winters are. I was there in late April and the temp never got above 28 for the high and it SNOWED several times! As a Floridian I was pretty cold. But it's definitely a nice place to be in that winter weather - lots of great dining and coffee shops to warm you up!

As an aside, I find it interesting, because I just purchased a second home in Asheville, NC, which someone once called it "Madison with mountains." Asheville has also been called the "Berkeley of the South", and the descriptions above could almost describe the city to a T, except for the topography and weather.

I do think Madison is one of the nicest cities I've seen, good luck!

[Drover]

I've been to Asheville, and it's a lovely area. The Asheville/Blue Ridge area is on my list of "five places to buy a home if I win the Lotto." (The other 4 are a condo in Chicago, a lake cabin in the Wisconsin northwoods, a condo in Seattle, and a cabin somewhere in the interior West, perhaps in the Boulder CO area or Flagstaff AZ area.) I remember my first impression being, "this is the Bible Belt -- where the hell did all the new-age hippie whackos come from??" What I found truly fascinating about Asheville is how the aforementioned new-age hippies and the Bible-thumping Hellfire/Brimstone crowd seem to coexist quite peacefully. While I found that Asheville does largely have a similar sociopolitical bent as Madison, I also observed that Ashevielle does not have nearly the energy and vibrancy that Madison has. Whereas Madison shouts "this city is ALIVE!" from every corner, Asheville emits a yawn and mutters, "yep, we're Asheville all right." I like Asheville well enough, but given a choice between the two, I'd pick Madison every time.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by Drover

I've been to Asheville, and it's a lovely area. The Asheville/Blue Ridge area is on my list of "five places to buy a home if I win the Lotto." (The other 4 are a condo in Chicago, a lake cabin in the Wisconsin northwoods, a condo in Seattle, and a cabin somewhere in the interior West, perhaps in the Boulder CO area or Flagstaff AZ area.) I remember my first impression being, "this is the Bible Belt -- where the hell did all the new-age hippie whackos come from??" What I found truly fascinating about Asheville is how the aforementioned new-age hippies and the Bible-thumping Hellfire/Brimstone crowd seem to coexist quite peacefully. While I found that Asheville does largely have a similar sociopolitical bent as Madison, I also observed that Ashevielle does not have nearly the energy and vibrancy that Madison has. Whereas Madison shouts "this city is ALIVE!" from every corner, Asheville emits a yawn and mutters, "yep, we're Asheville all right." I like Asheville well enough, but given a choice between the two, I'd pick Madison every time.

Yes, Madison seemed to be a very lively city. Of course it is MUCH larger than Asheville, and being the Capitol city and having the large university there give it much more "hustle and bustle". Asheville is mostly a resort/retirement town, with just enough "hippies" and "alternative" types to keep it interesting. Asheville is an easy drive for us from Florida, so it makes sense to have our second home there. My sis lives in Appleton, now for various personal reasons, which I also think is nice, but much smaller and laid-back than Madison.

[mayfair]

I'm on the west coast and went to school in Madison. It is a lovely city- much better for biking than Seattle because of the flat terrain. There are extensive bike lanes and trails.

Don't live near the coal plant-unless they have cleaned it up-- your lungs and windowsills will have black soot in/on them.

Madison is smaller- but in my opinion had better museums than Seattle. There is a geology museum, art museum, children's museum, etc. There's a small free zoo, an arboretum that puts Seattle's to shame. There's a strong "green" ethic.

It's still the Midwest and brown in winter not green, cold and yes mosquitos. I think anyone who likes Seattle will like Madison after adjusting to weather.

[Drover]

Welp, it's currently 9 below zero in Madison. Forecasts indicate it won't get above zero again until Tuesday, and won't be solidly into double digits until Thursday. Ah, winter in Wisconsin.