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Old 08-19-2008, 11:17 AM
 
Location: Idaho
221 posts, read 1,192,079 times
Reputation: 95

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My husband, 3-year-old daughter, and I will be moving to Wisconsin sometime next year. We are considering a move to either Milwaukee, Madison, or up near the Sheboygan area. My husband is Air Force, so where we live depends on where he can get work, but we do have some say, which is nice.

I am originally from WI, and I am familiar with much of the state, but I don't know much about Madison or the Sheboygan area. We just came back from a visit and we were able to go to Kohler-Andrae State Park, and we fell in love with it! But we also want to be close to family and a big city, like Madison or Milwaukee. Soooo....

Can you folks share with me what you love and don't love about Madison? I know it's been on a lot of lists of "Best Places to Live and Raise a Family," but why? What amenities are there? What is the outdoor recreation like? What are the lakes and beaches like? What are the schools like, public and Christian? What year-round activities, festivities, etc. go on there? All that stuff!

Thank you!

Jessica
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Old 08-19-2008, 11:46 AM
 
5,680 posts, read 10,311,551 times
Reputation: 43791
Ooooh, that could turn into a small novel! And you'll get an earful from plenty of folks, I suspect.

Things I like about Madison:

Beautiful lakes.

Lots of trees and plenty of parks.

Liberals.

Recycling.

Folks are outdoors all year round, walking, running, biking, skating, or just chilling and having a good time.

Plentiful bookstores.

A community that embraces non-traditional family styles as well as the traditional models.

The Dane County Farmers' Market.

All the other things that happen year-round: Art Fair On & Off the Square, neighborhood festivals, Concerts on the Square, weekly jazz concerts, the Great Taste of the Midwest, Taste of Madison, Maxwell Street Days, UW Homecoming and other events, the city-wide New Year's Eve party downtown, Rhythm & Booms, Blooming Butterflies at Olbrich Gardens, and the list could go on for pages.

The weather - really! I love having four seasons, even if one of them involves shoveling mass quantities of snow.

Vibrant arts scene, particularly in drama and classical music. Caveat: when I say "vibrant," I mean in terms of your typical city of 200,000 people. It wouldn't compare to Chicago or Milwaukee or Minneapolis, as many will hasten to tell you.

Strong economy: the economic slump has affected Madison, but nowhere near to the degree that is true elsewhere in the state and the country.

The UW campus: yes, there are plenty of rowdy young folks, and sometimes they can be obnoxious, but I find that the presence of a large university adds an element of life and excitement to a city that nothing else can.

The people, most of whom are among the friendliest I've ever encountered.

Things I don't like about Madison:

Cost of living. Low unemployment leads to higher wages leads to higher prices leads to higher cost of living. Some on the forum will also tell you there is a political component to that, but I try to avoid political discussions here, as they tend to degenerate into flame wars pretty quickly.

Lack of diversity. There are many races and ethnicities represented here, but they're nearly all tiny minorities. Many Madisonians like to think that they live in a diverse community, but having one Hmong family on your street and a black family three blocks away does not a diverse city make.

The number of politicians and lawyers - unavoidable in the state capitol, of course, but I suspect that they are a major factor in global warming.

The tendency to talk everything to death for years, sometimes decades, before doing anything about it. Case in point: there has been discussion and debate about putting in a parking structure on Gorham just before it crosses State since about the late 1970's, and there is STILL no decision on the issue.

I'll let others answer the school questions; our experience with the public high schools here was very good, but I have less knowledge of elementary and middle schools, and no experience whatsoever with religious schools.

Good luck in your move, and I hope you wind up somewhere you love!
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Old 08-19-2008, 02:06 PM
 
Location: hopefully in Madison, WI soon :)
6 posts, read 20,812 times
Reputation: 13
Default thanks

your response was really helpful....i am thinking of moving there also, but i have no kids...but am looking for everything you described in your 'likes' section so rock on. thanks

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Old 08-19-2008, 05:24 PM
 
Location: Madison, WI
1,741 posts, read 5,382,863 times
Reputation: 821
I love everything about Madison except the winter weather.

  • The people are friendly and open.
  • Great public schools.
  • The city itself is beautiful with a very "park" like feel - nice landscaping, lots of big trees, beautiful bike trails and, of course, the lakes. Many city and county parks (some really cool one's like Token Creek and Governor Nelson in close driving distance)
  • There is a large percentage of people with advanced degrees. Just about anyone you meet can share a wealth of knowledge in one area or another. Of course that goes for people in general, but it's still cool to have such a collection of people who have really dedicated a big chunk of their lives to learning about a particular area.
  • People really give back to the community. Lots of civic mindedness and philanthropic work. The people with those degrees mentioned above often volunteer in their area of expertise.
  • Madison is a place where, if you want to, you can make your voice heard on a wide variety of topics. It can be frustraiting if you are working for or hoping for something that is time sensitive, but very few things are rushed through without community input. MWBW I wrote my list without reading yours first. I agree it can get tedious, but at least things like what just happened in Janeville don't happen here: Funding for a 3 million dollar children's museum was passed WITHOUT tax payer input. This in a city that will lose it's major employer in 2 or less years - hence most of it's tax base as workers relocate!
  • Small, locally owned businesses - there are a lot and they are supported.
  • Access to locally grown food.
  • Tons to do many free or low cost - Art Fair on the Square, Taste of Madison, Dog Fest, Braut Fest, Madison Roots Festival, Concerts on the Square, one of the best Farmer's Markets you'll ever see, Willy Street Fair.
  • Cool music venues like the Barrymoore of Orphium.
  • The Overture Center which was primarily funded by one man - W. Jerome Frautschi - both civic minded and philontrophic.
  • Great restaurants, again, many small and locally owned not just "chainland" fare.
  • Pretty good shopping, again lots of locally owned stores, but we have many of the upscale big chain stores as well (and, of course, your run of the mill chain stores).
  • UW Madison - tons of cool things happen on campus and, did you know, senior citizens can attend classes for free (not for credit)?
  • A whole host of technical colleges.
  • We're close to both Chicago and Milwaukee.
  • Great off leash doggie parks! <woof>
  • Great veterinarians (thank you UW vet school)
  • Bohemiam (sp?) vibe
  • Lots of artists & creative folks - print, painting, performance, musical...
I may edit to add more..........
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Old 08-20-2008, 11:00 AM
 
75 posts, read 98,981 times
Reputation: 15
Things I dislike:

High cost of living and taxes for a "fly over" state.

Frigid, long, bleak winters and humid beyond belief summers.

Distance to other interesting parts of the country and oceans, because once you have been everywhere deemed exciting it loses its allure.

Ugly architecture and housing out numbers the attractive.

Besides the UW, feels like a very blue collar town.

Ratty malls and substandard shopping.

You can find a "Culvers" on every other corner but you can't find a "Baskin Robbins" to save your life. Not enough "good" chains. Same restaurants on each side of town. Some of the local restaurants are over rated.

Stinky polluted lakes

Lack of a good freeway system, it's called a beltline here.

Last edited by mad420; 08-20-2008 at 11:10 AM..
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Old 08-20-2008, 11:58 AM
 
75 posts, read 98,981 times
Reputation: 15
Moderator cut: orphaned reference to deleted quote

I would have to say they haven't been many other places, or for whatever reason fit in here, but honestly best places??? I think the magazine was running out of ideas that year, closed eyes and put finger on yours truly. Either that or they just listened to the hype without checking it out themselves.

Last edited by Bo; 08-24-2008 at 10:11 AM..
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Old 08-20-2008, 06:24 PM
 
Location: Madison, WI
1,741 posts, read 5,382,863 times
Reputation: 821
I think numbers speak for themselves. Madison (or anyplace) isn't for everyone, but the majority of the people who live here like it enough to take the time to tell others. Most people only take the time to complain about things so the sheer number of people who sing Madison's praises means a lot.

That said, I'm trying to find another place like Madison in a warmer climate because the winters are brutal here. It's not just annoying, it's harsh.
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Old 08-22-2008, 12:15 AM
 
Location: Chicago
38,707 posts, read 102,863,858 times
Reputation: 29975
Pros:
  • Unemployment rate below 4%
  • The winters may suck (that's a matter of opinion, I happen to like cold snowy winters) but the summers are fabulous
  • Lots of outdoor recreational opportunities in the city itself (three large, interconnected lakes and some nice parks) or within a short drive (every corner of the state provides its unique opportunities be it hiking, biking, hunting, fishing, canoeing/kayaking, rock climbing, river rafting, et cetera)
  • Unbeatable Farmer's Market on the Capitol square in the summers
  • Hanging out on University of Wisconsin Union terrace overlooking the lake on a summer evening
  • Madison has the best local beer scene in all the Midwest -- nearby world-class breweries include Great Dane (right downtown), Capital, New Glarus, Tyranena, Lake Louie, Central Waters, and probably a couple others I've forgotten
  • Lots of community support for local business gives the city a unique, eclectic personality and keeps it from being a generic chain-store Hell
  • Lots of good restaurants, particularly ethnic restaurants
  • Very good schools for a city of its size that compete with the best suburban school districts
  • Low crime rate

Cons:
  • Insane housing costs, especially for a city of its size and location
  • Winter is about one month too long, even for a winter-lover like myself; or if you don't like winter at all, misery is all yours for 5 months out of the year
  • The insufferable self-righteousness that wafts from the university, but at least it's less militant than I've observed from other major universities
  • Speaking of universities, UW is both surprisingly civilized and quite rambunctious. The former element rules downtown during the day; unfortunately the latter takes over downtown at night, especially on weekends
  • Sky-high property taxes. BUT, for once you actually get what you pay for in the way of high-quality schools, nice clean parks and a sound, well-maintained infrastructure
  • Traffic through downtown and on the Beltline can be a snarl during rush hour, but compared to major metros, it's a minor inconvenience.
People vote with their feet as the saying goes, and Madison is growing rather steadily. And that goes for the city proper too, not just the metro area. And I'd take the complaints from people who can't find one single positive attribute about the place with a grain of salt.
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Old 08-22-2008, 12:16 PM
 
Location: Idaho
221 posts, read 1,192,079 times
Reputation: 95
Moderator cut: orphaned reply to deleted quote

THANK YOU to everyone who has given constructive input on the pros and cons of living in Madison. I greatly appreciate it. I will continue to look to you kind folks as we research the town possibilities for us to settle down and raise our family.

Blessings!

Last edited by Bo; 08-22-2008 at 04:57 PM..
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Old 09-06-2008, 05:00 PM
 
22 posts, read 104,399 times
Reputation: 26
Default love and not love

i'll try to add some things tha tpeople havent mentioned so far but might reiterate some of hte key points as well

love -

heres a new one - the Madison Public Library System! I am a fanatic of this. Madison is hooked up with about 25 libraries in and around the city and sometimes as far off as springgreen, for example. you place an order on the website for an item you want and presto they send it t oyour local branch for pick up. free of charge. also if youre a reading fiend, you can make use of the UW libraries and the state historial society.

olbrich gardens! - a beautiful botanical garden outdoors and in. th conservatory is open year round with humid 80 degree temperatures even in teh dead of winter so you can witness a bit of indoor wild life. they also have butterfly shows in the spring etc.

medical care - of course you wouldnt like to have to use it, but we have some of hte best medicl care for miles and miles around in Madison. you'll in good hands here.

downtown - the capitol, state street, the campus. just beautiful. a pleasure palace for studnets and non studnets alike.

restaurants - a great variety of restaurants. i'm sure way more than sheboygan. we've got everything from indian to pakistani to mediterranean to mexican restuarants run by mexicans. surely you can fill your stomach in style

cleanliness, good presentation, generally reliable clean up of snow.

not love -

the bus system is sometimes a little less than adequate especially if you live , say 9 miles from downtown, which i do. i have to take usually 2 buses to get to the campus and it takes about an hour. i know that if you live on the north side and want to do the same, it can take you way longer than an hour. beware of hte north and south sids of town. go east or west for easy bus transportaion and more agreeable living.
that being said that bus transportation can be a bit of a hassle, it is more reliable than some cities. there is no where in town that ou can live where you will not be hooked up to the bus network. it might take you forever to get to your destination, but you will get there.

the snow and cold. but heck you're only considering wisconsin, so you know you're in for snow and cold. a bit worse in sheboygan i imagine because its farther north. Also except for the worst winter weather, Madison's show always goes on. schools have a reputation for almost never closing. ( I had 7 snow days in 13 years of school growing up ). the buses run no matter what. the van galder service madison to chicago is superb in case you need to catch a plane at o 'hare. it may be snowing, but when we get going, we don't stop!

housing and taxes are outrageously high. so i suppose if youre financially squeezed that might ruel it out, but if not, i think madison is the best option of your cities you mentioned.

bottom line - almost perfect
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