College Student Relocating to Madison (Monroe, Randall: to rent, home, neighborhoods)

[Whisper86]

I am looking into moving to Madison in either Jan. or July. Me and my fiance are getting married and want to move from our horrid city in IL to WI to have a change (and obviously still be close to our families). I am a college student and plan on attending UW. We are young, early twenties and want to know what neighborhoods would be good to rent in and what neighborhood we should stay away from. Does Madison have a "ghetto"?

[MidwesternBookWorm]

Congratulations on your impending nuptials! I wish you many, many years of happiness together.

Let's see, neighborhoods to look at and to avoid. Well, Madison doesn't have anything that really qualifies as a ghetto (I grew up in Detroit, and there isn't ANYTHING here like that), but there are a couple of areas of town that are a bit rougher than others. You'll probably want to avoid the area on South Park and Fish Hatchery Road down near the Beltline. You want to avoid Badger Road and Allied Drive. There are a couple of smallish iffy patches along East Washington near the US-30 bridge. There are some troubled patches on the north side in a couple of areas. But none of them are truly what I'd call ghetto.

Most folks who'll be attending the UW want to live at least somewhat close to campus, for ease of travel to and from class. You will find that parking spots on campus are a commodity prized beyond gold, and if you can walk, bike or bus to class, you'll be a much happier person. However, of course there are downsides to living in a student area; a lot of your fellow residents in the area are youngsters living on their own for the first time, and they do not tend to be particularly quiet neighbors.

You would be likeliest to find rowdy undergrads in the Mansion Hill area (between Wisconsin Avenue and the Memorial Union, and between Dayton Street and Lake Mendota), especially on Langdon Street, a/k/a Frat Row. You will probably also want to avoid the blocks near Camp Randall Stadium, unless you enjoy having day-long parties in your front yard on home game days.

A lot of grad students (and undergrads who are mature enough not to want to stagger through life in a state of perpetual inebriation) like living in the area along Old University and Kendall, which is toward the western end of campus. It's close to the University Hospital, so there are usually a lot of nursing and med school types thereabouts. The area down Monroe Street farther away from the stadium is also a somewhat quieter one, with lots of quirky little shops and restaurants. The near east side also appeals to some who are more of the hippie persuasion; the area along Williamson Street (usually called Willy Street) and Jenifer Street has a very funky laid-back vibe that even an old, semi-reformed hippie like me enjoys.

I'd certainly suggest that you spend a bit of time browsing in the "variety of useful links" thread stickied at the top of the Madison forum. You'll learn a lot there that can be very helpful. Be sure to check out the Tenant Resource Center's website, and visit Madison Gas & Electric's utility cost calculator once you find a spot to rent.

Good luck, and here's hoping that your great day will be all that you dream of!

[Whisper86]

Thanks so much! It seems like an exciting place to live. I'm looking forward to it.