Please tell me about neighborhoods in Madison

[lordinateur]

MassVt,

We really appreciate the frankness of your reply. Just to orient you, we've lived also in Central Sq, and Cambridgeport over the last 8 years.

If I may ask, what industry didn't afford you other opportunities in Madison? I am in the software industry and really don't know what to expect if we do move to Madison. I've read accounts that the local economy is growing, but I've heard no first-hand accounts. Any other poster's thoughts on this are more than welcome, too.

And, seeing as you've spent some pretty representative Cambridge winter, how would you compare the two? If you are able to make any cultural comparisons, I'd love to hear what you have to say on that subject as well.

Btw, what are the student neighborhoods? I imagine it will be obvious when we visit.

Thanks again for your post,

-L

[MassVt]

Lordinateur,

In comparing Madison with Cambridge, I would state that culturally Cambridge is more culturally elite, while Madison is more down-to-earth progressive, probably to reflect the income differences.I think that you will be pleasantly surprised by the differences in housing costs, especially since the salaries aren't really that much lower in Madison.

Much of the city of Madison is middle-class in appearance; even within the city limits, many Madison neighborhoods have a suburban outlook, with many post-WW2 housing stock choices with good-sized yards and sidewalks.The housing stock in Cambridge is much older, in general, with the exception of the immediate downtown State Street area, which also houses many UW students. BTW, you can tell if you're in a student neighborhood by 1) the number of bikes outside the house, and 2) seeing couches on the front porches.Mifflin Street is infamous for its wild student parties; eachn spring, the street is host to a huge (>20,000) outdoor festival/party.

Weather-wise, Madison is colder, probably by about 10 degrees on a cold winter night. The snowfall may be a bit higher in the Boston area, but winters are longer in Madison, and there are few days over 32 degrees.Wisconsin natives do not worry about temperatures that plunge below zero, while in Boston, you know that there are few, if any, nights below 10 degrees.

I'm in healthcare, and while the UW Hospital is outstanding, there just weren't that many choices outside of this institution, while the Boston area is perhaps the mecca for healthcare in the US. There are simply more choices here (Boston/Cambridge), but that isn't to say that I'd never go back to Madison; I do visit every year, and I always have a great time.

Just keep in mind that Madison is in the Midwest, and there are differences bewteen the NE and the Midwest. The people are certainly more friendly in Madison, and occasionally someone will say "hello" to you on the street, something which never happens in Boston.And also keep in mind that Madison has approx. 215,000 for pop, and app. 400,000 for metro area, not the 580,000 and 3 million for the Boston area, respectively.Madison is NOT a major metropolitan area, but rather a slowly-growing, mid-sized community that has become renowned for its liveablility.It will not have everything that Boston has, but it certainly has more than enough to keep you entertained, and its less-frantic pace might just be what you're looking for.

Interested in your comments..

[hanna]

I spent two years in Madison (spent eight total in Wisconsin). Madison is a great city.

Madison is not as down to earth and middle class as the rest of the the midwest, but compared to major metropolitan areas, it probably is. The west side, particularly the far west side, is growing. A lot of companies are moving to Middleton.

I used to refer to the "Madison snob." These were the people who woul dnot leave town or looked down on those that lived outside of Madison as Madison is not like any other part of Wisconsin.

Politically, Madison is liberal. Russ Feingold is from Middleton/Madison--his progressive/farm labor form of politics is the norm. The Progressive is still published in Madison.

There have been an abundance of condos built downtown -- if that is your thing. The neighborhood surrounding Monroe is decent -- close to shopping, walking distance to the university but far enough away there are not too many undergrads. The Jennifer St/Willy Street neighborhood is one of the funkier artier areas but is becoming one of the hottest, most popular, expensive, and eventually over-developed part of town. The Hilldale area on the West Side was nice (and where I lived) but I am not sure what will happen with the refurbishing of Hilldale Mall.

Jobs: There is low unemployment but it can be difficult to find a white collar or professional job. There is a lot of competition due to grads from the university. But, with companies like Epic (medical records software), I would think that finding a software-related job wouldn't be too difficult.

It's a great town. Like most, it has its ups and down, pros and cons, etc. For me, the pros outweigh the cons.

[lordinateur]

MassVt,

Thanks for your thoughtful post. As I mentioned above, neither of us is from New England and, truth be told, we did have a difficult time 'fitting in' there. So, even though most of my exposure to the Midwest is limited to Chicagoan friends, or "A Prairie Home Companion" (i.e., I don't know much about Midwesterners), from the posts on the Wisconsin forum, everyone has been forthcoming and considered in their responses; reflective; moderate; decent; helpful; skeptical; cautiously speculative; enthusiastic for what they do like; modestly opinionated...

Those are merely my impressions but it bodes well for me, culturally, if true. Of course, I've been reading mostly Madison-related posts, and have seen allusions to close-mindedness and/or provincialism, as would be the case anywhere. Personally, I found Cambridge to be as you described: culturally elite. In a way, (and I think this is difficult for locals to comprehend) it is chilly, and even for intellectually curious, educated folks, it can be a lonely place. Also, the housing stock, clearly, is an issue, as we'd love to have an outdoor space, however modest. That said, it will be difficult to leave the area what with the ocean, and hiking in the White Mountains.

Was the winter weather a problem for you at all? How convenient was it to enter/leave the city by car/train/plane? Is it easy to get to Chicago or other major metropolitan areas?

Thanks again...

[lordinateur]

Hanna, thank you for your thoughts and the specificity of your post. I guess coming from NYC, then Boston/Cambridge, to Madison, my down-to-earth threshold is probably slightly elevated. I, myself, used to think of the Manhattan-snob, who wouldn't even know how to leave Manhattan, except via cab to the airport. We enjoy hiking and traveling and love to take many day trips. That said, having to hop into a car just to get milk really sucks, so the general walkable nature of a smallish city has great appeal.

We'll be sure to take your list of streets when we visit. Thanks again.

[asearchforreason]

Originally Posted by lordinateur

Was the winter weather a problem for you at all? How convenient was it to enter/leave the city by car/train/plane? Is it easy to get to Chicago or other major metropolitan areas?

I just visited Madison, and we had two O'Hare to Madison flights canceled during the storm this week. We ended up taking the bus from O'Hare to Madison which was $25 and about 3 hours. It wasn't too bad a ride.

[Sideblinded]

Madison has a decent airport, with many daily fights. Chicago & Milwaukee are both easy commutes by bus or car. Milwaukee is about an 70 minute drive and Chicago is 2 hours or so depending on traffic.

A friend of mine had tenure at MIT, and left to go back to Madison. No regrets.

UW healthcare is excellent, however Dean, and other clinics/hospitals are above average also.

If you like to hike there are trails in the Arboretum, Cherokee Marsh, or Picnic point. (In the city) and if you have a car, hop in go west towards Mt. Horeb, and you will find beautiful places within 30 miles. If you like to bike there is a bikepath around lake Monona, I am not sure if there is one around Mendota. If you like to Ski, there are many fair Ski places within an hour and some better than average about 5-6 hours north.

The zoo is free and on a beach. You can watch free water ski shows 2 times a week, (In the summer of course!) and it is always fun to watch a regatta or the UW Crew teams in action.

Madison can be as fun and active as you chose. It is there, just have to ask!

[hanna]

Being from the midwest and having lived in central Wisconsin before Madison, the weather was never a problem. But to someone not from the midwest, getting used to the cold can be difficult. The midwest does not get as much snow as parts of the east coast, but it gets much colder. MUCH colder. Several years ago I was in Boston in January. I live in the south now and everyone I was with couldn't stop talking about how cold it was (in the low 30s). I was getting together that night with a friend from Green Bay and the first thing out of her mouth was "It's so warm here." Same thing going to Philly several years before that (again, in January). It was -20 when we left Madison. My friend and I were thrilled that it was 17 in Philly. It was above zero--that is all we cared about.

But, having said that, as long as you dress for the weather, it really isn't that bad. Midwesterners learn not to spend too much time outside in the winter, so cabin fever can set in around March. Winters aren't as long as they used to be, and not nearly as bad as they are just a few hours north of there. April is the killer month--it will be 88 on Monday and snow on Saturday. Spring is great. Summers are nice. It can get up to 100, but not for long stretches of times. Fall is lovely--my favorite time of year. Drive a few hours north and you will see the most brilliant color ever.

I flew out of the Madison airport a lot, and it was fine. A few times I took the Van Gelder Bus (leaves from in front of the student union) to O'Hare. It was about $35 round trip and ranges from 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 hours in length, depending on how many stops. It worked for me. You can get to O'Hare in a couple of hours, but the Van Gelder is more economical when you figure in parking, etc. There is also a Van Gelder to Midway and Union Station downtown.

No train to or from Madison, although I have heard that might change.