Favorite places to go in Madison? (Maple Bluff, Dane: hotel, houses, to buy)

[filmfan]

What are yours? Would love to hear from any past and present residents as well as visitors to the city which has so many good things going for it. Where would you stay if you were spending a few nights there?

[Drover]

Favorite place to walk around for the hell of it: Capitol Square and then on to State Street

Favorite places to people-watch: Library Quad, State Street, Williamson Street

Favorite place to get a house-brewed pint: Great Dane

Favorite place to play pool: Great Dane (again)

Favorite outdoor biergarten: Great Dane (yet again)

Favorite place for pub food: Great Dane (can you tell I spend a lot of time there?)

Favorite hole-in-the-wall pub: Mickey's, especially on Wednesday nights when they do Celtic-music jam sessions

Favorite place for steak: Smoky's Club

Favorite Bagel place: Bagels Forever

Favorite place to get a burger, fries and a beer: Dotty Dumpling's Dowry

Favorite place to get ice cream to cool off in the summer heat: The Chocolate Shoppe on State Street (and shame on Cold Stone for opening up a shop right across the street from them -- bastards)

Favorite coffee house: Steep & Brew

Favorite place to get a cornish pastry: Myles Teddywedger's

Favorite place to get produce and cheese curds: Saturday Morning Farmer's Market on the Capitol Square (seasonal)

Favorite place to get a burrito: Pasual's

Favorite place for all other Mexican: Pedro's

Favorite place to read a book and soak up the spring/summer sun: UW Union terrace overlooking Lake Mendota

Favorite place to buy CDs: B-Side

Favorite place to have a picnic: Henry Vilas Park (plus you can work in a visit to Henry Vilas Zoo while you're there)

Favorite place to drive around and look at houses: Maple Bluff

Favorite place to catch a German oompah band: the biergarten at Capital Brewing Company

Favorite place to drink beer outdoors in the dead of winter: Capital Brewing Company (see http://www.capital-brewery.com/images/2007bockfestpix2/index.html (broken link))

And finally, if I could stay a few nights anywhere in Madison and money were no object, I'd stay at Mansion Hill Inn (www.mansionhillinn.com) (broken link). The Atomic Room is actually somewhat affordable. To see other lodging options in or near downtown, go to http://tinyurl.com/34e8k7

[filmfan]

I guess Drover must have covered it all..

Is Madison one of those places where people rarely have the time to enjoy the city despite all that is there (as is the case in some other cities), or the attractions turn out being mostly just for show?

[L.K.]

I would agree that Mansion Hill Inn is the best place to stay if you can afford it.I believe prices are up to $250 and above.Best saturday mornings Spring through Fall are the Capital farmers market.If you're a runner,there are lots of great races/runs like Crazy legs and Madison marathon and syttende mai.Best restaurant, L' Etoile.Excellent food with a Capital view.

[Drover]

The attractions aren't just for show. The city has a palpable vibe as people take advantage of the things that are around them. It probably helps that there are some 35,000 college students with varying degrees of leisure time on their hands. But it seems locals are typically out and about too, especially on weekends.

As or the Mansion Hill Inn; the Atomic Room starts at $150/night on weekedays, $175/night on standard weekends.

http://www.mansionhillinn.com/module...ame/AtomicRoom