Am I Missing Something? (Madison, Appleton: how much, hotel, house)

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by Drover

And yet you can't bring yourself to live in a place that doesn't have the exact precise demographic make-up you're looking for. Maybe you could try stepping out of your tiny little zone for a little while.


Got me there...


http://www.buraka.com/


http://www.brocach.com/
http://www.foodspot.com/irishwaters/ (broken link)
Plus a Claddagh in Middleton


There are French, German, Italian, Russian, and Continental restaurants all over Madison...


Got me there too.

So basically, the gist of your complaints about Madison are as follows: a) it's too white and middle-class even though its white population is about 5 percentage points higher than the national average (but don't worry, you're not narrow-minded); b) there's no West African or Soul Food restaurants, and c) the independent bookstores didn't jump out and shout their presence to you.

I think you're right, you're better off picking some place else to live.

Excellent post, Drover.

[yo vanilla]

last i checked independant book stores weren't supposed to jump right out at you. that's their whole appeal

it sounds to me that you had a certain expectation built up for madison, and it either didn't turn out to meet that exact spec or you didn't hit the right part of town, or whatever. madison is quite diverse; downtown has lots of indie type stores/eateries/coffee houses, museums, the capital, good retaraunts (the vietine palace is one of my favorites) the kohl center which also hosts non-UW events such as concerts, i could go on.

sometimes if we squint too hard, we miss the things that aren't directly in front of us. and it sounds like those are just the things you are searching for.

[Ben Around]

"I also have to question how liberal an overwhelmingly white and middle class town can truly be."

I think you are mixing apples and oranges here. Have you ever been to San Francisco? Very white, very middle to upper-middle class, and very liberal. Ever been to Alabama? Large nonwhite population, lots of poverty and very conservative.

[Kentuckian]

I keep reading this and all I get from it is illwauk has something against white, middle class people.

Plenty of cities without this problem. I live in Louisville, KY. Maybe illwauk should consider here. Especially downtown! LOL

[ekg56]

We are orignially from Chicago and have lived in WI for 20 years. I love going to Madison and going off the beaten path. I always find a great little shop or place to eat. Reminds me of some of the neighborhoods in Chicago. But you do have to look for them to find them. And of course the Farmers Market is wonderful!

[Sideblinded]

Milwaukee & Madison are very different cities. Milwaukee is much larger to begin with. 60 miles or so separate them but the differences are vast. A lot of people from Milwaukee hate Madisonians! I was surprised when I moved there. I love Milwaukee & I love Madison, they may be in the same state & love the Green Bay Packers, Brats & Summerfest, but that is about it.

I always found it amusing that people in Madison call carbonated beverages "Pop" yet nobody in Milwaukee does! it is "Soda" there.

If you don't like Madison, don't move there! I bet nobody will even notice.

[BudinAk]

"Am I Missing Something?"

IMHO: you really are missing something: understanding...and tolerance. America is such a beautifully diversified country, with both liberal and conservative areas, a little something for everyone. For crying out loud...you don't like Madison because it is not liberal and "progressive" enough? Please....save the poor city, and the rest of us, a lot of grief: stay wherever you are. Madison will do just fine without the constant whining and (progressive) complaining. The answer is simple: DON'T move there! I am sure they won't miss you. My $.02

Bud

[nanannie]

OK,I was really disappointed as well.So much talk about Madison,I must have missed something too.I was told not to miss State st..it was dirty,same shops over and over (you have a choice of "croc" shoes,thats for sure)cops had a dude handcuffed(black man) and were yelling at him to "SHUT UP"(,my kids were used to Officer friendly) Lots of pizza places and lots of students,but what else? thought it rather dull.Really boring areas around the lake,houses on top of houses,I guess what were factories or power plants,but no nice shorefront,,,seemed so bland,,whats the draw?? I missed it too I guess.Different strokes

[Drover]

"Lots of pizza places and students, but what else?"

What else? Well, let's see... just off the top of my head, and without looking at a map or any other reference... you missed at least two bookstores, three coffee shops, an Afghani restaurant, a Japanese restaurant, a couple of Mexican restaurants, a tobacco shop, an incense/imports shop, three CD stores, at least two clothing stores, a store that sells musical instruments, at least one pastry shop, a noodle shop, two ice cream shops, numerous pubs of widely varying repute, a hat shop, a popcorn shop, a bike shop, two Greek restaurants, one Nepali restaurant, one movie theater, two museums, a huge civic center.... and those are just the places I can think of off the top of my head in the five-block stretch of State Street. I could probably name a whole bunch more if I did about 10 minutes worth of research.

Look, I get that not everyone is going to like a given place. Madison did nothing for you. OK, I can accept that. But honestly, did you people who claim to have seen nothing there, or nothing but "lots of pizza places and students," actually look to the left or the right while you were walking/driving down the street?? C'mon, people!

[Chelito23]

I think some good points were made on both arguments. Madison's shortfall is that it is not very racially or economically diverse...that is undeniable. It is diverse in many other ways though. If you are strictly worried about large numbers of minorities, Madison is not for you. With that said, what Madison lacks in racial and economic diversity, it more than makes up for it in other areas.

I agree that Madison is not paradise on earth, and I do feel too that it is overrated for what it is. However, it does have very friendly, progressive people. It is very clean and organized and quite progressive. The lakes have many parks and beaches, the downtown area is vibrant with a large array of businesses...and the quality of life is high.

The city is predominantly middle-class, but this is what most cities in a democracy strive for. Who wants to live in a majority poor or ultra wealthy city? Madison is not flashy, nor are its residents. It is very unassuming and down to earth. I can understand that it is not for everyone, but let's be fair, It has many redeeming qualities that many people would put high on their lists...

For racially diverse cities, the sunbelt offers many more choices. Unfortunately, they are sorely lacking in many other area. I think in a decade Madison will also be much more ethnically diverse, since the region is undergoing a transformation due to the Hispanic immigration.