Where Do Madison Refugees Go?

[ranger17]

Originally Posted by Ragnar

We presently live in Madison and we are considering moving to some of the neighboring communities due to schools, property prices, taxes, etc. I don't love the idea of voluntarily signing up for a longer commute but it would be doable most of the time with a vehicle that gets decent MPGs. However, I am afraid that a longer commute in winter snow would only serve to reinforce the things that I don't like about Madison and WI in general.

this can be quite the grey area--move far enough and your home costs can drop, only to be offset by travel expense and time. For nearly 20 yrs we lived in Deforest (after living in Madison) but my wife worked off of Todd Drive on the south side. So if roads were clean and it wasnt a Friday in summer, she had maybe a 30 min commute and she was ok with that. BUT with those Friday interstate jams or when the snow flew, plenty of days her drive was doubled. It was still worth it for her/us to live where we did, I just like to remind people that the commute can really get bad depending on where the job is. I'd say at least shoot for a burb or town that's on the same side of Madison where your employment is if possible. That can save some of the headache (work on south side, then Edgerton is do-able; work on north side then perhaps Baraboo or Lodi as an example).
Of course we just grew tired of the winter in general and migrated south, which isnt an answer for everyone lol

[TreeFarm1]

Badger, Grl, not the same "mindset" as Madison, but I enjoy the entertainment and restaurants, etc.

The commute is not much of an issue as I don't know where my job will be yet. I'm searching the entire area of Baraboo down to Madison.

Argot, I'm always outgoing and friendly. I'm single and not looking. WI is a family state and the roots are often very deep in small towns. I've lived in WI for 15 years and some small towns just like their "own people". I'm not criticizing that, but communities that welcome new faces are what I am looking for. Those towns are not everywhere no matter how charming you are.

Thanks to all for your comments. I'm going to Baraboo and check out the area and visit greenhouses and landscapers.

[TreeFarm1]

Re the commute issue: the quality of life, the home you live in, should be worth the drive, if necessary.

[argot]

I understand that Wisconsin residents can often be described as "friendly, but not your friend", and see the truth in that, but I have never experienced one that treats outsiders as a "nuisance", as you put it.

[Ragnar]

Originally Posted by JoshB

I'd like to ask what surrounding communities are you and your family looking at?

Right now we're seriously considering Oregon, Verona or further out in Middleton/Cross Plains. I'd love to build a new home rather than purchase an existing one, so I am exploring that route a bit. I work on the West Side and my wife works at the University Hospital, so we are not considering anything North of Madison.

We will explore Mount Horeb and a few more communities out 151, but those will probably be too far out for both of us.

We also need to check out Evansville. Many of my wife's coworkers live there and constantly sing its praises, but it's likely we'd find the drive too far.

I don't really want to voluntarily sign up for a 45+ minute commute on a good day. Right now I can drive to work in 10 minutes. I fill up the gas tank once a month. Our family's lifestyle would need to dramatically improve, and/or our expenses dramatically decrease, in order to accommodate the negative of a long commute for both my wife and I. Because of our shift diffferences, riding together would probably not be a workable option.

[mrs.cool]

While Evansville IS nice, that's a heck of a trip. And 14 from there to Oregon is windey, bumpy, and crowded. I live east of Madison, but work on campus, and my trip's bad enough. If it were me, and I was looking to move, and we both worked on the west/near west side, I'd definitely look at Middleton/Cross Plains, or Verona/Belleville. fwiw

[TreeFarm1]

Originally Posted by argot

I understand that Wisconsin residents can often be described as "friendly, but not your friend", and see the truth in that, but I have never experienced one that treats outsiders as a "nuisance", as you put it.

Well, Argot, you need to move around a bit. Come on up to Door County and live here for a while...

[argot]

Originally Posted by TreeFarm1

Well, Argot, you need to move around a bit. Come on up to Door County and live here for a while...

Well, Door County is a little bit different... I'm sure some residents aren't fond with all the vacationers and retirees that overload their space in summer.

[Folks3000]

Originally Posted by TreeFarm1

I'm considering other towns, cities in WI. I want out of the NE valley area and into the south central area because it's a bit earlier for spring, longer summer, and might have work for me. I also know the winters will be colder, but that's the way it is away from the water.

I am wondering where people in the Madison area go to live in affordable homes. They have to get out of Dane County, so where do most Madison people go? I looked into Baraboo, but I'm not so sure Circus City is all that open to Madison refugees. Am I wrong? Where is there a nice mix of people in an area outside of Madison but still within short trip distance? And do these Madison people have any influence on these towns or are they just bedroom communities. I'm a bit tired of being unwelcome in small towns who see "outsiders" as a nuisance.

Thinking, wondering and looking. Any comments appreciated. Thanks.

You may want to check this out:

The H+T Affordability Index 2011

Basically homes may be cheaper the farther out you go, but your increased transportation costs may more than make up for the cheaper home. They just completed apartments and townhomes across from the UW Hospital, if you don't mind an urban environment, and there are many nice neighborhoods in walking distance to work, not to mention everything else. The Hilldale area has frequent busing to the UW Hospital, and has its own amenities with less student influence. Not sure what kind of prices you are looking for. The suburbs around Madison: Sun Prairie, McFarland, Menona, Oregon, Fitchburg, Verona, DeForest, Waunakee, are all growing very quickly and are bedroom communities to Madison. They will not be like most small towns, they are just full of new arrivals, typically liberal, who work in Madison. Madison exerts quite a bit of influence over the surrounding area. If you head out to Mt. Horeb or Stoughton, it will start to get more rural and culture, a bit more conservative and more like the rest of Wisconsin. But it may not be that way forever if Madison keeps growing.

[TreeFarm1]

Thank you, Folks3000. Madison is such a bloated thing now. I really don't want to be too close. I've got a lot of work to do on my search.