Madison, WI vs. Ann Arbor, MI (live, state, better, largest)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Ann Arbor is a very beautiful college town, but Madison by far is more exciting and dynamic. It has a more beautiful setting, offers more in regards to recreation, has more nightlife and restaurants, more museums, and functions also as the State Capitol and a mid-sized US city rather than only as a college town.
I was in Madison late October visiting some friends that go to UW. There were some areas which felt pretty Urban. Madison is a nice little city and serves as a state capitol so it gives it some importance and more industry than just the college.
Ann Arbor is much better. More diversity with better food, better transportation, better everything. Madison is bland, clean with a good economy, but bland. The reason might be Ann Arbor is inside metro Detroit, close to lots of interesting suburbs while Madison is the single largest city in the middle of nowhere for miles.
Ann Arbor is much better. More diversity with better food, better transportation, better everything.
How would you know any of this? I doubt you've been to either city, let alone both of them. Madison is 83% white, Ann Arbor is 74% white. Neither is what I would call diverse. Detroit is the largest metro in North America without a rail transit system of any kind.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fashionguy
Madison is bland, clean with a good economy, but bland. The reason might be Ann Arbor is inside metro Detroit, close to lots of interesting suburbs while Madison is the single largest city in the middle of nowhere for miles.
Madison is more than twice the size of Ann Arbor and is far from being a bland city. Madison is only 70 miles from Milwaukee and Rockford. The entire stretch of I-94 and I-90 that connects Madison to Rockford and Milwaukee, respectively, is very urbanized.
Ann Arbor is a more strictly "college town" albeit a rather nice one. Madison is just the right size such that the university substantially contributes to the city's culture without being the city's culture. Madison is more diversified, yet there is a seamless fabric from the university to the broader city around it. On top of it all, it's hard to beat the lake setting that shapes the downtown and campus area. Almost nothing beats having a beer on the university union terrace with a sunset over Lake Mendota as your backdrop.
My vote goes to Madison. Lived there once already, wouldn't mind living there again. If I leave Chicago, Madison is on my short list of potential destinations.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
