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.
I hear Madison has a great public school system. If I had a family outside of Chicago, I think I would want them to be raised in Madison.
Madison is a very white city though. I mean, it's not like there are no black people there - and I doubt the OP would suffer significant racism or anything - but I would think in an area with more of an integrated middle class black population like the Twin Cities they might have a slightly easier time overall.
Madison is a very white city though. I mean, it's not like there are no black people there - and I doubt the OP would suffer significant racism or anything - but I would think in an area with more of an integrated middle class black population like the Twin Cities they might have a slightly easier time overall.
Madison public schools are very diverse; it’s pretty rare for a Midwestern school system to be so integrated. Madison is pretty white, but kids are exposed to much more diversity.
Seriously look into Decorah, Iowa. This sounds crazy, but it hits a lot of what you're looking for. It's a small town that's home to a 4 year private college (Luther) that has long been known for being LGBT friendly. The town itself leans left, but the county it's in voted for Trump. But it also voted for Obama twice. Iowa is politically very strange. The current congressional representative for that area is a female Democrat. Just trying to give you the lay of the land on that front.
As far as nature/parks go, it's located in the Driftless Area, one of the most scenic areas in the Midwest. It's rugged, forested, and there are lots of large city parks that offer hiking and mountain biking trails. There are many paved bicycle trails in the area and state parks/forests (some in Minnesota or Wisconsin) within an hour. The Upper Iowa River, which flows through town, is a renowned canoe destination.
It is not ethnically diverse, but due to the presence of Luther College there are far more POC than the average Midwestern town its size. My guess is you would experience little to no overt racism, but would probably deal with some level of unintentional racial ignorance that you would be less likely to experience in a more diverse place. I'm white, so I'm just going off what friends of different races have said about their own experiences.
It's school system is well rated, and it's a small town, so everything is walkable. There are lots of folks who own horses in the area and stables outside of town you could use. There are at least 3 large state parks/forests within an hour that allow horses on the trails, and I think even a few of the city parks do too.
For big box shopping, you can take the bus down Grand River Avenue to Okemos, which is where the Meridian Mall and other stores are located or to the Frandor Shopping Center on the East Lansing/Lansing line. Mall Directory | Meridian Mall
4, 5, or 9 in the Midwest is difficult outside of large cities. This is based on my research as I have been looking into relocating from the South for years now. I've decided on the West Coast.
Not really a liberal city in the midwest other than Chicago.
Truth.
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.
