Moving to Madison next year

[Chelito23]

That is true!! I don't think anyone is highly recommending Marshall or Bellvue or Barneveld just for the sake of it. The truth is, if someone needs dirt cheap and safe, those are all nearby areas that are accessible. Safety will not be an issue and the local road network allows for those kinds of commutes due to low traffic and decent plowing on county highways and roads. People usually understand that the tradeoff for the cheap rents and low crime is a longer commute and a small, "boring" community...but if the budget can't be stretched and someone doesn't want to compromise on having roomates or less safety, the outlying areas are really a good way to go.

[mrs.cool]

Marshall's not so bad! And, Chel, it's Bellev-ille, not Bellv-ue. And Belleville and Barneveld aren't really all that close to Madison. Especially Barneveld. no way I'd want to make that commute. Sun Prairie, Marshall, Deerfield, Cottage Grove, McFarland, Stoughton, Oregon, Brooklyn, maybe Belleville, Verona, Cross Plains, Waunakee, DeForest, all close enough for a commute, imho.

[Chelito23]

I knew my spelling was off lol thanks! I was thinking of Bellvue Hospital in NYC lol I heard a joke and had that in my head!

Remember, Barneveld is dirt cheap and right on 151, that is a very fast comute with the highway and no traffic. Some of the other places have less direct roadways (like Stoughton) and are actually closer but they take longer to get to and are more expensive. The reason I even mentioned these two by coincidence is because I know people who choose to commute from these communities. They like small town living and the low cost of housing and don't mind the 20 minute drive to the west side.

To me, living in Cottage Grove, SP, Waunakee, Monona or McFarland is almost the same as any suburban area of Madison, they are basically growing together and getting encompassed in the sprawl tht is Madison and their prices are only a tier lower than Madison's.

The outter ring by Marshall, beyond Cross Plains, passing Mt. Horeb and south of Oregon are truely areas where housing is quite cheap...and if you are near a main roadway into Madison and don't mind the country life, it is a good option for safety and rural living are appealing. Plus they are noticeably cheaper than areas only 5 to 10 minutes closer to Madison.

[Jaye0307]

Ha, Chelito23, that sounds a lot like the Waukesha/Brookfield/New Berlin/Pewaukee area I live in now. There are no separate towns/cities in this area - they have all converged into one suburb.

Thank you all so much. You have really given me a lot to think about. I think, based on what someone else said on another post, I'm going to wait until I find a job and find out how much I'll be making per year before I start looking an apartment (even if that means communting an hour/day between Waukesha and Madison for a while). I will definitely consider the suburbs of Madison in addition to the far East or West sides of Madison. If I have any questions about particular apartment complexes, I will let you know!