Is Madison a typical boring college town ? (Milwaukee: middle-class, insurance)

[Davros]

Or is there more going on there, and more adult people around because it's relatively big and has the state capital ?

And how's the airport ? Lots of delays & cancellations ? Ground stops ?

Easy to get to Milwaukee or Chicago by car, bus, or train ?

Is Madison run-down, economically depressed, high crime ?

[Kchomps]

Originally Posted by Davros

Or is there more going on there, and more adult people around because it's relatively big and has the state capital ?

Madison is nothing more than a government town, so it'd dependent upon government spending and the collection of funds from everywhere else in the state. This means madison's culture is leftists and relatedly, sort of isolated and intolerant of all things non-pro government union.

White bread and/or leftist in their socializing.

Easy to get to Milwaukee or Chicago by car, bus, or train ?

Drive, fly or bus.
"train"? lmao. Who takes any train other than europeans and people stuck in chicago or large urban areas on the east coast?

Is Madison run-down, economically depressed, high crime ?

See above. Madison is purely government money driven. If the taxpayers can't pay any more and/or they govt can't keep soaking businesses, then it'll face the problem of too much spending with too little money for it...and all those problems. Just ask the present mayor and how the prior mayor left him hanging.

Relatedly, there has been a strong inmigration of people seeking the programs/monies those free government monies have to offer.

So I'd check out both the sources of income for the income taxpayers and compare that to the percentage of people on government aid. This pretty much explains all the rest.

[amysherman]

Madison is much more than a college town although the college certainly has made Madison a much more diverse and interesting place to live. Our Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation has helped countless start up companies becomes sucessful business ventures. So we have many new bio-tech firms as well as other types of cutting edge companies. We have large insurance company headquarters and Epic Systems which is an enormous privately held software company.
We have lots of adults (some would say too many) we seem to have a shortage (again, some would say) of that important 20-30 year old demographic, but that is changing.
Madison is about as far from run-down as you can get in this economy. We have always done well in economic downturns compared to the rest of the country.
The downtown are is a vibrant part of the community with a weekend farmers market that is one of the largest in the country. We have tons of great restaurants with cuisine from all over the world. We have a great childrens museum, a free zoo and many libraries.
One of the best parts of Madison is the number of parks, bike trails and green space. We have a huge arboretum, a commuter bike path, the Ice Age Trail, and parks that are too numerous to mention as well as three large lakes.
Our airport is small and it's really better to fly from Milwaukee (about a 1 1/2 hour drive from Madison) you can bus or drive fairly easily. We don't have many delays or cancellations but because the airport is small we also don't have many direct flights. The airport was recently updated and is a very pleasant place to fly in and out of. Chicago is a three hour drive, also accessable by bus and car. We do not have rail. Our governor turned down money to build rail from Chicago to Madison so it is unlikely that we will have it anytime soon (sadly).
Madison is a great place to live. We do have our problems and there are some areas that the city is concentrating on cleaning up, but these are small pockets and are very concentrated.
I hate to sound like a cheerleader, but I've lived here my entire life. I am a realtor who works with relocation clients on a regular basis and the people that move here seem to enjoy the quality of life.
Best wishes with your search for a new place to live!
If you come to town you will see new buildings being built all over.

[Indyking]

Originally Posted by Davros

Or is there more going on there, and more adult people around because it's relatively big and has the state capital?

Madison is a lot more than a College Town! I mean a lot!!! UW just adds diversity and more cultural activities to the mix. Madison metro has over 500K people, hardly suitable for your typical small College Town. I love Madison, I have to say. My family have lived in TX, IN and visited many places in the US, but Madison is still our first choice anywhere in the Midwest, perhaps second only the Twin Cities metro. Education and life quality in Madison had been rated among the top in the country. The city is beautiful with its major lakes, a vibrant downtown, several gorgeous and well-maintained parks and trails, and very bike friendly.

And how's the airport ? Lots of delays & cancellations ? Ground stops ?

I find the airport to have a nice size. There are some direct flights; otherwise many flights connect to Chicago or other lagers Midwestern cities for distant destinations. Because it's a small to mid-size airport though, a lot of times it is cheaper if you drive to Milwaukee or even Chicago to get your flight.

Easy to get to Milwaukee or Chicago by car, bus, or train ?

Easy as pie to drive to Mil or Chi. There are bus options to those cities too, Megabus and Greyhound, with nice busses including wi-fi depending the ticket price. If you buy an Amtrak ticket to any place, they will place you in a bus to Chicago, and then into the train from there.

Is Madison run-down, economically depressed, high crime ?

Madison is very safe. I'm sure there are a few "better to avoid" areas but I would say they are hard to find. Madison economy is still strong despite of the economic crisis, unlike so many other cities in the Midwest that are still struggling, I'm thinking mainly in IN, OH and MI. Although government-based is still a large portion, Madison’s economy has been evolving to consumer services and high-tech base since early 90’s when it experienced an economic boom.

[dbmamaz]

Wait, there is no train in Madison? Was there ever a train to Madison? I thought the entire country had trains. How odd! I once lived in a tiny town which had rail in 1840 . ..

[mrs.cool]

ALL tiny towns had rail in 1840. Trains fell out of favor once trucking began, a result of the interstate highway system. A train goes through downtown Madison slowly during rush hour, but only on the days I'm late for work.
There WAS a push to build a train from Madison to Milwaukee about a year ago. When our Governor was elected, he turned down the project because we couldn't afford it. We already have excellent buses that will take you to Milwaukee a couple of times a day, in comfort, cheaply, with Wi-Fi included from places where people ARE, with parking, to places in Milwaukee where people actually need to go, like the Airport.

[MaseMan]

Politics aside, I don't think anyone can objectively call Madison "boring." There is plenty to do, with lots of theaters, shopping, a public zoo, good restaurants, etc.

[Ragnar]

WI is a swing state politically so the politics that invade Madison are never boring. Unfriendly, divisive and ugly perhaps, but never boring.

The University may absorb the interest of folks associated with it, but for those of us with no connection to the University, Madison still offers plenty to do. However, you do need to enjoy the nearly six months of cold/winter to get the maximum benefit. YMMV.

[Ragnar]

Originally Posted by mrs.cool

A train goes through downtown Madison slowly during rush hour, but only on the days I'm late for work.

Thanks for giving me a good late afternoon chuckle!

[MassVt]

Madison is a stable, middle-class oriented community, with great museums, the University of Wisconsin, large lakes, and an affordable cost -of-living. It's hard to imagine a more pleasant, vibrant place to live anywhere..