Family move to Madison Suburbs

[JPaisley]

Thank you. I was actually just in the process of looking into Waunakee. So far Cross Plains, Mount Horeb, Middleton, and Waunakee are very promising. I am compiling a nice list of areas to visit on a scouting trip.

[Chelito23]

When I read older suburban growth with large lots, not rural...I immediately thought of a neighborhood off Mineral Point Road, maybe some 3 miles west of the Beltline, at the most. I think it's called Cherrywood. It is an older subdivision in a wooded area...one of the very few wooded subdivisions in the suburban area. Remember, this is the Midwest, so the terrain isn't naturally a forest, unless you go north of the city and then it turns more Great Lakes/Northwoods in the vegetation sense. So most lots, homes and subdivisions in suburban areas of Dane County are on former corn fields. Of course, there are tree strands and heavy vegetation areas along creeks or streams even in these areas, but it isn't a forest in the sense of what you see up north or in the northeast where it is one giant forest. Also, Cherrywood and surrounding sprawling, large lot subdivisions are Verona and Middleton schools, depending on which neighborhood you pick. Cherrywood is the only development in a wooded area though. I see Cherrywood is City of Madison on the web though, so they might be Madison schools now. But the area between this neighborhood and the totally urbanized areas 5 minutes away are a mix of convenince stores, corn fields, office buildings, homes, a school...so it's a growing area.

Regarding other recommendations, Cross Plains is basically a village. Very small and isolated IMO, not really any large lots from what I saw...and what is new, is crammed in and not one acres lots. Sure, a 15 minute drive to everything isn't bad, I just don't see Cross Plains offering anything that you're looking for that merits the extra commute and isolation and then being in a nothing special small town.

Sun Prairie is a true blue suburb, not forests or wooded areas there...much less one acre lots. Don't know why people threw that out there.

Central or south Fitchburg, north of Oregon, is semi-rural with quite a few suburban subdivisons with ranch homes that may be 25 years or so old. And a lot closer to shopping, the Beltline and good schools as well. Not to be confused with north Fitchburg, which is a carbon copy of Sun Prairie. Not a wooded area, but there are pockets of trees and you could find older ranch country homes amongst them but not in any subdivision and they would afford you greater privacy.

[Ragnar]

Good conversation all. The toughest item to satisfy is the 1-acre lot in your price range. If you don't mind a fixer home, it may make things easier. Property in Dane county is expensive, even if you are outside of the City of Madison. My wife and I have been looking for property recently and it seems that in most areas a minimum of $400-500k is required for a half-acre or more with a decent home on it (We don't want a fixer or old farmhouse). However, we also want to be relatively close to our jobs and everything else we do, so a 45-minute commute is out of the question for us. We're likely going to build on a smaller lot than we'd prefer, but at a price point that actually fits our budget.

Best wishes on your scouting trip, JPaisley. There's a lot of wisdom in doing so ahead of a move.

[GraniteStater]

Rural Cottage Grove might be a good option. A very close drive to Madison but feels a bit more rural overall.

[Bo]

I know some folks who live a county or two east of Madison who had similar goals to the OP. One family lived in Fort Atkinson. Another I know just moved to Cambridge.

[aklapps]

I agree with the people that say cross plains, I grew up in black earth which is right next to cross plains and it is a nice area to be in. Would move back by my parents in cross plains if housing was not so high that's my only problem.

[dmiller91]

hmm. I would look closer in, like Verona. It still has a community feel, but it's very close and convenient to all Madison has to offer. The schools are good and you can find some nice subdivisions for homes.