Should I move to Madison? (Milwaukee, Mount Horeb: appointed, apartments, rental)

[rooney003]

Hey there,

I have got a job offer from a retailer based in Dodgeville and I am kind of confused whether I should move to Madison or not. I recently visited Madison for an onsite interview and got a chance to roam around the city mainly downtown area.

The first thing I said to myself was "seems like it's a city of young boys and gals going to school". What do you think of that?

Secondly, I felt like it's kind of black & white city (please don't get me wrong) with old houses every where and people riding bikes instead of cars. (Again, I don't intend to hurt anyone, this is my opinion).

I know winter is severe in Madison, but what activities do you go for during Spring and Summer?

According to you, if at all, I move to Madison, which apartment are the best in the town. I would like to stay in area which is lively and I can make new friends.

Lastly, what is one thing which you really like about Madison?

FYI: I currently based in Nashville, TN.

[r_k]

Are you asking about Madison, or Dodgeville? The two are quite far apart (40+ miles). It will make for a very long commute, esp in winter.

[Megan1967]

If you only explored the downtown area, you were pretty much exposed to the University, which would explain your observations. There is a whole city surrounding the downtown, however, which is pretty typical for a city of 237,000. There do tend to be more environmentally aware people in Madison, so you will see more bike riding here than other cities, but there are plenty of cars, too. Just go out onto the Beltline at 4:00 pm and you will have proof of that.

There are a lot of shiny new areas as well as some really upscale older homes. You probably saw the student slums on campus. That wouldn't give anyone a very good impression of the city.

As far as activities, there is a club for every interest, tons of volunteer activities, farmer's markets, classes, bike trails, x-country skiing, down hill skiing nearby, boating on the lakes, book groups, etc. Probably on par with what you'd see in any city of this size.

Which apartments are the best in town is really relative. How old are you? What is your budget for rent, utilities, parking, etc? What are your interests? Are you looking for quiet housing or are you a party animal?

I like the fact that Madison has something for everyone and that you can be your own person here. You will find people of all types here, pretty much, peacefully co-existing.

[rooney003]

Originally Posted by Megan1967

How old are you? What is your budget for rent, utilities, parking, etc? What are your interests? Are you looking for quiet housing or are you a party animal?

I am 25. I don't mind paying 800+ for a one bed room apartment. The only thing what I am looking is a good area. My budget is pretty flexible. I can probably think of spending $1100/Month.

I would like to meet new people and hang out in either a nice cafe or a club. So definitely that's my first criteria for finding a good apartment.

I really appreciate your help and time!

@all: Yes, If I move, I want to live in Madison and will commute to Dodgeville every day.

[Megan1967]

These are are really nice and would meet your criteria. I had a friend who lived in two different buildings they owned.

A Downtown Lifestyle | Butler Management - Luxury Apartments in Downtown Madison, WI

Also....

http://www.stevebrownapts.com/

http://www.gallinacompanies.com/default.asp

[ranger17]

my suggestion would be to consider housing somewhere on the south or west side if living in Madison is a must. As noted earlier the commute to Dodgeville come winter could be tough, unless you have some experience in real winter weather and driving that could be an eye opener along that hiway.

[7G9C4J2]

Welcome to the Madison forum! Megan1967 has given you some good information, as she always does, and the links she provided are all to reputable rental companies. They're all pretty pricey, too, but you mention a target rent amount that should be ample to get you something very nice.

As to your other questions, yes, the area right downtown close to the UW campus has a lot of young people. After all, the university has a student population of about 40,000, and that's going to make quite an impact on the demographics of the neighborhood. That said, however, Madison as a whole has a population of just under a quarter million, so city-wide, you'll find a much broader mix of ages and backgrounds represented. If you enjoy the student vibe, you can hang out in spots close to campus and soak it up, or if you prefer a somewhat more mature atmosphere, you can choose areas of the city where there is a lower concentration of young people.

There is indeed a wide array of building ages, styles and conditions downtown. The area right around the Capitol has a lot of century-plus old mansions, and the city's historical commission takes an aggressive approach to protecting them, so you'll see a 130-year-old building cheek-by-jowl with a modern high-rise. Makes for an interesting mix.

You mention winter. Yes, it can be severe, but that is not always the case. In the 13 years I've lived here, I've seen winters with less than two feet of snow all season and mild temperatures even in January, and then I've seen the winter when we got over eight feet of snow and the temps were below-zero for days on end. Be prepared for a wide range of temperatures and precipitation patterns, and you are unlikely to be disappointed.

Snow-removal in Madison and on highways in Dane County is generally at least very good and often excellent. There are occasional exceptions, but usually the roads are cleared with commendable promptness. That said, with a 40-mile commute to work, there are going to be days between December and early March when you may regret living that far from your workplace. I can't predict whether or not it'll be enough of a problem for you to reconsider living in Madison, or accepting the job at all, but I can tell you that there have been at least a few days when it took me three hours to drive ten miles across town. For that reason, you may want to compromise on choosing a place to live; it might be worthwhile living a little closer to work and split your traveling between driving to work and driving to play.

Speaking of play, there is lots to do year-round in Madison, both indoors and outdoors. What kind of activities interest you? Do you like running, biking, boating or hiking? How about skiing or skating? Musical performances? What genre? Theater? Cooking? Reading? Singing or playing an instrument? Museums? Madison isn't Chicago, or even Milwaukee, but for a city of a quarter-million, there is a lot to do here.

As to your final question about what I really like about Madison, it's hard for me to narrow that down to just one thing. I like the friendliness of the people, the appearance of the city, the general political leaning (it's pretty liberal here, if that is an issue for you), the proliferation of bookstores, libraries and reading groups, the arts scene, the educational opportunities, and the combination of the university and the state capitol. I like the fact that the unemployment rate here is generally lower than it is in many other parts of the country, and the fact that as a whole, Madison's population tends to be very well educated and highly literate. I even like the climate; I enjoy having all four seasons, and even winter doesn't bother me.

Does that help at all? Or does it at least suggest some new questions that we might be able to respond to? Good luck to you in your search, and I hope you wind up living somewhere you love.

[JoshB]

I'd also recommend living on the west side if you really want to live in Madison. Someone posted a link to Gallina Properties, I currently live at Deer Creek on Greenway Blvd and pay $1015 month 1 bedroom. You could easily get a nice place around here for $1000. I am about 45 minutes from Dodgeville and travel 151 regularily. I would really try and find something closer to Dodgeville as 151 is a PITA in the winter. The blowing snow and easily iced over roadways create headaches... What about Mount Horeb, that would make you a bit closer to Dodgeville?

[cfbs2691]

When people refer to the "west side", do they mean in the actual city of Madison, or towns to the west of the city of Madison?

[argot]

Originally Posted by cfbs2691

When people refer to the "west side", do they mean in the actual city of Madison, or towns to the west of the city of Madison?

Generally the west side of the actual city. I roughly consider the west side to be anywhere in the city limits west of Midvale. The rest of my vague classification scheme; between Midvale and campus is near west, campus to... I dunno, Blair? is downtown, Blair to 1st (or maybe a little farther to Milwaukee or so, as I would include the Atwood neighborhood) is near east, and anything past that is the east side. The south side is anything south of Park & Fish Hatchery, but I don't know the north side well enough to know where it "starts".

All of that is subjective, but that's how my mental map goes.