Hopefully moving to Madison, so in need of help :-) (Monroe: appointed, apartments)

[Bythewayof]

Greetings City-Data People!
First I want to say thanks to all those who have posted before me because like others I have scoured the website looking at the advice given to those who are /have moved to Madison, it has been a great help. I am hoping that with my info you can be more specific.

Background:
I recently applied to a PhD program at the UW so hopefully I will get accepted. My husband and I are in our late twenties and early thirties and our two dogs (5lbs and 8lbs) will be moving from Georgia. We have two cars, but I don't want have to use mine. My husband is in computers (fixes, builds, etc) He has mainly worked in retail, but would like to do more office work. I won't be working outside of my university assistantships. We would be able to move in June. Oh and our two dogs are just cute and lovable!

1. Since my husband will be our primary income earner, what is the income like for computer guys? Will he have difficulty finding work? Where should he look (locations, websites)? Oh and we don't want his commute to be longer than 30 mins, but if he could walk to his job that would be great as well. Is it difficult finding work while out of state or should I ship his behind up there as soon as I get an acceptance letter?

2. My ideal location would be near the university but not the undergrads. I would like to be able to walk to: a whole foods, trader joes, a local co-op or farmer's market (We want to eat local and sustainable), cafe's, bookstores, and restaurants. I am okay with having to drive to shop for clothes and non household items, but I do love target! I am assuming that there will be a nearby cinema and theatre near the campus so not too much of a concern. I would like to walk to a nice dog park, preferably off leash.
We don't mind living in apts/house/condo/duplex. I would love a 2bed/2ba but with our budget of no more than $1000 I am willing to lose size for location.

I hope this gives you enough information. Often people provide streets but then when I look on the map it is super long so cross streets would be nice. I also wouldn't mind apartment names, local websites, and key words to type in the craigslist search. Also I know that due to our two dogs, university housing is out of the question.
Also any other "hey you should know" or "did you know" is also appreciated.

Any information is helpful so thanks in advance.

[Chelito23]

It sounds like you want it all...but on a tight budget. I think once you get the acceptance letter, you make a trip here and scout it out. People can recommend one area or another, but being here and seeing things is different. You won't have everything you want, but you will be able to find something acceptable for you after visiting I am sure. Or at least you can line up potential apartments.

Regarding looking for work, sure, apply online, but use a local address on the resume you submit. Jobs are tight now but after moving here I am sure something can be found within a few months.

Focus your searches on the Monroe St. area, it sounds like you would like that part of Madison.

[Megan1967]

I think you may be disappointed with the salary your husband can get for the type of work he does, and may need to adjust your expectations accordingly. Madison is riddled with computer geeks. Really a dime a dozen unless you are a serious computer programmer or network administrator. I can't give you exact salary ranges not actually knowing what he can do, but I'm thinking minimum wage - $15 and hour based on what you mentioned.

I would agree with the Monroe Street suggestion, but also look at University Heights.

There are tons of off leash dog parks, but you'll probably have to drive to one. City of Madison Parks: Dog Parks

In fact, you'll probably have to drive a lot more than you would like to in order to have access to everything you want because it isn't all neatly packaged together in one area.

[Bythewayof]

Thanks for the responses. I guess I will be shipping him up there to find a job! I did some research and think the madison east will suit me since my department is on the far east of the campus. Though I am a control freak and planner, I know that what will be, will be.

[sondra_finchley]

East side is pretty nice- but you may want to narrow that down to near east side. Willy/Atwood would be pretty good for you- bike path runs throughout (using that you can get to Trader Joes in less time than it takes to drive), there is the coop/Jenny Street Market and a bunch of bars/restaurants/coffee shops back in here. All the major bus lines that run up to campus run through this neighborhood and its a free pass if you are a student. Only problem is parking- but between biking and the bus you could almost do away with one of your cars if you wished. Lots of grad students and professionals here as well.

[LiveitLoveit]

Unfortunately, $1000 can be tight for more than a one bedroom flat, and that can give a challenge to be dog allowing in some of the neighborhoods you'd like (the neighborhoods love dogs, landlords don't always love them in the old buildings.) Also, some of the nighborhoods you like have more houses and house-flats than apartment buildings, reducing inventory and raising rents.(ex: in Willy st neighborhood, I have a friend who pays $1000/mo for a 1 bed -1 bath, no pets, no parking)

Hilldale might be another place to check. (Condos at the mall, but also the neighborhood bounded by midvale, university and regent for flats or maybe ahouse but probably not with your budget). This is mostly professionals, families and grad students. You would be walking to Whole Foods, Target, Sundance Cinema, University bookstore and restaurants, cafes. University if a bit busier feeling but very walkable. The nieghboods feel quieter. I run there a fair amount.

I also agree with the Monroe neighborhood and Willy Street neighbrohood (AKA Wil-Mar) (look from Wilson to a few blocks past Baldwin, and from east wash to the lake), and Atwood. The Vilas neighborhood is nice, but pricier. In these areas you would get a flat, not a house. Maybe a condo in Monroe. The Atwood-Schenk (often just called Atwood) neighborhood is also nice.

A new dog park just opened on the West Side, behind Westgate mall on Odana at Whitney. It is big and flat, no trees (great for fetch and chase, a little boring otherwise). It is a closer drive (or walk) than many of the other parks. If you live on the East Side or closer to campus, the park by the Alliant Center is the closest.

Depending on what your husband does with computers, he might be able to work for the UW (especially with DoIT). Does he do programming? Epic is in Verona and they do all sorts of hiring.

To search for housing, look on Craisglists for the above neighborhood names (and the streets that run in them). Also try Trulia for renting houses or parts of houses especially. There are other apartment rental sites but I am not familialr with them. MPM, Madison Property Manegemnt, owns many of the properties and I have heard horror stories and would avoid if possible, but I have no firsthand experience.

Also, many places nearish to campus have Aug 15th lease start dates. Just to keep that in mind. It doens't mena it is an undergrad place. Undergrads are usually right next to campus (8 blocks or so).