where to live in Madison with elementary aged kids? Want tight-knit, friendly neighborhood. (Middleton: renting)

[dcgirl123]

We are moving to the area and want a walkable neighborhood with older homes.
Kids are 8, 8, 5.
Good public elementary.
The kind of neighborhood where kids can walk or bike to their neighbors' homes and
people know each other well.
Does this exist?
We have it where we currently live in Washington, DC.

Lot size and home size are not important. We are just looking for that tight, friendly
community feel.

Budget is up to 1.2 million. We're coming from DC and that's what we comfortably spent here for a down-to-earth neighborhood.
I'd expect we'd spend a fraction of that in Madison but I'm fine spending up to that
if you tell me the "perfect neighborhood" would cost it.
Ultimately we DON'T want a palatial house on a large lot in an exclusive neighborhood at all.

We want to live close to neighbors and are totally fine with a simple, small house.
It's the community that's important to us.

Thank you for any thoughts!

[AminWi]

You want to be in Madison proper? Give what you've said, I'd say you should consider the following neighborhoods:

West side:
Dudgeon-Monroe
Nakoma/Hill Farms
Midvale Heights
Shorewood Hills

East Side:
Schenk Atwood
Marquette (Jenifer/Williamson Street area)

Because of our weather and geography, getting from the east side of the city to the west side takes more time than you'd expect for a city of our size, especially in the winter. People usually try to live on the side of town (east or west) that they work on, and often spend most of their time on the side of town they live on. I'm not sure which side you'll be working on, so gave a few options on each side.

[Megadish]

Is this thread still going? We are a family potentially moving to the Madison area (2 dogs, 2 boys ages 9 and 7) and want the same things as dcgirl..tight knit, family friendly community. I want my kids to go outside and have kids on the block to play with. I'm really tired of arranging playdates for my kids since there are almost no kids near where we currently live and it's too busy to let them roam our neighborhood. I want neighbors who are friendly and help each other. I would like my boys to have some freedom to be able to ride their bikes or walk to a nearby park. My husband works on the west side, off Mineral Point Road. Can you suggest a great neighborhood for us to look at? We currently live in a vibrant neighborhood in St. Paul, but are on a busy street with a lot of traffic. I really want to get away from that. I would love a quiet, friendly neighborhood, with less traffic and houses that don't require a lot of upkeep. While we love the character of older homes (pre-1960s), we are project weary and need something newer that requires less maintenance at this point in our lives. We don't want to drive any farther than 20 minutes to get what we need. We're not against living in the city, but need to find the right neighborhood that fits our needs. Would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!

[ranger17]

Originally Posted by Megadish

Is this thread still going? We are a family potentially moving to the Madison area (2 dogs, 2 boys ages 9 and 7) and want the same things as dcgirl..tight knit, family friendly community. I want my kids to go outside and have kids on the block to play with. I'm really tired of arranging playdates for my kids since there are almost no kids near where we currently live and it's too busy to let them roam our neighborhood. I want neighbors who are friendly and help each other. I would like my boys to have some freedom to be able to ride their bikes or walk to a nearby park. My husband works on the west side, off Mineral Point Road. Can you suggest a great neighborhood for us to look at? We currently live in a vibrant neighborhood in St. Paul, but are on a busy street with a lot of traffic. I really want to get away from that. I would love a quiet, friendly neighborhood, with less traffic and houses that don't require a lot of upkeep. While we love the character of older homes (pre-1960s), we are project weary and need something newer that requires less maintenance at this point in our lives. We don't want to drive any farther than 20 minutes to get what we need. We're not against living in the city, but need to find the right neighborhood that fits our needs. Would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!

if someone works on the west side, I might suggest the Shorewood Hills area of Madison (nice but potentially more 'mature' homes) which is just minutes from Mineral Point Rd.
Also check out Middleton, again close for work and it is really growning. Lastly, Waunakee which is a 'burb' but is close enough for travel yet out of the 'city' and has nice new neighborhoods (plenty of young families) and good schools.

Obviously, Madison is not the Twin Cities; much smaller in size and offerings yet has some wonderful parks and recreational activities like you may be used to up there. After all, it is situated between the lakes so water sports are plenty; has a small but nice (and free) zoo and is bike friendly.
And if you feel the need for MOA for shopping, it's just 4 hours down the road.

[Megadish]

Thanks ranger17! I appreciate your suggestions. I'm really interested in looking at Shorewood Hills and more at Middleton. We've looked a bit at Waunakee and like it, but are concerned that it might feel pretty remote after awhile. I've heard Shorewood Hills is a nice community and has a great swimming pool. I would love to be close to an indoor pool and/or wellness center with a pool where I can swim laps and my husband can get a workout in before or after work without driving a lot. I will look into these neighborhoods. This forum is a great resource. Thanks!

[ranger17]

best thing to do on any potential relocation is spend a few days here. As you're just a few hours away maybe its just a long weekend. But that allows you some time to look at neighborhoods, and do some recreational things you'd do if you live here such as hit a couple parks, go to the zoo with the kids, walk the farmers market around the Capital square, etc.

And unless one is moving to a town they already are familiar with or have family/friends there (to gain their knowledge) I tend to suggest consider renting the first year. Gets you some time to truly see if that is the right spot to build your life in, or maybe the town is right just not the 'hood or the right home.

[topinambour]

I agree that one really does need to spend time here to get a sense of the different neighborhoods. We rented for the first 3 years while we looked, and during that time our eventual target area shifted wildly.

As far as upkeep, you shouldn't assume more modern homes will require less maintenance. It just depends on how the house itself has been kept up and whether it was built solidly to begin with. Many post WWII homes were build with dicey construction techniques. Older, better built homes may be a problem, too, if certain critical upgrades weren't undertaken — electrical, for example.