Why do people want to live "above the beltline"? (Milwaukee: low income, sale)

[laurabfig]

Hi Madison folks,
My family is considering relocating to Madison to be closer to family...but I'm trying not to bug them with all my questions!
Why do people want to live "above the beltline" in Madison? We're seeing a ton of cute houses for rent or sale right below the highway.
We were there over the holidays and drove around a little...I'll be coming back in March to visit schools and check out neighborhoods. But until then, I'm relying on the collective wisdom of you all in this forum!


Thanks!
-Laura

[dirt _farmer]

Curious, did you do anything beside "drive around a little"? Check online for cultural/dining options? Crime rates, etc?

[Drewjdeg]

Originally Posted by laurabfig

Hi Madison folks,
My family is considering relocating to Madison to be closer to family...but I'm trying not to bug them with all my questions!
Why do people want to live "above the beltline" in Madison? We're seeing a ton of cute houses for rent or sale right below the highway.
We were there over the holidays and drove around a little...I'll be coming back in March to visit schools and check out neighborhoods. But until then, I'm relying on the collective wisdom of you all in this forum!


Thanks!
-Laura

For what it's worth, MMSD elementary schools within the Beltline are considered better and more "desirable," at least on the West Side. That's mainly because the bulk of Madison's low income areas tend to be south of the Beltline, or right on the Beltline.

Moreover, homes closer to downtown have more amenities in within walking distance.

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-44560?view=qv

This above house is fairly small for 500k, but it puts you within walking distance of Trader Joes, Henry Vilas Zoo, Lake Wingra, the arboretum, Monroe Street, etc. People are generally willing to pay a lot more for those things.

[laurabfig]

Originally Posted by dirt _farmer

Curious, did you do anything beside "drive around a little"? Check online for cultural/dining options? Crime rates, etc?

Yes of course- but we had very limited time when we were there due to holiday events with family. The longer visit this spring will be more for the sole purpose of research for moving there.
I'm doing as much research as I can online but the whole process is a little overwhelming and it was just a general question based on stuff I've read online. are you implying that crime is worse and cultural/dining options are better above the beltline?

[laurabfig]

Originally Posted by Drewjdeg

For what it's worth, MMSD elementary schools within the Beltline are considered better and more "desirable," at least on the West Side. That's mainly because the bulk of Madison's low income areas tend to be south of the Beltline, or right on the Beltline.

Moreover, homes closer to downtown have more amenities in within walking distance.

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-44560?view=qv

This above house is fairly small for 500k, but it puts you within walking distance of Trader Joes, Henry Vilas Zoo, Lake Wingra, the arboretum, Monroe Street, etc. People are generally willing to pay a lot more for those things.

Yes- that's one of the areas we are looking (and have seen that exact house in our realtor's list!)- but may end up living farther away because of cost.
I also loved the neighborhoods around Atwood on the east side but am hearing bad things about the east side schools. I would love to hear from anyone who has their kids in public school on the east side of Madison. Do they get a bad rap simply because of test scores and more socioeconomic diversity?
Honestly I'm not sure they would be bad compared to where we are now in California, since we have some of the worst schools in the nation. I know that test scores are not the full measure of the school, so its hard to decide where to live based on "good schools" based on online information. I'm going to visit a bunch of schools when we're there in March...but any advice ahead of time would be awesome.
Thanks!

[damba]

Originally Posted by laurabfig

Crime is worse and cultural/dining options are better above the beltline?

Yes, in a general sense. Pockets of crime but nothing widespread.

Cultural/dining options are greater as you move toward the nucleus of Madison.

[damba]

Originally Posted by laurabfig

Yes- that's one of the areas we are looking (and have seen that exact house in our realtor's list!)- but may end up living farther away because of cost.
I also loved the neighborhoods around Atwood on the east side but am hearing bad things about the east side schools. I would love to hear from anyone who has their kids in public school on the east side of Madison. Do they get a bad rap simply because of test scores and more socioeconomic diversity?
Honestly I'm not sure they would be bad compared to where we are now in California, since we have some of the worst schools in the nation. I know that test scores are not the full measure of the school, so its hard to decide where to live based on "good schools" based on online information. I'm going to visit a bunch of schools when we're there in March...but any advice ahead of time would be awesome.
Thanks!

The complaints are mostly socioeconomic. Areas by Atwood are more diverse. The area around that home someone posted feeding into West HS is going to rank higher. Just visit schools and neighborhoods multiple times when you can to get the best feel.

[Drewjdeg]

Originally Posted by laurabfig

Yes- that's one of the areas we are looking (and have seen that exact house in our realtor's list!)- but may end up living farther away because of cost.
I also loved the neighborhoods around Atwood on the east side but am hearing bad things about the east side schools. I would love to hear from anyone who has their kids in public school on the east side of Madison. Do they get a bad rap simply because of test scores and more socioeconomic diversity?
Honestly I'm not sure they would be bad compared to where we are now in California, since we have some of the worst schools in the nation. I know that test scores are not the full measure of the school, so its hard to decide where to live based on "good schools" based on online information. I'm going to visit a bunch of schools when we're there in March...but any advice ahead of time would be awesome.
Thanks!

Schools are better funded in Wisconsin compared to California, so I would imagine that class sizes are smaller. That's one benefit. MMSD is also very diverse, that is definitely a huge positive in my mind. It's probably comparable to California in that regard.

In terms of test scores, it's true that low income students perform poorly all over the nation. That's not unique to Madison, though the problem is particularly acute in Wisconsin. To the credit of MMSD, they've devoted a lot of resources to this issue over the past decade or so, and they've had some success. Though, they have a long way to go. The districts student discipline policy is the most recent issue.

But, there's no shortage of high achievers in MMSD. For as long as I can remember, Madison West has had the most national merit scholars of any school in Wisconsin. They easily beat even the wealthiest schools outside of Milwaukee. When I was in high school, Madison Memorial had one of the best debate teams in the entire country.

Like you said, it's probably best to look around the area yourself and make your own opinion.

[Drewjdeg]

Originally Posted by damba

Yes, in a general sense. Pockets of crime but nothing widespread.

Cultural/dining options are greater as you move toward the nucleus of Madison.

No not really, crime is worse south of the Beltline.

Though, it's a bit ridiculous to obsess over crime in Madison. There were only four murders last year for a city of 250k; Madison is a very safe city.

[damba]

Originally Posted by Drewjdeg

No not really, crime is worse south of the Beltline.

My comment concurs with what you write. ‘Worse’ does not necessarily mean particularly significant in this case.

Though, it's a bit ridiculous to obsess over crime in Madison. There were only four murders last year for a city of 250k; Madison is a very safe city.

150%. IME it’s predominantly people relocating from smaller midwestern towns that lack any sort of diversity whatsoever screaming about ‘crime’ in Madison. It’s a non-issue for most.