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Old 04-29-2009, 09:13 PM
 
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Well the wife got into UW-M creative writing program, so we're moving to Madison. Yay.

So we're looking at houses. We don't have a lot to play with since we're just going to be living off of my modest salary - the 180 price range is what we're comfortable with. We definitely want to live on the east side though. Most of the houses in our price range put us in the area around Milwaukee st. and the area around Commercial Ave. It's just us and a couple of tiny dogs, no kids.

I've read here that north of Mil. to 30 is sketchy - but it doesn't sound too sketchy... I'm from Pittsburgh in a very borderline/gentrified neighborhood, lived in N.O. before the storm, and making the move from Houston. Crime is one of those things that you have to deal with when close proximity to so many other people. We're both comfortable with this and chose not to live in fear, but be intelligent about it.

What about the north-side of Emerson East? Commercial Ave between E.Wash and Packers Ave? We are really interested to know if there are neighborhood bars/eateries/stores close enough to walk to in these areas? We really value and cherish old neighborhoods which were established before the proliferation of automobiles turned everything into strip malls.

Any other neighborhoods we should take a look at that that we are neglecting because they're not right next to the isthmus?

Also, we're making visiting for a whirlwind trip over memorial day weekend. Any "must do" places/event to attend?

Last edited by ThatSameGuy; 04-29-2009 at 10:21 PM..
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Old 04-29-2009, 10:36 PM
 
Location: Madison, WI
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ThatSameGuy View Post
Well the wife got into UW-M creative writing program, so we're moving to Madison. Yay.
Congrats!

Quote:
Originally Posted by ThatSameGuy View Post
I've read here that north of Mil. to 30 is sketchy - but it doesn't sound too sketchy... I'm from Pittsburgh in a very borderline/gentrified neighborhood, lived in N.O. before the storm, and making the move from Houston. Crime is one of those things that you have to deal with when close proximity to so many other people. We're both comfortable with this and chose not to live in fear, but be intelligent about it.
You'll be fine in that area then. I have a friend who lived there she never had problems.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ThatSameGuy View Post
What about the north-side of Emerson East? Commercial Ave between E.Wash and Packers Ave? We are really interested to know if there are neighborhood bars/eateries/stores close enough to walk to in these areas? We really value and cherish old neighborhoods which were established before the proliferation of automobiles turned everything into strip malls.
The North side of Madison is similar to the Milwaukee/hwy30 area (excluding Maple Bluff, but that's a little out of your price range). Some areas of the Northside are rougher, like where Packers Ave and Northport meet, but just a couple of blocks north and about 3 miles west are just fine. Unfortunately there isn't much in the way of local businesses on the North side and what is there is on Sherman Ave. You may be able to find a house in your price range in that area, but I'm not sure.

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Originally Posted by ThatSameGuy View Post
Any other neighborhoods we should take a look at that that we are neglecting because they're not right next to the isthmus?
The East Towne Mall area. Not the walkable neighborhoods you are looking for, but less expensive and fairly safe, though there are some dicey areas north of East Washington.
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Old 04-30-2009, 08:22 AM
 
Location: Madison
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Originally Posted by ThatSameGuy View Post
We are really interested to know if there are neighborhood bars/eateries/stores close enough to walk to in these areas? We really value and cherish old neighborhoods.
Because of these criteria, I'd really recommend you try to stay as close to Isthmus as you can afford. Try looking in the Olbrich park neighborhood - just north of Atwood Ave. Or the East Dayton St., East Mifflin St. areas.
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Old 05-01-2009, 06:42 AM
 
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One way you might be able to get a little better picture of the east side neighborhoods you are considering is to look at this page of the city's website: City of Madison Near East Neighborhood Sector. You can go through the drop-down box at the top to see detailed maps of each of the near-east side neighborhoods and get an idea of what they contain. Some of the neighborhood associations also have websites that might give you a sense of what they'd be like.

I was hunting for a recent article in the local newspaper to link here also, but it does not appear to have been archived yet. However, one of the points made was that the area around Fair Oaks is where the closest thing to affordable home prices can be found in Madison. I have good cause to know that it is a perfectly fine place to live, having been a resident of the area for the past decade, and while the homes themselves are not the big historical homes nor are they brand-new showplaces, there are many unassuming but solid bungalows from the 1930s, 40s and 50s. You could do a lot worse than look in that region of town.

As to what to do on Memorial Day weekend, well, I know of a science fiction convention going on that weekend, although of course that's not everyone's cup of tea. There's the Madison Marathon which takes place that Sunday: Madison Marathon - May 24, 2009 - Madison, Wisconsin (http://www.madisonfestivals.com/marathon/index.html - broken link). And of course there is always the famous Dane County Farmers' Market on the Capitol Square on Saturday morning: Dane County Farmers’ Market. There are some recent photos of the first outdoor market of 2009 in the photo thread stickied at the top of the Madison Forum. And you could probably find other events going on by browsing here: Recreation - Residents - City of Madison, Wisconsin.

Good luck in your move, and I hope your trip here in a few weeks is both productive and fun!
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Old 05-01-2009, 10:06 AM
 
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Originally Posted by Megan1967 View Post
The North side of Madison is similar to the Milwaukee/hwy30 area (excluding Maple Bluff, but that's a little out of your price range). Some areas of the Northside are rougher, like where Packers Ave and Northport meet, but just a couple of blocks north and about 3 miles west are just fine. Unfortunately there isn't much in the way of local businesses on the North side and what is there is on Sherman Ave.
Thanks Megan, that's pretty much what the Realtor we just started working with said too.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Megan1967 View Post
The East Towne Mall area. Not the walkable neighborhoods you are looking for, but less expensive and fairly safe, though there are some dicey areas north of East Washington.
Will look into this too.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dairylander View Post
Because of these criteria, I'd really recommend you try to stay as close to Isthmus as you can afford. Try looking in the Olbrich park neighborhood - just north of Atwood Ave. Or the East Dayton St., East Mifflin St. areas.
Thanks Dairylander. Staying as close to the Isthmus area is the right direction for us. I've noted those areas.

Quote:
Originally Posted by MidwesternBookWorm View Post
One way you might be able to get a little better picture of the east side neighborhoods you are considering is to look at this page of the city's website: City of Madison Near East Neighborhood Sector.
Very interesting link. Thanks MBW!

Quote:
Originally Posted by MidwesternBookWorm View Post
However, one of the points made was that the area around Fair Oaks is where the closest thing to affordable home prices can be found in Madison.
I'm adding it to the list.


Quote:
Originally Posted by MidwesternBookWorm View Post
I have good cause to know that it is a perfectly fine place to live, having been a resident of the area for the past decade, and while the homes themselves are not the big historical homes nor are they brand-new showplaces, there are many unassuming but solid bungalows from the 1930s, 40s and 50s. You could do a lot worse than look in that region of town.
And that's exactly what we're looking for... I'm under no illusions about what I can get for what I'm looking at spending. But even so, I don't think I'd ever see myself wanting a 5500 sq. ft. house that encompasses every square inch of the lot.


Quote:
Originally Posted by MidwesternBookWorm View Post
As to what to do on Memorial Day weekend, well, I know of a science fiction convention going on that weekend, although of course that's not everyone's cup of tea. There's the Madison Marathon which takes place that Sunday: Madison Marathon - May 24, 2009 - Madison, Wisconsin (http://www.madisonfestivals.com/marathon/index.html - broken link). And of course there is always the famous Dane County Farmers' Market on the Capitol Square on Saturday morning: Dane County Farmers’ Market. There are some recent photos of the first outdoor market of 2009 in the photo thread stickied at the top of the Madison Forum. And you could probably find other events going on by browsing here: Recreation - Residents - City of Madison, Wisconsin.

Good luck in your move, and I hope your trip here in a few weeks is both productive and fun!
Thanks for the tips. We're staying 3 blocks from capital, so I'll certainly check out the Farmer's market. As for the Sci-Fi convention... I like that kind of thing, but the wife... no so much. She did get into BSG pretty good though. I keep joking with her that for us to have kids she must prove herself worthy by watching all 10 seasons of Stargate *and* the movies.

A couple of questions...

1.) What are the liquor laws like? Can I buy beer and wine in the grocery store? How about the hard stuff?

2.) Are there vehicle inspections in WI? Any idea if I'm going to have to pay WI sales tax when we register our cars there?

3.) Trains? I see lots of train tracks in the Isthmus and the near east side. Am I going to be awoken nightly by the sound of train horns as they go through the intersections?

Thanks for all the input. You peeps have been awesome so far.
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Old 05-01-2009, 12:34 PM
 
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3) I live on Jenifer St, a few blocks away from the train tracks that run next to E Wilson. The train horns are loud, but they stopped waking us up after a few days. I like to sleep with ear plugs anyway, they help me to relax and fall asleep - but they aren't necessary.
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Old 05-01-2009, 04:56 PM
 
Location: Madison, WI
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You can buy beer and wine in the grocery store. Woodmans, a local chain, has an attached liquor store with everything you could possibly want. There is a cut off time, I think 9:00pm.

I know the Milwaukee area requires vehicle inspections, but Madison doesn't.

There is a registration fee ($75 I believe), to register a car, but I can't imagine you having to pay sales tax on a vehicle you already own.
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Old 05-01-2009, 08:32 PM
 
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Yeah, those train tracks....

They're actually an historical artifact of the days in the 19th century when several cities in Wisconsin were in the running to be named the state's capitol. Back in those pre-automobile days, cross-country travel was pretty much limited to horse-drawn wagons or trains. And since trains were a terrific way to move large numbers of people and large amounts of freight (building materials, inventory, supplies, etc) in a relatively quick way, the best way that that the leaders of a city could really put it on the map as a prospective state capitol was to convince as many railroad builders to route their tracks through the city as possible. At one point in Madison's history, as many as seven different RR companies came through the city from various points elsewhere in the state and country.

Of course, a century and a half later, there's basically one main freight line that ships through Madison, no passenger rail at all, and those tracks are viewed in a very different light by 21st century city residents. The noise of the horns and the delays on main arteries while the freights go chugging slowly by are not nearly as attractive as the first tracks were to the city's founders. But just as it doesn't appear that anyone is going to uproot the Capitol building and move it elsewhere any time soon, it also looks like the tracks are here to stay.

In many parts of the city, you will hear the occasional train horn in a sort of distant, faint way. We live about a half-mile from the point where the tracks cross Fair Oaks, and if I have a window open and there's not a lot of ambient noise, I can hear them hooting sometimes. Frankly, though, the traffic noise from East Washington, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights, is usually louder, although certainly not bad enough to disrupt sleep.

There certainly are spots where you'd hear them much more loudly. Living anywhere close to the main freight yards near 1st Street and East Johnson, you would hear the horns day and night, and not in a distant way, either. Living close to a point where a track crosses a road (or closer than about a quarter mile or so), you'd hear them clearly as well, though not as constantly as you would near the main yards.

There has been sporadic talk for as long as we've lived here (a decade now) about the possibility of bringing back passenger rail to the city, which would have the effect of adding more rail traffic and likely noise. Various ideas have included a line to Milwaukee, one to Chicago, and possibly one up to the Twin Cities in Minnesota. It may happen one day, but I'd estimate it would be at least a decade and possibly two or three from now.
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Old 05-02-2009, 12:39 AM
 
Location: Chicago
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Just so's ya know, UWM = University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The flagship campus in Madison is just UW.
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Old 05-04-2009, 01:24 PM
 
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Just so's ya know, UWM = University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The flagship campus in Madison is just UW.
Ah, my first lesson in your Wisconsin ways...

What about the area a bit to the southwest, around S Park St and Olin Ave.? Any good?
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