Posted: 7/5/2011 5:58:41 AM EDT
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Hello folks,
My wife and I area moving to the Madison area in a few weeks. I will be working for U. of WI and she is a school teacher. We are looking for rentals on the west/sw side of Madison. Anyone with real estate connections or advice for the area? Also, any connections to the local school systems? She is a K-5 teacher. Thanks! UGA02 |
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Quoted: Hello folks, My wife and I area moving to the Madison area in a few weeks. <snip> UGA02 I'm sorry to hear that.   Just kidding. Unique1 will take good care of you AND as a free bonus may tell you where the best places to purchase quality meat are. Welcome to Wisconsin. |
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A quick overview. Live in west police district, north of the beltline if you want to live in the city. I strongly suggest looking in Middleton or Fitchburg. I don't know anything about you, but if you are young and hip, the near west side is ok. The problem is that alot of students live there (noise, parties, general college type activities). The south police district is bad. It only is OK north of the hospitals on park st. and everyone over there is a student since that area is the border of the SE region of UW. The north side is equally as bad as the south (The north side is the area near the airport). The east side is a mix of old housing stock and poorer areas, they are hit or miss on the desire to live there scale.
If you want to live downtown, the rent is high and the housing stock shitty. Also, the city is sirens pretty much 24/7. If you are coming from a relatively quiet sleepy town, you will be shocked. I am convinced MFD has the sirens wired to the ignition on all their trucks. Above all else, go to Pizza Di Roma on State St. It is two blocks down from the Capitol and it has the best pizza by the slice in the world. The BBQ chicken is by far the best pizza I have ever had. |
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Quoted: A quick overview. Live in west police district, north of the beltline if you want to live in the city. I strongly suggest looking in Middleton or Fitchburg. I don't know anything about you, but if you are young and hip, the near west side is ok. The problem is that alot of students live there (noise, parties, general college type activities). The south police district is bad. It only is OK north of the hospitals on park st. and everyone over there is a student since that area is the border of the SE region of UW. The north side is equally as bad as the south (The north side is the area near the airport). The east side is a mix of old housing stock and poorer areas, they are hit or miss on the desire to live there scale. If you want to live downtown, the rent is high and the housing stock shitty. Also, the city is sirens pretty much 24/7. If you are coming from a relatively quiet sleepy town, you will be shocked. I am convinced MFD has the sirens wired to the ignition on all their trucks. Above all else, go to Pizza Di Roma on State St. It is two blocks down from the Capitol and it has the best pizza by the slice in the world. The BBQ chicken is by far the best pizza I have ever had. I live on the east side, our neighborhood is all of 7 years old. Very nice rentals available too. Please don't lump all of the east side as poor. There are over 300 houses around mine, and the cheapest one new was around $250,000.00. High end was around $500k. Not what I would call a poor neighborhood. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
A quick overview. Live in west police district, north of the beltline if you want to live in the city. I strongly suggest looking in Middleton or Fitchburg. I don't know anything about you, but if you are young and hip, the near west side is ok. The problem is that alot of students live there (noise, parties, general college type activities). The south police district is bad. It only is OK north of the hospitals on park st. and everyone over there is a student since that area is the border of the SE region of UW. The north side is equally as bad as the south (The north side is the area near the airport). The east side is a mix of old housing stock and poorer areas, they are hit or miss on the desire to live there scale. If you want to live downtown, the rent is high and the housing stock shitty. Also, the city is sirens pretty much 24/7. If you are coming from a relatively quiet sleepy town, you will be shocked. I am convinced MFD has the sirens wired to the ignition on all their trucks. Above all else, go to Pizza Di Roma on State St. It is two blocks down from the Capitol and it has the best pizza by the slice in the world. The BBQ chicken is by far the best pizza I have ever had. I live on the east side, our neighborhood is all of 7 years old. Very nice rentals available too. Please don't lump all of the east side as poor. There are over 300 houses around mine, and the cheapest one new was around $250,000.00. High end was around $500k. Not what I would call a poor neighborhood. Hmm. Can you narrow that down? I'm trying to think of where there are whole niegbhorhoods of newer housing that isn't out by the interstate/world dairy center. Not being sarcastic, just really curious. Being in Stoughton, I go to the east side frequently enough, but usually only a few blocks from the East Wash corridor. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: A quick overview. Live in west police district, north of the beltline if you want to live in the city. I strongly suggest looking in Middleton or Fitchburg. I don't know anything about you, but if you are young and hip, the near west side is ok. The problem is that alot of students live there (noise, parties, general college type activities). The south police district is bad. It only is OK north of the hospitals on park st. and everyone over there is a student since that area is the border of the SE region of UW. The north side is equally as bad as the south (The north side is the area near the airport). The east side is a mix of old housing stock and poorer areas, they are hit or miss on the desire to live there scale. If you want to live downtown, the rent is high and the housing stock shitty. Also, the city is sirens pretty much 24/7. If you are coming from a relatively quiet sleepy town, you will be shocked. I am convinced MFD has the sirens wired to the ignition on all their trucks. Above all else, go to Pizza Di Roma on State St. It is two blocks down from the Capitol and it has the best pizza by the slice in the world. The BBQ chicken is by far the best pizza I have ever had. I live on the east side, our neighborhood is all of 7 years old. Very nice rentals available too. Please don't lump all of the east side as poor. There are over 300 houses around mine, and the cheapest one new was around $250,000.00. High end was around $500k. Not what I would call a poor neighborhood. Hmm. Can you narrow that down? I'm trying to think of where there are whole niegbhorhoods of newer housing that isn't out by the interstate/world dairy center. Not being sarcastic, just really curious. Being in Stoughton, I go to the east side frequently enough, but usually only a few blocks from the East Wash corridor. Grandview Commons/Richmond Hills area. |
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Madison is a great place to live. I would look at these neighborhoods: Dudgeon-Monroe, Vilas, University Heights, Hills Farms, Sunset Village, Westmoreland, and Shorewood Hills. These neighborhoods offer close walking to the UW and all of the downtown activities. They also have great schools and are safe. If you don't have kids, you should also look at Nakoma, Midvale, and a few neighborhoods West. I would also look at the the Willy St and Atwood areas (near east) if you don't have kids.
Houses in the best neighborhoods start at $250K for a SMALL 3br. |
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Quoted:
Madison is a great place to live. I would look at these neighborhoods: Dudgeon-Monroe, Vilas, University Heights, Hills Farms, Sunset Village, Westmoreland, and Shorewood Hills. These neighborhoods offer close walking to the UW and all of the downtown activities. They also have great schools and are safe. If you don't have kids, you should also look at Nakoma, Midvale, and a few neighborhoods West. I would also look at the the Willy St and Atwood areas (near east) if you don't have kids. Houses in the best neighborhoods start at $250K for a SMALL 3br. Maple Bluff is nice too. Great Fire Department there 
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Thanks for the replies!
I forgot I posted and have not been on the site for a few days. We are looking to rent in the west - southwest side of town. Middleton, Verona or Fitchburg would be ideal. We are 32 and 28 years old and like peace and quite for the most part but not afraid to have a good time on occasion. Like I said earlier I will be working at UW (non faculty) and my wife is a K-5 school teacher. We do not have kids but have a boxer so pet friendly (for a dog of 70lbs) is a must. This pretty much rules out a lot of places because of pet policies but he is like our son! Anyway, we would like something low maintenance - condo, townhome, possible apartment or house - and max out about $1200. If my wife had a job in the area yet we could go higher but that is the price range we we feel comfortable with right now. Looking for 2BR and 2BA. From what people tell us 2 car garage or underground parking is recommended. I will be there a few days next week for HR paperwork and to look around. For you real estate agents in the house feel free to email me and we will discuss any possibilities. Also, where do you guys go for your shooting? Once we get settled in I will look into range memberships and getting my Wisconsin firearms license. Thanks again for all the help. UGA02 |
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Quoted: Also, where do you guys go for your shooting? Once we get settled in I will look into range memberships and getting my Wisconsin firearms license. Thanks again for all the help. UGA02 As a former resident of Fitchburg, I say go for it if you do not have kids. It can be very cheap there if you know how to look. My now wife and I rented a two bedroom house in Fitchburg for $400 a month. Middelton is not worth it if you do not have kids, way overpriced. Another good area to look at is Cross Plains or Black Earth, cheap and close to UW. Anything in the immideate vicinity of UW is expensive, loud and or wicked anti-gun. As for shooting. I go every week with some fellow Arfcommers that work At UW. We either shoot in my backyard or at a private range near Monroe. There is also a public range at Yellowstone park, but, i prefer to avoid it.
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Stoughton (20 min south of Madison) could be a possibility for you also, commute would be about 30 minutes or so for you, depending on where in the UW system you actually work.
Stoughton also has the Stoughton Conservation Club, with indoor pistol range, outdoor rifle/pistol, indoor archery, and frequent trap skeet. I think it's about $105 for the first year, and $70 for subsequent years. The downside is that they are kinda fudd oriented. No rapid fire (defined as more than 5 shots in 10 seconds), 100 yard range isn't really convenient for anything thing other than bench shooting. |
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Quoted:
Stoughton (20 min south of Madison) could be a possibility for you also, commute would be about 30 minutes or so for you, depending on where in the UW system you actually work. Stoughton also has the Stoughton Conservation Club, with indoor pistol range, outdoor rifle/pistol, indoor archery, and frequent trap skeet. I think it's about $105 for the first year, and $70 for subsequent years. The downside is that they are kinda fudd oriented. No rapid fire (defined as more than 5 shots in 10 seconds), 100 yard range isn't really convenient for anything thing other than bench shooting. I would agree 100% with that. I have a membership there, but I honestly don't know why I keep it. Winnequah in Lodi is WAY better - although it is about 3X the annual dues and 2X the drive distance... but I feel the extra cost and time is worth it. Nothing really wrong with the facilities or most of the membership at SCC, however, the shooting positions are covered and enclosed. Kind of like knocking one wall out of a room, and there you go. Definitely need double earpro shooting at SCC. Also, there is zero ventilation, so prolly not the healthiest place if you do a lot of shooting (I'm shooting somewhere at least 1 - 2 times a week...). |
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Quoted:
I live on the east side, our neighborhood is all of 7 years old. Very nice rentals available too. Please don't lump all of the east side as poor. There are over 300 houses around mine, and the cheapest one new was around $250,000.00. High end was around $500k. Not what I would call a poor neighborhood. I am sorry I didn't mean to offend you. I am unfamiliar with expensive housing on the east side of town except the previously mentioned newer homes near the interstate. As in most of Madison, even the less desirable areas to live, there are nice neighborhoods I would love to live in. Back to the OP, your areas to look are spot on. It seems there are alot of rentals in Fitchburg along hwy PD that you should check out. Plus you can go to the Great Dane, a pretty solid brew pub with exceptional food minus the fish fry. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Stoughton (20 min south of Madison) could be a possibility for you also, commute would be about 30 minutes or so for you, depending on where in the UW system you actually work. Stoughton also has the Stoughton Conservation Club, with indoor pistol range, outdoor rifle/pistol, indoor archery, and frequent trap skeet. I think it's about $105 for the first year, and $70 for subsequent years. The downside is that they are kinda fudd oriented. No rapid fire (defined as more than 5 shots in 10 seconds), 100 yard range isn't really convenient for anything thing other than bench shooting. I would agree 100% with that. I have a membership there, but I honestly don't know why I keep it. Winnequah in Lodi is WAY better - although it is about 3X the annual dues and 2X the drive distance... but I feel the extra cost and time is worth it. Nothing really wrong with the facilities or most of the membership at SCC, however, the shooting positions are covered and enclosed. Kind of like knocking one wall out of a room, and there you go. Definitely need double earpro shooting at SCC. Also, there is zero ventilation, so prolly not the healthiest place if you do a lot of shooting (I'm shooting somewhere at least 1 - 2 times a week...). I think all this stems from "good neighbor" policies that sprang up from noise complaints several years ago by a busybody neighbor. SCC voluntarily made some changes, they weren't good enough for busybody, and he sued (I think) and the courts told him to pound sand cause SCC was there first. I don't >think< the range protection law was around then. I could be wrong. Anyway, they seemed to continue this mindset to this day, which is too bad cause the concrete bunkers aren't that great for noise control. The old wood ones are better. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Madison is a great place to live. I would look at these neighborhoods: Dudgeon-Monroe, Vilas, University Heights, Hills Farms, Sunset Village, Westmoreland, and Shorewood Hills. These neighborhoods offer close walking to the UW and all of the downtown activities. They also have great schools and are safe. If you don't have kids, you should also look at Nakoma, Midvale, and a few neighborhoods West. I would also look at the the Willy St and Atwood areas (near east) if you don't have kids. Houses in the best neighborhoods start at $250K for a SMALL 3br. Maple Bluff is nice too. Great Fire Department there Yeah, Maple Bluff is OK, so long as you stay within the wire. |
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Far west Madison/north Verona (Midtown Rd by County Rd M) has very nice new apartments, though they are somewhat pricey.
As gene_wi said, Yellowstone is the "free" option and is about 38 miles from Verona with a 100yd and 25yd range. Sounds like he has access to nicer places though
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