Is there anybody here who can give me some idea about Madison, Wisconsin?
Hi
@spammelly - I just graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison! I support the information that
@PinkLemonade said about Madison. It is definitely affordable since the downtown area is heavily made up of students so you can certainly find a house or apartment with the CDC salary. The population is mainly younger- college students tend to live more on campus (west of capitol square) and along State Street. The slightly older crowd tends to inhabit the capitol square area and the "east side". The bus system is reliable and takes you around and within the campus/ east-side capitol area so if you are located within the city of Madison you can certainly get by without a car. This city is very biker friendly as well so that is an option in the fall,spring and summer. If you are located at the Wisconsin department of health services that is right central downtown by the capitol so you could certainly live within walking distance. You may consider having a car to get out of the area or to go to the nearest costco, target, ECT. However, there is a grocery store within walking distance (expensive though) otherwise I got by 4-years with a bike and the bus system to do grocery shopping.
Madison is a great city to be in! I am going to miss it with my whole heart. Wisconsinites love to drink so there are a large variety of bars that have a wide range in regards to "the vibes" that they each have. Prepare for COLD COLD winters. Snow is nothing to people here, the city does a great job of clearing sidewalks, streets asap. I suggest buying a long heavy coat (you may think it is hideous, but you will come to love it). The fall and summers in Madison are great- located on an Isthmus between two large lakes there is plenty of recreational activities (bike paths, boating, waterski shows, music concerts on the water, lakeshore paths to hike). The fall and summer also have the farmers market that takes place each Saturday morning around Capitol square- fresh, CHEAP produce, CHEESE (another thing Wisconsinites love), baked goods, smoothies, ECT. It is one of my favorite parts about Madison. State street is home to numerous unique coffee shops, clothing boutiques and delicious restaurants. Even after 4 years, I still walk past places on State that I have not had the time to try out/step into. The Memorial Union terrace (on UW campus) serves numerous types of beer and delicious food that you can enjoy along Lake Mendota. You can also learn how to sail and/or doing any boating activities by becoming a member of the Wisconsin Union. You do not have to be a student or even alumni to join. During the summer, they have live bands play on the stage that you can enjoy.
As you can tell, I have way too much to say about Madison for this blog- I apologize to everyone. But feel free to reach out to me personally for any information. Lastly. you might want to make sure to bring atleast one red t-shirt... you will not want to be caught in any other color on a badger game day
Hope this helps!
