Madison a variable melting pot of cultures, ideas, and activities… nestled on an isthmus between two large lakes- Mendota and Monona. How to describe such an fun and vibrant city in just a few words- impossible, but we will try.
The City itself offers many diverse shopping, dining, and outdoor activities for nearly everything and any lifestyle that you may want.
Madison is located at the intersection of 2 major interstates; nearly all that Wisconsin has to offer can be found within a short drive from Madison. The Dane County Regional Airport, located in Madison, makes business or pleasure travel easy and affordable for all area residents.
The original development of Madison and Dane County has followed an age-old European model, of a major metro area, ringed by open agricultural areas with smaller towns and villages. New visitors to the area are always surprised by how quickly they can travel from a cityscape of Madison to rolling agricultural country and quaint villages surrounding the city.
Dining in Madison: Dining in Madison could be a full-time job…with literally hundreds of restaurants to choose from, offerings can include: gluten-free, African, Asian, French, German, Greek, Irish, Italian, Latin, Middle Eastern, South American, Sushi, pizza parlors, Steak houses, American style diners, traditional pubs and bars, many are original locally owned businesses. But of course, the common chain restaurants of any major metro area are here too. Whether you are looking for elegant fine dining or very casual dining there are options in all categories with cityscape views, lake views, and romantic settings to fit every mood and palette.
Recreation in Madison: There is so much to do in the Madison area there is not enough space to get it all down. The City has a very robust recreation league system that runs year round with many adult and children focused options http://www.mscr.org/ There are many other club type sports available too… biking, running, hockey, soccer, lacrosse, equestrian, pool, darts, basketball, cross country, downhill, and water skiing, kayaking, canoeing, motor boating, to name a few. The Madison MetropolitanSchool District schools and private health clubs assist in making sure that there are many offerings for year-round activities, even as winter weather sets in… many activities just move indoors.
The City parks system is simply amazing… from wooded nature parks, natural prairie areas, lakeside parks and swimming beaches to the classic open spaces for sports and leisure. The outdoor experience for residents is further enhanced by the County parks system and State parks in the area that offer many natural walking trails, children’s parks, and lake & stream access. Whether you go jogging along the lakeside bike paths, a picnic with friends and family along the lake shore of Picnic Point, a nature hike to see maple syrup collected and made in Owens Woods… unique outdoor activities are everywhere within the city.
Amazingly, besides offering year-round activities, the Madison lakes (Mendota and Monona) and streams also offer some of the best game fishing opportunities in the State!
Lifestyle in Madison: Madison has nightlife and cultural opportunities not necessarily expected in the Midwest.
The Capitol Square is the scene of many events including the largest Farmers Market in the Midwest, chamber orchestra concerts on the Capital lawn, Taste Of Madison on Labor Day weekend, and countless parades and festivals launching point, and the focal point of a family orientated city-wide New Year’s Eve celebration.
The Convention Center is a master piece from Frank Lloyd Wright styled form and function with events from public radio shows, boat shows, community charity events, etc. Even roof top concerts overlooking the Capitol on one side and Lake Monona on the other- during the warmer months.
The Overture Center a gift to the city from a local philanthropist. It offers Broadway musicals, concerts, symphony orchestral performances and an art museum along the pedestrian only shopping and restaurant district of State Street.
The Kohl Center is the main location for University of Wisconsin sporting events- Basketball, hockey and wrestling to name a few. Also, the arena provides an excellent venue for concert choices from major touring artists from around the world.
Camp Randall Stadium is the home of University of Wisconsin football. This venue provides and NFL sized and equipped venue for some great grid-iron action. Periodically, it too is the site of nationally tours concerts, National Marching Band competitions, and State High Schoolathletic championships.
In addition, there are many smaller privately owned concert venues for the live music throughout the city.
As you can now see, there are many reasons why Madison has been recognized nationally, over the past few decades, as one of the best places to live.
