So..., tell me about the Madison area

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Eric_S
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So..., tell me about the Madison area

Post by Eric_S »

Hey Everyone,

I've accepted a new position in Madison, so I'll be relocating to the Madison area sometime this summer. I'm looking forward to playing in the local Madison events when things get back to normal. We've been looking at houses in the Cottage Grove area and hoping to have a deal struck in the next few weeks. If anyone has more insight in the area, let me know.

If anyone is looking to buy a nice home by Neenah with a large basement with lots of space for pinball machines, let me know! I suspect it will be one of the more interesting home listings for pictures of the basement.

Eric
Methos
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Re: So..., tell me about the Madison area

Post by Methos »

Congrats on the new job! Glad to have you join us in Madison.

Cottage Grove is a great area. Have a few friends who live there and they love it. Do you need any assistance in moving your pins?
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u2sean
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Re: So..., tell me about the Madison area

Post by u2sean »

Congrats on the new job and moving down here, Eric! It'll be nice to see you and hang out once things settle down a bit. Cottage Grove is a nice area, I know a few people that have lived in that area over the years.

- Sean
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Re: So..., tell me about the Madison area

Post by Ken »

One of us! One of us!! Congrats Eric!
Eric_S
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Re: So..., tell me about the Madison area

Post by Eric_S »

Thanks, guys. I'm looking forward to new opportunities. I'm sure I could use a hand to move machines into the basement when the time comes.
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Chris K
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Re: So..., tell me about the Madison area

Post by Chris K »

Welcome to town, Eric! Oh, and what do you want to know about the area?
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Eric_S
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Re: So..., tell me about the Madison area

Post by Eric_S »

I was just looking for general advice about areas/good schools. We've seen some houses in Cottage Grove, DeForest, Waunakee, Sun Prairie, Stoughton, etc. We're looking more on the east side suburbs to be closer to my family in the Milwaukee area.
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u2sean
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Re: So..., tell me about the Madison area

Post by u2sean »

Waunakee and Sun Prairie both have great schools, and I know a few folks on here that live in Sun Prairie and Waunakee / Westport so can probably chime in with specifics. I honestly don't know about the others, but pretty much all the schools in the Madison suburbs are good. Once you move in if you need help getting games in just hit us up - you'll likely get a whole pinball moving crew.
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Chris K
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Re: So..., tell me about the Madison area

Post by Chris K »

We moved to Oregon for the schools, and are happy thus far. We're happy out here with the small-town atmosphere, although the property values are pretty high for a small town. It's definitely not a place to come if you want nightlife; there are few bars or restaurants in town. And as it's low-lying you have to do your research about basement flooding. Highway 14 gives quick access to Madison, but it's further than the East side burbs, for sure.

I don't want to cast aspersions on school districts, cause I genuinely don't have much knowledge, but I have family that worked in the Madison school district until recently, and I've heard some not-great stuff about DeForest of late. Message me if you want details; I don't want to spout in public about things I can't corroborate. I have heard that Sun Prairie is good, but the area is getting very big of late so you'll probably want to get some locals' opinions because rapidly-growing school districts are sometimes a challenge. I know there are multiple Sun Prairie residents on this forum. I've heard good nor bad of other East side districts.

Since you're not looking on the West side or Madison proper, I'll hold what I know of those areas to avoid derailing. :)

Madison traffic in isn't Milwaukee-bad, but the lakes make weird traffic patterns. Whereabouts are you commuting to? Downtown? Airport? West Towne? Far West side? The Beltline (Hwy18 from I90, transitioning to Hwy12 through Middleton) can hit a steady 5mph at rush hour.

Other than that, enjoy the breweries and location pinball, and if your family likes to bike, this area is fantastic. Downtown is also a great place to spend a lazy summer night... just not at this precise moment in time. :)
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Eric_S
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Re: So..., tell me about the Madison area

Post by Eric_S »

Thanks for the information. We just got an accepted offer for a home in Cottage Grove, so pending the inspection results, looks like we'll be on the east side of Madison. I'll be working about a half mile from the Capitol, so I'm guessing that the delays along 151 can be an issue sometimes.
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Re: So..., tell me about the Madison area

Post by MikeS »

Congrats on the new job and your upcoming move to the Madison area. Its a great place to live and there's a ton of stuff to do. I dont know much about the Cottage Grove area as I live on the complete opposite side of Madison, but I do work downtown within a couple blocks of where you'll be. Once things get back to normal and I'm not working from home we'll have to meet up for lunch and pinball. Besides the parking, downtown Madison is a great place to work. The traffic really isn't all that bad compared to most cities.
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QuyN
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Re: So..., tell me about the Madison area

Post by QuyN »

Glad to see another pinhead move into the area. Congrats! CG seems pretty nice. We've only been on the edge of CG where Doughboy's Pizza and Ace Hardware is located. We live probably about 7-8 minutes away from there. If you're working downtown, you'll likely have to take the Beltline. During normal rush hour traffic, it can be a bear. A normal 20 minute trip from one side of town to the other would be doubled. Likely, it'll add some time if you have to commute during those hours.
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Re: So..., tell me about the Madison area

Post by QuyN »

As far as school districts go. It looks like you'll be in the Monona Grove district.
https://www.mononagrove.org/

My wife is a teacher in the Madison School system. Each school has it's own challenges to deal with for sure. Some are more racially and culturally diverse than others, which may or may not be important to you. I know for some parents it is. In any case, most of the schools have great teachers that have their kids' interests at heart, that is for sure.
Eric_S
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Re: So..., tell me about the Madison area

Post by Eric_S »

Thanks guys. We have an accepted offer on a house in Cottage Grove, so as long as the inspection goes OK, we should be set for housing. The schools in the area look good and Cottage Grove seems like a nice, quiet town with all the amenities in Madison only a few miles away.

I noticed IO Bar just around the corner from where I'll be working, so that will be a nice benefit.
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Chris K
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Re: So..., tell me about the Madison area

Post by Chris K »

Nice, I used to work downtown. I miss it! Tons of great restaurants and coffee shops, and I'd often walk State Street from the square to Bascom Hill for some lunch exercise. The ice cream in the Union is fantastic.

Traffic inbound on John Nolen in the morning is good. Outbound on John Nolen at rush hour isn't great, especially getting Eastbound on the belt line. If you can arrange your hours to leave work AT 4pm, you'll probably save 10+ minutes on your commute over leaving at 4:30pm.

Hopefully the world gets back to normal yet this summer, cause summer in downtown Madison is pretty awesome, and that's coming from someone who doesn't like crowds at all.
Our pinball table breeding stock:
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Scared Stiff, Black Hole, Roy Clark, Monster Bash Remake, Future Spa, Big Deal, Top Score, Baywatch, Rick and Morty, TMNT, Sinbad, Guns N Roses
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