A beautiful downtown, with a beautiful university right on the lake, lots of housing co-ops, and really friendly and nice people. People from Wisconsin tend to be slightly dingy, and Madison is considered to be the craziest town in the state (it’s also the state capital) – but it’s the right kind of crazy, in my opinion. The only drawback is that it gets a little cold there in winter.
Madison is a VERY groovy place, and state street is chock full of head shops/coffee shops/every shop that deviates from the norm that you can think of……there is even a Nepali restaurant that I loved….also loads of interesting people throughout the town. I couldn’t believe how many street performers I saw, there were devil-sticks flying everywhere and lone saxophonists filling up the empty alleyways, soothing your mind like a mental Halls cough drop.”
First of all, there is no way to categorize people from Wisconsin as dingy or dirty. If you have such ill views of people, you need to get out more! Anyway, Madison (downtown) has been preserved perfectly since the 60s. You will still find a plethora of head shops as well as some upsclaed shopping, too. Also, there are lots of excellent ethnic resturaunts. Madison is a truly diverse city and the college is excellent (top 10)…thus the high level of intelligence in the city. Definetely the right ambiance for a hippie.
Therefore it should be closed off from the rest of the productive people of society and firebombed immediately.
Madison is lovely. The downtown is perfect for all the hemp huggers and they have the best vintage stores in a two hundred mile radius. Go to the streets of Madison and play you tamborine and dance for people in the street and you can get enough money to eat at one of the darling little cafes. Go my people and enjoy the beauty of Madison
Madison is an awesome community! State street is great but sadly being overrun by chainstores as in the gap. Please come here and keep our independantly owned stores in business!!! Oh and were not dingy people whoever claimed that! peace & much luv
Madison has a lot of talk about peace and community, but it’s just a line. If you’re not on the isthmus (esp. near east side) you’ll be surrounded by the worst form of jock and/or tract-housing dwellers. Wisconsinites are a friendly sort, but very judgmental and very cliquish.
I really love Madison. I like driving up there on a saturday (I’m from Milwaukee) and just shopping and browsing along State street. I don’t really like much of the other areas though. My first time in Madison really turned me on to this whole community, really, I loved how free people seemed to be. (Why are Wisconsonintes dirty? I happen to be quite clean.)
I hear you Jack on the judgemental/jock/clique vibe. Madison is a little overrated if you ask me. Willy Street is considered a sort of hippie street, and definitely is the coolest area in town. You’ll know you’re there because an insane amount of buildings have colorful murals on the sides. Underneath Nature’s Bakery the anarchist Infoshop meets every other Monday at 6. But shit, maybe I’m just being sour because it’s been a little dry here the past few weeks. WTF is up with that? Where is all the good nugget!??
I love Madison!
The botanical gardens rock, the University by the lake, Phish blasting in the main student area outside. Lots of places to walk
Madison has a very groovy vibe, it has a very large college town feel. I can see where you may have a bad first impression but all in all Madison is a great place.