Your guide to life in Madison, WI

Never been to Madison before? Wondering what it's like here? What is an Isthmus, anyway? Hopefully, this short student-produced guide will help answer some of your questions.

The official scoop

• The official Madison, WI city government page
• The official Visit Madison page
• Wikipedia article on Madison, WI

Getting around

• By bus: this is a great option for students because we get free bus passes, and the bus goes just about everywhere you need to be.
• By bicycle: another great way to get around. Madison is full of bike trails and bike stores. There is a major street near campus that is for bikes and buses only!

What to do for fun

• The Isthmus Daily Pages feature movie times, all the local music and entertainment listings, where to eat, organizations and interest groups, and much more. They also have a discussion board called The Forum where you can interact with the locals. Look here for classified ads, housing, and employment listings as well.
• Madison.com features local news, weather, a forum, and links to local blogs. This is another good place to look for housing or employment.
• The Overture Center for the Arts features a concert hall, theater, and auditorium. See the Madison Symphony, a touring show, or a local act.
• The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art part of the Overture complex, this museum is in a brand-new location and is completely free.
• The Chazen Museum of Art is on campus (and also free) and features some very eclectic exhibits.

Community

One of the great things Madison has to offer is a sense of community. Here are just a few of the organizations and people that make that possible!

• Neighborhood Centers are a tradition in Madison and feature some of the best local activities (and are a great way to meet your neighbors and get involved off-campus!)
• Willy Street Co-op is Madison's largest natural foods co-op grocery store.
• MCC Housing Co-ops if you need a place to live or have dinner.

Community Organizations

• American Indian Reservations
• Centro Hispano
• Headstart
• Neighborhood Centers
• United Migrant Opportunity Services
• Urban League
• Outreach, Inc.
• The AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin

Where to go for more information

Have a burning question about Madison life that this guide did not address? Here's where you can go for more information:

• LiveJournal Madison, WI community is a good place to ask those random questitons (Note- you must be a registered LiveJournal user to post).