The City of Madison
The City of Madison offers all of the conveniences, culture, and diversity that one would desire from a big city while still maintaining the personality and inclusive feel of a small town. As the state's capital with a population of over 200,000 people, Madison is the second largest city in Wisconsin. But if you're in need of a larger metropolitan area, you can easily travel roughly 80 miles east to Milwaukee or 150 miles south-east to Chicago. However, as most of us agree, there is plenty to do in and around Madison to fill our free days with entertainment and recreation.
Citywide Events
Madison has a vibrant social life with many citywide events taking place throughout the year. Every Saturday, approximately 300 local vendors set up a Farmer's Market where you can find fresh vegetables, flowers, baked goods, and various specialty products. During the summer the Farmer's Market stretches around the Capitol Square and, is a great way to spend a Saturday morning in the sun surrounded by students and families alike.
- "The downtown farmers' market is amazing; every summer Saturday, all of Capitol Square is swarmed with Wisconsin farmers selling a wide variety of food and plants in a carnival atmosphere. It's a great place to hang out and relax, as well as buy my week's worth of produce, brats, and cheese. There are also smaller farmers' markets spread throughout town on Saturdays and midweek." —A. Hill
For those interested in film, the city holds an annual Film Festival showcasing a week of the best new independent films, world cinema, and new media. Also, the University Cinematheque offers foreign and independent films year-round. Book lovers will enjoy the annual Book Fest featuring readings, lectures, book discussions, writing workshops, live interviews, children's events, and more. And of course, it wouldn't be Wisconsin without the annual Brat Fest in which you can enjoy delicious brats while listening to the best local and regional bands.
Music and Film
Madison has many great music and film venues along with every type of restaurant and bar that one could want. The Orpheum and the Barrymore Theaters are the best places to catch the big national bands coming through Madison, while smaller venues like the High Noon Saloon offer a more intimate concert environment.
- "Madison's music scene is great. We get most of my favorite bands, the venues are all really cool, and the crowds are always friendly." —A. Geller
You can also find classical music, plays, dance, and opera at the Overture Center and the Union Theater. Madison has a rich theatre culture; one of our favorite places to catch a play or musical is the Bartell Theatre. And sometimes, we can even watch a show presented by our very own John Varda.
- "6 theatre companies, 2 stages, one building. Find everything from Shakespeare to locally written musical comedies at prices affordable to students." —J. Varda
And if the band or show that you're looking for is not coming through Madison, chances are you can find them in Milwaukee or Chicago. If you like to dance, there are groups within our department that enjoy contra, ballroom, and swing dancing. There are also many clubs downtown where you can find your favorite type of dance music.
Or if dancing isn't your thing, Madison offers a very wide variety of restaurants and bars. Whether you want Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian, African, Italian, Russian, Mexican, or American food you can find it, and you'll surely have someone who wants to come with you. As can be expected from a city and college campus, the bar scene is very vibrant. You can find anything from crowded rowdy undergraduate filled bars to wine bars mainly attended by grad students and the business men and women of the city. Our grad students tend to go for somewhere in the middle; our favorites being Paul's Club, The City Bar, Genna's, the Weary Traveler, and The Great Dane.
Sports
Of course, you can't have a city without sports. The University of Wisconsin has consistently top ranking football, basketball, and hockey teams. In fact in 2006 both the men's and women's hockey teams won the national championship! Although tickets may be somewhat hard to come by for certain games, you are sure to enjoy any of the University sporting events. The Madison Mallards, an independent semi-pro Northwoods League team, is also a great bet for a summer afternoon. For just $24 you can get a ticket to the Duck Blind for unlimited food and drink during the game. Or if you'd like to drive a bit, you can also catch a Brewers game in Milwaukee, or a Cubs, White Sox, or Bears game in Chicago.
A Community Feel
A great aspect of our department is the community that has developed amongst the grad students. One of our favorite spots for music, film, food, beer and just basically hanging out is the Union Terrace. During the summer, you can sit in one of the many multicolored chairs on the Terrace and look out over the beautiful Lake Mendota while eating a fresh cooked brat and enjoying one of the many locally brewed beers they have on tap. After work on Friday, we usually head to the Terrace for a beer and then out to dinner afterwards. There is often someone who wants to go see a concert or a show (or is even performing in one) and generally others that want to come with. We are a close-knit group, and that makes living in a city like Madison all the more enjoyable.
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Copyright © 2006 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System | Last updated December 14, 2006