UW-Madison Department of Geoscience

Madison Living
Madison is a wonderful city with plenty of things to do. There is something for everyone to enjoy. Whether it is visiting the Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings, sailing on Lake Mendota, riding your bike on the miles of bike paths or enjoying a concert or film downtown, there is always more to do than you would expect.

Some Madison and Wisconsin Links:
City of Madison - http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/
Madison Metro - http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/metro/metro.html
The Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau - http://gmcvb@visitmadison.com/
Includes Madison and Wisconsin links
Campus Assistance Center - http://www.wisc.edu/cac/
For campus information, housing, frequently asked questions, etc.
Apartments Showcase - http://www.aptshowcase.com/
Tenant Resource Center - http://trc.studentorg.wisc.edu/
Visiting Wisconsin - http://www.wisconsin.gov/state/core/visiting_wisconsin.html
UW Madison Recreational Sports - http://wiscinfo.doit.wisc.edu/recsports/index.html
Hoofers Outdoors Club - http://www.hoofers.org/
Madison Media - http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/media.html
Why UW-Madison - http://whyuwmadison.gradsch.wisc.edu/

Housing in Madison is plentiful, however, the sooner you know what you are looking for, the easier it is to find the "right place. " Most grad students sign a lease at the beginning of the semester. Some students choose to live alone, while others share apartments or houses. Most grad students spend between $400 and $700 a month on rent, which may or may not include utilities. Generally, rents are higher, the closer you are to campus.

Parking is always an issue in Madison, so make sure that if you have a car, you take into consideration where you will park if you bring it to campus. Again, parking usually costs money and the price depends on where you are in the city. Residential neighborhoods have on street parking for residents with a two-hour limit for those who do not live there. City public parking lots are very busy during the day, and if you can grab a spot, the garage will run you about 70 cents an hour. Parking near Weeks Hall for students is scarce.

Students are given a free pass for the city bus (called the Metro) which runs to most areas where students live. Many people choose to take the bus since it is convenient and avoids the parking hassle. Bicycles and scooters are popular and are a good way to travel around campus. The city is extremely "bike friendly" and bike racks are everywhere. Get a good lock or you won't have a ride for very long! The city of Madison also has an extensive network of paved pedestrian/bike paths, which are well traveled by bikers during commuting hours, and recreationally on the weekends by bikers, hikers, and in-line skaters.