Live Like a Madison, WI, Region Local

Travel Wisconsin

Madison is one of two cities in the U.S., along with Seattle, built on an isthmus. Nestled between lakes Mendota and Monona, the region offers incredible access to outdoor recreation, a thriving arts community and neighborhoods that draw both young professionals and families alike. It’s no wonder people love living in the Madison, WI, Region.

Ahead, two locals share their thoughts on what they love about the area.

Rob Gard 

As the director of communications and public affairs at Destination Madison, Rob Gard is an expert in all the best things the region has to offer. He grew up about an hour from Madison but lived in Los Angeles for 20 years before moving back to Wisconsin to be closer to family. Since then, he’s discovered a community that’s changed in all the right ways. 

Living in the Madison, WI, Region, what are some of your favorite things to do?

If I’m in an outdoor mood, there’s great hiking around here. We have several state parks within an hour’s drive of Madison, plus a ton of county parks. The Ice Age National Scenic Trail runs through parts of Madison and Dane County. Also, we have a lot of lakes and rivers, where I’ll go canoeing or fishing. I’m also a huge fan of music, and I lived around the corner from some amazing music venues in L.A., so I was thrilled when I came here to find out this is actually a really happening music city. 

One of my favorite places is a little jazz club called Cafe CODA, which brings in national and international acts. There’s a historic sports stadium called Breese Stevens Field that’s a little over 100 years old, and they have about a dozen concerts of well-known acts a year. You have it all here. 

Jason Joyce 

Jason Joyce is publisher of Isthmus Community Media, Madison’s free alternative newspaper. Joyce grew up in Minneapolis, moving to Madison in 1988 to attend the University of Wisconsin and has never left. As the publisher of the paper that tells people everything happening in the city, Joyce is the ideal person to comment on why the Madison, WI, Region is a great place to live.

What are some of your favorite annual events in the area? 

The Fête De Marquette takes place the second weekend of July. It’s a massive neighborhood music festival that focuses on French music, which can mean anything from Cajun Zydeco bands to bands from African nations that were colonized by France to Canadian Acadian groups and New Orleans brass bands. There’s music taking place all day for three or four days on multiple stages. 

There’s a fantastic event in the wintertime called Frozen Assets, which is a fundraiser for the Clean Lakes Alliance. The key feature of that two-day event is a 5K race on Lake Mendota. It’s probably the only 5K race on a frozen lake in North America.