We have all been there. It's halfway through freshman year, and everyone is starting to make plans for next year. Some of your friends will be returning to the dorms, but you want to try something a little different. In Madison, there is a lot to consider when choosing an apartment or house. How close are you to classes? Bars? State Street? Ian's? How many people are you living with? All of these are equally important to consider. That said, there are many fantastic options that await.
Fraternity/sorority house (Langdon St.)
Pros: Living with people you are close with, short distance to a lot of parties and State Street, fraternity houses frequently host parties and tailgates, sorority houses frequently have in-house chefs.
Cons: Living with people you are too close with, smaller rooms, likely not as clean as other options, far from Engineering and classes in general, far from on-campus dining.
Best food option: MacTaggart's (Tag's), 230 W. Lakelawn Place.
Overall: Live here for a year or two if you are in Greek life, but you will get tired of the noise and dirt quickly. However, it is closer to classes and right next to State Street, so you should never be at a loss for food. Good for some, not as great for others.
Sophomore slums (Mifflin)
Pros: Hosting Mifflin, close to many cheap food options and Kohl Center, houses allow for parties and living with a few close friends, good access to Downtown Madison.
Cons: Far from classes, have to really like who you're living with, not as many dining options and no close on-campus dining options, far from both student unions.
Best food option: Bassett Street Brunch Club, 444 W. Johnson St.
Overall: The sophomore slums are what you make of them – it can be a great year if you're in a house with people you get along with, but it has the potential to go very bad. It's a little far from most on-campus classes and activities but very accessible with a bus or a bike.
College Court (Regent)
Pros: Close to classes (especially B-School), unique dining options that are less accessible from most other parts of campus, good area for parties, mix of different housing options (house, apartment, etc.), really close to Meriter Hospital (just in case).
Cons: Far from most bars and State Street, will have to walk at least a few blocks to get to any classes, little access to grocery store/healthy eating options.
Best food option: Greenbush Bakery, 1305 Regent Street.
Overall: Really good area to live in for a few years, especially with people you are close with. A little far from classes and some campus buildings, but lots of unique restaurants and good access to both the Kohl Center and Camp Randall. Get used to using a bike to get to farther places and this will be a great place to live.
Breese/Lathrop/Randall neighborhood
Pros: Literally, right next to Camp Randall -- the place to be in the fall for tailgates, right on top of the Engineering campus, sizable houses to live in with more than a few of your close friends.
Cons: Dining options are few and far between with little access to grocery, farther from Humanities/Vilas/Bascom, very far from bars and State Street, might be a little farther from your friends.
Best food option: Babcock Hall Dairy Store, Babcock Hall, 1605 Linden Drive.
Overall: There are a lot of bigger houses to pick from, and it is right on top of Camp Randall, meaning you have prime location for football season. However, the food options are not great and you will find yourself far from a lot of places on campus. To live here for a year and experience game day in this way, however, may be worth it.
State Street
Pros: Great place for city living and bars, relatively close to campus depending on where you live, many diverse dining options, good atmosphere, won't have to walk home very far late at night.
Cons: Always loud and bright –- difficult to get homework done, fewer options. Apartment living forces you to choose only a few close friends to live with -- generally, the most expensive option.
Best food option: Too many to choose.
Overall: The benefits of living on State Street are obvious, but there is a lot to consider on the other side. It is more expensive, loud, and usually pretty cramped, and the prices are not cheap. Find a good price and some people you can get along well with, and you're good to go.
