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Madison on a Cloudless Summerlike Day
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The best city in the Midwest. Keep it buck, Madison.
A year ago I was fairly dismissive towards Madison as a college party town (especially with Milwaukee, Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul being so close). But I've since discovered that this city packs quite a punch, and it has really grown on me. This place offers the quality events, ethnicity, progressiveness, street life, and pure substance I would expect out of a city at least 5x its size. And with the best economy in Wisconsin I know I can continue to expect good things to come.
Great photos atrain5371. Here's to discovering another great city.
kay:
Great photos atrain5371. Here's to discovering another great city.
kay:
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thanks for the good comments
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The height restrictions have always conflicted me but i think its done wonders for the town. Madision is in my top 5 favorite places!
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Yeah I agree. It seems like in all other cities that have height restrictions you get the sense that the skyline is missing something grand but I don't get that feeling when looking at the Madison skyline. Perhaps it's because the capitol building is so dominant sitting in the middle that you don't ever get the feelong of being cheated out of something?
a narrow isthmus needs to protect sight lines from lake to lake. Madison's beauty is enhanced by sufficent density but would be harmed by greater height.
Indeed, Madison's allure comes from what it is comfortable not doing. Madison is perfectably happy with its manageable size and the way it can package its unique brand of urban. Its beauty has a livabilaity quality of it you are going to see in few other places.
Madison can see how Austin, using its state capital and state university status, was able to raise itself to larger city status in a most positive way, but still say "this isn't the route we want to go. we want to remain Madison"
How refreshing to see a city that doesn't think size and height are necessary to make a fantastic community that people inside and out of your city think is great1 And you know what: Madison pulls it off in a grand way!
PS: Madison should thank God for not having a great climate. If it did, I have no doubt that Wauwatosa and Brookfield would be considered east suburban Madison and Evanston and Skokie would be the far south suburbs.
The height restrictions are absolutely necessary. The capitol NEEDS to be the focal point of the skyline. If we dropped the height restrictions, we'd just have a big finger or two sticking up, making the skyline pretty much hideous. As it is, the skyline is getting wider and more congested, which will add much more of a big city feel than having one or two fairly tall buildings.
Also, how did you get up on top of roofs for so many pictures?
Also, how did you get up on top of roofs for so many pictures?
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Those are all public parking ramps.
and in the process of maintaining those height limits, you give Madison a distinct skyline that separates it from virtually every city (even DC doesn't allow the capitol dome to be the high point in town).
Madison's height limits doesn't diminish Madison; it enhances it. It gives it an edge. It projects a legitimate urban beauty that does not have to rely on the generic height of buildings to impress. Madison chooses to be far more impressive without the vertical skyline. How refreshing.
I don't want to go too far with the notion of skyline as metaphor, but isn't there a refreshing refusal to bow to the gods of capitalism and crass commercialism embedded in Madison's skyline? Is there something noble to say that a capitol dome sticking out above the crowd and representing the house of the people that is the heart and soul of democracy is an enshrinement worthy of elevating and a breathe of fresh air in a nation that doesn't act like it even buys in to the concept.
Hooray for Madison. Bring on the acolodes. But I have to tell you the truth: all bets are off if I ever find myself driving around capitol square and see a sign over the building that says: Wisconsin State Capitol, Presented by McDonald's, a billion pork-filled bills served annually. Needless to say two golden domes on top replacing the current one would be a deal breaker.
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It would more likely be paid for and packaged by Anheuser-Busch or Miller.
It may seem less crass, but capitalism and commerce do quite nicely here, thank you.
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