Wisconsin: BBC names Madison one of the top 5 university towns in the WORLD
http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20131119-living-in-great-university-towns/1
Close to major metropolitan centres but inclusive enough to exert their own sphere of influence, university towns and the thousands of students who mingle with the residents there create their own microclimate. Usually liberal and forward thinking, the cities listed here have culturally vibrant, well-educated populations and are often ranked as some of the most sought after places to live.
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Valparaiso, Chile
This Pacific port city 120km west of Santiago is home to four of Chile’s major universities, which are attended by undergrads from all over the country as well as international students from across the globe. Before the 1914 opening of the Panama Canal, Valparaiso was an important stopping point for travellers sailing between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, making the city an economic and cultural centre. Beautiful Edwardian villas and Art Nouveau mansions were built on many of the 42 steep cerros (hills) – the better to have grand ocean views – and the historic quarter is a Unesco World Heritage Site. The city’s many stairways and funiculars led upwards, even when the city’s fortunes tumbled during the 20th Century. Today, the crumbling walls and staircases are covered in vivid murals and political graffiti, and recently renewal has swept through Valpo, as it is called, with neighbourhoods like the waterfront Cerro Alegre being rejuvenated and properties being restored to their former glory. Students bring in money, and the bohemian nature of the city also attracts artists and architects who have helped transform the urban decay into something beautiful. Chile’s two main political figures from recent history, socialist president Salvador Allende and the dictator who toppled his regime 40 years ago, Augusto Pinochet, were both born here.
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Madison, Wisconsin
With its downtown on a narrow isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona, and the college campus of University of Wisconsin-Madison spread along the lakeshore, Madison is perhaps one of the loveliest college towns in the US Midwest. It is also one of the healthiest, with pedestrianised streets, miles of dedicated bike lanes, four lakes and numerous parks. The university, which is home to around 40,000 students, is able to support two student newspapers, both of which cover news and events in town, and students and residents alike enjoy a thriving art, theatre and indie rock scene, along with a number of summer festivals. Madison is also the state capital of Wisconsin, so in addition to state employees, a number of industries such as insurance and biotech companies draw people to live and work here. “All of my clients move here from outside the state or country, and after they settle in they say that the quality of life here is very good,” said Sheryl Theo, vice president of relocation for First Weber Realtors.
Sought-after neighbourhoods include Near West and Near East that bracket the downtown and are close to the Capitol building. “Some of the most desirable areas are adjacent to the university, such as Shorewood on Lake Mendota and Nakoma,” Theo said, for their access to the city centre. “To the east, Maple Bluff is home to the governor’s mansion and the historic Marquette neighbourhood is very walkable with older houses.” Students live near the university in areas like Langdon Street and Regent Street with bus and bike lane connections to campus.
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and once wanker is gone will try really hard to get back.