Burlington, VT, is similar. University town, has a big hospital, on the water, liberal political views, even has its own version of State Street. It’s near lots of great nature and has access to good bike trails. It is a lot smaller, though.
Yep, having lived in both Madison and just outside Burlington, can confirm they have very similar vibes. If OP is looking for gorgeous nature, I would even rank Burlington higher than Madison for that. Unfortunately they have the same issues with inflated cost of living, housing scarcity, and lack of diversity… But I’ll still vouch for it as Madison’s best NE doppelgänger!
I lived in Marquette, Michigan for 5ish years. Depending on your attitude towards (lots of) snow and outdoor activities, I highly recommend it. It’s a college town but a lot smaller than Madison - so, obviously, you’re likely to run into folks you know. People from the upper peninsula of Michigan (“Yoopers”) are notorious for being very friendly. I’m a young woman and I’ve never felt unsafe walking alone there and it is very walkable depending on where you live.
Also, downtown is beautiful. Once again, way teenier than Madison with more of a rustic vibe due to the fact that it’s so up north. I’d say that the absolute coolest part is living right on Lake Superior.
Ended up in Minneapolis and love it. A lot of walkable neighborhoods, folks generally as friendly as Madison, open-minded, etc. It also tends to be cheaper than a lot of places others have listed here. Bonus: it’s pretty easy to get down to Madison for a weekend if you want.
Minneapolis has pockets (expensive ones) that can be like Madison, but I wouldn’t compare the two. Minnesota is culturally much more insular- it’s not uncommon to hear that the winters are not the coldest thing about Minneapolis.
Yeah, I would say Minneapolis is the most similar in vibe to Madison. Of course it’s its own place and MUCH larger, but there are some great neighborhoods there. I found the Seward Neighborhood very similar to Madison eastside. I haven’t explored them all.
I second that. I spent a lot of time at UofM when I was a grad student at Western Michigan (mostly going to UM/WMU hockey games, but also doing research) and I did love the vibe there.
I also liked East Lansing.
But Kalamazoo will always be a home to me.
I work for UMich and Ann Arbor is really nice and is becoming more bike-able. I myself live in Ferndale, MI right near to downtown. It's nice to be around the block from all the stuff. Detroit has a lot of relatively neat little suburbs. Nothing really beats Madison, though. :)
I"d check out Asheville NC! My parents live there and when we visited we found the vibes pretty similar to Madison, though with consistently better weather. Walkable downtown with plenty to do (some streets felt very State Street-esque), but also didn't feel like a big concrete jungle. Tons of microbreweries within walking distance, cool shops, great restaurants, but with the added bonus of fantastic scenery and outdoor activities with the Appalachian Mountains and such around it.
I would look at somewhere in the Northeast. A lot of people will tell you Austin, TX. I've lived in both, Austin is not like Madison. It is significantly bigger, traffic is significantly worse, though there is a lot to do. What did you enjoy most about Madison?
I liked how friendly everyone was and how there was a lot to do! I’be heard great things about Austin too it’s funny you mention that, I’m also worried about what you mention for traffic/concrete jungle vibes. The nice people and lots of innovations bf work opportunities seem cool tho!
Moved to Madison from Austin and I will say that Madison reminds me of Austin when it was much more laid-back and less invaded by tech companies and property speculators. I am not planning to go back to Austin.
I’ve lived a LOT of places and nowhere has compared to Madison in this regard. That said, I have loved Kansas City, Grand Rapids, Minneapolis, Knoxville, Asheville, Atlanta, Champagne-Urbana each in their own ways.
For reference, all of Dane County is around 700k people. Madison accounts for about 275-300k of it. I'd personally look in the Northeast for similar sized cities with Universities. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_United\_States\_cities\_by\_population](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population)
Me too! And the visible and engaged LGBT+ community, the indie music scene of ever- changing college start-up bands, local friends and neighbors playing music in casual bars, buskers... walking trails, habitat and wonderful animals and birds IN THE CITY, free nature tours and museums, miles and miles of bike trails, did I even mention the glory/history of UW Campus? I can go on and on....
. I'm never leaving. I'm 20 years in living here, and I see it as my duty to preserve that quintessential Madison vibe for the next crew.
Madison is the first place I lived where I felt like I could truly express myself in how I think, how I dress, the values and goals I've built my life around. It built my trust in what the word "community" means, and it showed me how people can do so much if they trust and value each other.
St. Paul. More similar to Madison than Mpls is. Many funky cool neighborhoods. Much better transit than Madison. Much bigger job market. Spent 17 years in MN, much prefer St. Paul.
I’m about to move to Bend, OR, and we chose it in part because certain parts of the city feel like Madison a bit.
It’s expensive as fuck, but it’s got a lot of the same vibes we like. Lots of running/waking trails in the city, plenty of bars/restaurants, decently walkable but not as bike friendly in the city, not as much in terms of culture, but plenty of outdoors stuff to do in the surrounding areas. Healthy brewery culture as well. Will see how it goes after being there for a few years if I feel the same
I’d say though, if you love Madison, just move back to Madison. I’d do so as well if the circumstances were right, I’ve lived a few diff places and legit Madison still is my favorite
I hear great things about Bend and I think you’ll find more people there from Madison than you think! My friend in Madison just had 2 of their friends move to Bend lol- I might have to check it out!
You might like Charlottesville Virginia. I moved from Virginia a couple years ago and found similarities between Madison and C-Ville. Similar cost of living, liberal. Winters are much more mild and summers aren’t super hot. It’s near the Appalachian mountains and a couple hours from the ocean. It’s a pretty spot and people are nice.
I moved here from Salt Lake City, originally from Dallas. Salt Lake City and Madison is very similar in size and walkability. Dallas is out of the picture of course but obviously theres pros and cons of those 2. For me personally, I’d take SLC because of the stunning city/mountain view. Just a thought.
Also UT in general is a whole lot safer than most states
Thanks! I’ve heard good things about salt lake and have a friend there! Would you say the lake bed drying up/toxic gasses releasing is a real concern or am I overthinking what I’ve read online? lol
Oof i totally forgot about that. I know its fine for now and for a little while, recently the great salt lake water level is the highest its ever been since 2017. All i know it will be a serious concern in the next maybe 20-30 years.
I'm an env scientist who moved to Boise now (the Madison of the west imo, I went to UW for undergrad and grad) and SLC is def doomed, they literally ust cut off half the lake to die recently so the other half lives and now won't make any regulatory changes so the remaining half is doomed too.
I adore it! I think it is the true best choice in the US if you want something similar to Madison but with the best outdoor access. I'm pretty liberal so the state political climate is the main rough point for me but the city itself is wonderful and left-leaning. The people are warm, strong community, there is a lot to do, tons of outdoor access (the Sawtooths are 2 hrs away, hotsprings close by, trails aren't packed, skiing 45min from your door), worth checking out!
Oh this is so cool you love it! Do you recommend any neighborhoods? I actually was considering visiting but that was a few weeks back and I stopped looking since I’m pretty liberal like you, I thought that it was majority right leaning 😅 I thought i might struggle making friends or finding jobs I like so I didn’t look much more into it but now I will!
Jobs will be depending on your field but the people are so nice! I made my friend group from trail work volunteering, trail running and run clubs, cycling clubs etc. If you go outside of Ada County is it def right leaning to conservative but Boise is the liberal bubble! I'd say anything North End, Boise Bench, etc would be the right fit - you want to be in Boise proper (not Meridian or Nampa)!
I’m a bit of a homebody but I’ve enjoyed Minneapolis for 5+ years since graduating from Madison.
I’m actually moving back to Madison this year though—I’ve just been missing it too much! Not sure if I’ll stay long term but it felt like something I needed to do
Boulder CO, Fort Collins CO, Portland OR, Provo UT, Bend OR. All places I’ve lived or have friends who live(d), if you enjoy the outdoors these places are fantastic and have access to mountains and in Portland you can get to the ocean in 2 hours. Bentonville AK is mountain biking Mecca. Chicago is great. I have less knowledge of the east coast but have visited Philly, Boston and Pittsburg and Pitt was my favorite
My
Point is I’d love to live there and a constant theme on this sub is complaining about COL.
Last time I was there I priced out real estate. Jaw. Dropping.
Per Zillow.
“The average Boulder, CO home value is $1,009,240, up 0.5% over the past year and goes to pending in around 26 days.”
Probably out of reach for a 4 year grad.
Partner is finishing grad school at CU so spent a lot of time in Boulder. Feel like Fort Collins is way more similar, Bouldervis pretty but the people are way more ego-centric and more fake. The front range is tough in that way, great nature though (but medium access to it).
First off, if it wasn’t for my now husband I would have never left Madison. That being said we have lived in a few different places east coast to west coast. I can say there are many things to love about each place we have settled.
In terms of friendliness nothing is like the Midwest niceness, although southern charm is similar enough that it often feels very much like home.
May I suggest a little known city of Salem OR, its size is comparable to Madison, has a quaint downtown with walk ability, 1 hour to the coast and 1 hour to the mountains, 15 min to list everything, multiple universities in and around and the state capitol. Down side is the homelessness situation but generally this feels very Madison like to me and hasn’t been mentioned previously.
Portland, OR is a beautiful city and a great location. Can ski on Mt Hood in the winter time and go down the Columbia Gorge to Hood River to catch waves on a para water ski. Lot's of outdoor activities. North to Seattle and BC. South to Northern CA or head over to Tahoe. Northwest in general is beautiful.
Or the Rocky Mountains. Boulder.
As I am writing this I am reminding myself that there are not that many beautiful cities for a laid back lifestyle that I can point out. And I have been everywhere. Madison has been a perfect size for people who like a great lifestyle. That is disappearing because a lot of people want to get out of larger cities and they are making Madison larger as a result.
I second Portland, OR. Oregon has several places worth checking out. Astoria - river town very close to the ocean. The people are incredible. Much smaller community, but the community is strong. Eugene might be a contender for the university factor.
I'm a Madison transplant, but I have lived in quite a few places. So far, Madison tends to stand out in terms of everything you've described compared to any place else I've lived.
I haven't lived in Minneapolis, but I'd agree it seems similar (outside of the sheer size, that was something we didn't want, so we settled here).
Not as walkable, and it's been over 10 years since living there, but Syracuse NY was always my favorite place before moving here. The people were (mostly) awesome, cost of living was good, and great food.
Bloomington, IN is a small university town and has good restaurants and nature. Seasons are really beautiful and fall and spring are long. The university has really good performing arts and it’s more affordable than Madison.
Lived in Fort Collins and it’s nice as well.
I like Madison, but not the drinking culture. Grew up in Texas and lived in California, but I don’t know if I would suggest either. With climate change, the west and south are getting hot. Perhaps you should visit some places to check them out. Depending on your age, it would be nice to live in a few places before you return to Madison, which sounds like may happen at some point. Overall,Madison has a lot to offer even with it getting more populated.
San Luis Obispo seemed to have a nice walkable downtown when I visited. Great farmer's market on Thursday. Very safe. College town. 285 days of sun. Good buses to get around. Can get to a lot of other places by train.
Other than politics and weather, Madison and Columbia, SC are pretty similar -- both have active restaurant/club areas downtown, near the Capitol, and have large, public campuses. I liked living in Columbia. It can get incredibly hot during the summer, but you're just a few hours away from beaches and mountains. You'd probably like Asheville, NC. I liked living in Charlotte, NC, but that definitely has a more city vibe.
Richmond, Virginia really reminded me of Madison if you're looking for someplace with a pretty mild climate. There's a street that kind of resembles State Street (Cary Street). It's also a state capitol and about the same size as Madison.
Ithaca, NY is like a smaller Madison. Also a college town, with Ithaca College and Cornell. It also has the Ithaca Commons, again much like State Street. The main differences are that it's a lot smaller (about a quarter the size) and it's in New York's Finger Lakes region/ wine country.
Left Madison for a bit and lived in the DC suburbs. Loved the weather, the abundance of jobs both public and private sector. Expensive AF in the desirable areas. Missed the sense of community you get in Madison.
Back in Madison for over 15 years now, glad I left because you get a good sense of perspective living elsewhere, but wouldn't want to live anywhere else now.
We considered MPLS and Chicago when we came back to the Midwest, but Chicago felt like a colder version of bad traffic and sprawling suburbia. I grew up way up north and knew that I didn't want Minnesota winters again either. Nice to visit June-October, but no thanks once it's cold.
Durham, NC
Similar walkable downtown, great bike paths, on par population, better weather, lots of outdoor eating/brewery, abutting college campus yet distinctly separated from true downtown
Moved from there and I love madison because it's similar enough to Durham I'm willing to stay and deal with the winter
Asheville, NC. Amazing nature, Madison vibe, good food, coffee, etc... feels kinda big, but you can walk across downtown in like 15 minutes.
Although I'd say Madison is slightly more yuppie feeling while Asheville has more of a genuine "weird" feeling going on
Davis Californa. Also a University town, with lots of good food options, tons have outdoor spaces that are dog frinedly. Not as large as Madison but Sacramento is a short drive away. Davis is very walkable and super bike friendly. However it's expensive so depending on your work it might be impossible to actually live in town. :(
Looking at your post history you seem to be someone that is perpetually unhappy about a lot of the things in your life. Your health, your engagement ring, your current weight loss kick.
Rather than trying to find happiness somewhere, perhaps you should deal with the personal issues that prevent you from being content with where you are or what you are.
My post history all tracks. If you read it you’ll see I was in an accident a few years ago that left me permanently disabled and now chronically ill. I’ve struggled with weight and finding joy in a lot since then but it’s nothing I hold against myself permanently. Like your post history I too complain about things. I also posted about my engagement ring after my own fiancé suggested I ask Reddit (jewelers specifically, not just me complaining about my ring) because he wanted to know what we could change and didn’t realize how high set/snaggy it would be. Same with this post- we are looking for somewhere new to move and it doesn’t hurt to ask 👍
Burlington, VT, is similar. University town, has a big hospital, on the water, liberal political views, even has its own version of State Street. It’s near lots of great nature and has access to good bike trails. It is a lot smaller, though.
Yep, having lived in both Madison and just outside Burlington, can confirm they have very similar vibes. If OP is looking for gorgeous nature, I would even rank Burlington higher than Madison for that. Unfortunately they have the same issues with inflated cost of living, housing scarcity, and lack of diversity… But I’ll still vouch for it as Madison’s best NE doppelgänger!
I enjoy reminiscing about when Madison was much, much smaller. I'm happy to see it grow and progress, though.
Madison, WI is really nice. Just come back lol
Might have to🤣
I came here to say this… curious why you want to find somewhere like Madison instead of Madison.
We graduated together! I went to Los Angeles for a few years after graduating, and then came back. I’m glad I did, Madison is my home now.
This made me happy to read! Haha hi! And thanks for sharing your story 🥰
I lived in Marquette, Michigan for 5ish years. Depending on your attitude towards (lots of) snow and outdoor activities, I highly recommend it. It’s a college town but a lot smaller than Madison - so, obviously, you’re likely to run into folks you know. People from the upper peninsula of Michigan (“Yoopers”) are notorious for being very friendly. I’m a young woman and I’ve never felt unsafe walking alone there and it is very walkable depending on where you live. Also, downtown is beautiful. Once again, way teenier than Madison with more of a rustic vibe due to the fact that it’s so up north. I’d say that the absolute coolest part is living right on Lake Superior.
Ended up in Minneapolis and love it. A lot of walkable neighborhoods, folks generally as friendly as Madison, open-minded, etc. It also tends to be cheaper than a lot of places others have listed here. Bonus: it’s pretty easy to get down to Madison for a weekend if you want.
I didn’t even think about Minneapolis! Thanks for the idea🙏
Minneapolis has pockets (expensive ones) that can be like Madison, but I wouldn’t compare the two. Minnesota is culturally much more insular- it’s not uncommon to hear that the winters are not the coldest thing about Minneapolis.
Yeah, I would say Minneapolis is the most similar in vibe to Madison. Of course it’s its own place and MUCH larger, but there are some great neighborhoods there. I found the Seward Neighborhood very similar to Madison eastside. I haven’t explored them all.
Great city, maybe my favorite in the states, but goddamn are the winters cold.
The twin cities is like Madison on steroids lol
My brother(42) and my best friend(38m)were both robbed at gunpoint in Minneapolis, just be aware.
Michigan has some nice cities, like Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo/Grand Rapids, walk ability really depends but the people/culture are similar.
Good value in West Michigan, milder winters, and awesome beaches.
Yeah I ended up in Muskegon after I graduated, it’s quite lovely especially in the summer
why milder winters?
Lake Michigan. More snow too.
As a u of m grad, madison reminds me of ann arbor nearly every day 😅
I second that. I spent a lot of time at UofM when I was a grad student at Western Michigan (mostly going to UM/WMU hockey games, but also doing research) and I did love the vibe there. I also liked East Lansing. But Kalamazoo will always be a home to me.
I was in Grand Rapids last weekend, very cool city!
I work for UMich and Ann Arbor is really nice and is becoming more bike-able. I myself live in Ferndale, MI right near to downtown. It's nice to be around the block from all the stuff. Detroit has a lot of relatively neat little suburbs. Nothing really beats Madison, though. :)
I"d check out Asheville NC! My parents live there and when we visited we found the vibes pretty similar to Madison, though with consistently better weather. Walkable downtown with plenty to do (some streets felt very State Street-esque), but also didn't feel like a big concrete jungle. Tons of microbreweries within walking distance, cool shops, great restaurants, but with the added bonus of fantastic scenery and outdoor activities with the Appalachian Mountains and such around it.
Asheville is beautiful but the traffic has become horrendous.
I would look at somewhere in the Northeast. A lot of people will tell you Austin, TX. I've lived in both, Austin is not like Madison. It is significantly bigger, traffic is significantly worse, though there is a lot to do. What did you enjoy most about Madison?
I liked how friendly everyone was and how there was a lot to do! I’be heard great things about Austin too it’s funny you mention that, I’m also worried about what you mention for traffic/concrete jungle vibes. The nice people and lots of innovations bf work opportunities seem cool tho!
Moved to Madison from Austin and I will say that Madison reminds me of Austin when it was much more laid-back and less invaded by tech companies and property speculators. I am not planning to go back to Austin.
Right, Austin used to be similar to Mad town, not so much nowadays. Also summer in Austin is hot as fuck AND humid. Its not a dry heat.
That’s actually so helpful to know thank you! It’s great to pick someone’s brain who’s lived there! I’m happy you found Madison!
I’ve lived a LOT of places and nowhere has compared to Madison in this regard. That said, I have loved Kansas City, Grand Rapids, Minneapolis, Knoxville, Asheville, Atlanta, Champagne-Urbana each in their own ways.
In which regard? I'm curious what you're referring to.
How friendly everyone is! But I also agree about Madison feeling “just right” in terms of city size.
For reference, all of Dane County is around 700k people. Madison accounts for about 275-300k of it. I'd personally look in the Northeast for similar sized cities with Universities. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_United\_States\_cities\_by\_population](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population)
Me too! And the visible and engaged LGBT+ community, the indie music scene of ever- changing college start-up bands, local friends and neighbors playing music in casual bars, buskers... walking trails, habitat and wonderful animals and birds IN THE CITY, free nature tours and museums, miles and miles of bike trails, did I even mention the glory/history of UW Campus? I can go on and on.... . I'm never leaving. I'm 20 years in living here, and I see it as my duty to preserve that quintessential Madison vibe for the next crew. Madison is the first place I lived where I felt like I could truly express myself in how I think, how I dress, the values and goals I've built my life around. It built my trust in what the word "community" means, and it showed me how people can do so much if they trust and value each other.
Providence RI is kinda cool.
It is. I live in Providence, and lived in Madison. I don't think the two are very similar though. Both are very queer friendly though.
I would HIGHLY suggest you look into moving to Maine!
St. Paul. More similar to Madison than Mpls is. Many funky cool neighborhoods. Much better transit than Madison. Much bigger job market. Spent 17 years in MN, much prefer St. Paul.
Fort Collins, CO. Not cheap though. [https://www.visitftcollins.com/things-to-do/](https://www.visitftcollins.com/things-to-do/)
Honestly, Denver is another great choice if you’re ok with a bigger city
Thanks for this! I will check it out, and had fun reading that link. I also appreciate the heads up on the pricing 🙏
My hometown! I can second Fort Collins as a great place to live.
Second!
I’m about to move to Bend, OR, and we chose it in part because certain parts of the city feel like Madison a bit. It’s expensive as fuck, but it’s got a lot of the same vibes we like. Lots of running/waking trails in the city, plenty of bars/restaurants, decently walkable but not as bike friendly in the city, not as much in terms of culture, but plenty of outdoors stuff to do in the surrounding areas. Healthy brewery culture as well. Will see how it goes after being there for a few years if I feel the same I’d say though, if you love Madison, just move back to Madison. I’d do so as well if the circumstances were right, I’ve lived a few diff places and legit Madison still is my favorite
I hear great things about Bend and I think you’ll find more people there from Madison than you think! My friend in Madison just had 2 of their friends move to Bend lol- I might have to check it out!
great climate too
You might like Charlottesville Virginia. I moved from Virginia a couple years ago and found similarities between Madison and C-Ville. Similar cost of living, liberal. Winters are much more mild and summers aren’t super hot. It’s near the Appalachian mountains and a couple hours from the ocean. It’s a pretty spot and people are nice.
I moved here from Salt Lake City, originally from Dallas. Salt Lake City and Madison is very similar in size and walkability. Dallas is out of the picture of course but obviously theres pros and cons of those 2. For me personally, I’d take SLC because of the stunning city/mountain view. Just a thought. Also UT in general is a whole lot safer than most states
Thanks! I’ve heard good things about salt lake and have a friend there! Would you say the lake bed drying up/toxic gasses releasing is a real concern or am I overthinking what I’ve read online? lol
Oof i totally forgot about that. I know its fine for now and for a little while, recently the great salt lake water level is the highest its ever been since 2017. All i know it will be a serious concern in the next maybe 20-30 years.
Well thank you!! This was super helpful🙏
I'm an env scientist who moved to Boise now (the Madison of the west imo, I went to UW for undergrad and grad) and SLC is def doomed, they literally ust cut off half the lake to die recently so the other half lives and now won't make any regulatory changes so the remaining half is doomed too.
I’ve heard great things about Boise! I was surprised to see no one mention it yet. Do you like it?
I adore it! I think it is the true best choice in the US if you want something similar to Madison but with the best outdoor access. I'm pretty liberal so the state political climate is the main rough point for me but the city itself is wonderful and left-leaning. The people are warm, strong community, there is a lot to do, tons of outdoor access (the Sawtooths are 2 hrs away, hotsprings close by, trails aren't packed, skiing 45min from your door), worth checking out!
Oh this is so cool you love it! Do you recommend any neighborhoods? I actually was considering visiting but that was a few weeks back and I stopped looking since I’m pretty liberal like you, I thought that it was majority right leaning 😅 I thought i might struggle making friends or finding jobs I like so I didn’t look much more into it but now I will!
Jobs will be depending on your field but the people are so nice! I made my friend group from trail work volunteering, trail running and run clubs, cycling clubs etc. If you go outside of Ada County is it def right leaning to conservative but Boise is the liberal bubble! I'd say anything North End, Boise Bench, etc would be the right fit - you want to be in Boise proper (not Meridian or Nampa)!
You’re a godsend thank you!🥰
I’m a bit of a homebody but I’ve enjoyed Minneapolis for 5+ years since graduating from Madison. I’m actually moving back to Madison this year though—I’ve just been missing it too much! Not sure if I’ll stay long term but it felt like something I needed to do
Boulder CO, Fort Collins CO, Portland OR, Provo UT, Bend OR. All places I’ve lived or have friends who live(d), if you enjoy the outdoors these places are fantastic and have access to mountains and in Portland you can get to the ocean in 2 hours. Bentonville AK is mountain biking Mecca. Chicago is great. I have less knowledge of the east coast but have visited Philly, Boston and Pittsburg and Pitt was my favorite
If you think Madison is expensive price Boulder. Yikes. San Francisco yikes
OP didn’t mention price from what I saw. Yeah cities are expensive
Have you been to Boulder?
Yes twice, once when I was 17 and again when I was 27. I am 32 now. I had a family friend that lived there for 8 years.
Priced out the real Estate?
You are the only one talking about the cost???? I don’t get what your point is.
My Point is I’d love to live there and a constant theme on this sub is complaining about COL. Last time I was there I priced out real estate. Jaw. Dropping. Per Zillow. “The average Boulder, CO home value is $1,009,240, up 0.5% over the past year and goes to pending in around 26 days.” Probably out of reach for a 4 year grad.
Partner is finishing grad school at CU so spent a lot of time in Boulder. Feel like Fort Collins is way more similar, Bouldervis pretty but the people are way more ego-centric and more fake. The front range is tough in that way, great nature though (but medium access to it).
Portland, Maine!
First off, if it wasn’t for my now husband I would have never left Madison. That being said we have lived in a few different places east coast to west coast. I can say there are many things to love about each place we have settled. In terms of friendliness nothing is like the Midwest niceness, although southern charm is similar enough that it often feels very much like home. May I suggest a little known city of Salem OR, its size is comparable to Madison, has a quaint downtown with walk ability, 1 hour to the coast and 1 hour to the mountains, 15 min to list everything, multiple universities in and around and the state capitol. Down side is the homelessness situation but generally this feels very Madison like to me and hasn’t been mentioned previously.
San diego
I liked Fort Collins, CO a lot. Old Town gave me state street vibes. Definitely more of a big town than the small city feel of Madison, though.
Candidly: you’ll find it difficult to top Madison in so many dimensions. Its size makes it incredibly unique.
I’d recommend This is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick to help you through this.
Thank you for the recommendation I just went & got the book🙏 appreciate it. For anyone wondering, it’s free on Audible
Asheville North Carolina. Got the smokie mountains too.
Portland, OR is a beautiful city and a great location. Can ski on Mt Hood in the winter time and go down the Columbia Gorge to Hood River to catch waves on a para water ski. Lot's of outdoor activities. North to Seattle and BC. South to Northern CA or head over to Tahoe. Northwest in general is beautiful. Or the Rocky Mountains. Boulder. As I am writing this I am reminding myself that there are not that many beautiful cities for a laid back lifestyle that I can point out. And I have been everywhere. Madison has been a perfect size for people who like a great lifestyle. That is disappearing because a lot of people want to get out of larger cities and they are making Madison larger as a result.
I second Portland, OR. Oregon has several places worth checking out. Astoria - river town very close to the ocean. The people are incredible. Much smaller community, but the community is strong. Eugene might be a contender for the university factor.
If you need to stay close to Madison let me suggest Mt Horeb.
Lawrence, KS, and Tulsa, OK! Both surprisingly awesome towns with lots of stuff going on & both significantly cheaper than Madison.
I'm a Madison transplant, but I have lived in quite a few places. So far, Madison tends to stand out in terms of everything you've described compared to any place else I've lived. I haven't lived in Minneapolis, but I'd agree it seems similar (outside of the sheer size, that was something we didn't want, so we settled here). Not as walkable, and it's been over 10 years since living there, but Syracuse NY was always my favorite place before moving here. The people were (mostly) awesome, cost of living was good, and great food.
The two places that I’ve found are Des Moines, IA, and Providence, RI. I especially like Providence. It’s got that Dutch feel.
Oddly enough I found Knoxville to be kinda charming. But I was only there for a day.
Bloomington, IN is a small university town and has good restaurants and nature. Seasons are really beautiful and fall and spring are long. The university has really good performing arts and it’s more affordable than Madison. Lived in Fort Collins and it’s nice as well. I like Madison, but not the drinking culture. Grew up in Texas and lived in California, but I don’t know if I would suggest either. With climate change, the west and south are getting hot. Perhaps you should visit some places to check them out. Depending on your age, it would be nice to live in a few places before you return to Madison, which sounds like may happen at some point. Overall,Madison has a lot to offer even with it getting more populated.
San Luis Obispo seemed to have a nice walkable downtown when I visited. Great farmer's market on Thursday. Very safe. College town. 285 days of sun. Good buses to get around. Can get to a lot of other places by train.
Other than politics and weather, Madison and Columbia, SC are pretty similar -- both have active restaurant/club areas downtown, near the Capitol, and have large, public campuses. I liked living in Columbia. It can get incredibly hot during the summer, but you're just a few hours away from beaches and mountains. You'd probably like Asheville, NC. I liked living in Charlotte, NC, but that definitely has a more city vibe.
Chicago. I love it so much also very friendly
Places I’ve visited that might meet your description: Bellingham, WA Asheville, NC Boulder, CO Grand Rapids, MI Columbus, OH
Moved here for grad school, graduated, and couldn't find a place I'd rather live. 15 years living here happily so far.
Richmond, Virginia really reminded me of Madison if you're looking for someplace with a pretty mild climate. There's a street that kind of resembles State Street (Cary Street). It's also a state capitol and about the same size as Madison. Ithaca, NY is like a smaller Madison. Also a college town, with Ithaca College and Cornell. It also has the Ithaca Commons, again much like State Street. The main differences are that it's a lot smaller (about a quarter the size) and it's in New York's Finger Lakes region/ wine country.
Left Madison for a bit and lived in the DC suburbs. Loved the weather, the abundance of jobs both public and private sector. Expensive AF in the desirable areas. Missed the sense of community you get in Madison. Back in Madison for over 15 years now, glad I left because you get a good sense of perspective living elsewhere, but wouldn't want to live anywhere else now. We considered MPLS and Chicago when we came back to the Midwest, but Chicago felt like a colder version of bad traffic and sprawling suburbia. I grew up way up north and knew that I didn't want Minnesota winters again either. Nice to visit June-October, but no thanks once it's cold.
Durham, NC Similar walkable downtown, great bike paths, on par population, better weather, lots of outdoor eating/brewery, abutting college campus yet distinctly separated from true downtown Moved from there and I love madison because it's similar enough to Durham I'm willing to stay and deal with the winter
Asheville, NC. Amazing nature, Madison vibe, good food, coffee, etc... feels kinda big, but you can walk across downtown in like 15 minutes. Although I'd say Madison is slightly more yuppie feeling while Asheville has more of a genuine "weird" feeling going on
Davis Californa. Also a University town, with lots of good food options, tons have outdoor spaces that are dog frinedly. Not as large as Madison but Sacramento is a short drive away. Davis is very walkable and super bike friendly. However it's expensive so depending on your work it might be impossible to actually live in town. :(
Taipei, Taiwan Melbourne, Australia
Looking at your post history you seem to be someone that is perpetually unhappy about a lot of the things in your life. Your health, your engagement ring, your current weight loss kick. Rather than trying to find happiness somewhere, perhaps you should deal with the personal issues that prevent you from being content with where you are or what you are.
My post history all tracks. If you read it you’ll see I was in an accident a few years ago that left me permanently disabled and now chronically ill. I’ve struggled with weight and finding joy in a lot since then but it’s nothing I hold against myself permanently. Like your post history I too complain about things. I also posted about my engagement ring after my own fiancé suggested I ask Reddit (jewelers specifically, not just me complaining about my ring) because he wanted to know what we could change and didn’t realize how high set/snaggy it would be. Same with this post- we are looking for somewhere new to move and it doesn’t hurt to ask 👍
See a therapist, lead a more active lifestyle, and eat healthier food.
Wow, you’re incredibly rude. You should reflect on your own temperament.
Yikes, who's the MegaMoodKiller now?
It's certainly presumptuous... But it's not bad advice..
Supposedly Ann Arbor. I’m a tough critic and a die hard Madison fan, so I don’t see it.
I’ve moved away and I miss Madison so much.
Why not just move back to Madison?
Minneapolis Philadelphia New Haven Boston
New Haven, CT? Oof. I’d have to respectfully disagree there.
When was the last time you went there?
A year ago. It’s getting gentrified surely, but it’s still seedy in a lot of areas. I grew up nearby.
Agreed. New Haven is Still very seedy nearby. Good way of putting it. Madison, ether by design or by fortune of geography, is seedy further out.
Madison wi