True confession: When I first moved to Madison, I thought that Old Sauk Road was actually named “Old Sock Road.” While you are probably smarter than I am, there’s a lot of things to learn when you move to a new city that the locals already seem to know.
Listen to the City Cast Madison podcast today as host Bianca Martin, producer Jade Iseri-Ramos, and I discuss our favorite “life hacks” that will make living in Madison much more successful for you. Here’s a few hacks that both newcomers and longtime residents could benefit from.
🚙 Highway M
Speaking of roads, if you’re driving in Madison, you often have to drive from the east side of town to the west side, or vice versa. It feels like there are only two options – drive through downtown or go around on the Beltline.
But there’s a third option to consider: County Highway M. Looping north around Lake Mendota and past Governor Nelson State Park, it can be a lifesaver to avoid traffic in the more heavily-traveled parts of Madison. And it’s also a lovely rural drive.
🚲 Bike Elevator at Monona Terrace
Here’s another traffic life hack, this time for cyclists. You’re biking up the Capital City Bike Trail up John Nolen Drive, and want to head to the Capitol Square, maybe for Concerts on the Square or the farmers’ market. But there doesn’t seem to be an easy way to get there without having to cross John Nolen and taking a bunch of narrow one-way streets uphill.
But there is! Monona Terrace has a dedicated exterior bike elevator. Walk your bike in, hit the Level 5 button and it’ll take you up to Olin Terrace, where you can then bike down MLK Blvd. Easy peasy!
🚻 Downtown Public Bathrooms
If you’re downtown (especially with young kids), you may find yourself with the need to find a public bathroom to use. Monona Terrace, Overture Center, the Madison Public Library’s Central Branch, and of course the Capitol all have accessible (and quite beautiful) restrooms for public use.
🚗 The Park Smarter app
When parking downtown, the Park Smarter app will help you find open spots for all city-operated parking meters. Even better, you can pay for parking through the app, and even extend your time in the spot if you can’t get back to your car before time expires!
🌺 Bolz Conservatory in the winter
When the winter cold is getting to you, there’s nothing like going to Olbrich Botanical Gardens and spending some time inside Bolz Conservatory. Not only is it warm and toasty in there, but seeing all those greenery will remind you that spring is indeed coming.
