The Near West Side of Madison
The near west side of Madison stretches from the University of Wisconsin campus to Hilldale mall on University Avenue, and includes neighborhoods like Vilas, Nakoma, University Heights, and the Monroe Street area. The characteristics that bind these urban neighborhoods together are the tree-lined streets, older homes with loads of character - many with beautiful historically-correct updates, and their proximity to downtown, the University, the hospitals, and University Research Park.
Many people who live here do so because they can walk or bike to work, the farmer's markets, amazing restaurants, several grocery stores and shops. Home to the Arboretum, Lakes Wingra and Mendota, the Monroe Street shops and restaurants, Hilldale Mall, Sundance Theater, the Henry Vilas Zoo, bike paths, and numerous parks, there is no shortage of things to do on the near west side of Madison!
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Community
We've assembled all kinds of information and resources here to help you find your way on the Near West side of Madison. If you can't find what you're looking for here, give us a call and we'll make sure you get what you need. We've provided a brief description of each neighborhood with a map showing the location and links to neighborhood highlights and shopping and dining areas.
Near West Neighborhooods:
Greenbush • Vilas • Dudgeon-Monroe • Regent & University Heights • Nakoma • Sunset Village • Westmorland
Each neighborhood section includes a link to the City of Madison Neighborhood page which includes information about elected government officials, facilities and services (parks, libraries, police and fire departments, public schools), city plans effecting the neighborhood, maps, a neighborhood profile and statistics.
Greenbush
Greenbush is one of Madison's oldest neighorhoods due to the settling of immigrants from Italy and Eastern Europe in the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries. Sadly, due to "urban renewal" in the 1960s, only a few of the original homes and businesses remain. Thankfully, plenty of Italian character is still to be had in the neighborhood. Locals flock to the Greenbush Bar in the basement of the Italian Workmen's Club for thin crust pizza, munch Kosher doughnuts from Greenbush Bakery and shop for authentic Italian pasta at Fraboni's. There are plenty of new offerings in the Bush, too. Head to Indie Coffee to enjoy their famous red & white waffle or to listen to indie music. Regent Street Retreat also offers live music with a mix of local and national acts. And if biking is your thing (it is Madison, after all) Budget Bicycles has several stores with specialized offerings along Regent.
For a historic architectural self-guided tour: The Greenbush-Vilas Neighborhood: A Walking Tour
For a suggested walking/biking tour: Click Here
LOCAL SHOPPING & DINING:
Fraboni's • Greenbush Bar • Indie Coffee • Budget Bicycle • Franco Shoe Repair
Vilas
Perched proudly between the UW and Edgewood campuses, Vilas is a vibrant mix of tree-lined, residential streets, boutique stores, culinary hot spots, Lake Wingra and, of course, the beloved Henry Vilas Zoo. Home to many professors, students and young families, Vilas has an intellectual artsy vibe that finds people out and about year round. One of the most walkable neighborhoods in Madison, it's a short stroll to shopping along Monroe St., the Monroe Street Branch Library, the zoo, Camp Randall for tailgating on a Saturday game day, dining at several local restaurants, and enjoying a multitude of water sports from kayaking to paddleboarding - and even log rolling! - at Wingra Boats. Access to the UW Arboretum for hiking, biking and one of the prettiest 6-mile running loop in the city is an added bonus in a neighborhood already overflowing with bounty.
Neighborhood Association newsletter:: http://www.danenet.org/vilas/
For a historic architectural self-guided tour: The Greenbush-Vilas Neighborhood: A Walking Tour
http://www.cityofmadison.com/planning/landmark/Greenbush%20Vilas%20Walking%20Tour.pdf
LOCAL SHOPPING & DINING:
Monroe Street Guide and Calendar: http://monroestreetmadison.com/Monroe_Street_Madison/Calendar_of_Events.html
Monroe Street Shops & Restaurants: http://www.shopmonroestreet.com/madison.html
Dudgeon Monroe
The Dudgeon - Monroe neighborhood abuts Vilas and shares its distinction of being one of Madison's most walkable neighborhoods. The Monroe Street corridor stretches from Camp Randall at one end to the Madison Opera at the other which says a lot about the character of the neighborhood. Lake Wingra and the Arboretum offer residents everything from paddleboarding and Jazz in the Park to shaded running paths and crane sightings. And, oh, the shopping! Monroe Street is known as one of Madison's premier shopping areas thanks to several boutiques offering yoga threads to vintage finds to high couture, more than a few coffee shops, art galleries and necessities like a drug store, dentist, vet clinic, dry cleaner, flower shop and the only Trader Joe's in Madison. New restaurants are always popping up to join the well established neighborhood favorites like Michael's, Brasserie V, Jac's and Bluephies. Despite all this activity, the residential streets are quiet and graceful with the grand historic houses and cozy bungalows.
Neighborhood Website: http://www.dmna.org/
Neighborhood Tours: http://www.dmna.org/exploring/1title.html
Neighborhood Businesses: http://www.dmna.org/business.shtml
What's Happening On Monroe Street: http://monroestreetmadison.com/Monroe_Street_Madison/Calendar_of_Events.html
Monroe Street Shops & Restaurants: http://www.shopmonroestreet.com/madison.html
Regent & University Heights
The Regent Neighborhood is located on the near west side of Madison, adjacent to the UW campus and the UW and VA Hospitals. The boundaries are Campus Drive, Breese Terrace, the Southwest Bike Path, Glenway Street, Speedway Road and N. Franklin Avenue.
With much of the area recognized as a National Historic District, the Regent and University Heights neighborhoods hold some of the most important homes in Madison including the Bradley House, a renowned Prairie Style home designed by Louis H. Sullivan and the Gilmore House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Originally built in 1893, partly thanks to the expansion of the streetcar lines, the neighborhood housed professors and University officials. In fact, the Olin House is still home to the UW's sitting Chancellor. Besides the amazing architecture to be found here, it's also home to some great local shops like the Regent Market Co-op, Stony Hill Antiques, Fine Earth Studio & Gallery and many fantastic restaurants including Lombardino's and the Blue Moon. Within walking distance of Lake Mendota, Lake Wingra, the Henry Vilas Zoo, hiking and biking trails, the UW Hospital and the UW campus, this area is a fantastic place to call home.
Neighborhood Website: http://www.regentneighborhood.org
City of Madison neighborhood profile: http://www.cityofmadison.com/neighborhoods/profile/71.html
For a historic architectural self-guided tour:
http://cityofmadison.com/planning/landmark/Univ%20Hts%20Walking%20Tour.pdf (an excellent resource for architecture buffs)
Madison Trust for Historic Preservation University Heights Architectural Tour: http://www.madisontrust.org/tours/university-heights/
Guide to local shops and restaurants: http://www.regentneighborhood.org/gpage3.html
Nakoma
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The Nakoma Neighborhood is located on the near west side of Madison and is roughly bounded by Odana Road on the north, NakomaRoad/ Manitou Way/Country Club Road/Seminole Highway on the east, Mohawk Drive on the south, Whenona DriveWaban Hill, Hiawatha Drive, Wisconsin & Calumet Railroad tracks on the west.
Initially one of most prestigious neighborhoods in Madison, Nakoma has not lost it's flair. Home to the Nakoma Golf Club, UW Arboretum and hundreds of beautifully restored historic homes set amongst trees, it's close to all the amenities of Monroe Street and a quick drive to the shopping and dining districts of both downtown and further west. Anyone who lives in the neighborhood is automatically a member of the Nakoma League - a social and charitable group started in 1920. The mission of the League is "to promote neighborliness and friendliness among its members and to contribute to the welfare of the community," and one they clearly accomplish via annual events like the Spring Egg Hunt, the neighborhood-wide Tulip Time Progressive Dinner, a garage sale and, of course, a Fourth of July picnic and parade. With the Golf Club offering golf (as does nearby Glenway Golf Course), tennis and a pool, Nakoma is a lovely place to call home.
More about the interesting history of Nakoma and the Nakoma League: http://www.historicnakoma.org/
Neighborhood Website: http://www.mynakoma.org/
City of Madison neighborhood profile: http://www.cityofmadison.com/neighborhoods/profile/56.html
For a historic architectural self-guided tour: http://www.historicnakoma.org/
Sunset Village
The Sunset Village Neighborhood is located on the near west side of Madison, near the UW Hospital and Hilldale Mall. The boundaries are University Avenue on the north, Larkin Street, Owen parkway and Eugenia Avenue on the east, Mineral Point on the south and Hillcrest Drive, Merlham Drive and Midvale Boulevard on the west.
Sunset Village, located about 5 miles from the Capitol Square, is home to modest ranches and Cape Cods with a typical home having no more than three bedrooms. Though many have been remodeled to suit larger families in recent years, it's still predominantly made up of houses with smaller footprints - a positive attribute to many eco-minded home dwellers. Set amongst trees and parks - both Lucia Crest and Hoyt Park - the neighborhood boasts scenic, meandering streets and great views of the near west side of Madison in places. It's a close knit neighborhood with an active community offering annual events like an ice cream social, the always popular West Madison Little League, a Halloween parade and an organized Earth Day clean up. It's walking distance to the University Avenue shopping and dining areas, Hilldale Mall and the UW and VA hospitals.
Neighborhood Website: http://sunsetvillagecommunity.org/
City of Madison neighborhood profile: http://www.cityofmadison.com/neighborhoods/profile/90.html
Westmorland
Westmorland's boundaries are from Mineral Point Road to the north, Midvale Boulevard to the west, the Southwest Pedestrian/Bike Path to the south, and Glenway Street, bordering Glenway Golf Course to the east. In the heart of the community is Westmorland Park.
Westmorland is a tight-knit community with lots of annual neighborhood events celebrated by both young and old: the Fourth of July party, the Santa visits and Holiday House Decoration Contest, the eco-minded "Speedy Weedy Dandelion Digging Contest" which promotes healthy lawns and the ever popular Walking Band. The busy neighborhood association also collects money for charity, as much as $12,000 annually, through the Westmorland Health Fund Drive. Like other near west neighborhoods, Westmorland has copious distractions in the form of Westmorland Park (famous for it's neighborhood-maintained ice skating rink), Glenway Golf Course, Sequoya Commons which is home to the busiest library in Madison and the popular Chocolate Shoppe, the Village Bar, the community gardens at Midvale School and some famous architecture including a Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian home, several Lustron homes (prefabricated homes made of porcelain steel panels) and a Beatty & Strang International Style house. Close to all the near west hot spots, it's a favorite of many Madisonians with young families and older people looking for an engaged community.
Neighborhood Website: http://westmorland-neighborhood.net/wm2/
City of Madison neighborhood profile: http://www.cityofmadison.com/neighborhoods/profile/101.html