Magnetic north - a bit about our neighborhood in Madison. We are on the East side of Madison if you are someone who is unaware that there is more to Madison than East and West. Yes, there is a North side- even if only those who live there know it. Soon the North side will have a fantastic new church too! NORTHVIEW CHURCH - exploring. discovering. together.
O.K. that was my commentary...the following are some of the comments from the
ISTHMUS
Let us now praise the north side. And let me tell you, it's been a long time coming.Used to be that the north side was where Madison consigned its subsidized housing stock amid the modest homes of blue-collar families. It was effectively walled off by limited access to Packers Avenue and the stench that emanated from Oscar's slaughtering operation. And Maple Bluff? Though cheek-by-jowl with the north side, you could hardly get there from there. The strategic placement of Warner Park also allowed Bluffers to think of themselves as part of the greater east side, if not a place apart entirely.
But that's all changed, the result of a quiet resuscitation that has been going on for a couple of decades at least.
The resurrection is largely attributable to the residents of the area -- a remarkably diverse population, both economically and ethnically. They've worked together over the years on such problems as traffic flow (and pedestrian safety), community gardens, a recreation center and, most recently, the procurement of a grocery store. Today the north side is one of the strongest and most cohesive collections of neighborhoods in the city. To be sure, area politicos and city government rate kudos for paying attention and responding to citizen needs, but residents, with their unity and involvement, made the process work.
Just know this: It doesn't pay to overlook the north side anymore.
ISTHMUS
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