<p>I am hoping that the wise folks of CC can help my S and his GF who will be moving to Madison, WI for her first job after she received her Master’s from CMU a few weeks ago. S will be working at first but then attending University of Wisconsin for his Master’s. Looking for a house/apartment from Pittsburgh (S), Montana (GF), Cincinnati (me) is hard especially since none of us have much experience with the area. They would like to remain near the university since they only have once car and want to take advantage of the parks, market etc. The have a small dog and would like to have hardwoods and a yard. In looking on all the various rental sites and craig’s list, there are plenty of rentals, but what are the areas for them to look for and what are the areas for them to avoid. Their hope is to gather info and be able have a chance to look for a week before she starts working but any additional info would be helpful. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>The problem is if you remain near the university, most of it is going to be student-majority apartments/rentals. Does your son’s girlfriend really want to continue to live that way now that she’ll be working? Where in Madison is her office located? What is their rental allowance?</p>
<p>Will GF be working at Epic? If so, be aware that their “campus” (yes, that is what they call it) is really in Verona, which is not Madison. My S2 and his GF have been in Madison for two years, with him working at Epic, but they chose to live in downtown Madison instead of living in the boonies of Verona. They are very happy living in Madison because it’s central, it’s hip, and they are only about a mile from the UW campus. S2 takes a bus to and from work, which works fine when he works normal hours but not so fine if he has a crisis and needs to work extra-late. They don’t have a car and, since they live in Madison, haven’t really needed one.</p>
<p>PM me if you’d like more details.</p>
<p>She is working for the University. The have around $900 especially if they have to pay utilities. I don’t think they necessarily want to be near U of W but the want to live near people their age. They currently live in Pittsburgh and love the parks, small neighborhoods, restaurants etc.</p>
<p>That’s what downtown Madison is like – very young, hip, funky. S2 and his GF are in a new elevator building and pay more than $900, but I am sure your S and his GF could find the second floor of someone’s house, etc., to rent for that amount.</p>
<p>Look at the off campus housing section of the UW website. Find this via student life-housing-private-campus area housing listings (still haven’t learned to do links- comp sci son never helpful). They will find available apartments and can plug in their wish list- pets, parking, laundry as well as many different areas relative to campus. To be near campus they should not be picky about having hardwood floors, especially for their budget. They can also check Craig’s list for management companies. Also- check with the new job for ideas for housing, parking and transportation. Madison is a great place to live. There’s near downtown, near Vilas zoo, near west side. Check the bus schedules as well- parking on campus is expensive. Campus area apartments tend to have mid August to mid August leases. Also check with the local utility for the costs of those- different apartments can vary based on location within a building (sun exposure, top floor…).</p>
<p>Son moved from next to campus to a west place, then actually Verona when he worked for Epic. Bus service would have been difficult. After years of being close to campus he was wanting a different lifestyle. Plenty of young people on the west side, eg the West Towne mall region and plenty of restaurants. </p>
<p>Something to consider- living with students may not be what they actually want. But using the above housing list will get them in touch with various management companies.</p>
<p>*****NOTE- I just returned to the UW housing site- a definite must. Click on the red for finding an apartment and any other links to get to various city sites- eg relocating one. Good info on tenant rights and so much more.</p>
<p>Although no one has mentioned this, I would think having a dog will seriously limit their options.</p>
<p>Very Happy, wis75, my nephew is interviewing with Epic. Any insights? Or tips? How did they like working there? You can PM me if you like. Thanks a lot! His mom was a little nervous. </p>
<p>@deb922, S2 has been there a little over two years. He has been extremely happy with the salary and the benefits. He’s saved up a boatload from working there and is very grateful that he was able to do so. However, he has not enjoyed the work itself – he is, down to his toes, a scientist and engineer, and he found being a “technical services representative” mind-numbing. The role is really being a client liaison, and that was just not his cup of tea. However, he has made some good friends and is not sorry about his time there.</p>
<p>Also, Epic is very well-known, and I think it’s a good job to have on your resume right out of college. </p>
<p>(S2 has given notice and will be leaving at the end of June. He’s going to get a PhD at UW, starting in August.)</p>
<p>I’ll give details in a PM. Son did programming.</p>
<p>Employees of the University get a year round bus pass for $24.00. It was free until two years ago. Wonderful bargain. Don’t bother trying to park on campus. To avoid undergrads look at some of the units on Sheboygan Ave. All kind of buses come there. Not sure about the dog though. Epic may pay well but it is know for chewing up and spitting out its young people. </p>
<p>Thanks for all the help, especially with the bus pass . She is in contact with her HR rep at U of W tomorrow and they told her they could help her with some of the details of funding a place to live. Madison seems to be pretty pet friendly which is good because the dog is going on this next adventure. </p>
<p>Uh…Madison pet friendly? Not so much. I moved here with a dog, but have not had one in years, as rules are strict, more so than where I moved from in the Southwest That being said, I live in a neighborhood with many dogs being walked, always on leash, always picked up after. There are dog parks scattered about as well, but typically on the outskirts of town. Folks love their dog parks. And, given a cold winter, dogs can run free on the frozen lakes. </p>
<p>If they are at all bikers, this is a big bike commuting town, and it simplifies life greatly when going to the university. The hearty bike all winter, but many switch to bus or car when it gets icy. </p>
<p>Just about anything within a mile or two of the university and downtown is just fine. There are a number of big houses with wood floors and old charm that are student rentals, less than perfectly kept up. D lives in one, filled with aging charm and overlooking a lake. </p>
<p>Rents probably seem very high after Pittsburgh, and due to Epic, rates are edging up. However a lot of new places are being built downtown, and it is hard to say what that will do to the housing market. </p>
<p>A friend of mine’s daughter is moving to Madison for her medical residency. They were in shell-shock after seeing the price of non-student housing in Madison. Their take on things was that due to Epic hiring, much of the non-student housing stock was depleted and extremely expensive. She, and her soon-to-be husband (an attorney) finally found an apartment a prior resident was vacating, but initially returning from their trip to scout housing they were very disappointed. I think many people think that as a college town in the Midwest Madison will be very affordable. She found that the prices rivaled big city rents for apartments in good condition not too far from the University hospitals. </p>
<p>Since Madison is a “college town”, I would assume there would be great bus service to the University from all over town so that should widen the options.</p>
<p>I seem to be surrounded by Epic this week. My next door neighbor girl and senior class speaker at my son’s college commencement both got jobs at Epic. </p>
<p>Deb922 - have you tried googling " Glassdoor, Epic, interviews " There are many candidates who write in about their interview experiences for top companies. </p>
<p>My son had an internship with Epic last summer and starts full time on 6/2. We’re moving him into his apartment this week. He enjoyed the internship. His apartment roommate will start at Epic on 8/1.</p>
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<p>I’ve heard and read this yet given what Epic pays, it’s very much the equivalent I think of Silicon Valley pay given cost of living differences. I was very surprised at what my son will start at. I wonder how much of a leisurely walk in the park that working at the big Silicon Valley firms is. Epic is looking for top talent and making judgments based on school records, even standardized test scores for the internship, but still some don’t hack it.</p>
<p>My SIL’s nephew has worked at Epic for 4 years, really likes it and has saved up a bunch of money.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info on Epic. I happened to stumble here and saw that there were a couple of Epic employees. I forwarded the responses I got to my SIL. I’m only interested in helping them. I think my SIL did google Epic interviews and I guess there is quite a bit negative about the company. So it was good to see some positive experiences here. </p>
<p>Epic is primarily younger folks. My son said there were some gray hairs though. As mentioned above I think that a successful 3-10+ years at Epic is great resume material if a young person gets to the point where they want to cut back a bit on the time commitment, settle down, start a family etc. At least that’s what several in the know have told us. We’re from the state and my son is very happy to stay here. Being in Madison my son will be considering whether to pursue a masters at UW-Madison in a few years with Epic’s assistance.</p>
<p>I think online reviews of everything from Amazon products to Glassdoor are going to skew negative to varying degrees. </p>
<p>Epic tops this list of cool office spaces but my son did say the effects of that wore off quickly.</p>
<p><a href=“10 Cool Office Spaces”>http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/03/08/10-cool-office-spaces/</a></p>
<p>There’s a link to a bunch of photos.</p>
<p>There are longer term employees, who have found niches they like. Many people are hired for product implementation and travel a great deal, spending two weeks per month in places like Omaha or Salt Lake for a year. Those are rough jobs, depending on whether you like your team and your adopted town. Most of us who have lived though computerization of medical records know that it is a rather painful process. </p>
<p>The money is great, and they take bright young folk from good schools, to train as they see fit. There is little interest in those who might have other work experiences, or chafe against the party line, or not have the smarts to keep up. When my Ds friend protested that she didn’t know something, she was told that she is smart, and she’ll learn. As she has. </p>
<p>I said a lot in my PMs to a couple of you. Epic is young but a good directly out of college job. Many leave for other jobs after a couple of years or so- not spit out so much as taking advantage of learning the ropes of the working world, earning some money and moving on. My son did that. For housing I suggest looking at the excellent off campus housing listing from the UW website (no need to be connected to UW for it and many tips) and Craigslist.</p>
<p>Just looked all 92 Epic photos- just like when son gave us a tour a couple of years ago.</p>