In advance of the annual neighborhood conference this month at Monona Terrace, the Wisconsin State Journal ran a series focusing on the many different neighborhoods in the City of Madison. The series highlighted many of the approximately 100 neighborhoods in the city and the features that make each neighborhood unique.
Each neighborhood in the city has a unique story. Some neighborhoods, such as our own First Settlement and Mansion Hill neighborhoods, date back to the founding of the city. Others were formed in the middle of the 20th century during the post-war era. And others are relatively new, created from new subdivisions during the housing boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Even within Capitol Neighborhoods, the Bassett, First Settlement, James Madison Park, Mansion Hill and Miffland neighborhood districts each have a unique story about their founding and the history that has occurred in each to this day. That history continues to evolve today as the city grows in what may one day be known as the post-recession building boom in the city.
Bassett and Miffland have experienced significant growth, especially on the edges of each neighborhood, with large developments such as Uncommon, Ovation and Domain contributing to a new built environment in Miffland, and Seven27, Nine Line and the new Anchor apartment building currently under construction contributing to continued growth in Bassett. Meanwhile, First Settlement, James Madison Park and Mansion Hill have experienced less development activity but have still seen significant additions through projects like The Edgewater, the AC Hotel and 3Twenty apartments.
These structural changes in each neighborhood have also contributed to social and demographic changes in each neighborhood. Across the city, from State Street to Willy Street to Monroe Street and beyond, our city continues to evolve, with each neighborhood adding to its history and its place in the city. In 20 or 30 years, we will be able to look back on the contributions of the current era to the ever- evolving, diverse neighborhoods in the City of Madison.
The annual neighborhood conference is a great opportunity to interact with neighborhood leaders and residents from across the city. If you have not attended in the past, I encourage you to take the opportunity to do so and to further explore the history and diversity of our neighborhoods that makes Madison unique.